Seeing as how other threads concerning this were deleted this may go the same way, but I would like to express my dismay with parts of the previous announcement, which can be found here: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/1/thread/excessive-griefing-stream-sniping Buckle up boyos. First off, I want to make clear that I have no issues with any other part of this. Pad ramming and such is something we have been asking to be dealt with for years now. However, the part that upsets me is that it wasn't even cared enough about to be addressed until it could be packaged with protections for streamers. In addition with the particular addition of 'stream sniping' this is where I lodge my complaint. CIG has become incredibly cozy with its main streamer base, to the point that they have been given a lot of special treatment and now protections versus the general player base. While this is something that CIG has been smart to do in terms of free marketing, it has gradually mutated in to a special relationship with streamers at the expense of players. For example, the RSI Mantis and the Argo Mole. Both of these ships were dropped in streams to be shown off before anyone else got a hold of them, Evocati included. The same happened with the Cutlass Red. It's annoying that if I want to get a first look at a new ship I have to go outside of CIG's domain and give some 3rd party streamer traffic and possible income. But being surprise ships (except for the Red) I understand this position. But then the Carrack happened. CIG did the same thing. Never mind Evocati going through it first, never mind the backers who purchased this all the way back in 2014, nearly 6 years ago. It was dropped in streams first yet again. Streamers and their audiences got the first look. Not people in charge of testing or people who actually owned it. It has also been said that CIG partners with streamers for ship giveaways. While I cannot confirm this, I would like to say that this is a bit of a sour marketing ploy to build these streamers up to reciprocate the free publicity and marketing, especially after actual backers have put their money and support in to the game for these ships. Which brings me to... Stream Sniping While it is an asshole move to do, stream sniping is also entirely enabled by the streamer. Choosing to stream is literally broadcasting your location at all times to a public audience. While you can take precautions with either a stream delay or masking parts of your screen (as Eve players do), streaming in a public game is inherently risky. Furthermore, taking an official stance to give protections to streamers puts undue burden on the player base versus a streamer. Anecdotal tangent here, back in 2.6 I was the target of a few small time streamers. I killed one or two, not knowing who they were and thinking nothing of it. Suddenly I am being spammed at in game, saying that I am harassing them and stream sniping them, that I am going to regret it. Sure enough I did. I was swarmed by their fan base in game, I was spammed in Spectrum PM's and discord messages. While I had no idea who they were, I was made the target of someone's fan base because they did not like the outcome of game play that they were involved in. My point with the above story is that as a player, I should not be subjected to public broadcasting by streamers and their fan bases, nor should I become the target of these groups simply because of game play. Even if that game play is targeting one specific person, that should stay in the game. However due to the nature of that interaction, there is also absolutely nothing CIG can do for my own protection. But it gets worse. With this new protection in, the burden of proof to prove that someone is not stream sniping rests entirely on the accused. PvP in this game tends to focus on two parties engaging each other multiple times, usually with one repeated victor. Sometimes the PvP is one sided when it comes to consent, but that is also the nature of PvP. I have been the target of such multiple times with very one sided outcomes. Again in 2.6, there was a time that spawning at Grim Hex could be a death sentence as people repeatedly destroyed ships on pads, locking you in at Grim Hex so you could not escape until they got bored. This was never met with punishment and was even encouraged. However now if you were to do anything similar to a streamer, this would be grounds for anti griefing action or stream sniping reprisal. Unless the accused person has a recording proving they were not tuning in to a streamer's stream during that time, there is no way to prove that they were not stream sniping. I should not need to dash cam my entire PC to prove that I am not stream sniping. The word 'stream sniping' also gets thrown around in error nearly as much as 'griefing' does. I have seen many a streamer who sad idle at Olisar or any other major hub engaging their fan base instead of actually playing, giving any would be assailant plenty of time to board their ship or otherwise tag it for tracking. They get attacked once or twice and suddenly the accusations fly about 'stream sniping'. Many a Star Citizen streamer has the notion that since they are a streamer, they are removed from PvP until they decide to enter it, even then it is only to be entered on their own terms. They are worshiped as celebrities and react negatively when they are not treated as such by someone outside of their base. And when they are engaged in PvP, it is usually the other person that must suffer, either through public opinion of them or being hunted directly by a streamer's fans. So in closing, stream sniping is horrible but is willingly enabled by the streamer, and as such they should take their own precautions such as guards or escorts (You know, the thing that CIG told regular players to do) or simply not stream if they are doing something of a sensitive nature. People who use SC as an income opportunity and encroach upon backers who simply want to play the game should not be given priority or precedent, and any issues they encounter due to streaming should be dealt with entirely by them, not CIG. Many games have gone down the path of giving priority to streamers over their base and have suffered and withered because of it. Plenty of reviews of dead games on Steam can be referenced for this. I don't want Star Citizen to be come a husk of what it once was because it decided to cozy with streamers instead of the people who actually supported and backed the game when it was only a dream.