Dear Cloud Imperium Games Team, the number of announced changes in production has given me a number of considerations too. An important one is how individual player protection will work in Star Citizen in the future when they move in the UEE- / friendly-Alien-controlled systems? Unfortunately, as a trader, explorer or miner, I'm often just a victim at the moment and that's not just because of my ships or missing skill. Since the "Big Balls Hornets" and "Mantis" are ready for flight, other players are often lurking at orbital markers, near abandoned settlements or in other convenient locations. The problem is that they don't see themselves as "pirates" but only want to destroy. Of course, this takes away the fun if you don't always want to play the COD- or BF-like shooter variant but rather the broad facet of the Star Citizen universe. At the moment you are practically only forced to do the following: 1.) Give up (using "Back to menu" = loss of cargo but keeping the gear you wore – which can also end in aUEC bankruptcy). Or you get so fed up that you let yourself be shot down, then everything is gone. 2.) Fighting, which usually makes no sense against 1 Mantis and 2 Hornets – and alongside: since trying to balance the ship's shields it's doubly pointless, because for example a 400i only has 4x 25 shield-points despite FR86. The "Big Balls Hornets" and for example the 300i-variants all have 4x 100 shield points. So have all normal players deliberately become “victims” and are nerved so that the “brutal” faction has “fodder”? It feels currently a bit like that because, for example, with a fully equipped 400i (the largest items) I'm a "flying presentation plate" and "victim for sure" and I can't even log out because the menu in bed says "that I'm in combat". Such attempts at balance are reminiscent of bitter previous experiences in other MP games, where in the end "a pistol was just as powerful as a rocket launcher". But something like that is a big danger and can completely ruin a gameplay. Yes, the Mantis and Hornet have to and should be strong, but as a normal player in a UEE-controlled area, I can't remain permanently helpless. Police or KI-Players / -Droids (non humanoid) are need. In real life a military Humwee can stop and destroy several semi-trailers at the Autobahn – only that after 15 minutes at the latest, dozens of police cars and helicopters would be on their way to help. This is how I see the future of UEE-controlled areas or their counterparts in peaceful alien areas. 3.) Escape, which doesn't work because the Mantis and Hornets are faster than, for example, a 400i or even more so a MISC Freelancer. And the QT ist blocked by the Mantis. In the end I have no option but to accept being a victim – what sounds understandable for Pyro remains questionable for the future of UEE-controlled systems like Stanton. It looks like Star Citizen is currently optimized only for the high number of violent players – and with some questionable attempts at balance. If Albert Einstein were still alive, he would certainly have said a different sentence: "Two things are infinite, the universe and the attempts to balance digital computer games". The latter also wants to take into account the different skills of the players in addition to the game balance (which sounds like a joke). The solution is so simple: use reality as a model. A pistol is significantly weaker than a machine gun and a single Humvee can destroy dozens of trucks and cars on its own. The only question is where and how and whether we live in a democratic country or in Pyro. This defines the period of consequences for such "brutal" players and the protection of Star Citizens within UEE-controlled areas. What is need in my opinion: - UEE police, who currently unfortunately only scan cargo at the moment and do not come to support with "big police ships" (like in "real life"). This option is currently not available. - AI people who can be hired or purchased who would operate the remote turrets in the ship and control the ship's elements (such as shield energy and distribution) to increase the own chances in such a situation. This option is currently not available. - Non-humanoid droids, like the repair ones that once existed but were apparently removed for performance reasons. This option is currently not available. The latter has been a thing again since the news of April 30, 2013: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/12977-News-Update-WILL-WE-NEVER-LEARN So my question to the devs is: How is the protection of normal single players planned in the future if they don't just want to fight but also just want to trade and explore within friendly controlled systems? Fathers and mothers, infrequent players and people who simply don't want to fight need a place too – even if the majority of SC players apparently only want to shoot at the moment. Thank you for your time to read, reply and keep up the good work! Best regards Jack Aubrey