Bounty Hunter
Template:RoleInfobox Any player can collect a bounty by killing a wanted player or NPC. The ship scanner can determine if the selected target is "Clean" or if there is a warrant for their destruction. Bounties outside of the current jurisdiction are not shown by the ship scanner so it is recommended that bounty hunters equip a Kill Warrant Scanner to scan for those extra bounties (bind it to a fire group, aim at the target and "shoot" until the scan is finished). It is also recommended to have a Frame Shift Wake Scanner equipped, to scan any High Energy Wakes, in case the target jumps using Frame Shift Drive or FSD.
Bounty hunters will often loiter outside stations in order to scan other ships when they slow down to enter the docking area, but many bounty hunters are most active at RES (Resource Extraction Sites) or Nav Beacons since many wanted ships will appear at both locations. Most NPC ships will pass through the Nav Beacons making them excellent areas for both NPC and player bounty hunters. The Resource Extraction Sites can be mixed in their populations. Isolated clusters of asteroids rarely contain any activity at all whereas the planetary rings of busy planets are rife with pirates looking to prey on miners. This makes planetary rings advisable for any prospective bounty hunters.
A major problem for bounty hunters is accidentally shooting the regional security services. Stray multicannon shots, turreted weapons and occasional AI stupidity tend to be the causes of this problem. In this instance the player will gain their own bounty and would need to go to a station in a system where their bounty does not apply. Note also that any bounty collected while wanted yourself can't be cashed in at a station, atleast not in the currrent state of the game.
To claim a bounty a player only needs to find a target with an active bounty on them and then destroy (make sure to get the last hit) their ship. Claims can be redeemed in the Local Security Offices section of the Contacts menu at any station in a system where the target was wanted. It is important to note that if you fire before the target is designated as 'wanted' then you will gain your own bounty.
As of 1.03 bounty hunting now gains a reputation gain with the faction you hunt in. Both stations and traders (including their fighter escorts) will appear as green blips on your radar and will assist you if attacked. In the case of traders, they only appear as green when encountering them for the second time, the first time they appear as any other random, non-aligned NPC.
Bounty Vouchers
Bounty vouchers are awarded when a commander destroys a ship that had a bounty on it. These vouchers must be cashed in at an appropriate contact to receive the reward.[1]
Kills and associated bounty vouchers are recorded in the ship's log, so if your ship is destroyed before you get back to a station contact to present them for payment, then the vouchers will be lost along with the ship and you will not be able to cash them in. An exception to this is if the bounty voucher was awarded in the presence of a system authority vessel in which case they "radio" the kill confirmation back to their home station.
Bounty Value
Bounty value on NPC ships is somewhat random, but seems to scale proportionately both with class of ship and with skill of the pilot. An Elite Sidewinder might be worth more than a harmless ASP, even though the effort required to take down the latter may be greater than the effort for the former. Commonly seen ships and their bounties are below (bounties taken with Kill Warrant Scanner in an anarchy system - local system bounties may add to overall value):
- Sidewinder: 1,000 - 8,000 Cr
- Eagle: 1,000 - 9,000 Cr
- Cobra Mk. III: 5,000 - 25,000 Cr
- Viper Mk. III: 10,000 - 30,000 Cr
- Hauler/Adder: 1,500 - 10,000 Cr
- Lakon Type-6/7: 3,000 - 20,000 Cr
- Miscellaneous Super-Heavies (Imperial Clipper, Federal Dropship, Python): ~20,000 - 100,000 Cr
- Anaconda: 50,000 - 250,000 Cr
These figures are highly subject to change on an individual basis and are just a vague guide. Attacking a ship with a higher base price than your own will result in negligible (~500Cr) bounty.
Most stations will display the 5 most wanted players in the system along with where they were last active and their bounty. Hunting other players can bring in bounty vouchers worth millions provided they do not Alt+F4 before you get the kill.
Things to remember about bounty hunters
- The bounty hunter's favourite ship is the Viper Mk III; fast enough to catch up with you and fast enough to escape should things not go according to plan. Usually outfitted with railguns or cannons for a quick and decisive outcome.
- An alternative lies in the Vulture. It is vastly more expensive to outfit, but has powerful weapons (most pilots use gimballed Pulse Lasers) that can tear through larger ships very quickly.
- Bounty hunters are not predominantly pirates, but may take on that role as opportunities arise. Any stolen goods gained while bounty hunting is always an added bonus.
- Your Pilot's Federation Combat Rank increases based on rank disparity. You make bigger gains when you destroy ships with a higher combat rating than yourself.