[Aedolaws]

Kargool idea has some merits. But I think that as proposed, it would further accelerate the extinction of dedicated scanners , because now people will have first their alliances, then friends, then random people, and finally the market. It would also promote piggybacking, as it would be much easier for un-allied/different allies now to take advantage of alliance attacks.

So lets simplify/make this more complex:

(1) Make the universal scanner a 100 amps source (independent of the number of scans/distorters out there). If willing to pay the price, then a player should get a fresh scan (no point in getting even a 1 hour old scan).

(2) Should we create a universal library? YES. If we also want to stimulate the birth of more dedicated alliance scanners, then allow alliances/players to sell their scans to this library. For example, make it a permanent feature that the Universal-Scanner/Library will buy any 1 hour fresh scan, and pay fixed amounts for this feature - the more complex the scan, the more revenue it produces. A 2 hour+ scan brings 0 revenue, so scanners must make their scans available right away to the universe or make nothing! This way alliances can get some of its daily $ investment back - but only if they are willing to let everybody know what they know.

(3) If so, we should let players browse the universal scanner library and pick old scans. Make a player pay a standard searching fee for quasi-unlimited 1 time access (i.e., searcher may see all that is available, but not the specific info of each scans).

(4) How to fix the side effects?

(a) How to make sure scanners DON'T cease to exist?
If people want fresh scans, and there are no scanners around and thus they are willing to pay more than otherwise, force people to choose this option wisely as a last resort, thus, for example, the first one may cost 2x (the normal cost), the 2nd one 3x, the 3rd one 4x, etc... (which, I predict people will be willing to pay as fleets [and thus risk of catastrophe] grows).

(b) How to curtail the exploit to piggy-back?
Now, I think searching the library should not be limited in a similar way - savvy players and those with a bit more of time in the mornings should be able to exploit the system. And, don't forget, this system requires payment for every single time use to obtain a single scan.

(5) If you wanna further complicate the idea. Maybe make one of the races pay very little for this feature and get more for the scans (i.e. the scanners race), and make another one pay a lot more than avr., etc So, players take this into account when choosing races.

P.S.

All we ex-TGVs are well-endowed!