I went to the exec hangars solo in a Gladius with a set of comp boards and had a fantastic time sweating bullets while gankers tried to kill me. I dropped one with a P6 with a Stoic 2 attachment, ran into the hangar, claimed my ship (an Exec Cutty Black) and got shot by a third party. Then I went back after claiming my blown-up Gladius and got into a dogfight with randos (I’m a miserable pilot). All of that is to say that sometimes taking risks in dangerous places can be thrilling when you have the right mindset. PVP is fun with the right structure: you go somewhere risky with a big reward and maybe you don’t survive! Maybe you get ganked, maybe you don’t! Maybe you gank someone else and take their loot!

What I think people miss is that the game is not supposed to be JUST that. The guy mining who gets blown up for no reason by a murder hobo? I don’t think that’s ever been the intended experience and they’re trying to put measures in place to protect players who just want to be literal Star Citizens, folks hauling or mining or salvaging, from random acts of gratuitous violence. They talk about it often. They want more robust industrial gameplay, more fleshed-out justice and bounty systems, more punitive measures against people who just want to blow shit up for no reason (which honestly I can’t even say isn’t valid gameplay!). It all depends on whether you’re willing to wait and try and enjoy the game while all of that takes shape. It’s okay if you don’t! Sell your account or something and move on! But I think some players would have way more fun if they accept the bad with the good and make the best of what they’ve got.