Here are some quotes straight from Ganjin.
Soo allllllll that said, it is now unfair optional?
Reward reduction optional?
Antiethical gameplay optional?
Unintended game mechanic optional?
WTF are they saying?
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This is no longer possible with the new system. The ability to do this was a consequence of the old system, but not an intended one. This “tactic” was not intentional as the advantage it gave was antithetical to gameplay and the intentions of the mechanic.
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Fundamentally, the key issue with deliberately not repairing certain areas of the ship was that it was unfair to the player shooting at it
If a player does everything “right”, besting the defenses of an enemy ship, they should be rewarded for successfully carrying out that action. The unintended ability to lessen the reward for the player landing their shots harms gameplay overall.
We understand that DC may be seen as taking away agency, but this decision is in favour of fairer gameplay across the board, and rewarding the active player in the engagement. You penetrated an enemy ship in a critical spot? Excellent, you’ll be rewarded for that. You got hit by an enemy in a critical spot? Then they deserve the reward for that. This old system let a player reduce the reward gained by another player arbitrarily