Badging
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Badging and Badging Etiquette
Combat Badges are used as special currency to get items from the Battle Market. Badging or making "Badge Hits" is the act of obtaining badges by attacking others. Since collecting badges is a common pursuit, many players advocate Badging Etiquette guidelines for badge attacks on other players. This etiquette is by general consensus and by no means obligatory.
Proper Badging Etiquette
The Concept
The general concept is that a single attack (ie. single Disable + single Hack + single Raid) on an eligibly ranked player from the battle tab should be assumed to be a hit to get badges and nothing more. Hence it is a "badge hit" and since collecting badges is a significant part of game play the conflict should not be taken as personal and not escalated.
However, there is nothing to stop someone from "badging back". Most players accept this part of badging etiquette as well. You hit me for a badge, I hit you back for a badge, we're even. Some players go so far as to openly allow response badge hits and will not try to prevent response attacks by using traps, artifacts or repairs.
Many players leave a short message on a ship comm to flag the attack as a badge hit. Some players consider leaving such a "thank you" or "badge hit" message as part of proper badging etiquette as well.
What IS against Badging Etiquette is to alert your attacker to your legion for retaliation after a single attack. Alerting over a single badge hit is often seen as unwarranted, immature game play and is best avoided. Even worse is alerting the player who attacks you back with a badge hit after you badge hit them first.
Caveats
It should be noted that there is no requirement in the game to allow badge hunters free reign either.
If you prey on weaker and lower ranked players or on the same player over a period of days you will get alerted to their legion since the player generally has no better recourse. Most legions have higher rank players protecting their lower ranks and if your badge hits are on players who are ranked so far below you that they stand no hope of hitting you back for a badge you will not get much sympathy.
Since the same player may appear in your battle tab again the next day, badging from them again may be taken as farming and legion alerted. It is another good reason to leave comm messages that the attack is just a badge hit if you actively mine your battle tab for badges.
The battle purist will argue you should only be hitting opponents of similar or higher rank for badges. Even if attacking the lowest rank players is easiest, there is no honor in preying on the weakest.
When is a badge hit a badge hit?
An attack is a badge hit if it is a single attack on a random person to get badges. This can include any combination of a single disable, single raid and single hack in one go. If attacks continue then someone is inviting trouble and you may be best off alerting your legion.
It is possible to get multiple badge hits from different players who find you on the battle tab at the same time. One may disable and raid you and the next raid you. Don't assume you were legion alerted unless you confirm multiple attackers from the same legion.
If one player disables you and several others from the same legion raid or hack you for badges then it is not a badge hit. An ethical "badge hit" never involves a legion alert.
What about green badges?
Green badges are awarded after capturing a planet. Taking a planet is always open to retaliation and escalation since you undoubtedly don't plan to give it back after you get the badge.
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