Balancing in an online game is a delicate matter, and developers often need to fine-tune to ensure fairness. This is also the case in Elite: Dangerous.
With the Engineer update, heat weapons would be introduced in the space game. However, many players found them overpowered, as there was basically no way to escape the attack of such weapons. Yet the developers did not want to listen, which is why the griefing gang Smiling Dog Crew announced Operation SpicyBois. They explained that they would commit acts of terrorism in the game and grill all players with heat weapons until the developers reacted.
Heat weapons were nerfed
They called on all players to participate in the action by documenting the gang’s kills and keeping them on screenshots and spreading it all. They actually meant no harm but were using terrorism as a means to an end – for freedom. After a few weeks, the developers finally reacted and nerfed the heat weapons. These weapons can now no longer cause modular damage on their own.
The developers stated that they were already aware of the problem and had to work on it for some time. The change had nothing to do with Operation SpicyBois. Nevertheless, many players thank the griefing gang Smiling Dog Crew, even though they are anything but popular in Elite: Dangerous.
