I've posted on this before, and I may be the only person in the world concerned about it, but it's a big deal to me (I must have replayed the "Great Gate" battle a hundred times trying to complete it without getting an assault). I'll post this one last time in hopes a developer reads it.

First of all, I think that the murder and assault stats are completely out of place in the Fallout world. It just seems to be introducing Elder Scrolls style morality to a universe where it isn't appropriate. That's a broader conversation for another day.

My main issue is I believe the crime factions are being implemented incorrectly. This is an issue in Skyrim as well, though less egregious (example: attack a sleeping Draugr=assault). Murder and assault should be applied to killing/attacking non-hostile and (key) FRIENDLY NPCs only. This is not how it's actually working. Examples ahead...

Bethesda, if you read this, I believe the crime factions are bugged. I realize the implementation is very complicated with the various alliance possibilities, but if the crime factions can't be implemented correctly, they should be removed.

Are these numbers listed anywhere other than that one stats page? Does any NPC anywhere actually care?

No.

No.

But the player does. Some players (me included) do not play 'evil' characters and seeing a tracked stat that tracks 'evil deeds' is .. hindering their personal game experience. Essentially the game tells that player he is a bad person.

The system Fallout and before Skyrim used has flaws and is 'going by the number' whith little to no check of circumstances it seems.

Attacking a person (does not matter if organic, deceased, rotting or synthetic) which is unaware and unable to react is counted as assault.

Killing a person who is not attacking you is counted as murder.

Basically speaking blowing up a whole airship full of noncombatants (the scribes, that vendor who is caged inside his store, the female mechanic whithout legs,...) counts as both. It does not matter if the institution they are working for has a grudge against you or not. If you'd go into iraq/syria and kill some IS Terorists that's a boon to society but 'by the number' it is murder.

DrAg0: blowing up a whole airship full of noncombatants (the scribes, that vendor who is caged inside his store, the female mechanic whithout legs,...) counts as both

That's why I think the system is bugged, or at least badly implemented. By your example, I should have had dozens of murders and assaults after Airship Down. instead I had about one dozen murders only (which is why I think only the named BoS NPCs were counted). I can sneak attack a boatload of Raiders and Gunners and never get an assault, but kill Elder Maxson, who is shooting at me, and I get a murder.

I have looked at the crime factions in FO4Edit and they are extremely complicated with all the different factions and the likes/dislikes of various companions, so I think it would be very easy to get some wires crossed. In the case of the BoS, the murders may be intended by the developers. However, the other two instances I mentioned (ArcJet and The Switchboard) are clearly not intended as it is only these specific NPCs that are counted not the waves of other Synths that get mowed down in these locations.

mrsprings: does any NPC care

I take your point. It's a game after all. However, I can't definitively say "no" to your question. I had Piper randomly freak out after I shot a Raider and had to send her to a settlement. I reloaded a save, shot the same Raider, no Piper freak out, so that was probably just a glitch. However, as DrAg0 aptly says, it "hinders my gaming experience." Like I said, I replayed The Great Gate (Oblivion) over and over to complete it without an assault. And, it still irritates the hell out of me you can't complete the Mages Guild in Oblivion without a theft on your record. I'm a little OCD about a clean character record.

If you go and check the quantity of scribes + non combatants you come across the airship you'd see they are not that numerous. As the kitchen/engine room/storage is not accessible and not rendered gamewise (technically they are not present) the count is so low. Beeing a military airship there are no civilians aboard and the staff is cut down to absolutely neccessary levels.

If you'd be pragmatic about it and see it neutral the blowing up via artillery is an act of war, so the BoS Knights/Paladins do technically not count as a murder as they are legitimate targets.

And you get the killing of the targets you are technically not allowed to kill (horrible mindset...) as murder.

The other instances sound like a bug but the blowing up of the airship is pretty much acurate.

And that makes you believe you're a bad person...? It's a number on a screen... there isn't even any dialogue. If you didn't open it up and look at it and derive meaning from it it would be completely meaningless, unlike if NPCs actually acknowledged you were evil, which they don't. For people wanting to RP this is really.. not the ideal game. Unless you want to RP smarmy sarcastic guy with a heart of gold every time I guess.

Did you or did you not murder someone?