Number 1 - It is solved already in testbed. No trouble from that.
Number 2 - We would need a ULTRA/MI-6 level of coding to know who's talking in TS, etc.
Anyway, listen up...
IF something like this could be implemented, I am sorry to say, it cannot be player driven, unless we stick to National News and role-play driven.
Taking on the best Bounty system i've played:
- Bounty increases on a linear scale regarding actions ( attack on traders, warships, etc ), say XXX gold per attack, plus XXX gold per kill/capture, plus XXX gold per cargo value.
- Bounties are two levels - faction and region - meaning any player would have a bounty put by faction and an added bounty per region where the deeds have been perpetrated.
- The higher the bounty the higher the chances for AI to attack, escalating to a point where it is a constant threat to that particular hunted captain.
- Upon destruction or capture of the offending captain, the bounty is fully paid and the value reset to zero.
Added goodies:
- Each Port has a board with the top bounties being offered by the Nation and top bounties being offered by the Port - two levels of bounties
This, de facto, would work as a "infamy" meter of sorts.