They cant be used for pirating traders but why not for escorting? Yet, only if the situation would generate reasonable amount of profit and risk for the hiring person, I could see that a realistic approach.
The only rules that directly relate to escorting I believe have to do with players below level 40 and being grouped/escorted by players above Level 40.
Here's another issue ... remember the thread asking where all the pirates are? Using battleships and such (like Pluto's battlecruiser) will definitely prevent you from being pirated (that is while you are sitting still and he's next to you). Of course when he's also got support of a merc bomber, its pretty much impossible.
So go ahead and hire your battleships and such ...
@ Admins: Pirates are not allowed to pirate in anything larger than a gunboat. If the trader convoy has a battleship, battlecruiser, etc grouped with it for escort ... don't you think a group of pirates can include a capship or two? They would only be used long enough to kill the escorts and then back off so the gunboats and fighters can pirate the traders. It seems only fair that we be able to peel back their overbearing escorts. If not, can we limit the size of the ships an escort can fly?
I would not see it reasonable for an escort having loads of capital ships as escort. Cruisers and/or battleships should be used on harder tasks other than mere trade run escorting in my opinion. Trade escorts should be composed of fighters, bombers, gunships or gunboats. But not a spamming of gunships and gunboats of course.
' Wrote:Just took a look at the bounty hunter id and they can escort traders.
I think pretty much all id's can escort traders though.
If a trader is going to hire something bigger than a gunboat i believe the pirate should be able to use the same class ship.
Ok - but does the ID state (limited) next to battleships and cruisers and such? Because pirates can have capship, but it states (limited) next to them.