Discovery Gaming Community

Good day everyone.

Here let's share the pranks the developers are implementing on our poor smuggler arses from update to update.

I'm going to tell you how one is smuggling artifacts from Crete to the Liberty right in that 4.87 update 5 version. First of all one important note about smuggling.

The smuggler is unlawful person - so it will be close to RP to use holes and other sideways to get to the sale point. This is important assumption.

Now let's see - I'm near the Crete and I want to get to the Beumont base in Texas to sell my stuff (a cargo of artifacts).

I'm given the great route by the holy gods - someone half minded decided that Frankfurt - > Hamburg holes are too mainstream so they are gone and the route is going through the Rheinland systems such as Dresden and New Berlin. Fine shet, np.

First you go to Omega 41 and right into Omega 11 (Hessian territory). Then to Dresden hole you go while cruising in the clear sight from the Hessian base's window. In Dresden you're passing another Hessian base and then nearly ram into Vogtland on the way to the Berlin hole.

P.S. I forgot to mention the 100+k voyage on cruise in Hamburg system and 80+k alt tab trip in New Berlin.

Also the Hamburg and border systems there are a playground for RM\LN war. With both holes to both systems being placed next to each others so you can fly right into the load of bricks or Libdreads like np. Then the OC allies territory again *sigh*.

I mean, seriously? And who would go and do that stupid route for that teardrop of credits?

Discuss. More examples of epic Smuggling routes are welcomed.

P.S. I forgot about the nice route to the Barrier Gate where first you need to fly through the lanes in New London (or to enjoy a half an hour of cruising in NL between holes), then to pass the battle field, then to pass the OC allies territory (Hackers).

Much thanks for that.

Well there are alternative routes, you can go through Omega-11, then into Stuttgart and through Koeln to Hamburg... or through Munich and the Bundie system straight to Bremen I suppose. Those both get you to Liberty. I guess they want smuggling routes to go past their main enemies in order to get more drama... Cardamine routes go through Council and IMG and GMG territory too.

(12-15-2013, 08:43 PM)kikatsu Wrote: [ -> ]Well there are alternative routes, you can go through Omega-11, then into Stuttgart and through Koeln to Hamburg... or through Munich and the Bundie system straight to Bremen I suppose. Those both get you to Liberty. I guess they want smuggling routes to go past their main enemies in order to get more drama... Cardamine routes go through Council and IMG and GMG territory too.

Yea, I see. But in what way it is attractive for someone to be arsed to try this? There is no "pay 1 mill and be gone" for smuggler like it is for a regular trader. It's either a loose of all cargo or death if caught by the enemies. The cash is very poor and the routes are boring as duck because in most cases it's just cruising for 100+k in alt tab (through hostile territory of cause).

There used to be a nice route for smuggling artifacts in 4.85 with average profit. Artifacts to Gaian base then something to Trafalgar and something back to Tripoli. It was nice and not retarded. Now it's just a mess.

Also some fine Corsair idiot was trying to pirate me in front of Crete's docking ring which refreshed my sadness a bit.

smuggling should be buffed to post-ore profits imo.
from a purely rp perspective a camara of cardi or artifacts should be as worthwhile as 3k of ore

(12-15-2013, 08:52 PM)lIceColon Wrote: [ -> ]smuggling should be buffed to post-ore profits imo.
from a purely rp perspective a camara of cardi or artifacts should be as worthwhile as 3k of ore

Well, there is a lot of ways to make smuggling worth an effort. The problem is that no one is giving a half duck to at least try. Smuggling is pretty much broken since the very start of 4.86. So it's around 10 mod versions (including updates) passed w\o any visible attempt to do something about smuggling.

I tried smugging routes in Gallia and when I calculated profit (considering biggest available transport, paths etc.), it was lower than ordinary lawful treading routes.
But since Gallia is pretty much empty, there's no challenge there.
Or Human organs to Delta, or Nox to Berlin, but it also takes to much time for that amount of credit.

Smuggling artifacts is also part of Corsairs RP. I did it alot in 4.85, but now it is very hard and unprofitable. This is also one of the reasons that sairs are dead.
Trading in lawfull goods is faster, less risky and gives same profit.
From all directions for corsairs smuggling only bretonia make sense now, but with much longer way than former.

75th do cardamine and slave smuggling back and forth, there are like 5 different routes we can take, though i normally let the escort ship decide.

the shortest route is the taus coronado etc, which pretty much always gets us completely metagamed to the max by just about everything hostile along the way. still, we fly Dromedarys and due to the Closed economy way we run the faction, that tear drop of credits is absolutely vital, we need that money, because we arent logging our BMM or IMG ships and making billions to transfer over.

So danger along the way makes things pretty tense.

I will agree if you are playing your ship in a more free manner, i.e. wanting to make MAXIMUM MONEYS in the shortest time possible it is absolutely not worth it. just change your goal from an oorp one to an inrp one and the value of your cargo will increase quite a lot.

I've been saying Smuggling should be more profitable ever since 4.86 came out.

I'd love it if both Artifacts and Cardamine were both selling on Manhattan for like 9k/ea at least. Same with Blood Diamonds on Denver.