Discovery Gaming Community

Full Version: Smugglers, Lawful/Traders, Pirates
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I heard recently that it was okay for smugglers to be stopped by capships and "pirated". How is this any different then Traders being pirated by capships?

Isn't it perfectly logical for a capship to call in a smaller ship's support in the matter?
I would think the rule applies the same. Cap ships pirating is a no no in my book. Whether its a smuggler or not. I treat smugglers as traders unless they have contraband. Otherwise, they are as good as traders are.
Are you referring to house militaries that have a habit of stopping smugglers and telling them to drop their contraband ... ahem ... cargo? Well ... rules or not ... its interesting how lawfuls get away with stuff unlawfuls get sanctioned for.
eh, draw the difference between gunboats cruisers and destroyers first.

Gunboats are cap ships too but its allowable to pirate in them. Thats goes for everyone, including your reference to asking a smuggler for cargo as 'pirating'.

You cant be in a Cruiser/BS and pirate unless you have a terrorist ID.
Hoever if we look at LN for example:

Quote:Liberty Navy ID

Pilot carrying this ID has joined the Liberty Navy. Navy ID grants its owner right to participate in military operations on lawful side, hunt pirates and terrorists, scan traders for contraband, and trade. Navy ID owner cannot participate in any unlawful actions and fulfil bounty contracts.

Allowed ships: Fighters, Freighters, Transports, Gunboats, Cruisers, Battleships

They can hunt you and scan you, NP.
Pirates pirating traders = attack the trader

Navy stopping smugglers = defending their home from the smuggler...

See the difference?
The problem is that lawfuls are not technically pirating even if the same thing is happening in essence. A smuggler who gets stopped by a lawful has no chance of getting away unharmed if the lawful is in a capship. However a sneaky trader has slim chance of getting away from a pirate when they are restricted to gunboats or below. Hardly seems fair does it?

The other side of that is smugglers rarely will stop for anything smaller than a gunboat. There's not much of a chance for the lawful to stop the smuggler before he speed docks.

Personally I don't see much of a problem with the way things are. If you play it smart you won't even get caught.
' Wrote:eh, draw the difference between gunboats cruisers and destroyers first.

Gunboats are cap ships too but its allowable to pirate in them. Thats goes for everyone, including your reference to asking a smuggler for cargo as 'pirating'.

You cant be in a Cruiser/BS and pirate unless you have a terrorist ID.
Hoever if we look at LN for example:
They can hunt you and scan you, NP.

Pirate ID limits you to a gunboat. Non-generic pirates (such as Liberty Rogues, Outcasts, Corsairs, Mollys, etc) can fly gunboats, destroyers, cruisers, battle cruisers, battleships, jugernaughts, dreadnoughts, etc. The ONLY ID's that limit you to a gunboat are the Pirate ID and the Mercenary ID.

Now ... you cannot "pirate" in anything larger than a gunboat ... but you can still fly one. So ... why can't we limit Liberty Navy from "interdicting smugglers" in anything larger than a gunboat?

Take note also ... while the Trader ID allows for you to fly a fighter it does not mean that the Trader ID on a Container Transport is a combat vessel.

' Wrote:Pirates pirating traders = attack the trader

Navy stopping smugglers = defending their home from the smuggler...

See the difference?

Actually ... what are you defending? In Kusari ... Engine Components are illegal cargo if you try to export them from Kusari space. How is moving Engine Components out of Kusari endangering the safety of Kusari?

Listen ... you gotta ask yourself WHY the rule for limiting "pirating" to gunboats and smaller. Don't say because its role play ... because that's not why the rule was created. Outcasts and Corsairs have plenty of access to battleships and such ... so don't say a pirate cannot afford one. Privateers hired by Outcasts or Corsairs would have the backing of those factions to afford such a vessel. So ... that leaves us with one reason for this rule's existence ... to encourage "fair play." Yes folks ... rules are there to keep things fair.

The rules have always been on the side of lawfuls. But if you notice ... about 50% of the systems are not part of the house factions. I'd probably guess about 60% or more of the systems in Sirius are independent or occupied by unlawfuls. I can understand lawfuls being more powerful within their borders ... but outside ... they shouldn't be expected to be safe. But alas ... we've got the over classed bounty hunters on steroids. Seems strange that these guys (who never get paid for accepting a bounty) are always in the biggest, baddest ship with the best loadouts. And they always seem to hang out within 10k of a hostile base picking off their small prey.

Too bad there's no war going on between the houses to get these guys some action. I think the capship owners are board and thus are looking for someone to KoS.

' Wrote:The problem is that lawfuls are not technically pirating even if the same thing is happening in essence. A smuggler who gets stopped by a lawful has no chance of getting away unharmed if the lawful is in a capship. However a sneaky trader has slim chance of getting away from a pirate when they are restricted to gunboats or below. Hardly seems fair does it?

The other side of that is smugglers rarely will stop for anything smaller than a gunboat. There's not much of a chance for the lawful to stop the smuggler before he speed docks.

Personally I don't see much of a problem with the way things are. If you play it smart you won't even get caught.

All perspective. Its a matter of the haves and the have-nots. To the have-nots, pirates are their Robin Hood. You know ... the guy that robs from the rich and gives to the poor. This makes the Liberty Navy equal to the Sheriff of Notingham. You know ... that evil dictator who keeps the poor poor.

Not everything is rosy ... keeping true to the Freelancer story ... the Liberty government is corrupt. Think about it folks. Open your minds ... step back from that tree and you might see the forest.
Baltar, police/military don't actively seek traders unless they are smuggling. Pirates care not about whatever you are carrying. If you are a trader, you are a target. Police/military can't/won't do that. In fact, gouging your eyeballs with a rusty spoon is probably less annoying than stopping smugglers as police/military. At least as pirates, traders are less likely to fast dock on bases that should be hostile to them.
I dont see a problem with lawfuls using larger capships to stop smugglers - it's the smuggler's job to avoid the caps.

Capships are not that hard to get away from as long as you're not trying to smuggle in an advanced train or some BS like that.
' Wrote:Baltar, police/military don't actively seek traders unless they are smuggling. Pirates care not about whatever you are carrying. If you are a trader, you are a target. Police/military can't/won't do that. In fact, gouging your eyeballs with a rusty spoon is probably less annoying than stopping smugglers as police/military. At least as pirates, traders are less likely to fast dock on bases that should be hostile to them.

Actually pirates don't (or at least shouldn't) attack smugglers ... kinda the dog biting the hand that feeds it principle.

I don't have any issue with police/military taking on a smuggler. My point is WHAT they are flying when they initiate their "piracy" or "interdiction" or whatever word you wanna use.

I support limiting this activity to gunboats just as pirates are limited to gunboats when they pirate. The rule I believe was created to keep the pounding to a minimum. With a gunboat ... the trader has a "chance" of getting away. Same should hold true for the smuggler. As it stands now a smuggler can be destroyed in under 10 seconds with a battleship ... 1 shot and the shields are gone ... 2 more shots and the hull disintegrates. Not much fun in that is there? This is why pirates are limited to gunboats ... to make things "fair" and allow the trader the "chance" of escape. Heck ... takes my gunboat upwards of 5 minutes of constant pounding on a container transport or cruise liner before I'm able to defeat him. And many times these guys get away because its enough time to get to somewhere they can dock.

So ... you want everyone to enjoy this server ... or do you wanna keep the status quo where only you lawfuls get the fun?

EDIT: Traders quick dock on hostile bases every day. How can it be that traders can dock on Liberty Rogue bases while a Liberty Rogue is pirating them? It happens.
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10