I have been wondering for a while now what a mercenary or freelancer can use, without creating a fairly large role-play about it. I manly wonder this because, unlike other factions, mercs and freelancers do not actually have any faction specified weaponry. Although some equipment is obvious, such as the civilian line of weapons and ships and code weapons, some of the higher level equipment is hard locate or buy and usually is in some far off place, where you have to go through a few guard systems just to find them or you have to be friendly with (which isn't usually the best idea if you are a merc or freelancer). This probably also applies to civilian pilots as it doesn't exactly make sense sometimes what a civilian is flying or shooting you with. So please post comments on what you think mercenaries, freelancers and possibly civilians should be or shouldn't be flying around and gunning down without a good RP reason.
In my opinion, Mercenaries and Freelancers have more freedom in their choice of equipment, but it still should be logical. No, I won't mention Krakens and Tizonas, as any other combination (eg Firekisses and Suncannons) would be just as "OORP". This combination of Rheinland and GC weapons is not effective in PVP, so it's not complained about.
If a freelancer/mercenary wants to play it safe, they could get a suitably neutral and uniform ship like the Eagle, combined with civilian or universal weapons. If the character has to branch out, then factionised equipment might be used, but it's good to justify these decisions. Is the freelancer friendly with the GC, so he has access to their weapons? Or did he strip them from the wrecks of a famous fighter battle?
Would it be ok to play as a Kusari deserter (merc or freelancer ID, dunno what IFF, maybe none) and flying a Kusari ship with Kusari weps, but changing to civ weps as they get blown off?
Freelancers and Mercs are supposed to have any kind of ships or weps as long as they follow the rules. I mean thats what they are. Making their own choices. Why make restrictions on their loadouts.
Amen...Freelancers and mercs are hired by everyone at some point.
Also. Weapons? Anything and everything.
Logically, Coded weapons could be considered "illegal" by whatever government they may have belonged to (the codeds in sig 13 could be classified rheinland weapons.) But they aren't, because too many use them.
Much to the same, if a freelancer happened to work for the corsairs for a moment, maybe shipping artifacts or protecting against the nomads, he might be loaned some Del cids, or something along those lines.
Examples are endless. Freelancers can be neutral, lawful, borderline lawless, or just plain unlawful and doing what they want.
When it comes down to it, anything and everything. If you can write a good RP for it, everything is possible.
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