This question could probably be solved by a good knowledge of Bretonian/Gallian RP, but I'm not quite there yet.
Is the upper half of the system "off-limits" to civilians? What about pirates/Bretonian corporations, etc?
The few times I've gone through there with low server population, the NPC's rip me apart.
Why don't the Bretonians have destroyers and gunboats to combat the Gallian cruiser/gunboat/lynx combo that always spawns around Leeds?
And if you're with a faction that's neutral to both Gallia and Bretonia (IMG for example), can you use Tau23-Leeds as a viable option when making a trade route? Or is that considered OORP and breaking the embargo.
In short: Northern half of Leeds is considered a warzone, and Gallia currently has the upper hand.
But if you're interested in some of the details: Before the Gallic invasion, Bretonia was going through a years long war with Kusari, which has left its armed forces weakened, and when the Gallia tried to push into Bretonia with all they had, Bretonians had no other choice but to only try and hold what they had, as they didn't have neither the firepower nor the manpower to play out anything offensive. That's why they lost their influence in Tau-23, and later on Tau-31 and now have the enemy right at their doorsteps in Leeds.
If you're interested, you can read through these links, which are the detailed explanations of the events regarding Bretonia and Taus in 4.86:
As for the trade embargo, yes. Both houses are currently enforcing embargo each at their respective borders. For more details on the conditions and exceptions of the embargo enforced by each house, you can check the related posts here:
The relevant quotes from each side of the blockade:
(11-11-2008, 05:25 AM)The Kingdom of Bretonia Wrote: 2.1 - Prohibition of Cargo Transported to the Tau Systems
Travel West of Planet Leeds, North of Stokes Station in Leeds, and West of Hood in Dublin is restricted. Any transports hauling cargo past those areas or into Gallia via other means will be considered to have entered the blockade and pay an export tax (see: 2.2 - Tau Tax) or risk having their cargo confiscated.
(11-02-2009, 09:06 PM)The Kingdom of Gallia Wrote: 2.1 No cargo may be shipped out of Gallia into Bretonia, regardless of the origin or the intended destination of the cargo. Appeals can be made to the Office of His Majesty.
From a Bretonian perspective, as long as you're not found to be trading directly with Gallia you can head to Tau-31 after paying a Tau Tax each time, or purchasing a six-month Tau Trading Licence.
Gallia has a "Nay nay and thrice nay" policy, so try not to get caught on the way back.
As Omicron said, you're not breaking any server rules by heading across any embargo lines, but you may face RP consequences from either side.
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