With Regards to the IMG Gunboat

[Elvin]

Well theoretiacally pirate can get that GB "somewhere" But I really want to hear the story first... Something like... Invaded IMG base and stolen the ship?

Only reason why you want it, is because you want to be able travel to anywhere and being friendly to Outcasts, as well as Corsairs and so your ZoI will be whole Sirius sector.... Clever, right?

You really should choose one side and stay there and depending on your picked side, you can get Corsair or Rogue gunboat...It will save you a lot of problems, really.

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I buy things I don't want to make an impression on people I don't like.

[beander2]

Based on the last couple of comments, let me just put in a quick blurb.

No, IMG is not openly hostile to Bretonia, but don't lose sight of the resentment and anger concerning BMM in the Taus and Bretonia's actions in the war with Kusari. This is far more than "corporate rivalry."

Now, the political situation in Bretonia is shifting, something that most folks have not realized. A new project is underway, involving outlawed politics and Bretonian political leaders gone underground. The initial backstory is here: On the Eve of a New Era. This RP development changes things somewhat, as a new underground movement - including folks with good IMG relations and a great deal of money - is getting underway.

This movement includes one IMG gunboat as the group flagship: FED)Publicola. The RP is there, it makes sense. The fact that we focus more on political propaganda than anything else means we are neither seeking "an excuse to bum-rape anything that flies by for 2 mill or 500K or whatever fee you charge regardless of affiliation" nor do we "want to be able travel to anywhere and being friendly to Outcasts, as well as Corsairs and so your ZoI will be whole Sirius sector." We need a gunboat (my first capship ever, btw, and I refused another member's request to keep his Talacara Cruiser - see, I doubt I even spelled it correctly :)), and though we're forced by the game mechanics to use Molly bases, Molly tag, and a pirate ID - none of which we really like - we certainly can't use a criminal vessel because of the RP political implications. We will be doing trade interdiction of traffic to BMM bases - we want to cripple BMM's trade in order to strike at the industrial complex supporting the monarchy - but we will be doing it creatively and purposefully, and well within a very reasonable RP.

I agree with the overall sentiment here: IMG gunboats are not for random/generic pirating. However, I don't think it's reasonable to assume there's no "unlawful" use for it whatsoever.

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Sir Alisdair Buchanan, KBE ~ Gateway)Trafalgar

[Primus Avatar]

Now, for the Pirate in the IMG GB... No. Please no. As has been stated, we're lawful. We have Falkland to protect from the hordes of Outcasts pouring out from Alpha and we probably wont sell some indy pirate a GB so he can tax anything with a cargo ship. Truly the idea of neutral pirate is rubbish. It just gives people an excuse to bum-rape anything that flies by for 2 mill or 500K or whatever fee you charge regardless of affiliation. So please, pick a side.

... Do any of the people posting here even HAVE an IMG character? O.o

1) i have 2 IMG characters. I spent a lot of time reading most ot rumors and ship descriptions.

2) i spent lots of time with the =CR= so i might even add that you can clearly see the untapped RP space here.

3) im being open to peoples suggestions and i cant say that im fond of restricting anyone's imagination.
___3.2) if you're able to imagine it you can write about it in the forums
___3.3) if you have your story written down you can by all means use anything in its bounds in-game. I wont cry.
___3.4) you think someones exploiting the rules just by writing quality RP stories? DO THE SAME then maybe you wont feel at loss.

4) Indie pirates have major weakness and are not capable of doing what they want:
___4.2) they are mostly solo, disorganised.
___4.3) the factioned pirates (if they see them as competition) and lawfuls can attack them as they please.
___4.5) they cant buy certain guns or equipment since they are mostly "not friendly enough" to certain factions.
___4.6) they cant enter any guard systems without being shot, no place to call home.
___4.7) the "unlimited" ZOI and the black market is all they have.

5) And no, the IMG does not allow you to be friendly with the Outcasts. If they see a merc/pirate in a IMG gunboat they will likely blow you up.

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wassup

[Magoo!]

Now, the political situation in Bretonia is shifting, something that most folks have not realized. A new project is underway, involving outlawed politics and Bretonian political leaders gone underground. The initial backstory is here: On the Eve of a New Era. This RP development changes things somewhat, as a new underground movement - including folks with good IMG relations and a great deal of money - is getting underway.

Mayhap because the entirety of Bretonia is being shifted by four people? Mostly yourself, with participation from Unselie next and Sirrah Kuraine and Thacker lagging behind.

This seems akin to being drafted if you're going to completely alter loads of peoples' RP on the whim of for the most part two people.

-Edit- Post 600! Yay!

[Doom]

look, It was more like a suggestion list, not trying to start a flame war here. There is no neutral GB yet so we got to use what we got. And what i said about the black market was only a RP suggestion, if someone has a better RP reason how to get the ship then by all means it might prove to be a "hell-of-a-good-story".

Anyway, people that fly generic pirate or mercenary chars are at a loss here, even junkers. Their need for gunboats is as big as ours.

edit: even xenos

flame war?

Look at my group name before you mention flames.

When i said that we are working on it meant just that.

And somebody asked about IMG char...yes i have several...fly under IMG tag about year and half, so i really know something about that stuff.

As matter of fact i wrote to Igiss today to change GBs description so that there is no mistake who and why could fly it.

[beander2]

Mayhap because the entirety of Bretonia is being shifted by four people? Mostly yourself, with participation from Unselie next and Sirrah Kuraine and Thacker lagging behind.

This seems akin to being drafted if you're going to completely alter loads of peoples' RP on the whim of for the most part two people.

-Edit- Post 600! Yay!

Forgive me, Magoo - I didn't mean to suggest that. I see situations all the time where house politics is affected by the "whims" of one or two or a few, but that doesn't even apply here.

In fact, this project has involved more people than only those who have posted on that thread (I've been asking permission for things all over the place and have had a number of people review information), and it doesn't alter anyone's RP who isn't interested in participating, except insofar as we all have to orient ourselves to any new group we come into contact with. That said, a number of people not directly involved have indicated interest and support. Sorry we hadn't gotten to you yet.

I honestly don't know what more to do than I've already done. I'll have info for the community in the near future, but we're still figuring things out. My main point above was that of this thread: there are RP reasons for "unlawfuls" to use IMG gunboats.

Edit: That is, until Doom's suggestion gets implemented. Then, I hope a suitable alternative is provided.

Edit#2: Btw, the backstory thread has been up for over a month, with an OCC request at the beginning for feedback. If there are concerns, please share them with me.

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Sir Alisdair Buchanan, KBE ~ Gateway)Trafalgar

[Xing]

I feel like IMG is selling their stuffs to just about everyone... isnt that RT used by just about anyone?

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[Panzer]

Yeah and we ended up fighting NovaPG's R.Talons back in the day.

"Because they are sold on the black market" as an RP justification

"Because they don't die to explosives too easily" As a PvP justification

Which was more important - I'll never know.

As many of you know - IMG was turned into a dumpster for unwanted ships that got into the mod anyway. And that ridiculous one sentence was written only so that anyone could use the equipment. It would simplify matters greatly if either the "black market" or "IMG" clauses were removed from infocards.

"Generic equipment for everyone to use"

or

"IMG-built, sold to who made friends with the miners"

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[Rudo]

I feel like IMG is selling their stuffs to just about everyone... isnt that RT used by just about anyone?

I fly one on my Hacker-affiliated thief.

I wanted a sleek VHF that looked like it could turn tail and escape a bad situation, while staying within RP. The RT is as good as it gets in that regard. I get the odd complaint from the uneducated pedant who thinks it's strictly an IMG ship.

But I think I'd be getting many more complaints on other fronts if I was fielding a Slipstream instead.

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[RParade]

.. My opinion on the IMG and their ships is that they'd probably sell it to anyone with atleast a neutral/good reputation. They're a Corporation above all else, everything they do, they do in the hopes of obtaining more wealth. Honestly, I would not be surprised at all if the IMG sold their Gunboat to nearly anyone, even pirates, under the condition that said pirates wouldn't shoot them anymore.

As far as =CR= is concerned, and I don't mean to offend anyone here with this, I never have, and likely never will consider them to be the "official" IMG faction. Why, you ask? Because they don't RP as such, they RP as the Colonial Fleet, which has little to do with actual mining. Just because Galactica had to do mining operations sometimes in the show out of necessity doesn't mean that they are a "miner society/organization." They only mined because they had to do it in order to survive. The only reason they had to mine is because there weren't Corporations around to do it for them, anymore. Just because you patrol systems that are lucrative mining regions, that isn't to say that you're a Miner. I've never seen any of them actually mine or act like miners, but I don't see much of them to begin with, honestly.

.. Moreover, it is the Independent Mining Guild. From my perspective, and I've thought about this alot since buying my own IMG Gunboat, it is exactly as it sounds. It's a guild of independent miners who don't really adhere to any real corporate governing structure, but instead are obligated to work together in order to turn a profit. They're comparable to Junkers, from where I'm sitting; if they could get away with selling their ships for top-dollar to factions and gain immunity to attacks along the way, why wouldn't they? A good portion of the IMG's employees/members are probably freelancers themselves, honestly. Most IMG miners probably only do mining work when they need some extra cash, and the IMG as a faction is probably one of those groups that doesn't ask questions when you fill out your application to mine for them. They'd probably hire just about anyone to haul rocks for them, and in doing so are likely able to turn even more profit by having the ability to pay/offer whatever they want with their employment contracts. Think freelance/mercenary mining - that's how I tend to percieve most IMG members.

Until the infocard says IMG ships are only used by IMG enforcers, I'll continue to treat them as being freelance/civilian ships. The IMG shouldn't be compared to the Zoners, either, as they're very different groups. Zoners are more of a "civilization/society" than they are a "faction", and so they'll always have different rules than other groups. A faction is a gathering of individuals with similiar interests, and Zoners don't fit that category at all. Zoners as a concept are more along the lines of being a "way of living." Other groups are different, usually what holds them together is a belief or an idea, whereas Zoners just want to do their own thing - they have their own culture, which just so happens to have alot to do with profiteering/business. They're not a Corporation like most other business-oriented factions. Talking about Zoners is seriously comparable to talking about a House faction - they have bases, planets, a fully-fledged shipline and an extensive zone of interest, and so on. It's hard to compare something like that to any 'small' faction.

Edit: Besides, there's no real problem with non-IMG people flying that GB. Most of the people who're flying it that aren't IMG aren't even using it for PvP, but instead tend to use it as a PvP-deterrant. Limiting that GB to only the IMG would just result it in never being used, since there's so few IMG players to begin with. The CR when you see them are usually always flying Vipers, the only people I've seen use the IMG Gunboat was the [IMG] faction, which I don't see at all anymore. It's a good-looking ship that not many people are using, and those who do in my experiences are pretty responsible people, please don't restrict it pointlessly.