Our opinion about the new 4.2 rule - Joint Statement with GC| Official Faction
The New Rule
4.2 Only one reasonable demand during each piracy interaction, after requesting they stop.
- Telling someone to stop is not a demand for purposes of piracy, but they can be destroyed if they refuse
- Demanding 25mil for cargo that would only fetch maybe 10mil is not reasonable
- Demanding they drop their shields is not a reasonable demand that you can destroy them for if they refuse (Though if they do, good for you pirates)
- Demanding they drop cargo AND credits is multiple demands, and not allowed
- Demanding they give you their pants is reasonable inRP, but you can't further demand credits
Our Opinion
I admit that we couldn't imagine such rule would come out. The consequences to our faction will be radical and I will try to explain the reasons below. We believe the errors associated with the new rule happened accidentally as the goal was to make the rules more simple and thus we will offer solutions on how to fix it while staying true to the original spirit of the rule.
As it is well known, our faction is mainly invested in piracy. This is what we mostly do. But in the majority of our piracy operations, we do not simply demand some credits after the minimum RP requirement has been fulfilled.
Based on circumstances of the encounter we typically engage the target in conversation first before demanding a reasonable amount of money. We sometimes insult them, we sometimes make fun of them, we sometimes scare them or extract valuable information, this is all part of what we do. On a daily basis. It adds variety, it adds color and most importantly it is immersive.
Some of those things require us to issue multiple minor demands. Demands which do not cost something to the transports. For example, Liberty may not have much trading activity but it is filled with law enforcement or vigilantes. So if we are to have a few more moments alone with our target (and thus enjoy a more colorful interaction than a 2milordie), we need time. And we get that time by usually ordering our targets to move to a quiter place. Ordering a target to speak in system comms and say to the police officer that everything is okay, is another thing we do very often. Asking questions during an interrogation and expecting some answers is part of our roleplay. For 9 years now.
This rule by restricting us to make one demand only during an encounter is not acceptable as we cannot fulfill our roles.
Solution
The spirit of the rule is to protect transports from paying a pirate twice. Either in cargo or in credits. Subsequently this is the amendment we propose for this rule.
4.2 Only one monetary or cargo demand can be issued during each piracy interaction. This demand should be reasonable.
That way the transports are still secured from multiple piracy attempts but we can also decently fulfill our roles as pirates-criminals.
