' Wrote:The piracy amount should definitely not be greater than the cost the trader had to put in to buy the cargo.
But what about the time the trader took to move? Does that not count for anything of value? What about the profit? What about the RP value of the cargo? There is more to the role of the pirate than just fairplay. I think you'd be surprised to learn that it's called Roleplay, and it's what this server has in its title.
For a server which is named Freelancer RP 24/7, we're really a lot more worried about this fairplay business. Maybe we should rename the server Freelancer FP 24/7. Traders aren't just something to grind money on. Neither are they purely RP platforms. They are a role which is played to make imaginary money. You probably know that. What you aren't taking into consideration, though, is the part of that sentence where I said role.
Sometimes it is completely reasonable to ask for more than the cargo was bought for. In fact, most of the time it's completely reasonable to demand more than the cargo was bought for. The shortest trade routes take an upwards of 15 minutes. That's a pretty long time for that money. If I'm running Artifacts to New London and someone stops me at the Cambridge Gate, that really is an incentive to pay more, mostly because I'm right there by the planet, about to get payed. In the same light, there really isn't a reason to pay as much if I am stopped in Omega-41. I haven't done anything at all. There was no time invested.
But that is just the numbers side of the story. What about the Roleplay of the pirate? What about the Roleplay of the trader? If I am on a prideful character and a RepEx| escapes me or insults me dearly, you bet I'm going to take it out on the next RepEx| which crosses my sights by charging more, not to mention the increase of taxes due to the fact that I've been insulted if I catch the one who did insult me. Is that at all bad Roleplay? Is that unfair to the trader? No, he asked for it by taking the hard way out of the situation and/or insulting the pirate. Both sides made a conscious Roleplay decision and that is all.
Then comes the part where niche factions fight other factions. Is it at all fair that a Unioner should tax both cargo and money from a Republican shipper moving to Alster? Yes, of course it is. The player made a conscious Roleplay decision to move goods to Alster Shipyard under a Republican ID and took all the risks inherent in this movement. This includes angering the local Unioners. Is this at all bad Roleplay? Is this at all unfair to the trader? No, the player has chosen to take all the risks inherent in going to Alster Shipyard under a Republican ID. Both sides made a conscious Roleplay decision and that is all. What about someone moving Synth Paste to Roppongi Station with a Synth Foods tag being asked for both cargo and money from a Farmer's Alliance ship? The player made a conscious Roleplay decision to ship Synth Paste into the heart of Kusari and took all the risks inherent in that run, including the risk of Farmer's Alliance attack. Is this unfair to either players? No, the player has chosen to take all the risks involved in going to Roppongi Station with a Synth Foods ID. Both sides made a conscious Roleplay decision, again.
If anything, it would be unfair to pirates to limit tax in such a way. How can one Roleplay to his full potential if he's limited to such a small amount? How can a pirate even know where a trader bought the cargo? What about miners? It's just a horrible concept in every way...
[8:32:45 PM] Dusty Lens: Oh no, let me get that. Hello? Oh it's my grandma. She says to be roleplay.
[12:49:19 AM] Elgatodiablo: You know its nice that you have all that proof and all, Bacon... but I just don't believe you.