What if everyone actually paid the pirates?

[blubba]

Why pay them if you think you will make the next base?
PvP can be had in not just a bomber/fighter.
If you get your transport to the station and dock it before he kills you having wasted several of his bots/bats in the process, who won?
The transport did what he was supposed to. He lived.
In the above example, he got a bonus. He kept his cash/cargo.
Whats more, both parties got to pew pew and come away smiling.

What if he doesn't make it but was close?
Well, he tried and failed but he ran so he must have thought it was worth it.
If he thought it was worth it, he knew the risks and so if he loses, he doesn't mind so much. Both parties get the pew pew and the pirate gets a % of the cargo.

He pays up.
Well, it went the way of the pirate and was over without pain (generally). Some satisfaction, especially when RP'd right. More for the pirate but also for the trader. He pays and gets the cargo home (assuming the demand was not ridiculous).

He says "No, kill me".
Oh dear...
Whats more, half the miners out there don't know they have to stop mining when this happens but thats for another thread.

The the final group of players.
Those that say "I'll never pay a pirate".
A long time ago, that was me. The shame of it. Suffice to say, I learnt my lesson.
It's far more fun with some verbal interaction than it is without it and the possibility of violence always concentrates the attention. The little inconvenience that maybe my death is as nothing to the fun of it.

If you think you can get away with it, try it.
If you don't think you can, please play the game. Die with grace or pay the nice man.

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