Smuggling

[Dopamino]

it shouldnt be against the server rules, because breaking the rules of the id is part of the rp.

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I mostly lurk around Media Center these days.

[uspatriotsf]

OK to put this to rest here is a quote form one of our all powerful admins, Nightfall

However I agree with Unselie, I think the additional IDs aren't necessary.

Why? Here it is:

Smuggler ID = Trader ID - because a smuggler wouldn't go and advertise publicly by carrying a beacon that screams 'I'm a smuggler' he'll try to hide that fact and basically, a smuggler is a trader, true, the smuggler is trading in goods that are illegal somewhere.

Here is the thread that it was in for reference: http://discoverygc.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=

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[Drake]

Excellent, glad to have that cleared up.

Back to the original topic, I think cardamine prices are waaaay to low. I mean, there should be some real reward if you can manage to haul a load all the way from Malta to Manhattan, but there are quicker and safer (and legaler... Ok, not really a word) things to trade that will pay out as much or more.

-Drake

[uspatriotsf]

I have to completely agree with Drake here. Look in the real world, big time drug dealers are filthy rich, why because their product is purchased for really cheap and sold really expensive. The profit margin on an illegal substance in this country is way higher than any commercially sold, legal item. In the world of Sirius, this is not the case.

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<span style="color:#FF0000"><strike>RETIRED</strike></span>
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[Dopamino]

your right, it should be like 3000

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I mostly lurk around Media Center these days.

[Locke]

I agree that smuggling should logically be more lucrative, but you shouldn't be able to buy a battleship after one smuggling run. If there are going to be higher benefits for smuggling, there needs to be equally high penalties for getting caught. Also, it should be harder to get contraban, as few people have connections to just fly over to Colombia and pick up 10 kilos of coke to sell in America. I would think Outcasts would only sell Cardamine to the well-trusted. Would it be possible to make contraban a reputation sensitive object?

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[P*Funk]

Also, it should be harder to get contraban, as few people have connections to just fly over to Colombia and pick up 10 kilos of coke to sell in America. I would think Outcasts would only sell Cardamine to the well-trusted. Would it be possible to make contraban a reputation sensitive object?

Yea that makes sense too. The real world solution to that logical problem is that drugs even at the beginning of the import process are very expensive. So I can't usually afford to load my cargo hold with tons of drugs cause thats expensive. I think it should be like VIPs. Huge initial cost, except that you make it the same 1 ton per unit weight.

The other thing is that if you make it very lucrative but also very expensive to invest in then police that intercept and destroy contraband cargo do big damage to the guy running it since he spent millions and millions to buy his load. That is the punishment usually. You lose alot of money. So then you could make it so that the only places that you get a good payout for the stuff is a capital planet like Manhattan or New Berlin, and really not worth it anywhere else at all, and then that makes it easier for PC police to guard against it. This focuses the risk/reward process to make successful smuggling extremely worth it but also extremely hazardous since one lost run is a huge hit to the pocket book for an up and coming trader. For a big rich guy they absorb those costs anyway but its still enough to make the RP of it fun. Any time someone loses like 20 million credits its painful I think.

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Out of hibernation. Gauging the winds.

[Mr_3ppozz]

@P-Funk: thats one good way to achieve this... I on the other hand would make it more profitable the further you go to an distant addictive faction (ex. from malta to a GC base)

Those addicted NEED their stuff and WILL pay for it .. no matter the price... make advantage of this human aspect and implement it in the contraband trade:)same for artifacts.. those who have the cash are willing to pay big prices... atm no-one is paying big credits for an artifact... If the payout will be better im going to have a contraband trader:)and im allways willing to take the risk of getting cought.. gives trading something to be aware off:)a pirate in a fighter isnt allways that impressing:)

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[Congo_Square]

Am I reading this right, even as a trader, you can dock at bases that are/should be hostile to your tag? Cuz if not, the only real tag you can use to smuggle under without getting hammered by sanctions is the Zoner tag?
Also I agree on what was said about the freelancer ID. Discovery is supposed to be sympathetic to the original game in style and feel of game play. However, the only thing you cant do here is freelance after level 40.
And to make the smuggling thing really interesting, how about some semi perpose built ships to do the job in? Hard enough to put up a reasonable fight, but also able to be taken down with reasonable force? Good sized cargo hold and some middle of the road weapons and shields? Some place between a freighter and a weak gunboat.
Or have I missed this ship some place?

[bluntpencil2001]

If PC scans could effect the NPCs too, that would be good.

Like if my RM scanned a smuggler and found Cardamine, and then the trader refused to drop it, I could push a 'get NPCs to scan' key, which would then make the NPCs hostile and make it impossible to dock.

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