What if everyone actually paid the pirates?

[Daedric]

Thus, I don't want anyone to ever pay me while pirating. Go run instead and see how far it takes ya cause either way you're going to die if you cross me. Because that's how I roll.

I'll point you in the general direction of an OSI convoy. We'll see who does they dieing stuff. :P

As for the topic at hand? Can't say, some pirates will become worse because they will become confident and get angry when they don't get what they want. Others will simply remain as they are now and enjoy the cash. Honestly though, the premise of the topic won't ever happen so we are discussing something that will never happen.

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[Stealthsultn]

In my mind its simple:

You pay my pirate; your paying for your life. I'm going to charge 1-3 million depending on what your hauling.

I always prefer payment over killing you for a 50k max share of your cargo (I pilot a bomber).

The more people pay me, the more orderly the transaction process becomes; people over the course of the day being run-happy results in me being trigger happy as a result.

Traders need to accept that trigger happiness on the part of the pirate is generally a function of a trader's increased willingness to run. (This wasn't the case in the diamond/niobium days because credits were so plentiful)

If you play a pirate and trade as well you are most likely properly playing out the pirate trader dynamic; sizing up the pirate (his demands, ship class, experience, distance to station, vigilance, ect) deciding to pay or run (I always run with some kind of RP talk "You'll never catch me outcast scum"). If he catches you while your running surrender and offer him something extra on his starting demand.

If you die, its your fault; if you don't have the cash on hand to pay the pirate because your sending it off to another account that is your fault so don't use it as an excuse not to pay. I want your money, not your life; I'm a pirate, not a terrorist.

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[dodike]

I pay if the pirate can convince me that he can actually fulfill the threats made otherwise I don't bother.

[Zeb Harley]

Paying pirates can be done in a very routinated way with little words. If I plan on paying all pirates I don't need to equip my trader properly: I don't need armor on it or guns; I don't even need to know how to fly a transport.

All in all: Paying pirates generally can take the edge completely out of flying a transport. Simply no fun to trade anymore then.

For trading to be fun there must be something to achieve with it. Taking pride in outfitting the ship as best as I can for its purpose. Learning how to fly it evasively under fire, how to reach a station in time. Even learning how to use a transport's guns.

Talking yourself out of a situation can be great as well. Where it applies, that is. I mean: if you are an Ageira-trader and meet a Hacker, the options of talking are a little limited. The situation is completely different if you are a Freelance-trader and get into a Corsair-holdup far out in the edgeworlds.

A pirate who sets up a trap that is unavoidable also deserves to be paid well. I usually pay much more than was asked in a situation like that.

But I believe it's equally bad for the trader to pay every pirate as it would be for the pirate to get paid by every trader. If this would be the case, Disco's trading system could easily be transferred as a browser-game to the forums. Freelancer is skill-based for a reason, and that's the reason why I play it.

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for those who missed it: the moral of it all is ----> traders with teeth are fun for pirates. - within reason.