(02-26-2019, 05:30 PM)Lythrilux Wrote: It screws over the viability of those items as practical trade routes. For the sake of gameplay and economy balance, they need to sit on one side of the fence, not on top of it. Either that, or the contraband policy when it comes to economy balance needs to change, and all of these silly regulated items need a serious price buff.
I don't know so much about Ageira Grey Boxes, but whilst Kemwer is contraband outright but Order| explicitly requested they don't get contraband prices (they were intended to be unviable, for some reason), so it's not comparable.
Either way, an element of their roleplay value does diminish as they lose their worth as a viable commodity to haul around and grind trading activity.
Although they don't really allow factions to make their own rules and RP - the Houses are in effect the ones who dictate the prices of these goods, and their viability.
Their RP value will be diminished further if you buff the price to attract powertraders, who as we all know, are minimal with RP. It only makes sense that the most profitable routes are those that are accessible to mostly shipping corporations. Otherwise we’d see an exodus of trading activity to minor factions which makes even less sense.
By factions i did mean sovereign authorities (houses). They get to play in a sandbox of RP laws built upon figures in the trading dynamic. Not the other way around. However i’d like to think balancing decisions factor in RP laws as an entity.
Also I don't know why you and others are saying Kemwer munitons are a cut short when the sale price is quite competetive in comparison to other standard unlawful commodities. Add that to the fact that your faction is quite lucky to have such a desirable commodity which opens up alot of potential for connections inRP, i wouldn't complain.
Here's how they compare by highest potential profit to a selection of contraband:
Artifacts - $6662
BMLAs (Excluding Tomioka) - $6031
Counterfeit Software - $5984
Cardamine - $5942
Kemwer Munitions - $5828
Nox - $5480
Blood Diamonds - $5462
APM Advanced Hardware - $4397
Blue Jillies - $3512
Human Organs (Excluding Resistance Base) - $3466
Nuclear Devices - $1743
(02-26-2019, 07:42 PM)Laura C. Wrote: I am not sure what execution of the mentioned opportunity you expect, maybe you could elaborate more. Generally, there is nothing wrong with lawful characters enforcing laws just as there is nothing wrong with pirates wanting their money (as long as demands are reasonable). When it comes to restricted cargo or even contraband, it is up to every player and his character if he will be strict and honest cop which takes no excuses and enforce the law to the letter of it, or the understanding one which can close his eye here or there because he believes the story about poor trader which needs money for his children with deadly disease, or the corrupt one which does the same for money. Or something between those depending on situation and roleplay of the other side. All those roles are valid. Though people should not expect as granted that just because they roleplay, they are entitled to get away every time (applies both to encounter with lawfuls and unlawfuls).
Well off the top of my head, an arrest? Impound their ship? Have them escort the goods to a designated station for evidence lockup? Take them to prison? I can go on..
My point is i cannot remember the last time i was caught with contraband and not held at gunpoint. I'm all open to novel RP ideas and to be led down the rabbit hole (i hope) like many others, but lawful types seem to gravitate to the same old hat time and time again. Then you get threads like this where people complain about being held up all the time with little context apart from "it's against the law" and a signpost to some largely unread, text-laden thread on the forums.
This brings me to my next point. As part of a side project i've been milling over the figures for contraband and this is how things stand at present.
Of these commodities, only seven are common to Gallia, Rheinland, Liberty and Bretonia. Including those seven, eleven are common to Bretonia, Rheinland and Liberty.
Eleven.
Out of seventy nine unique commodities marked as contraband or restricted cargo by one of the authorities listed. That's before we even get to the rules of the restrictions.
How can we expect people to remember that? I'm not even gonnna talk about permits.