actually they can... and you can too... you can actually start firing on any pirate "without a reason". But it's kind of bad roleplay... and it's definitely very bad roleplay if you don't say a word and just shoot on them.
Igiss says: Martin, you give them a finger, they bite off your arm.
its not good manners - but they can. a bounty hunter can basicly kos a known and confirmed pirate, too. - provided there is a bounty on their head ( which - in roleplay terms alwlays is when you sell the pilots )
but its better to make sure you don t "jump and backstab" them. but it depends on the situation - sometimes you can just attack - imo. especially when you have been on the pirates screen for a long time.
but keep in mind - will a BHG risk life and ship for allmost no bounty? - or will he rather go for real bounties. a pirate on the other hand might attack you on sight - they are hatred driven - and killing you is enough reason to attack and risk the ship.
@ Lee_Bowman: And please make a difference between combat and cargovessels. No need for a BH to smash a transport, because it is no danger to you. Maybe a minor danger.
maybe - but roleplay doesn t mean that everything is balanced. actually it means that things are meant to be unbalanced sometimes. its meant to be a more or less believeble enviroment for all players, no matter if they are pirates, traders or lawfuls. - additionally, every players wants to have fun - and be given a chance in most situations to decide.
thats why there is the demand for tax rule - to give a trader a chance to decide for example. - so players can shape their own future. such regulations in favour of balance are not roleplay though... if everyone was a perfect roleplayer - the server could exist with "appropriate" shipstats aswell as allmost no rules, cause people would stay in their roles - and would not break them then. (like re-engagement etc. )
You are missing one detail, Lee. A junker is not a pure pirate.
I had some momments, when my transport was attacked without warnings by a GB, but I had at least 10 seconds of staring on him before the attack and I made it to escape anyway:).
not talking a word can be part of a good roleplay though - but not when you pick random targets - but only when you are real hunter. and your victim knows you are after him - then not saying a word - or babbling in system too much is good. ( as opposed to making taunts and threats over the system channel )
but yes - it is very much down to the situation. flying around, killing players for no obvious reason is not good. a player must know why you are after him. if that part is not clear, killing is just random - and so pvping is reduced to pvp just to pvp - instead of pvp as a result of roleplay.
' Wrote:Once they halt I usally say somthing like 'mind making a donation for the starving people of crete?'
Don't you mean '2 million for your life and cargo.' ?
Thats all you've ever said to a trader, I've witnessed it about 12 times, most of them in Kyushu and NT where there happens to be an absence of Corsair NPCs.
Don't try to preach flase RP here.
Anyway, I think that rules should be amended to allow pirates to fire on a trader if he continues to run after a pirate tells him to halt. Though to be honest, it only takes about 3-4 seconds to right a cash demand. If they do halt, you can elaborate it and make it more of an RP demand. Disrupt timers last 5 seconds before the trader can engage it again, so hit them with a CD right before typing. Also, if they do manage to get close to the end of the cruise start-up, you can always hit the Esc button and it will close the chat.