On behalf of pirates everywhere...

[Cmdr Effie Trinket]

There is a difference in Piracy and what we have in this game. Piracy itself is something you can live with because you know they are after only one thing and that's your cargo. But in this game people use Piracy as an excuse to continually attack the same person over and over again, which changes the point of being a pirate.

Piracy is a main aspect of the game, and if I was one of those players that wanted to play a pirate then I would be one that fires warning shots and just does not kill just for the pleasure of killing. We have NPC pirates that behave better than the human pirate, at least you can run from them.

I believe that everybody has the right-to-die, mostly something I give to pirates that attack me.

Doesn't instancing remove that possibility? I agree, there has been a post or two lately, where someone describes dyeing, then going back to find the guy who killed him, to exact his revenge, but what you seems to be describing, is akin to Spawn-Killing.

How could someone follow another Cmdr over and over, to bully him like you suggest and is there a way to avoid that happening to you?

Do we have any actual examples of this, "people use Piracy as an excuse to continually attack the same person over and over again", actually happening to anyone? If it does, then I agree it needs to be stamped out.

 

[bootsam]

Please dont shoot empty unarmed traders. I am happy to give you cargo when I have some. Recently sumbitting has lead to shoot 1st encounters whereas I used to get the gimme cargo business and we'd both be on our way. Something changed and now i just get blasted and its a devil to get the fsd charged and boost away with some hull intact.

Thats the issue I have as a trader, I dont know if its a proper pirate or some murderous vagabond. Thus I default to legging it pronto mode.

 

[Bangfish]

Please dont shoot empty unarmed traders. I am happy to give you cargo when I have some. Recently sumbitting has lead to shoot 1st encounters whereas I used to get the gimme cargo business and we'd both be on our way. Something changed and now i just get blasted and its a devil to get the fsd charged and boost away with some hull intact.

Thats the issue I have as a trader, I dont know if its a proper pirate or some murderous vagabond. Thus I default to legging it pronto mode.

A proper pirate never shoots empty traders and has usually stowed hardpoints before he sends the message. Also after being robbed you usually end up on their whitelist for some time. I am not sure whether hitting that boost as a first action is always a wise choice but pirates take that into account and first boost is never a reason to open fire for us.

 

[Tigga]

A proper pirate never shoots empty traders and has usually stowed hardpoints before he sends the message. Also after being robbed you usually end up on their whitelist for some time. I am not sure whether hitting that boost as a first action is always a wise choice but pirates take that into account and first boost is never a reason to open fire for us.

I'm not sure about the stowed hardpoints, but yes, with me, you will get a message as the first thing that happens after I interdict you. If you're lucky, you may get a message before the interdiction. In most cases people get a second message after I've scanned and before I start shooting (exceptions are chaff spammers/heat sink droppers/submit + quick chargers, that's already refusing my first request and means I cannot scan you. A hurried Tigga is a dangerous Tigga). Essentially, if you don't get any messages, I'd suggest running. I also think your default action before messages should be running. Maybe not total avoidance (eg. heat sinks/chaff), but at least not being a sitting duck target for the nasties.

Another tip I have for people (and this has now happened twice to me) is to dump what you feel is a reasonable amount of cargo and run. If you're in a ship that simply can't escape (ie. Type-6 or Type-7 against an Asp) you'll die if the other guy wants you to die, there's no escaping really. If you dump your cargo then run the pirate can take the cargo, or chase after you, not both.

 

[Odin Wyrmbane]

Isn't part of the thrill of this game that danger is around any corner? Do you guys honestly want a game where traders fly their traderoutes on "autopilot" with a movie playing in the background, instead of a game where other players actually pose a threat to you and your business? I've tried trading, and I've tried bounty hunting, and right now I'm pirating. Without the threat of being interdicted by a player when doing my trade route trading would be even more boring than it is right now.

 

[Zylark]

I dont know if its a proper pirate or some murderous vagabond. Thus I default to legging it pronto mode.

If it is a legit pirate (I know, contradiction in terms) he'll be routined enough to have an opening remark macroed - so you'll get a comms to cooperate even before you got time to orient yourself and hit that boost button.

So-Called pirates that don't communicate, are there to hurt you primarily, getting loot is a distant second. Us friendly Space-Way robbers will only shoot if compliance is lacking. And then just to pry open your cargo-hatch. Once that is open and stuff pops out, we'd rather you scoot off so we can collect the loot in peace. We don't need all the hassle, attention and expenses of killing players

Unless it is a Bounty Hunter or wild-eyed optimist refusing to part with any loot. But they tend to shoot first, so that is fine.

 

[Bangfish]

Stowed hardpoints before the message is sent signalize I am not a murdering psycho.

 

[Shude]

I was interdicted by a CMDR for the first time a couple of nights ago, submitted, was asked to give up 10% of my cargo or I would be destroyed. I was in a T7 with 216 gold, shields but no weapons. Via voice comms I offered up 20 tons, jettisoned, fired up FSD and was on my way without a bit of damage. Didn't see him again for the rest of that session.

The way I see it, it's a cost of business. Yes I dropped ~200k of gold, but that hour I made over 2.5M, it only took me an extra minute due to the interdiction & I didn't see him again either to "white list" or him scooping then looking for somewhere to drop it. I am now seeing more CMDRs in that system so I might start looking for another trade route...

 

[Tigga]

Stowed hardpoints before the message is sent signalize I am not a murdering psycho.

I might try that. Squares are a lot friendlier than triangles.

 

[Bangfish]

If it is a legit pirate (I know, contradiction in terms) he'll be routined enough to have an opening remark macroed - so you'll get a comms to cooperate even before you got time to orient yourself and hit that boost button

Yeah lol I remember very well my first pirate session with voice attack. After I said command my ship dropped shields, rigged for silent running, deployed cargo scoop and did a few other things. I can imagine that dude in hauler had some epic laugh out of that. Now I am using separated commands for targeting, opening comms and "welcoming" message and it works well (still taking like 3-4 seconds though, it's not instant).

 

[JNK]

There should be the capability for traders to send out distress calls. Maybe by some sort of transmitter equipped to a special slot. Everyone else with that transmitter, like bounty hunters, will then get a warning, that somebody in the same system needs help. Maybe the transmitter would also allow to identify high pirate activity (= many interdictions) on the galaxy map, so traders can avoid and bounty hunters can concentrate in these system.

The pirates on the other hand could equip another sort of transmitter which is illegal like stolen goods when scanned. This transmitter would allow to call other pirates for help when confronted with bounty hunters. Maybe it would also allow to identify other users of this transmitter, but makes it impossible to collect their bounties so it cannot be used as pirate-finder by bounty hunters. You could see the location of the nearest black market on the galaxy map. There could also be an in game forum for the pirates where they could talk about the best spots...

I think something like that (not necessarily exactly the above mentioned) would lead to even chances for everyone...

 

[bootsam]

maybe bad pirates (or more realistically named murderers as theyre not pirates) should get a pirate bounty on their head to allow the proper pirates to police them. A nice fat tempting pirate bounty. Piracy needs strengthening and defining as its a legitimate occupation within the game. Murderers should just be murderers and suffer enormous bounties and anything else they can throw at the toerags.

I like the piracy element when its real piracy. But for me I can loose 3M Cr with ship and cargo losses. The risk for us is huge. Therefore we leg it 1st or some alt f4. The pirate has little risk to themselves in comparison.

 

[Tigga]

maybe bad pirates (or more realistically named murderers as theyre not pirates) should get a pirate bounty on their head to allow the proper pirates to police them. A nice fat tempting pirate bounty. Piracy needs strengthening and defining as its a legitimate occupation within the game. Murderers should just be murderers and suffer enormous bounties and anything else they can throw at the toerags.

I like the piracy element when its real piracy. But for me I can loose 3M Cr with ship and cargo losses. The risk for us is huge. Therefore we leg it 1st or some alt f4. The pirate has little risk to themselves in comparison.

Yeah, it seems a bit strange that the risk:reward sits like it does. Traders take more risks, but get more reward. Piracy is fairly low risk right now if you know what you're doing, though you're making an order of magnitude less than the people you rob.

 

[CaptainBinky]

I genuinely feel a bit of sympathy with people trying to play legitimately as pirates - as in interdicting, demanding cargo in exchange for your life. That sort of thing is fun and adds to the flavour of the universe when it happens. The problem is, how they are supposed to deal with people like me. When I'm interdicted during a trade run, I always submit, boost away immediately, and am usually jumping before any missiles fired have reached me. In this circumstance, there is no way for the player to communicate with me, demand anything of me - it actively encourages those pirates to immediately open fire and hope for the best.

It's a mechanic built into the whole interdiction thing that I don't know how you'd go about solving. It's always better to submit when you're in a ship with a chunky hull repair cost, which means that you're rarely in any danger from interdictions since you're boosting away while they're still spinning around. But without that safe submission system then flying a ship with high repair costs would eventually become untenable with repeated costly interdictions.

I don't get at all people who just revel in annoying players by shooting them in stations, or attacking people carrying no cargo with no bounty. I'd like to see those people hugely punished by local security forces. But the first kind of pirate (the proper kind), that needs a bit of love from the game mechanics imo.

 

[Tigga]

I genuinely feel a bit of sympathy with people trying to play legitimately as pirates - as in interdicting, demanding cargo in exchange for your life. That sort of thing is fun and adds to the flavour of the universe when it happens. The problem is, how they are supposed to deal with people like me. When I'm interdicted during a trade run, I always submit, boost away immediately, and am usually jumping before any missiles fired have reached me. In this circumstance, there is no way for the player to communicate with me, demand anything of me - it actively encourages those pirates to immediately open fire and hope for the best.

It's a mechanic built into the whole interdiction thing that I don't know how you'd go about solving. It's always better to submit when you're in a ship with a chunky hull repair cost, which means that you're rarely in any danger from interdictions since you're boosting away while they're still spinning around. But without that safe submission system then flying a ship with high repair costs would eventually become untenable with repeated costly interdictions.

How do I deal with people like you? I send the message in the first second of normal space. I then apply disruptive mass on your ship, which I go faster than. I then start making reasonable demands, which if you don't meet, you will explode. If you can break 3km then I've probably done it wrong.

I don't know what you're flying, but a suprising amount of Type-6/7 drivers don't seem to realise that they simply cannot escape from my Asp once the interdiction goes through. With a few exceptions, it tends to be that if they make it out it is because I let them. Submitting is of no use when your FSD takes over a minute and a half to charge.

 

[CaptainBinky]

How do I deal with people like you? I send the message in the first second of normal space. I then apply disruptive mass on your ship, which I go faster than. I then start making reasonable demands, which if you don't meet, you will explode. If you can break 3km then I've probably done it wrong.

Okay, maybe you're just a cut above the rest that I've encountered then. Usually, by the time they've stopped spinning, I'm a decent way away and already charging my FTL. A Type-6 with full pips to engines can pretty much perma-boost. So even a Viper would take a little time to catch up.

 

[Cmdr Effie Trinket]

+Rep to Captain Binky

 

[Tigga]

Okay, maybe you're just a cut above the rest that I've encountered then. Usually, by the time they've stopped spinning, I'm a decent way away and already charging my FTL. A Type-6 with full pips to engines can pretty much perma-boost. So even a Viper would take a little time to catch up.

They don't spin if you submit. They're usually about 1km away (varies), and they will have 4 pips in engines too. Disruptive mass is applied to anything within 3km. Unless you can break that, you're staying put. The main difference is that most pirates don't fly something that applies disruptive mass on you. Against a Cobra/Viper your plan works well, against an Asp, you're probably in big trouble. Personally, I see "Frameshift drive charging" as the starting point for shooting, and if you do it before I scan you, explosions may occur.

 

[CaptainBinky]

They don't spin if you submit. They're usually about 1km away (varies), and they will have 4 pips in engines too. Disruptive mass is applied to anything within 3km. Unless you can break that, you're staying put. The main difference is that most pirates don't fly something that applies disruptive mass on you. Against a Cobra/Viper your plan works well, against an Asp, you're probably in big trouble. Personally, I see "Frameshift drive charging" as the starting point for shooting, and if you do it before I scan you, explosions may occur.

Haha I'm surprised piratting in an Asp pays off since the repair costs are bonkers for a ship of its size. In my experience so far, it's pretty much always Vipers with dumb missiles. And those fellas can be escaped without a scratch. I'll take note not to immediately charge my frameshift drive if I see I've been interdicted by an Asp then - just in case it's you

 

[Celeste]

Please, stop associating us with the kind of people who derive pleasure from other peoples misery.

Somebody interdicts you, they scan you, they tell you to surrender cargo. <- That is a pirate.

Somebody interdicts you, they open fire immediately, they destroy you without a word. <- That is NOT a pirate. I'll leave it to you to decide what it is they are, but they are not pirates.

I hope that clears things up.

+1 Well said. Also, someone just sitting in a station blowing up ships is a griefer. They are doing it for the sole purpose of annoying people and nothing else.