Crime Doesn't Pay But Cost, then Cost, then Cost, then Cost some more... 1 stolen Combat Stabilizer!

[Llondon]

My husband and I decided on a little Valentine's Day Massacre Experiment hoping to make 1.1 a little fun again!
~
I'd been dabbling in picking up a few cans at Nav Beacons in my Expert flown and A class fitted Viper here and there before the Evil 1.1] Patch. Bounty hunting had been sucking lately and having to DOWNGRADE highest level fittings just to meet new power demands was depressing, but we were determined to have FUN!
~
So, he in his Viper and me in my 32 slot Cobra (alt ship) went hunting at a Nav Beacon. We shot everyone's cargo bays... I picked up 32 items trying to be careful not to pick up things I new were illegal, mostly minerals, metals, prototype tech etc.
~
Found a black market station (the orbital kind) next door. Figured I might get a slap on the wrist fine (this is how it was before the patch if you didn't go to an anarchy outpost), but I knew the prices would pay better than the anarchy guys who hated me for all my goody faction with Federation. Got scanned and told I was getting around a 7.5k fine, MEH, but OK. Sold my loot for 80k, went to check my missions and Nav panel only to find I had incurred a 154,000cr Federation Fine! WOAH, WHAT?!
~
OK, this really sucked pixel balls, but I did some research and found out Combat Stabilizers were illegal at that station! OK, so maybe that was it, who would have thunk something so harmlessly named would be illegal. So, I logged out just needing a break from the newfound hurt...
~
Logged back in some 8 hours later, realized that I forgot to complete 2 missions, oh well, off to do the one I still had...
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Went to dock and complete said mission in another system and (empty hold) got ANOTHER 5+k Federation FINE, plus noticed when I turned in the mission, I'd lost over a months worth of faction!
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So, Station Fine, Federation Fine, Another Federation Fine, and Faction Loss. Is this some sick lesson/joke to trying to be a smuggler?
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I will say, despite the horridness, I was not blown up on sight, so at least that's something, although perhaps would have been cheaper in the long run.
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ANYONE able to still make it as a smuggler Post 1.1? I was reading that any/all NPC? ships that scan you can report you for picking up space junk... if this is what is adding more than 50cr fine per scan, the developers need a LIFE. Any idea how long it takes to fly around and scoop crap? You're *always* getting scanned!
~
Cost of being a smuggler, PROHIBITIVE.
Time spent with husband, PRICELESS. (and this can be done anywhere else besides HERE)

 

[Whiterose]

Outposts man, outposts. No system security.

 

[Llondon]

Outposts man, outposts. No system security.

Been thinking about repeating the experiment and trying the anarchy outpost, but the scanning issue plus docking after selling goods and getting fined again have been scaring me. Want to hear from more experienced smugglers before trying again. Thanks for the response!

 

[Astronut57]

Smugglers do it stealthily.
The way to avoid fines from scans when carrying stolen and/or illegal goods is to dock with silent running (default key is [Delete]) but do it quickly before you overheat.

 

[Yanaran]

Everything you pick up is illegal (stolen) and when you get scanned you get fined the full value of the cargo. So it was not the 1 combat stabilizer, which is indeed illegal pretty much everywhere, it was the 32 tons of stolen cargo that got you that massive fine. If you're going to scoop cargo you either have to get better at avoiding scans, or only land at outposts. You've now learned this the hard way (I got a 850k fine this way in beta).

None of this has anything to do with 1.1 though.

 

[cyberus]

If you get scanned you doing it wrong.
Smuggling is about sneak undetected.
Really ? With cobra still getting scanned?
I can avoid scans even in type 6 when smuggling. Full cargo of slaves or any other illegal junk.

Some tips....

Align with letterbox before apriching ( 8 km can do)

Move at full speed.... Meaby 1 boost just in the middle... Not too close to entrance.

Just before grill drop speed throttle at 50%.

Even if they start scan just in time you passing letterbox they wint finish it.

Brake speed inside by throttling to 0 if still goin to fast. Deploy gear if need to brake speed even more.

 

[Astronut57]

If you get scanned you doing it wrong.
Smuggling is about sneak undetected.
Really ? With cobra still getting scanned?
I can avoid scans even in type 6 when smuggling. Full cargo of slaves or any other illegal junk.

Some tips....

Align with letterbox before apriching ( 8 km can do)

Move at full speed.... Meaby 1 boost just in the middle... Not too close to entrance.

Just before grill drop speed throttle at 50%.

Even if they start scan just in time you passing letterbox they wint finish it.

Brake speed inside by throttling to 0 if still goin to fast. Deploy gear if need to brake speed even more.

Why risk hitting the back wall? Use silent running that's why it's there - to avoid being scanned at all.

 

[cyberus]

Why risk hitting the back wall? Use silent running that's why it's there - to avoid being scanned at all.

No risk at all once you can control your speed commander and know your ship.

Almost never go past 50% inside dock.
It's all about timing.

With over 55 million in smuggling earnings I can surely say so I beleave.

But that's how I do.... Anyone else free to do what they want to do

 

[CMDR i Tetsuo]

I partook in my first bout of Pirating over the weekend, I'd found a nice Outpost with Black market in between Fed and Imperial space. Interdicted an NPC type 9 who got mad and decided to fight back which was great for me as it gave me time to cargo scan, and ooo! he's carrying Rares!
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It didn't take me long to take out his shields and hatch and all his cargo started to leak out except I didn't notice the message he sent about running away and kept firing, when he got to 10% hull he abandoned his escape and went in to death charge mode. I didn't want to kill him as I needed to keep the fines as low as possible, trying to collect cargo whilst someone shoots at you certainly adds a bit of spice to the usually dull procedure, then just as I scooped the 9th and last Rare canister the Feds dropped in, two Vipers just out of range. I closed my hatch and beat a hasty retreat. Success!
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I got 50k for the 9 tonnes of Rares and only a 300cr fine for 15 mins work in a Cobra. I know this was my first and only time Pirating but all in all I made a good profit and had great fun...!

 

[Hatsune Miku]

For stations with mail slots, you can do as Astronut57 suggests and go silent running with heatsinks. It's much easier (and safer) to carry chaff + heat sink launcher and bust your way through the mail slot with 4 pips to systems before you get scanned.

- Come in from a good angle without getting into radar range of the security outside the station, but close enough to request docking (around 8-10km)
- Max throttle and boost towards the mail slot
- Give it about a second or 2 after your scanner clearly identifies ships outside the station (the signal doesn't bounce around in the radar)
- Fire chaff and heat sink repeatedly until you get inside
- Coming in too fast? Open your cargo hatch and kill throttle. The cargo hatch and landing gear act similarly to a hand brake; the cargo hatch being faster to deploy

In general though, you'll probably want to find an outpost so you don't have to deal with all these shenanigans. I guess you've figured already that the profession probably won't help with reputation, so it's best to do it in space that doesn't matter to you.

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Why risk hitting the back wall? Use silent running that's why it's there - to avoid being scanned at all.

But every risk slamming into a Type-9 waltzing out of the mail slot or clipping the station.

 

[luma]

Why risk hitting the back wall? Use silent running that's why it's there - to avoid being scanned at all.

Yes.

Turn off everything to avoid burn the ship when in silent running and to unsure you're not visible to radars

Align with box at 8km distance

Cool off to 10%

assist off

throttle to 150

thrust off

silent running at 5km

wait to get to letter box

thrust on to align in last second (before grid) or avoid any ship exiting.

thrust 0%

assist on when inside station to stop ship safely


I do it all the time. Never been caught since beta!

dont forget to ask permission to land before you start all the process

simple, classy and fun.

 

[Cmdr Pli55ken]

Cost of being a smuggler, PROHIBITIVE.

Well...smuggling without avoiding scans is just....failed smuggling. And that certainly shouldn't be profitable.
Cargo cannisters are tagged to the owner (unless abandoned via the jettison/abandon function in system view panel). If you are scanned while carrying cargo that is tagged to someone else then you get find. Prohibited substances just add another fine on top of that (or more likely a laser bolt up the rectum)

 

[Harbinger]

Why risk hitting the back wall? Use silent running that's why it's there - to avoid being scanned at all.

Silent running doesn't necessarily prevent you from being scanned, you can still be locked/scanned when you're within a few hundred metres of an authority vessel. The quality of the sensors on the authority vessel determine the range at which you become a fully resolved target. If you come in at a dodgy angle and have to spend time manoeuvring you will likely get scanned even if you're in silent running mode.

 

[luma]

Silent running doesn't necessarily prevent you from being scanned, you can still be locked/scanned when you're within a few hundred metres of an authority vessel. The quality of the sensors on the authority vessel determine the range at which you become a fully resolved target. If you come in at a dodgy angle and have to spend time manoeuvring you will likely get scanned even if you're in silent running mode.

Sure. Cool off it helps to avoid scanning.
So, get everything off to cool the ship and silent running mode. Pray may help

 

[VRMan]

As an alternative to all the "power down" shenanigans, just drop a heat sink when you are about 4km from station entrance. In my experience, they don't scan you until you are within 4km of the station entrance. Unless that has changed in recent patches.

 

[Astronut57]

T6 overheats if you just look at it warmly. I've used silent running with many ships, but no way I'd do it with a T6.

I haven't progressed to anything bigger than a Cobra yet so thanks for the heads up. Would a better quality A class power plant help? ie. superior heat efficiency.

 

[Serpentstar]

I can sneak in with any ship and not get scanned. Every time with an Anaconda and 4 out of 5 times with a type 9. With EVERY other ship, (there are no exceptions) I can enter the station without being scanned, having to play with power settings or whatnot. I do not know how this is in open as I only play solo (would play offline but that is another story).

The secret here? Exit SC with the planet to your back. This will always place the station opening to your field of view. Takes a bit of practice but with a single boost, a bit of FAOFF you can center on the opening and enter at full speed, without having to boost in and then try to slow down.

 

[Richard Voorhees]

T6 overheats if you just look at it warmly. I've used silent running with many ships, but no way I'd do it with a T6.

The stock T6 does indeed run a bit hot under the collar. Once you've installed a few shiny upgrades you'll find it's not so much of a problem.

 

[Mr_Blastman]

Don't get scanned. Use chaff and boost. (unless it is a pirate scanning your cargo then by ALL MEANS let them scan you! If you don't, they could very well kill you for nothing in your hold)

 

[Ben Ryder]

"Cost of being a smuggler, PROHIBITIVE."

Totally agree