Is pirating and smuggling worth it?

jockmcplop · Mar 31, 2015

I'm looking to go into some illegal activities (don't worry, i'm heading to empire space

) and i'm just wondering whether it can be at all profitable or whether its one of those 'just for the pleasure of it' things.

ciger · Mar 31, 2015

more of a pleasure thing, but you do get lucky sometimes with the loot. systems selling rares could be your area of focus but prepare for some competition.

Weps · Mar 31, 2015

I am also curious if NPC pirating has become profitable after the addition of the new expensive commodities. In theory, these would be a pirate's / smuggler's only choice of cargo.

Odan Brota · Mar 31, 2015

I own a Cobra for the express purpose of smuggling slaves into systems. It's chrome black, with skulls, and is awesome. Nothing more exciting than sliding through that mailslot with silent running turned on, and selling some human lives.

Piracy is fun from the standpoint that you can interdict some random dude, shoot his cargo hatch, and ruin his day.

FuzzySpider · Mar 31, 2015

I got started as a smuggler. A lot of places have a request for 2 slaves (which are illegal in most systems). I'd pick them up from Ngaliba and ship them to those people who wanted them, for around 45-50K each time. It was a good way to make money in the sidewinder/eagle.

ciger · Mar 31, 2015

Weps said:
I am also curious if NPC pirating has become profitable after the addition of the new expensive commodities. In theory, these would be a pirate's / smuggler's only choice of cargo.

well it always was profitable -free commodities. but to up your income you need to start pirating players as they do not tend to carry any crap such as biowaste or rutile...

pluton · Mar 31, 2015

Odan Brota said:
Piracy is fun from the standpoint that you can interdict some random dude, shoot his cargo hatch, and ruin his day.

Ruin my day? You've got that wrong. Being pirated is the highlight of rares trading. Especially if I manage to escape. I'm disappointed if no CMDR pirate finds me on a rares trading sesssion.

Not counting the CODE gang of course. They're no fun. A 4-wing of Clippers, FDLs and Vultures against a single trading ship. Seriously?

I had a strange incident today. A Python messaged me in supercruise. "You have rares, I found you!". OK, I'm interested to see how my latest Asp build manages against a Python, it shouldn't be a problem. I fly in a straight line with him behind me, but nothing happens. A pirate without an FSD Interdictor module?

When I dropped out of SC for the station he follows and says "I interdict you. I get your rares". But again nothing happens. I dock and he messages "You can't escape. I wait and you die". OK, I'll need to boost fast out of the station. That sounds fun. But a few seconds later he's gone. I look in supercruise but he's nowhere to be seen. A very strange pirate, Perhaps words are his only weapon?

Traven Mayhem · Mar 31, 2015

For money, no. For fun, yes.

Sentiant · Mar 31, 2015

pluton said:
Ruin my day? You've got that wrong. Being pirated is the highlight of rares trading. Especially if I manage to escape. I'm disappointed if no CMDR pirate finds me on a rares trading sesssion.

Not counting the CODE gang of course. They're no fun. A 4-wing of Clippers, FDLs and Vultures against a single trading ship. Seriously?

I had a strange incident today. A Python messaged me in supercruise. "You have rares, I found you!". OK, I'm interested to see how my latest Asp build manages against a Python, it shouldn't be a problem. I fly in a straight line with him behind me, but nothing happens. A pirate without an FSD Interdictor module?

When I dropped out of SC for the station he follows and says "I interdict you. I get your rares". But again nothing happens. I dock and he messages "You can't escape. I wait and you die". OK, I'll need to boost fast out of the station. That sounds fun. But a few seconds later he's gone. I look in supercruise but he's nowhere to be seen. A very strange pirate, Perhaps words are his only weapon?

It was probably someone trying out text macros.

Elprez · Mar 31, 2015

pluton said:
Ruin my day? You've got that wrong. Being pirated is the highlight of rares trading. Especially if I manage to escape. I'm disappointed if no CMDR pirate finds me on a rares trading sesssion.

Not counting the CODE gang of course. They're no fun. A 4-wing of Clippers, FDLs and Vultures against a single trading ship. Seriously?

I had a strange incident today. A Python messaged me in supercruise. "You have rares, I found you!". OK, I'm interested to see how my latest Asp build manages against a Python, it shouldn't be a problem. I fly in a straight line with him behind me, but nothing happens. A pirate without an FSD Interdictor module?

When I dropped out of SC for the station he follows and says "I interdict you. I get your rares". But again nothing happens. I dock and he messages "You can't escape. I wait and you die". OK, I'll need to boost fast out of the station. That sounds fun. But a few seconds later he's gone. I look in supercruise but he's nowhere to be seen. A very strange pirate, Perhaps words are his only weapon?

Last night I had a similar weird experience. Dropped out at a large signal source. It was a wing of 8 expert cobras. I was in a vulture. I figured what the heck. Targeted and took out 1. About 5 of them turned red and began firing. I boosted away, let my shields come back and turned around. When I got back those 5 were still red but they never fired a shot at me. They just floated around as I dropped them one by one. Each one was worth about 40k so it was worth it...

Battleship Kickass · Mar 31, 2015

Weps said:
I am also curious if NPC pirating has become profitable after the addition of the new expensive commodities. In theory, these would be a pirate's / smuggler's only choice of cargo.

The best NPC pirating I am aware of is in Isinor at the convoy beacons. The type 9's carry antiquities that sell for around 95k each on the black market and I've seen them carry from 3-9 plus other cheapish tech. You need a strong ship as it is guarded by two anacondas.

Blood Lust · Mar 31, 2015

jockmcplop said:
I'm looking to go into some illegal activities (don't worry, i'm heading to empire space ) and i'm just wondering whether it can be at all profitable or whether its one of those 'just for the pleasure of it' things.

I would suggest pirating and bounty hunting instead. Find an anarchy system to act as your loot sell point which has some nearby high population systems. Then fly around those system interdicting wanted players and pirating haulers/transporters.
.
If you have a hard ship (vulture as an example) why not head to a high-conflict zone as you get money for each kill. Don't forget to select what side you're joining from the right hand side of your ship. You'll find 50 ships in there fighting it out with a constant stream of reinforcements.

reverendK · Mar 31, 2015

i have enjoyed smuggling as an alternative to pure trading.
in it's current form it's not really complete - you're taking on extra risk for no extra reward. but at least it's more fun than grinding metals or rares.

i enjoy the challenge of finding a good route - (maybe not the challenge of finding a good route with a black market -_-), of speed docking or silent docking, of dodging fed interdictions. it makes the trade grind way more interesting.
finding that sweet smuggling route is WAY harder than finding a legitimate one...but if you do it you'll make comprable income to a mid level trader. i've got a little profit under my belt from gun running.

Derath · Mar 31, 2015

you should do it for fun, not for money, as if you do it for money you won't last long

gary.brain · Mar 31, 2015

who knows maybe the NPC's are the ones with the new expensive Mineral.

jockmcplop · Mar 31, 2015

Derath said:
you should do it for fun, not for money, as if you do it for money you won't last long

Well yeah, that's my attitude.
I just interdicted a pair of cmdr bounty hunters in vultures.
I paid for that mistake, my asp just wasn't up to it and got blown to bits within seconds lol

Still, you gotta try.

Ben Ryder · Apr 22, 2015

Pirating and smuggling really are different things. Smuggling seems to have been lumped in to selling stolen or found goods and the dynamic of smuggling proper has been sadly neglected

Jordan Cobalt · Apr 22, 2015

For money, no. For fun, yes.

Ben Ryder · Apr 22, 2015

Jordan Cobalt said:
For money, no. For fun, yes.

Indeed Captain Cobalt!

Imrus76 · Apr 22, 2015

Only for fun.
If you want profit, forget it.
From NPC ships you can rob biowaste, wine, leather......