New smuggling alternative idea

I have an alternative way of penalizing smuggling in Elite that doesn't mean failing all the missions you take. I think it could be a good idea to have a payout deduction from being scanned instead of failing the mission, or at least have payout penalty missions that offer this instead of just having failed missions for low cargo. Perhaps some major reputation risk could be a risk for big payouts.

What do others think about the smuggling situation?
 
No. Payouts for Long-range smuggling are obscene. The fact that it's possible to fail miserably provides at least some semblance of balance to an imbalanced way of earning money. I would agree that reputation should also be a significant risk factor, since Robigo doesn't currently care about failed missions.
 
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I too have fell foul of loosing multiple missions on a single scan and after I calmed down, even I realised this is a good mechanic.
It goes towards the risk/reward mechanic and IMHO works well. I now take one or two smuggling missions and fill up on legal missions so if I get scanned the whole trip is never a wash out. I really like the thrill of evading the Cops/Pirates until I offload the illegal stuff.
 
That's why I believe some sort of penalty should be put in place for smaller payout missions for those with lower rank to catch up with those who have exploited smuggling since the Sothis days.
 
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But smuggling SHOULD be risky. If you fail the mission you still have the cargo to sell so a little reward is still there,
 
I have no problem with a single scan causing the failure of multiple missions but I do think the methods of avoiding a scan (aside from boosting out of there) should actually work.

In an ideal world there'd be more scans and tighter security at stations and it would require strategies like that isinona manoeuvre to drift in cold and undetected to get the job done rather than just flying in as fast as you can.
 
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There are other smuggling missions which do not fail if the mule is being scanned. Feel free to pick up those instead. You will recognize them by the fact that they are not called Shadow deliveries. These missions do not have the fail condition on ship scan.

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If anything, any smuggling mission should have an ADDITIONAL penalty: THE POLICE COMING AFTER YOU!

I can't believe pirates know how to ask for cargo and shoot if you don't drop it, but when the authority ships scan you, they do not demand to drop your cargo. They just fine you an go away. You could be carrying enough nerve agents to take out the whole of Alioth, "naahh, this guy will learn his lesson if we fine him 6512 credits!"

The fact that Robigo or other outlying systems mostly display the mission-failed-on-ship-scan mission variety is IMHO a flaw in the mission system. If they would allow other types of missions to appear, now only would it make more sense lore-wise, but would solve the problem you mention and somewhat subdue the mission stacking abuse as well.
 
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Also if smugglers keep getting scanned with illicit goods from robigo I'd expect a competent police force to crack down on the source so as more of us get caught out the security presence in robigo itself should go up and the work there should dry up forcing smugglers to move on and find a new source of work.
 
I have an alternative way of penalizing smuggling in Elite that doesn't mean failing all the missions you take. I think it could be a good idea to have a payout deduction from being scanned instead of failing the mission, or at least have payout penalty missions that offer this instead of just having failed missions for low cargo. Perhaps some major reputation risk could be a risk for big payouts.

What do others think about the smuggling situation?

Smuggling is already ridiculously lucrative, any reduction to the laughable meager negative consequence is ludicrous in itself.
 
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In the shadow delivery missions you are supposed to not get scanned. If you get scanned you failed the mission. It's the entire point of these missions and if you can't do that just do normal smuggling. They still exist.

What I actually would like to see is a 1:1 transition from shadow delivery to normal smuggling. And shadow deliveries on the other side become high risk smuggling. So you get more credits but the consequences for getting caught are a bit more ... aggressive.

Those missions could be used for certain types of cargo. Slaves outside the Empire, weapons, narcotics and some commodities that are REALLY not wanted wherever you're supposed to deliver them.
 
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The new set-up, seems fine to me. If you smuggle you risk getting caught. In this game, getting caught, is to be successfully scanned. Now that scan will fail the mission and so be it. Before, there was no real penalty, apart from a fine. We can still sell the goods on a black market and there is no financial out-lay to lose, so what is the issue?
 
You're aint no Han Solo, you keep getting scanned and your lumbering ship is no good at smuggling? Why not get a ship that is more suited to smuggling & learn how to fly it properly.

Instead of crying buckets of tears and trying to bully FD into making smuggling easier just for you.
 
To the OP: nope. Smuggling as it as now is somehow balanced between risk (risk of lose the mission nothing serious) and credit gain. In my opinion smuggling need more risk at the moment, not more incentives.
 
You should actually lose the cargo if you get caught. As it is now you just sell it on the black market. You still come out ahead just not in the millions. That would tick off a lot of people.
Smugglers don't keep the goods when they get caught. Imagine IRL, well sir we caught you with 5 pounds of meth, Here's a 20,000 dollar fine. Now be on your way.
The biggest losers would be loggers. That's a lot of cargo to loose.

You get caught, a hatch limpet attaches, and boom, there goes the cargo to be destroyed by security services.
Make learning avoidance a priority.
 
You should actually lose the cargo if you get caught. As it is now you just sell it on the black market. You still come out ahead just not in the millions. That would tick off a lot of people.
Smugglers don't keep the goods when they get caught. Imagine IRL, well sir we caught you with 5 pounds of meth, Here's a 20,000 dollar fine. Now be on your way.
The biggest losers would be loggers. That's a lot of cargo to loose.

You get caught, a hatch limpet attaches, and boom, there goes the cargo to be destroyed by security services.
Make learning avoidance a priority.
In addition to this maybe you can't get smuggling missions for a while; after all you cannot be trusted to be a reliable smuggler and you need to start with low cost missions again.
 
I see the points made and believe smuggling should remain the same. It's a shame it's the only way to make huge swathes of credits with relative ease.
 
I think you should be fined, and lose all your cargo... ie, have to eject it all under penalty of death.
 
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I see the points made and believe smuggling should remain the same. It's a shame it's the only way to make huge swathes of credits with relative ease.

I'm not sure I have the mental architecture to wrap my mind around how long it would take to purchase and outfit some of the biggest ships in the game through bounty hunting or trading. Powerplay salaries are apparently a good way to earn credits, but actually reaching the required standing is considerably difficult and/or time consuming, or so I hear. Given how shallow this game is, I'd burn out looooooooong before being able to fly some of the ships I want.
 
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