When I was doing Slave trade Smuggling a few years ago in my Python it was a single system jump between two stations that were less than 300 LS from the star. I could rake in back then about 6 Million or more an hour. That was not only easy, it was making a steady profit. The source of the slaves were a few thousand cheaper than where I sold them on the black market. So haven't checked back there for a few years, but wouldn't be surprised if it was still going or at least still going in a similar other location...
Why is Piracy and Smuggling the "worst" careers for profit?
- Thread starter Red Fox Four
- Start date
Depends on where you are.
Also isn't most piracy today simply taking the crews of cargo ships hostage and demanding a hefty ransom?
maybe someone should make a "how to be a criminal guide"
or can someone point me to a guide regarding black market trading?
for me its "ok" that the prices of the items may be less then in the regular market, if i am able to aquire themk in sufficient quantities - after all, i don't have to "pay" for them with more then the cost of the limpets used in hatchbreaker and collectors
since i can't see the BM price of an item before i have aquired one - (stolen goods that is), how do i find out where to sell them? are the prices connected to the demand on the legal market?
like i said... please someone enlighten me
or can someone point me to a guide regarding black market trading?
for me its "ok" that the prices of the items may be less then in the regular market, if i am able to aquire themk in sufficient quantities - after all, i don't have to "pay" for them with more then the cost of the limpets used in hatchbreaker and collectors
since i can't see the BM price of an item before i have aquired one - (stolen goods that is), how do i find out where to sell them? are the prices connected to the demand on the legal market?
like i said... please someone enlighten me
i just want to add my vote for 'because crime doesnt pay?' as the answer.
Oh but it does! [yesnod]
My 2 pence is that pirating shouldn't pay well, it should be for desperate characters.
Smuggling should pay well, but only in small loads and with big risks.
The problem with both of them is how it gets played.
Ganking makes it really hard to play a pirate, but how do you differentiate fairly?
Smuggling should be really hard, but that should be pretty easy to arrange, right?
Smuggling should pay well, but only in small loads and with big risks.
The problem with both of them is how it gets played.
Ganking makes it really hard to play a pirate, but how do you differentiate fairly?
Smuggling should be really hard, but that should be pretty easy to arrange, right?
whole threads about the incoming karma system with large swathes talking about how REAL pirates operate and its entirely different to gankers. the interdiction may be the same start but a pirate will only kill the victim if things have gone badly wrong and the pirate cannot wake out and it turns into a life or rebuy struggle for both players. pirates dont make money if the traders cant ever make profits - so no incentive to either kill them or take everything they carry. they also cant make profit if they recieve too much damage. gankers arent interested in goods or avoiding damage or anything but ruining the other players fun.
Repped. This simple logic needs applying to all professions in the game. I've only smuggled to lock an Engineer. If the potential rewards were greater than I'd go all Han Solo with my Clipper.
Because not everything revolves around making credits. Maybe its fun for those who appreciate it and like the style of gameplay involved. If credits per hour is your only motivation then I hope you can have fun with it.
Like so many issues in ED, smuggling could be "fixed", as a rush-inducing, high risk high reward thing like all criminal activities should be. All there is to do, is apply a little bit of the thing that FD unfortunately seems to hate the most: logic.
First of all, a bit of trivia: why does smuggling exists in the first place? Because there are always people seeking to get their hands on legally unobtainable things, like for instance drugs, or weapons, etc. And why do smugglers risk themselves breaking the law and possibly getting caught, to provide those people with the goods they seek? Because those poeple are willing to pay a lot of money to obtain those goods.
What needs to be done?
- Black markets must pay, for illegal goods, quite higher above market value, not less than standard market value as they do now. High reward: fixed.
- If the smuggler is caught with illegal goods, he should not only get a high fine, station faction rep should take a big hit, and most importantly the illegal goods must be impounded as well (I mean, when was the last time a smuggler was caught but still allowed to sell the illegal goods?...). High risk: fixed.
First of all, a bit of trivia: why does smuggling exists in the first place? Because there are always people seeking to get their hands on legally unobtainable things, like for instance drugs, or weapons, etc. And why do smugglers risk themselves breaking the law and possibly getting caught, to provide those people with the goods they seek? Because those poeple are willing to pay a lot of money to obtain those goods.
What needs to be done?
- Black markets must pay, for illegal goods, quite higher above market value, not less than standard market value as they do now. High reward: fixed.
- If the smuggler is caught with illegal goods, he should not only get a high fine, station faction rep should take a big hit, and most importantly the illegal goods must be impounded as well (I mean, when was the last time a smuggler was caught but still allowed to sell the illegal goods?...). High risk: fixed.
Crime is not 'high reward'. Fences, the guys who buy stolen goods from thieves, always pay next to nothing. Even pawn shops pay out nothing compared to the value of the object. The value of the stolen items always ends up in the pocket of the guy who sells to the end user. In E|D that would be the guy behind the Black Market.
I would also like to consider another point; why should people feel like they should be able to make an in-game living focusing on only one facet/occupation available? Crime is most profitable when done opportunistically. There was no promise that you could afford to outfit an iCutter on a pirates pay.
I would also like to consider another point; why should people feel like they should be able to make an in-game living focusing on only one facet/occupation available? Crime is most profitable when done opportunistically. There was no promise that you could afford to outfit an iCutter on a pirates pay.
One thing ing that would help is a bit more visibility if the comms.
You ran a whole pirate message to me, and I always promise that I'll drop cargo.
But I missed the comms and thought you were a ganker. Rebuy.
Went and got my eagle and ran serial interdiction on whoever was around. But you didn't seem to hang around to be a target.
Good CG - first time I've taken the T-9 out in public. It's alright, until you get lazy and run no shields. Bareback for extra cargo. Won't do that again.
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Is there a PvE "pirating" occupation? I guess you could hang out in the res sites and attack the T9 as it leaves, but then you have to contend with the authorities and don't have time to collect cargo.
Seems that pirating is way to force PvP. The pirate knows he could run haulage and make a lot more money, but he doesn't play the game in front of him - he's got his own agenda which goes outside of the role playing, which is to find real people trying to play the game in front of them and force them into playing your RP game. I can't imagine the pirate really wants the loot to begin with. They want the "predator" role.
IRL pirates want the loot. When RP pirates start wanting the loot instead of the interaction, maybe they'll realize there's really not that much loot to be had. As a wise man once said: you can shear a sheep dozens of times, but only skin it once. Once you get overbearing in your RPing (you or people who claim to do what you do), your sheep are skinned. They won't return.
Seems that pirating is way to force PvP. The pirate knows he could run haulage and make a lot more money, but he doesn't play the game in front of him - he's got his own agenda which goes outside of the role playing, which is to find real people trying to play the game in front of them and force them into playing your RP game. I can't imagine the pirate really wants the loot to begin with. They want the "predator" role.
IRL pirates want the loot. When RP pirates start wanting the loot instead of the interaction, maybe they'll realize there's really not that much loot to be had. As a wise man once said: you can shear a sheep dozens of times, but only skin it once. Once you get overbearing in your RPing (you or people who claim to do what you do), your sheep are skinned. They won't return.
Yes, there is. There's a guide thread with PvE pirating valuable cargo, in the Ps4 subforum. Where is it…
Well to be fair, I doubt there are many Imperial cutters that have been outfitted by "honest" gameplay. Mode switching and exploits will have furnished the majority of them and their rank requirements.