Right now, Kamitra Cigars are unavailable, since the Aisling Duval Powerplay faction has taken over Kamitra... and apparently Aisling is so strait-laced that all sorts of things that are legal under other circumstances are now illegal. There are also other systems that have the possibility of selling rare commodities, but do not because the wrong minor faction is in control of the station that sells them.
For most of these rare goods, it's neither here nor there that they're unavailable, but for things like Kamitra Cigars, Kongga Ale or Lavian Brandy, which are necessary for players to unlock engineers Hera Tani, Lori Jameson or Didi Vatermann respectively, certain BGS or Powerplay states may make these commodities completely unavailable, thus making it very difficult or even impossible for players to unlock those engineers.
These goods being unavailable mean that the only way that a player who has not unlocked those engineers can do so is to wait (or work) for the situation to correct itself (which may take a considerable amount of time, especially if there is player resistance) or obtain the goods from a third-party supplier like the East India Company (who may or may not have supply of the goods).
However, with a relatively small change to the way that black markets work, there could be a solution. At the moment, black markets act only as a sink for illegal goods. Players can sell to them (with a negative effect on the influence of the controlling faction of the station), but that's it.
What I am proposing is that in systems that can produce rare commodities, but currently do not due to BGS or Powerplay states, the stations that would normally sell those rare commodities gain a black market if they do not already have one, that can sell those rare commodities to players... in lower quantities than that in which they would normally be available, at higher prices, at the risk of the player being scanned with the (currently) illegal commodities in their hold and fined, and at a penalty to the BGS influence or Powerplay standing of the entity that made them illegal for each ton purchased. For many rares that have no in-game purpose such as unlocking engineers, this proposed change may make their acquisition unprofitable, since the circumstances of their sale in other systems should not be changed.
That way, illegal rare goods would always be available, at some minor risk to the player, and the BGS or Powerplay faction that is preventing their legal sale would suffer some penalty for making the commodity unavailable, especially when the rare commodity is highly desirable.
If a station that would sell a rare commodity that is currently illegal does not currently have a black market, it should gain a black market only for the purpose of selling that rare commodity. It should not gain the ability for players to sell illegal commodities to it.
For most of these rare goods, it's neither here nor there that they're unavailable, but for things like Kamitra Cigars, Kongga Ale or Lavian Brandy, which are necessary for players to unlock engineers Hera Tani, Lori Jameson or Didi Vatermann respectively, certain BGS or Powerplay states may make these commodities completely unavailable, thus making it very difficult or even impossible for players to unlock those engineers.
These goods being unavailable mean that the only way that a player who has not unlocked those engineers can do so is to wait (or work) for the situation to correct itself (which may take a considerable amount of time, especially if there is player resistance) or obtain the goods from a third-party supplier like the East India Company (who may or may not have supply of the goods).
However, with a relatively small change to the way that black markets work, there could be a solution. At the moment, black markets act only as a sink for illegal goods. Players can sell to them (with a negative effect on the influence of the controlling faction of the station), but that's it.
What I am proposing is that in systems that can produce rare commodities, but currently do not due to BGS or Powerplay states, the stations that would normally sell those rare commodities gain a black market if they do not already have one, that can sell those rare commodities to players... in lower quantities than that in which they would normally be available, at higher prices, at the risk of the player being scanned with the (currently) illegal commodities in their hold and fined, and at a penalty to the BGS influence or Powerplay standing of the entity that made them illegal for each ton purchased. For many rares that have no in-game purpose such as unlocking engineers, this proposed change may make their acquisition unprofitable, since the circumstances of their sale in other systems should not be changed.
That way, illegal rare goods would always be available, at some minor risk to the player, and the BGS or Powerplay faction that is preventing their legal sale would suffer some penalty for making the commodity unavailable, especially when the rare commodity is highly desirable.
If a station that would sell a rare commodity that is currently illegal does not currently have a black market, it should gain a black market only for the purpose of selling that rare commodity. It should not gain the ability for players to sell illegal commodities to it.
