Crime should pay... and be risky

[Threeofseven]

Right now smuggling, despite being a higher risk, pays much less than trading. Even smuggling missions are paid less than standard cargo missions of the same quantities. This is utterly ridiculous.

There should be a difference in price between stolen and illegal items. If I steal 50 tons of gold, sure it should be sold for a lesser price on the blackmarket because it's hot. If you sell a stolen car to a chop shop, you're not going through get market value so the current black market prices for stolen items are good.

However, for illegal items the current prices are broken. Say there is a federation station that bans tobacco. However, there is an underground market for it. Residents of that station will have to pay much more for a pack of smokes then they would at a station where they are legal. Therefore, if I take the risk to smuggle in 50 tons of Tobacco I should get 2 to 3 times the standard market price.

Also, because there is a high reward for smuggling good, there should also be a very high risk and serious consequences. Currently, if caught you just get a fine. The penalties for getting caught need to be greatly increased. Some things that might be appropriate are instant bounty and destruction, immediate hostile rep with the controlling faction-- possibly a pilots Federation bounty as well. It should also be harder, right now simply boosting in or using heat sinks results in a near 100% success rate.

Players, perhaps should also get rewards for scanning and uncovering smugglers.

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

Agree, there's just no point (or fun) in playing a smuggler at the moment.

 

[Iskariot]

Right now smuggling, despite being a higher risk, pays much less than trading. Even smuggling missions are paid less than standard cargo missions of the same quantities. This is utterly ridiculous.

There should be a difference in price between stolen and illegal items. If I steal 50 tons of gold, sure it should be sold for a lesser price on the blackmarket because it's hot. If you sell a stolen car to a chop shop, you're not going through get market value so the current black market prices for stolen items are good.

However, for illegal items the current prices are broken. Say there is a federation station that bans tobacco. However, there is an underground market for it. Residents of that station will have to pay much more for a pack of smokes then they would at a station where they are legal. Therefore, if I take the risk to smuggle in 50 tons of Tobacco I should get 2 to 3 times the standard market price.

Also, because there is a high reward for smuggling good, there should also be a very high risk and serious consequences. Currently, if caught you just get a fine. The penalties for getting caught need to be greatly increased. Some things that might be appropriate are instant bounty and destruction, immediate hostile rep with the controlling faction-- possibly a pilots Federation bounty as well. It should also be harder, right now simply boosting in or using heat sinks results in a near 100% success rate.

Players, perhaps should also get rewards for scanning and uncovering smugglers.

Some nice ideas.
I agree that smuggling could use an overhaul, as do the black markets.

. I would like there to be a challenge to smuggling illegal stuff in and out of a station. Planetary stations can be quite challenging when there are patrols around, especially in a big ship, but space stations are easy.

. Cold running should be looked at too. It is such a cool and exciting mechanic, but totally underused.
It should be made into the go to game mechanic for smugglers.

. I would like to buy goods from black markets too and they might also be a contact for people who want to get out of, or into, a station too.

. Getting caught as a smuggler should also lower your rep with the owners of a station (or does it already?)

. Something that irks me quite much is that black markets in stations are openly shown in the galaxy map from the start. I think there should perhaps only be one visible in or near your starting system and then you should build your smuggling network from there.
We might be able to get rep with that first black market and earn knowledge about other black markets that way. When your rep is high enough with a black market it might reveal 2 or three other random black markets to you. Or perhaps you need to do a black market mission first.
We might also earn discounts and get better prices for our goods if our rep increases with them etc.

. Last but not least: Black markets should have strong ties with the piracy mechanic. Perhaps the black markets could be one of the places to get piracy missions. Piracy missions should definitely not be on the main mission board.

 

[Justinian Octavius]

I agree with the OP, & have posted on it a number of times; basically, in a nutshell, smuggling should become a skill your character can get better at imho; either through a skills system or technology. Every system should have an open black market somewhere with how difficult it is to use influenced by the controlling Power & system security rating - harder the market, the more the rewards. If you are caught you should be able to try to bribe the police like in previous Elite games or even just attempt to leg it from the station in silent running! The hot ship concept in Beyond feels like it would be a great fit to an updated more solid crime system that gives a proper career path to those who want it.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Smuggling is too easy since they removed the fail on scan for missions.

That combined with the one size fits all approach to docking (line up, boost, drop heatsink, dock), means there's basically no risk, and the rewards are pants too.

So, 1) I'd bring back fail on scan. It should never have been removed.

2) if successfully scanned while carrying illegal cargo, you have 10 seconds to drop it, or be destroyed. This will include being blown up by the station. Docking privileges are revoked if within the NFZ of a station. Dropping your cargo just results in a hefty fine, and huge rep loss for both your mission giver, and the faction that caught you.

3) Security are more proactive. Speeding will get attention from security for a scan. Security also demand you come to a halt or face a fine if you try to evade a scan that's already started, if you don't comply, docking is revoked.
Security will pay less attention if you try to "fit in", or sneak in. Fitting in requires being very good, and hoping for the best, fly slow, request docking, don't hit anything. A collision will alert security for a scan. But security may also just stop and search randomly anyway.
Sneaking in is more fun, you need to fly close to another larger ship, without colliding, and mask your signature with theirs. Security will be oblivious endless you drift to far, or collide. You won't be able to smuggle in a big ship very easily at all, if ever.
Blockers. Larger security ships will lurk in direct line of sight of the docking slot, preventing ships simply boosting in a straight line in to the slot. But they will move to engage hostiles, so you need to use the time wisely, or another method.
Security will also close the distance to allow for a scan. So just running super cold isn't going to be as reliable.

With all that all in place, drastically increase rewards for missions, and reduce cargo requirements. Larger ships can then try to stack these missions for maximum profit, but they'll have a hard time actually docking. Smaller ships can then also enjoy smuggling more.
Stacking missions will spawn lots of random security to intercept you again.
Fun!

Robigo remastered. Lol

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead