"Good" factions don't usually ask you to do criminal things...

...so why do they ask you to transport "Criminal Masterminds"? :S

Back in 2.0 I think it was, they changed the way missions were generated, so the type of mission was no longer completely random, but depended on the type of faction. So now, a democracy almost never asks you to steal stuff or smuggle in weapons or drugs, whereas a criminal gang usually does.

This was a good move on FD's part - it made the missions feel more "realistic" and the ED universe feel slightly less dystopian.

But.

With the galaxy-wide opening of passenger lounges, this concept seems to have been forgotten. I'm sitting in the LP131-66 system, up near Alioth, looking for VIPs for short run missions. There are six factions present here: three Alliance democracies, an Alliance corporation, an Alliance Patronage and a native Criminal faction. In other words, five "good guys" and one "bad guy".

So, what VIP passengers want to go for a ride in my Orca?

The first Alliance Democracy (the controlling faction) offers me five Rich Tourists; fair enough. But the second offers three Criminal Masterminds and a Medical Officer. The other "good guy" factions, a mix including one more Criminal Mastermind. The anarchists also offer one Mastermind plus a couple others.

What? Why are lawful non-criminal factions trying to get my ship blown up by asking me to ferry dangerous criminals around for them? I'm a law-abiding pilot: I don't speed, I don;t visit Anarchies if I can avoid it, I don't smuggle drugs, and I don't help criminals have a nice holiday.

Oh well. At least the Medical Officer is offering me 5 million to go on a four-stop buzz around the Bubble.
 
"Good" factions are always asking me to go kill something that's illegal to kill in the system in which I must kill it. Or to blow up skimmers that aren't wanted. Or kill some politician.

I've never seen any of the factions as inherently good or bad, just more or less willing to be up front about it :)
 
Regular factions definitely do ask you to do illegal things once in a while, whereas unfettered factions mostly ask you to do illegal things.
 
"Good" is subjective and usually the result of the PR machine at work. There can be "Good" Dictatorships and Anarchy systems just as there can be "Bad" Democracies and the like. It's all about the PR and the intent of the individuals behind it.

Ultimately, you are an independent entity they can disavow any knowledge of for a degree of separation for dirty jobs they want doing but don't want to get caught doing themselves or it would negatively impact the PR machine.

Besides, if they are criminal masterminds, they haven't been caught and are willing to pay a lot of money in the hopes you look the other way. :p
 
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