Newcomer / Intro Illicit cargo

[pipo zelvelder]

I am doing rare trade routes at the moment, but I am frequently pestered by an "Illicit cargo" notice when I want to enter a new system. Unfortunately, I do not know which cargo is illicit, so sometimes I have to pay large fines (paid 59.000 credits at last station) and still have no clue which cargo is illicit. Is there a way to avoid this or know which cargo is illicit?

 

[Mr Defiant]

it should tell you on the right panel which of the cargoes are elicit or illegal

 

[d8veh]

You only pay a fine if you get scanned. For normal stations with a slot, line up about 6km out, put 4 pips to engines and fly straight in. Keep your speed around 250m/s or more and you should be OK. You can throttle back when you get close to the slot. If you're still too fast, put your landing gear down and 4 pips to shields.

If it still shows illicit cago when you take off, line up with the slot, wait until it's clear, put 4 pips to engines and boost out. Keep boosting until you're clear of all the feds.

You don't normally get scanned at outposts. Avoid landing on planet bases. It's difficult to avoid scans there.

 

[Herkyman]

Hi!

What is a pip??

Also, if I go over 100 on the speed thing, I get a SPEEDING warning, and possibly a fine.

 

[Zieman]

Hi!

What is a pip??

Also, if I go over 100 on the speed thing, I get a SPEEDING warning, and possibly a fine.

A 'pip' is the unit of power management.

Going over 100 isn't a problem, if you look where you fly - don't collide with other ships and there's no problem.
A word of caution though: if you're playing in open, some people "role play" speed limit enforcers, meaning that they fly fragile fast ships and will ram you.

 

[Para Handy]

I really find it hard to believe that the OP after over a year and a half still doesn't know such basic things. What with all the negative nonsense they keep spouting and apparent inability to master even the simplest of things in the game I am more and more suspecting a sniff of troll.

 

[d8veh]

A 'pip' is the unit of power management.

Going over 100 isn't a problem, if you look where you fly - don't collide with other ships and there's no problem.
A word of caution though: if you're playing in open, some people "role play" speed limit enforcers, meaning that they fly fragile fast ships and will ram you.

you only get fined if you crash into someone when speeding. In solo play, it's very rare to hit someone on the way in, but on the way out, there's always big ships coming through the slot, which is why you have to wait until it's clear. The fine for speeding is 200cr, but the fine for illicit cargo is the value of the cargo, which can be millions.

 

[Harry Hates Golf]

I really find it hard to believe that the OP after over a year and a half still doesn't know such basic things. What with all the negative nonsense they keep spouting and apparent inability to master even the simplest of things in the game I am more and more suspecting a sniff of troll.

I believe the "Illicit Cargo" warning, and what menu to use to find what cargo is illicit, is something that you learn about the first week of puttering about. In fact, the inventory description icon tells you what is legal and illegal cargo before you pick it up.

At the risk of being cynical, I have to agree with you about this.

 

[Dommarraa]

Most things you can buy are legel in some places and illegal in others. Even tobacco. Add in the confusion that occurs when goods are illegal in parts of a system and not others.
Stop being so harsh, that's what Dangerous Discussion is for

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Commodities that are illegal in a station are listed in the station description on the system map. So you can plan ahead if you need to sell at a market or blackmarket - availability of these is also in the station description.

If you are trading rare goods, you should always check the system map of your destination before starting your trip. Boom states mean you will get a bonus allocatino of rare goods, lockdown won't even have a market to buy them from.

The legality of most rare goods is straightforward, but there are some exceptions:

• Terra Mater Blood Bores - a medicine that is usually illegal where narcotics are illegal
• rare alcohol - some are classified as bootleg liquor, others as liquor
• rare weapons - some are classified as personal weapons, others as battle weapons
• Lucan Onionhead - is legal with some factions where the other onionhead varieties are illegal
• Master Chefs - technically a slave, but are legal in Fed systems
• Volkhab Bee Drones - illegal at Jaques
• Ochoeng Chillies - the description says they are illegal in some systems, I don't know of any where it is.

 

[Snowygerry]

Someone here advised to use Heat Sinks to avoid scans, haven't tried it (my single ship doesn't carry one atm), but from what I understand "dropping" one the moment you're notified of being scanned blocks the scan.

Also, could it be one of the recent updates introduced new rare materials ? I seem to have encountered one that wasn't on any of the lists I found here.

Unfortunately I can't quite remember the name of the planet, I'd have to check in-game.

 

[Snowymonk]

in my experience,
Heat sinks reduce the likelihood of being scanned, not the avoidance of scans.
Also helping is the type of station that you are flying into and the volume of Police flying around.

The most reliable method I found for entering a station whilst carrying illegal goods was to line up with the slot from more than 5kms out, ask for docking permission and once received, drop to silent running, full acceleration and print for the slot.
If your temperature gets too high, drop a heat sink.

Once inside a slot, full brake and remove silent running. You won't get scanned once inside the slot so you only need to breach the threshold and then you can relax.

You can do this in all ship types however some are better at getting through the slots compared to others.
The Uber brave out there could do this in a type 9 and make an absolute fortune for example.... or they could end up wedged in the slot and lose the fortune...

 

[Harry Hates Golf]

Most things you can buy are legel in some places and illegal in others. Even tobacco. Add in the confusion that occurs when goods are illegal in parts of a system and not others.
Stop being so harsh, that's what Dangerous Discussion is for

What about medical tobacco? That shouldn't be illegal. Look at all the lives that have been saved.

It's animal meat that should be illegal. Dogs and Cats are suppose to be our friends!

Whoa! Wait a minute!
When they said "Time to eat"
I didn't know they meant....​

Plus, I don't think anyone is being harsh. It's just part of the whole "Dangerous Discussion" thing. The ole "chirp 'n burp". The classic "chewin' da fat". The famous "belly-up-to-the-bar". The usual "You say toh-mah-toh, and I say toh-may-toh". The obligatory "Friendship, friendship, like the perfect blendship!". The saying....

 

[Ian Skippy]

You can see what is banned on the system map for each faction that controls space, and when in a system you can also see it in the right-hand panel in the inventory.

Most things you can buy are legel in some places and illegal in others. Even tobacco. Add in the confusion that occurs when goods are illegal in parts of a system and not others.
Stop being so harsh, that's what Dangerous Discussion is for

I think its partly inspired due to the repeated attempts by the OP to drive other newcomes away, it makes people a bit less friendly.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

You can see what is banned on the system map for each faction that controls space, and when in a system you can also see it in the right-hand panel in the inventory.

AFAIK the System Map's Commodity segment is usually vastly incomplete. I wouldn't trust it, especially when it comes to rare goods.
(are prohibited rares even shown in the System Map? I don't think I've ever seen that)

 

[d8veh]

That works, but is unnecessary. I've never been scanned going into a station and I'm a veteran of thousands of Robigo missions and a lot more smuggling since then. In the beginning, I used to worry, so I used every technique available, but as I got more experienced (read complacent), I did less and less until I figured that all you need to do is fly quite fast into the station down the axis line. I get the odd "scan detected" just as I reach the toast-rack, but I'm always in safely before the scan completes. Now, I don't even think about whether I have illicit goods or not. For me smuggle just means deliver. FD need to make it a bit more difficult and then increase the rewards. It really is too easy, but like everything: easy when you know how.