Is piracy a viable option?

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Iirc we can have multiple vessels in the game, if so I reckon I will have a dabble at everything EXCEPT piracy. Call me a dullard but I like to try to play ethically in these sorts of games (even more so when real people are involved).

IF you break the law however..................

 

[Stachel]

How is piracy going to be viable if you occupy a system on (lets say) a busy trade route and everyone you yarr puts you on ignore. And carries on that trade route. Until you're left with nothing but bots?

Piracy will be just a repetative mini game (bullying NPC's) as far as I can tell from the DDF.

 

[Styggron]

Iirc we can have multiple vessels in the game, if so I reckon I will have a dabble at everything EXCEPT piracy. Call me a dullard but I like to try to play ethically in these sorts of games (even more so when real people are involved).

IF you break the law however..................

Good on you!

 

[Yaffle]

How is piracy going to be viable if you occupy a system on (lets say) a busy trade route and everyone you yarr puts you on ignore. And carries on that trade route. Until you're left with nothing but bots?

Piracy will be just a repetative mini game (bullying NPC's) as far as I can tell from the DDF.

Well, from the DDF

A player also has the option to add players to an Ignore List which does the following:
Removes any friendship between the players automatically (players can’t be friends with players they ignore)
Ignores all communication from them in game
Ignores any friend requests from them
Is active across multiple gaming session until changed by the player (this is different from the options presented in the above sections as they only last as long as the current gaming session)
People on others ignore lists will not be favoured if a choice exists when match making players together
If all players in a session have the same player ignored then that player will never be able to join that session
If at least one player is neutral or friends with the ignored player above then they will be able to join that session providing there is no better suited players trying to get in at the same time when only one slot is available
If a person earns a bounty their ignore list and friend preferences won’t affect matchmaking, and bounty hunters will still be able to encounter the player, even if the bounty hunter is on the player’s ignore list
If a player is in a session with another player on their ignore list they will still receive messages relating to that players in game actions and pre-canned dialogue, such as declarations of piracy
If a player follows another player’s hyperspace trail, the ignore rules cannot be applied to them. The players will join their next session as a group
Players Ignore lists are based on player accounts, not player characters

(emphasis mine) - that will only happen if EVERYONE is ignoring in a session, which one would hope would be unlikely.

At the same time there will be bounty hunters after them, who will WANT to be in the same instance/session - so far from being a dull grind.

I never played the others as a pirate, but I am hoping that it is a viable choice. Personally I wouldn't "ignore" a player for being a pirate - it's life in the Elite Universe. There will be NPC pirates too, and it's not guaranteed by any stretch they'll be easier to deal with than a meatsack Dread Pirate Roberts.

 

[Memnoch]

How is piracy going to be viable if you occupy a system on (lets say) a busy trade route and everyone you yarr puts you on ignore. And carries on that trade route. Until you're left with nothing but bots?

That was something I pointed out before, perhaps in another thread? There will be no way that I can see for a group of players to "control" access to a system. Players can jump in and out at will and may appear on the other side of the system from where you are and be able to dock and get out again before they are even a bother. And if a trader is suitably cautious when making big expensive trade runs, they will just go Solo Online anyway with no risk to their cargo.

To sum up, I think Piracy will only be an annoyance to you if you allow it to be in the first place!

 

[Robert Maynard]

And if a trader is suitably cautious when making big expensive trade runs, they will just go Solo Online anyway with no risk to their cargo.

To say "no risk" is stretching it quite some way. That would imply that there was no challenge in single-player mode. I don't think that FD will make Solo Online like that - there will be NPCs a-plenty with differing levels of AI skill.

From the Alpha scenarios so far, I don't think that AI combat is easy.

 

[Memnoch]

Perhaps no risk was a bit over the top but I would rather fancy AI pirates rather than player pilots any day!

 

[JohnStabler]

Perhaps no risk was a bit over the top but I would rather fancy AI pirates rather than player pilots any day!

Why's that? I can't remember who it was at Frontier (if someone can remember then please post), but they clearly said they could make AI unbeatable if they wanted.

 

[KING5TON]

You will never be without pirates in some form or another.
It's part of the game, you cannot get away from it by playing in private groups or single player.
Human or NPC pirates doesn't make a massive difference IMO, they're still attacking you.

Whatever role you choose there will be some kind of conflict, be it with pirates, bounty hunters, assassins, members of other factions you aren't friendly with etc...
It'd be a bit boring if there was no conflict.

 

[-o-]

Perhaps it depends on how and if ED is balanced.

If an online 'all' player jumps into a system with 3 NPC pirates plus 2 real pirates, and another online/offine solo player jumps into that same system, will there just be 3 NPC pirates there, or does some balancing occur to make it 5 NPC pirates.

If such balancing does occur, it may even be easier for a trader to survive in the online 'all' system depending on the skill levels or intentions of those 2 real pirates.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Will we even know who is human and who is AI or will we have to suck it and see with every attack?

 

[Cody]

I'd much prefer not to know - but I think it will be otherwise (unless something has changed).

 

[Razorwire]

We'll know. Player pilots are all flagged.
Can't remember where this was stated though, so may be making it up

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

We'll know. Player pilots are all flagged.
Can't remember where this was stated though, so may be making it up

You're not making it up (ok maybe the flagged part) but FD have clearly stated a few times that you will KNOW when you meet another ship if it's piloted by a human or not. A shame ... but such is. How precisely it will be done I have no idea.

 

[Razorwire]

I'm guessing different coloured names.

 

[Memnoch]

Why's that? I can't remember who it was at Frontier (if someone can remember then please post), but they clearly said they could make AI unbeatable if they wanted.

Because they won't make them unbeatable!

 

[Dead Fred]

a viable and fun career to follow, but at the same time a very edgy one, always on the lookout for approaching ships in case they are after you and being wary of which systems to jump in to.

You just described Elite.......

 

[Enjou]

Piracy would certainly be profitable, but it's high risk for the high reward and I imagine there will be other drawbacks.

Pros:
- Unlike regular traders you don't have to pay for cargo, so any you attain is almost pure profit aside from the cut the fence gets. While selling in the ideal system like a trader would might maximize profits, you certainly could just sell it immediately to do more pirating quickly.
- There's something awfully romantic about being a pirate, isn't there?

Cons:
- Difficulty in entering civilized areas. The cops want you dead.
- Purchasing new ships and equipment from pirate stations may come at a premium, what with "reputable" manufacturers not directly selling there. Shipping and handling fees may apply.
- You'll probably be in combat more frequently than most traders, so there's the pesky repair bills.
- Most non-criminals want you dead and many are motivated enough to try. Some might succeed.

 

[Stachel]

Pros:
- Unlike regular traders you don't have to pay for cargo, so any you attain is almost pure profit aside from the cut the fence gets. While selling in the ideal system like a trader would might maximize profits, you certainly could just sell it immediately to do more pirating quickly.
- There's something awfully romantic about being a pirate, isn't there?

You do have to pay for fuel, ammo and repairs though ..
You also won't have a lot of room in your hunter killer craft for swag.
Its romantic until the bullets run out.

The best way to do it presumably is to periodically collect your own bounty. Get a mate to shoot you in a ship with less value than the bounty. Split it. Repeat.

The bounty system will need a lot more sophistication than it has currently..

Cons:
- Difficulty in entering civilized areas. The cops want you dead.
- Purchasing new ships and equipment from pirate stations may come at a premium, what with "reputable" manufacturers not directly selling there. Shipping and handling fees may apply.
- You'll probably be in combat more frequently than most traders, so there's the pesky repair bills.
- Most non-criminals want you dead and many are motivated enough to try. Some might succeed.

All of which sounds .. amazing. Sign me up! I hope to make my first unsanctioned act of piracy and murder within about 15 mins of downloading the game on release day. See you there!

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

The best way to do it presumably is to periodically collect your own bounty. Get a mate to shoot you in a ship with less value than the bounty. Split it. Repeat.

Whilst I can't see how you can stop that to me that seems like glitching the game and would be v immersion breaking.