Is There Any Point Using Transportes In Open Play?
- Thread starter Slack
- Start date
Cant speak for all traders, but for me its easy. You ask for 50%, I run and would rather die than hand over what would amount to losing much of my 'seed corn'
On typical route, less than 17% of my cargo is what represents my entire proift. E.g. 3.5M total cargo value, ~600k total profit on sale. So ask away at 50% - i wont even bother talking to negotiate starting that high and just ignore/run and if need be, die.
if i was asked for a split of that profit, a demand of anywhere from 50-50 or 8-9% of my cargo, or if i was really outgunned and just didnt want to re-grind earning my cargo back, then max 17% because that represents my entire profit but preserves my money making ability with seed cargo intact.
just as much as you think it is their fault for running, it is your prey running or going to solo because at 50% even one interdiction bascially wipes out any progression for entire play session (unless your session is lot more hours than i play in one stretch)
i play open now and then to try again with trade ship, and each time decide to go back to solo or mobius. i'm sure they must exist somewhere, but have yet to meet a single reasonable pirate - just griefers or pirates that lack even the sense that jersey mafia has in what proportion of revenue to demand from their protection rackets.
i do play open a good bit in non-trader ship though.
Indeed 50% is absurd. I think the CODE pirates ask 10% (still true?), which seems reasonable. Ask for 50% and I'm doing anything but complying, and I have been and remain a strong supporter of the existence of CMDR pirates ingame.
That's...just nuts. Is the "only purpose" in going to any social setting to kill other people? I traded entirely in Open for 600 hours, and now still usually do so, to see other CMDRs flying around, chat with them, feel like part of a larger community that wasn't NPC. I've literally never attacked anyone, and only actually stood and fought on rare occasions when escaping seemed unlikely, the attacker seemed to need a lesson, or as part of an ALD campaign (I can afford to die to PvPers, others can't - so go ahead and waste your time on me).
EDIT: You realize there are plenty of multiplayer games where combat isn't an option, right? What exactly is the "purpose" of all those, in your view?
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He said he never asked for more than 50%, not he always asks for 50%. I don't think he asks for half of a full trade ship's cargo.
I am not above asking for 100% of their cargo when they have only a handful (1-8 tons) of cargo.
I ask for 20% normally of a trader with a full cargo hold. The way I look at it is, they can make it back in a few runs by complying or they can refuse and make it back in a few hours.
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Make some friends, form a wing and have them escort you. Also what are you doing super-cruising around the system you just died in only 10 minutes ago and expecting a different result? Live and learn I suppose, but maybe if some place seems too dangerous you should avoid it? In PP, control systems and especially headquarter systems can be very dangerous as enemy players will actively hunt in those systems. There's little the AI can do to help you in this situation besides be an annoyance to whomever interdicted you. Had you survived long enough, the AI would've arrived on the scene but it does take some time. Things don't teleport to you instantly.
Transport ships are big targets; not only because you're slow and mostly defenseless but when you're in PP you are obviously contributing to your Power. Enemy Powers will try to stop you. If this bothers you, then consider trading in something more defensible like an Asp or Python and learn how to avoid interdictions. Sometimes submitting is the best bet as it will allow your FSD to recharge quickly, however if they can mass-lock you this may not be the best choice. Chaff, silent running when you have no shields, and heat sinks are all your friend when trying to evade.
As to if you should play in open I say yes if you enjoy a challenge. Solo to me is very monotonous and I never feel threatened or, more importantly, entertained. I might as well go vacuum or do dishes if I were to play solo; at least then something unexpected may happen like a hairball clog my vacuum or a dish slip out of my hand. And yes, I trade in open.
Transport ships are big targets; not only because you're slow and mostly defenseless but when you're in PP you are obviously contributing to your Power. Enemy Powers will try to stop you. If this bothers you, then consider trading in something more defensible like an Asp or Python and learn how to avoid interdictions. Sometimes submitting is the best bet as it will allow your FSD to recharge quickly, however if they can mass-lock you this may not be the best choice. Chaff, silent running when you have no shields, and heat sinks are all your friend when trying to evade.
As to if you should play in open I say yes if you enjoy a challenge. Solo to me is very monotonous and I never feel threatened or, more importantly, entertained. I might as well go vacuum or do dishes if I were to play solo; at least then something unexpected may happen like a hairball clog my vacuum or a dish slip out of my hand. And yes, I trade in open.
Mostly agree with all of your statement with one amendment - I've found in open flying a transport - armed or unarmed - no one gives a rat's behind about whether you are in a PP or not.
Carrying cargo, no cargo, unaligned to any PP, with a PP, just sight seeing - doesn't matter. Flying a transport in open for any reason at all is simply a target, period.
Sometimes I do it just to see if I can get past players camping a route, sometimes go back to solo or mobius to rebuild the cargo I just lost, but I swap back and forth between transport and non-transport, in exact same system, same time period roughly, and it is night and day.
Virtually unmolested great deal of time flying some non-trade ship, swarmed like flies in a transport.
So if you play in open with a transport, a) protect against crippling loss by having insurance plus enough cash reserve to rebuy at least 2-3x your entire cargo seed haul (e.g. the money you need to make money), and b) shout raspberries at all the "pvp'ers" who make so much noise about wanting open to be "pvp" yet consistently ignore the challenging targets like my combat python, but go for the baby seal scenarios
This does not exclude btw that some players of course are just being smart - why go after a low value non-transport when there are bigger fish to fry? that is totally true and valid - but also true is given volume and tone of so many "pvp'ers" who keep claiming they're in open for the "pvp" - it's beyond natural probabilities odds that so consistently, there is so little griefer pvp in my combat ship, and so much target on back spidey sense in my transport.
e.g. if there was even a decent proportion of players who were true challenge pvp players, I'd be getting jumped a lot more in combat ship - hence my inference that it is all talk and not much substance to the hot air
I personally, as well as the group I'm with, have interdicted many transports only to question them and let many go without asking for any cargo. I suppose it really depends on who you run into. There are some psychos out there and there are some reasonable people. Just like in real life.
Im a clipper commander, and i resent this statement, so next time i see you im gonna blow you up.
Good post. Repped.
I play in open and in a transporter (with teeth) currently.
I see "psycho commanders" as just another hazard but interestingly different to NPC's, who are either wanted or clean. NPC's are basically a predictable (known) quantity. Players could potentially be either, or can change attitude, without notice. For example, you could team up and psycho together (potentially) if he or she is wanted. Or you can maybe reason with them .. maybe you can't, you just never, ever, know.
Basically oher Commanders are treated with extreme caution until I can work out their motives!
Also wary of being followed, stalked by potential murderer, I'm staying in open ..
It's much, much more dangerous (and hence more rewarding).
I see "psycho commanders" as just another hazard but interestingly different to NPC's, who are either wanted or clean. NPC's are basically a predictable (known) quantity. Players could potentially be either, or can change attitude, without notice. For example, you could team up and psycho together (potentially) if he or she is wanted. Or you can maybe reason with them .. maybe you can't, you just never, ever, know.
Basically oher Commanders are treated with extreme caution until I can work out their motives!
Also wary of being followed, stalked by potential murderer, I'm staying in open ..
It's much, much more dangerous (and hence more rewarding).
He's not nearly as wrong as you make him sound. There's very little social aspects here. Most players of this game are rather anti-social. Take the HIP 116213 CG for example. Did you try winging up with people to take on SSS? Not a single person I saw there would consider doing that. Granted, this can be blamed on the shoddy SSS mechanics that frequently spawn pirates without a bounty, which is why SSS are basically a bust, but you'll probably find this being the case all over the place.
So if it's not winging up, there's only killing left.