Pirate Dichotomy and how to talk about them

Worst.
Pirates.
Ever.

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Derp! :D

I need to know what it means and how it would fit within the existing dichotomy.

Merriam Webster's Dictionary Definition of "Raider"

Vikings, for instance, were typical raiders. They swiftly attacked out of nowhere, plundered and pillaged what they could get and disappeared as quickly as they had come.

In Babylon 5, there was also a pirate organisation called Raiders. They attacked cargo convoys and were known for never leaving any survivors. Later in the series they also attacked remote surface settlements and blackmailed them into paying ransoms for their safety.
 
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I simply describe myself as an "Outlaw".
I pirate, smuggle, assassinate, do heist jobs, kill police, support unfettered factions in wars and generally make a total nuisance of myself.
I don't care much for splitting hairs over what label I get, as long as it's not personal - I do try to be a nice person in real life :)

You're pretty nice! :)
I think that's a good catch-all term to use for pilots who do everything.
I have two questions:
Do work in a group or alone?
Do you work for clients or yourself/group?

Edit: added two catch all terms to account for you. Outlaw and mafia for both singular and grouped pilots who do several things.
 
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You're pretty nice! :)
I think that's a good catch-all term to use for pilots who do everything.
I have two questions:
Do work in a group or alone?
Do you work for clients or yourself/group?

Thanks :)
The answer to both questions is; a bit of both!

My player group supports our faction in our home and neighbouring systems and we do this either as a group when we get the chance, or alone as individuals. We also support other factions in a role-playing context. I wouldn't call us "pirates", more of a merc / security outfit with lots of dodgy dealings ;)
 
While this certainly appears that this can be useful I think it wouldn't change much.
Many people prefer to think in black and white, because it's a lot easier to decide "good guy" or "bad guy" than going through a whole checklist of properties only to
A) arrive at the conclusion that you are dealing with a "mildly bad guy"
B) get robbed anyway


And in this galaxy of ours this black and white thinking isn't even all that bad. Most people wanna stay away from the bad guys, no matter if they are polite about robbing you or not, and you should be able to make the good/bad decision quickly if you wanna have a chance to get away with both your life and your cargo.
 
While this certainly appears that this can be useful I think it wouldn't change much. --paraphrasing: Why does it matter calling them these terms if they're going to do bad stuff to us anyway? All i think we care about is getting away with our life and our cargo. I don't have time to be politically correct--
You're right, you don't. in fact i'd say it's up to your specific outlaw to declare their intentions once they're able to direct message you. Especially if they're pirates because we're going to assume they mean to do the worse to us. If they're a well known pirate with a track record of "polite" piracy and impressive skill, it may be beneficial to give them some cargo.

but anyways, the reason why these terms matter is because any discussion about pirates ends up confusing the situation because we tend to mix gankers, marauaders, mercenaries, privateers into the word pirate. That does them an injustice as we can't move forward in the discussion. Everyone will be using the term, pirate to mean different things to different people.

It's the difference between the Sea Shepards and Greenpeace.
 
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the reason why these terms matter is because any discussion about pirates ends up confusing the situation because we tend to mix gankers, marauaders, mercenaries, privateers into the word pirate. That does them an injustice as we can't move forward in the discussion. Everyone will be using the term, pirate to mean different things to different people.

I agree with that, but how are you gonna
A) make all the "pirates" state their intentions?
B) make an ever growing number of players aware of the "pirate categories"?

And please don't paraphrase my quotes. I do put thought into the words that I put here, and this is certainly not about not having the time for political correctness.This behavior, the need to decide quickly whether or not someone is a threat or not, is pure survival instinct.
Also, even though I do in fact see political correctness as a waste of time that creates more problems than it tries (and fails) to solve, I usually maintain a friendly attitude towards other Commanders.
 
I agree with that, but how are you gonna
A) make all the "pirates" state their intentions?
B) make an ever growing number of players aware of the "pirate categories"?

And please don't paraphrase my quotes. I do put thought into the words that I put here, and this is certainly not about not having the time for political correctness.This behavior, the need to decide quickly whether or not someone is a threat or not, is pure survival instinct.
Also, even though I do in fact see political correctness as a waste of time that creates more problems than it tries (and fails) to solve, I usually maintain a friendly attitude towards other Commanders.

Listen, you cis gendered person, in this galaxy we must not forget to respect the plight of differently-abled deep space purloinment professionals, interstellar end-of-life coaches, and observers of laws other than the heteronormative establishment.

You wouldn't want to cause social injustice in space, would you?
 
I describe myself as a charming rogue. I can talk pretty and have a great smoulder, but my gotten gains are often ill.

Where would I fit on the naughty list I wonder? I bet I could talk my way into a better position.
 
And please don't paraphrase my quotes. I do put thought into the words that I put here, and this is certainly not about not having the time for political correctness.This behavior, the need to decide quickly whether or not someone is a threat or not, is pure survival instinct.
Also, even though I do in fact see political correctness as a waste of time that creates more problems than it tries (and fails) to solve, I usually maintain a friendly attitude towards other Commanders.
:/ Given you're running on "pure survival instinct" to deal with a threat, you don't have time to be politically correct. It is not about being political correct at all but not having time to do so. I don't believe I said anything that contradicts the heart of your message which was about IFF and why this dichotomy would matter to a prey who needs to make quick decisions. That was all that I meant when i paraphrased. Getting to that root.

I agree with that, but how are you gonna
A) make all the "pirates" state their intentions?
B) make an ever growing number of players aware of the "pirate categories"?

This is just vocabulary for us to use. I don't have any desire to enforce it though I think it's a good idea to use these terms and hope others agree and decide to use it as well. With regards to "pirates", i mean pirate. not the other type of outlaws. As said, it is up to them to do so. I confer no wish to control their actions only that i can see benefits to doing so.
 
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CMDR Jypson is a Bounty Hunter by trade, but 'self identifies' ([sigh] can't believe I just used that term) as a Mercenary. After all, the only difference between a Bounty Hunter and a Mercenary is who signs the pay check :D
 
I describe myself as a charming rogue. I can talk pretty and have a great smoulder, but my gotten gains are often ill.

Where would I fit on the naughty list I wonder? I bet I could talk my way into a better position.

That's up to you and your bailiff :p

CMDR Jypson is a Bounty Hunter by trade, but 'self identifies' ([sigh] can't believe I just used that term) as a Mercenary. After all, the only difference between a Bounty Hunter and a Mercenary is who signs the pay check :D

I had different assumptions about that.
Would you say that a bounty hunter only hunts wanted people but a mercenary is just a hired gun who shoots at both wanted and unwanted people?
(by that logic an assassin hunts clean people)?
 
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So basically we have to come up with politically correct terms for different types of players to avoid butthurt? Or was there some actual benefit to this pedantic clarification?
 
stuff here about end-of-life coaches
XD if this is parody, remember to use poe's law. :)

So basically we have to come up with politically correct terms for different types of players to avoid butthurt? Or was there some actual benefit to this pedantic clarification?

could you please quote the section in the OP that refers to not hurting other people's feelings? I don't believe i made any mention of saving anyone from hurt. Just a tool to help move the conversation forward without stepping over ourselves when we used to say pirate but mean specifically now, marauder. My suspicion is you've not read the OP properly but have only skimmed the last few posts.
 
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XD if this is parody, remember to use poe's law. :)



could you please quote the section in the OP that refers to not hurting other people's feelings? I don't believe i made any mention of saving anyone from hurt. Just a tool to help move the conversation forward without stepping over ourselves when we used to say pirate but mean specifically now, marauder. My suspicion is you've not read the OP properly but have only skimmed the last few posts.

Could you explain how your idea helps anything at all? It's missing from the OP.
 
Could you explain how your idea helps anything at all? It's missing from the OP.
i've added a bit more clarity, but from the OP this is the bit that explains it and has remained virtually unchanged. It was listed under Rationale. Hope that helps! :)
I'm suggesting these terms so that we have a vocabulary to talk about different types of outlaws and can move any talk regarding them forward.
We can start pinpointing what type of outlaw we have problems with and the problems associated with that particular type.
 
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I had different assumptions about that.
Would you say that a bounty hunter only hunts wanted people but a mercenary is just a hired gun who shoots at both wanted and unwanted people?
(by that logic an assassin hunts clean people)?

I suppose that is certainly up for debate. For me, a Mercenary is someone who is payed to complete a job. The legality and morality of said job is irrelevant.

If there is a Civil War, the Mercenary fights for the highest bidder. Sometimes that employer may change 2 or three times a day depending on the BB offerings.

If the job is an Assassination / Bounty, the Mercenary doesn't care if it's State Sponsored or not, as long as the money goes through.

If the job is the retrieval of an item or person, the Mercenary doesn't care if the employer is the rightful owner / Authority.

For CMDR Jypson, there is work to be done, he leaves the morality and philosophy to others.

That's my viewpoint anyway, I may be completely incorrect :D
 
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