If you arm the merchant vessels today with a few chaingun turrets there would be no pirates, but then they have trouble entering most ports of the world, gouvernments take an dim view on ships carrying high powered guns.
It is all risk and reward, as soon piracy annoys the people with the big money enough it will go away.
In the meantime the low paid sailors suffer the piracy, easy as that.
But we are talking here about an game people play to have fun, so find an way to make piracy for freighters fun too or you will have no freighters, it is that simple.
Explain to me honestly why anyone should run an freighter in Elite Dangerous if piracy is silly easy? (as long the person in question is not an masochist offcourse)
You could say the same about banks, shop keepers, jewelry shops, why not have more personnal armed to the teeth in these places? These places still get robbed?
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/criminal-sha-is-a-proper-bank-robber
Well historically piracy/privateering would sometimes get a letters of marque to attack other factions trade ships, and so causing action to be taken for patrolling of these routes during the 15th - 18th century. These were done for many reasons, so to affect the trade and wealth of said nation, and which should be the idea of ED, see planets affected by heavy piracy, and so in reaction causing action to be taken by said faction.
Wiki
England, and later the United Kingdom, used privateers to great effect and suffered much from other nations' privateering. During the 15th century, "piracy became an increasing problem and merchant communities such as Bristol began to resort to self-help, arming and equipping ships at their own expense to protect commerce."[4] These privately owned merchant ships, licensed by the crown, could legitimately take vessels that were deemed pirates. This constituted a "revolution in naval strategy" and helped fill the need for protection that the current administration was unable to provide as it "lacked an institutional structure and coordinated finance."[5][6]
The increase in competition for crews on armed merchant vessels and privateers was due, in a large part, because of the chance for a considerable payoff. "Whereas a seaman who shipped on a naval vessel was paid a wage and provided with victuals, the mariner on a merchantman or privateer was paid with an agreed share of the takings."[5] This proved to be a far more attractive prospect and privateering flourished as a result.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privateer
Which gave birth to the royal merchant navy and the earlier east india company, which had it's own military for protecting it business, the same how home owners and other business pay money to security firms not only for insurance, but a form of protection. I think there should perhaps be a trading guild in the game, that perhaps if you pay into it, the response time of security forces will be quicker, unless your part of a clan and can put together your own guild with your own security, then ED may start to see actual player development and teamwork in game.
Look at the list of the 30 top security firms, some that offer secuirty to homes and business also, but also have there own private army.
http://www.securitydegreehub.com/30-most-powerful-private-security-companies-in-the-world/
Now if looking at modern action taken by piracy, the UN have made efforts to combat piracy, but obviously not to the point of arming said vessels, although it is possible to pay security firms to be armed operative on your vessel. Also it's not like cargo ships are completely without defence in ED much like in the past.
UN official site
He added that the past year alone saw 286 piracy-related incidents off the coast of Somalia, resulting in 67 hijacked ships, with 1,130 seafarers on board; while a recent study estimated the cost to the world economy from disruptions to international trade at between $7 billion and $12 billion.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37457
Also today, they have stepped up measures, but piracy still continues, although somlia pirates are hardly as well funded like the pirates from the 15-17th century.
Telegraph
Eight ways to protect a ship
• Armed guards
These have become standard for many ships sailing through Somali waters in 2013. A large ship now typically sails with four guards. The industry has been dominated by British firms and guards who have had careers in the military, particularly highly experienced former Royal Marines who have been keen to cash in on their skills.
• Sound guns
A sonic weapon called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), similar to devices used for crowd control, has been fitted to several ships. The LRAD emits an intolerable beam of sound to drive off attackers. Operators say the device can be hard to focus on a fast-moving skiff.
• Lasers
In 2011 the British arms firm BAE Systems developed an anti-pirate laser to dazzle approaching pirates. The firm said the green beam was strong enough to make it impossible to aim weapons into its path and was effective at up to a mile but would not permanently damage eyesight.
• Water cannons
High-pressure cannons or hoses spraying from the ship are designed to blow away pirates as they try to scale the ship’s sides, or to swamp their tiny craft as they approach. They can be fitted with remote controls and operated from safety if the pirates open fire.
• Razor wire, cages and electric fences
Ships have bolstered physical defences with layers of barriers, wire and cages in a process called “hardening”. The defences are designed to stop pirates getting aboard and, if they do, to stop them reaching the crew.
• Boat traps
Nets or wires can be used to snare and entangle the propellers of pirate skiffs as they approach.
• Foam
Slippery anti-traction foam can be sprayed over a ship’s sides or decks to hamper pirates as they try to climb aboard.
• Foul-smelling liquid
Devices shoot slicks of foul-smelling liquid which can cause a burning sensation on the skin, causing pirates to break off their attack or jump in the water to clean themselves, according to designers.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsore...10367534/security-against-pirate-attacks.html
Now to conclude, im not asking for piracy to be made easy, but i'm just asking to make it not impossible, think of the possibilities of ED players forming there own east india companies, security firms, to combat piracy and ensure a prospering trade, not to mention the opposite of let say privateers/pirates harrasing trade routes to affect said system economy either for personnal gain or to weaken an enemy faction.
I understand traders just want to be left to trade in peace and quiet, but in the bigger scheme of things surely by choosing to trade in a certain system means your having an effect on that system, that may not be in the interest of another aligned ED player representing another faction. Otherwise i really can't see the point of contributing anything in the verse, if the game only promotes postive actions, and no need for merging of players to protect mutal interest if operating in certain systems.
Piracy atm is hardly a lucrative trade, and so the element of danger is hardly has great has some traders make it out to be, the developers if they are good, should be able to balance the game as such that piracy can be profitable without having to blow your prey away, even somlia pirates/bank robbers don't wiped everyone out on board most of the time, and only seek a quick pay day. Piracy can still be difficult, but right now, it's impossible.
