I have an idea to make trading and pirating a much more lucrative and fun mechanic in the game, so here is what I propose.
1. Merchant changes: Increase the base value of all commodities across the galaxy. Everything is absurdly cheap to avoid easy wealth transfer but at the cost of realism in prices. Loading up a cutter with gold/platinum/meta-alloys should be an exorbitant cost, 100-500 million credits. I’m talking value increase of 10-1000x. The profits are based on resale, so to be clear I am NOT saying increase profits by 10-1000x. Just the cost of the commodities. And give us a better range in prices of different goods. Supply and demand aside, a gold barge should make more than a textile goods barge. But the cost to be a gold merchant should be steep! And with a steep price comes a steep risk when it comes to loss.
2. New Cargo Missions: Essentially the same as we have but they fill your cargo up! You shouldn’t have to board flip to fill your space-truck. This is different from being a merchant and I think the goods should be “insured” protecting the delivery truck driver from risk. The merchant described in category 1 is his own boss and assumes all risk, the delivery truck in this scenario would get a smaller payout (still good!) but it would reflect the lowered risk and investment.
3. Piracy Changes: Changes 1 and 2 alone would change piracy completely. You would have new CMDRs who aren’t worried about losing cargo because it’s insured, as well as more seasoned merchants who are willing to fight for their goods. Different levels of investment and potential loss will make these interactions more than just some script. The increase value of goods makes pirating lucrative again without reintroducing the black market exploits. You don’t have to steel 800 meta-alloys to make a decent profit, so you don’t need to ask for crazy amounts of cargo from victims and sit around collecting it. That hurts the pirate and the pirated.
4. Hot Goods: my finally change would be to the goods you pirated. The CMDR can still choose to jettison/abandon, abandoned goods sell for normal value in any market. Jettisoned goods for 80% value at black markets, HOWEVER, if you kill the CMDR those goods are hot and now sell for much less. I think 20-40% of actual value would be good. Maybe even less depending on the values of commodities as a whole from the suggestion in section 1.
This incentivizes risk/reward for merchant traders but also diminishes losses for those looking to take it easy. It provides avenues for profitable pirating and incentivizes leaving the pirated alive and well. An unintended consequence is mining would be lucrative again too.
**Side Note**: My biggest concern is how to limit direct wealth transfer between players (Fdev no like), maybe all goods have a diminished jettison value even if abandoned? People don’t like throwing credits at the void, even for friends!
Thoughts, comments, concerns?
1. Merchant changes: Increase the base value of all commodities across the galaxy. Everything is absurdly cheap to avoid easy wealth transfer but at the cost of realism in prices. Loading up a cutter with gold/platinum/meta-alloys should be an exorbitant cost, 100-500 million credits. I’m talking value increase of 10-1000x. The profits are based on resale, so to be clear I am NOT saying increase profits by 10-1000x. Just the cost of the commodities. And give us a better range in prices of different goods. Supply and demand aside, a gold barge should make more than a textile goods barge. But the cost to be a gold merchant should be steep! And with a steep price comes a steep risk when it comes to loss.
2. New Cargo Missions: Essentially the same as we have but they fill your cargo up! You shouldn’t have to board flip to fill your space-truck. This is different from being a merchant and I think the goods should be “insured” protecting the delivery truck driver from risk. The merchant described in category 1 is his own boss and assumes all risk, the delivery truck in this scenario would get a smaller payout (still good!) but it would reflect the lowered risk and investment.
3. Piracy Changes: Changes 1 and 2 alone would change piracy completely. You would have new CMDRs who aren’t worried about losing cargo because it’s insured, as well as more seasoned merchants who are willing to fight for their goods. Different levels of investment and potential loss will make these interactions more than just some script. The increase value of goods makes pirating lucrative again without reintroducing the black market exploits. You don’t have to steel 800 meta-alloys to make a decent profit, so you don’t need to ask for crazy amounts of cargo from victims and sit around collecting it. That hurts the pirate and the pirated.
4. Hot Goods: my finally change would be to the goods you pirated. The CMDR can still choose to jettison/abandon, abandoned goods sell for normal value in any market. Jettisoned goods for 80% value at black markets, HOWEVER, if you kill the CMDR those goods are hot and now sell for much less. I think 20-40% of actual value would be good. Maybe even less depending on the values of commodities as a whole from the suggestion in section 1.
This incentivizes risk/reward for merchant traders but also diminishes losses for those looking to take it easy. It provides avenues for profitable pirating and incentivizes leaving the pirated alive and well. An unintended consequence is mining would be lucrative again too.
**Side Note**: My biggest concern is how to limit direct wealth transfer between players (Fdev no like), maybe all goods have a diminished jettison value even if abandoned? People don’t like throwing credits at the void, even for friends!
Thoughts, comments, concerns?