Please give the Sidewinders a chance!

[Borkum]

After starting a new game and getting repeatedly interdicted and blasted right outside of the starting planet with my little Sidewinder, I wondered; Why does this happen? I mean, in this giant galaxy, why does anyone pay any attention to a little sidewinder with 2t of legal cargo? I have no bounty on my head. I'm not hauling rare goods. I'm not smuggling. And it's a Sidewinder for god's sake. Are the NPC Space Pirates really that desperate? Why would they say "Look at all the juicy cargo!", when I'm hauling cloth? But in all seriousness, at that level, I'm worth nothing, and it's just griefing from the NPC pirates at that point.

Can't we give the Sidewinders a chance? Why can't FD allow clean Sidewinders to go unmolested by Space Pirates? I feel this would vastly improve the new player experience. They could have a chance to make a few credits, and learn the game in relative peace.

Of course as soon as they start smuggling or they have a bounty on their head, this all goes out the window.

Can anyone give me a legitimate reason other than the typical "It's supposed to be hard."? I agree. The game is supposed to be hard. But it shouldn't be stupid. And getting interdicted within five minutes of starting a new game for no apparent reason is stupid.

TL;DR
Somehow turn off NPC interdictions for unwanted, clean cargo Sidewinders.

 

[Malryc]

This is actually a good idea. Much more realistic as, I too, found the "Look at all that tasty cargo"s actually quite corny as I was either hauling nothing at all or maybe some copper. All 2t worth lol.

There should be thresholds that incur more or less piracy.

 

[Whiplash 1983]

Pirates hanging around spawn points. Ripe new fighters picking on locals. All to be expected. I think fines should be a better match with the style a player chooses to engage in. Pick on greenhorns too much, and you get your ship confiscated.

 

[DragoonKnight]

Pirates hanging around spawn points. Ripe new fighters picking on locals. All to be expected. I think fines should be a better match with the style a player chooses to engage in. Pick on greenhorns too much, and you get your ship confiscated.

We are talking about npcs

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This is actually a good idea. Much more realistic as, I too, found the "Look at all that tasty cargo"s actually quite corny as I was either hauling nothing at all or maybe some copper. All 2t worth lol.

There should be thresholds that incur more or less piracy.

The actions of pirates need to makes sense.
"What are you carrying?" when I am flying an FDL with no cargo holds just tells me that you are a pirate who wants to be shot.

 

[metatheurgist]

Not enough info in this OP. Where is your sidewinder? If you're hauling in a pirate infested anarchy, then it should be no surprise if you're getting attacked. I frequently haul 100+ tons of stuff through systems without getting interdicted, unless it's the mission script forcing a pirate on me, and those I expect to happen. I think I got interdicted twice on a CG with a 130LS flight time and I came top 5% in that so there were many, many trips.

 

[Jabezz]

I get interdicted by NPC Sideys that are Mostly Harmless sometimes. I wouldn't complain but I'm in an A rated battle Conda and have Elite combat status.

Its just random.

Having said that there's many threads on here about real player griefers but the other night I came out of a station in the same battle Conda and boosted out as I was getting my route sorted out. Anyway I noticed a Human Commander behind me in a Sidey, Mostly Harmless and he was steadily closing the distance between us. I was ready to hit the FSD button and go about my business but just out of curiosity I waited to see what he was up to. I didn't deviate course or deploy hard points I just flew straight ahead with him behind me.

Sure enough when he got close enough he opened fire on me! I was going to just jump away admiring the bottle of the guy then I realised it would give the Conda owners a bad name for running away so I did the honourable thing and killed him, he was Wanted at that point after all.