The Smuggling discussion thread

Ben Ryder

Ben Ryder
Happy to contribute.

One indicator is check points brought about by lock downs.

Gefforey will happily work closely with you on this to work it out. I've been keeping records of the in Utopia for a while, screenshots, video and data (pen and paper).

I mostly find them instinctively.
 
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geoffrey.hdt

geoffrey.hdt
Ben Ryder said:
Happy to contribute.

One indicator is check points brought about by lock downs.

Gefforey will happily work closely with you on this to work it out. I've been keeping records of the in Utopia for a while, screenshots, video and data (pen and paper).

I mostly find them instinctively.
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Damn, i wish i had your instinct :) I have tried to refer to the weekly economic reports from Galnet, but all i could achieve so far was to loose time...

As I wrote above, I recently found in Lusonda (where there is only one station) that the faction owning the station was in lockdown. And there was also another faction in economic boom. Still, not any convoy there...

EDIT: In another system also found one day the faction owning a station in boom, but still no convoys! or where two factions were at war (+lockdown), but no convoys!

View attachment 61459

PS: I also hope these convoys are not bugged... :(
 
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Joey2o15

J
Muad'Dib said:
Smuggling is easy in any ship.

I made a nice chunk of cash by smuggling in a T9.

Speed is better than silence. Line up slot about 8km out. Full throttle and boost. About 2-3km out you can start to slow ready for docking.

This method has never failed me.
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That's the method i use as well, pretty much foolproof......
 

Bacalao

Bacalao
The python is a fantastic smuggler, you just need to fit it cold. Dump anything you don't need or turn it off (especially shields). I've got mine down to <25% heat boosting toward a station and haven't been scanned yet, if you're still worried about getting caught, throw on some heat sinks, you'll drop of a scanner as your glass frosts over, bring mittens. I like the python because it fits through the mail slot so well (love that flat profile) and gets you outpost access.
 

Martlet

M
Marra said:
Unfortunately, yes.
Smuggling was supposed to be about small ships using stealth, making high profits from small volumes.
I doubt that'll change until the AI of the security ships improves so they get smarter about their scanning and make it much harder for larger ships to do it.
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Absolutly. It seems a bit daft that Pythons and Anacondas cant be "seen" by the authorities on their size alone. The mechanics should make it a challenge in an Asp and pretty difficult in anything larger - though with more substantial reward for those that succeed.
 

Witcherman

Witcherman
ahiredgun said:
Ok how about a bigger exploring ship in the 40 to 50 mil price range. Maybe a long range stealth prowler?
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I'm still trying to get FD to give the Python a greater jump distance at the expense of cargo space. I think that the Python and T7 should swap cargo capacity and in exchange, the Python should get a better jump range to keep it in line with the other "all-rounder" space craft like the Asp.

Besides, it just doesn't make sense that the Python should be an all-rounder space craft that can land on a medium pad but still have more cargo capacity than a dedicated cargo ship that lands on a large pad. ???

Do that and you have your long range stealth craft. :)
 

geoffrey.hdt

geoffrey.hdt
Or maybe all we need is a powerplant with heat efficiency = A?
Have you noticed that rank A powerplants have heat efficiency = B..?
 
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Vasious

Vasious
And there I am using an a down rated Eagle to minimize signature and everything else shut down fly in all leisurely like to stations.

For the Goods/Medicines/Weapons/Foods wanted any ship will do

Someone was saying they never get scanned in a Orca, so it might have some advantage there...
 

askavir

askavir
I believe we need a new smuggling more than new ships for smuggling.

Smuggling is far too easy, and far too lackluster except for smuggling BB missions.

You're a smuggler, the greatest risk you face is a fine that you can completely ignore by moving on to another system, that fine will expire long before you happen to go back to the same place.

And even if you're caught smuggling, the police will still let you dock and sell the illegal stuff / complete the mission, and move out without paying the fine...

Outside of BB missions, black market pays crap even if the goods are illegal at the station.

In the real world, people smuggle for instance narcotics because as they are illegal they sell for high price. In the game, illegal goods sel for less on a black market than they sell in a system where they are legal. Why then would anyone be a smuggler if they easily make more money safely being a regular trader?

Ilegal goods should sell for high price at black markets. But to balance this, if you're caught smuggling you should get a bounty instead of a fine, or a heavy fine and should warn you to turn back immediately and exit the system, or you would become wanted and they open fire.

High risk but high reward, that's the reason smugglers exist at all. Right now, smuggling is simply less profitable trading.
 
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acg515

acg515
I used the Cobra and Sidewinder to smuggle and I got caught my first time when I was trying to do that silent running stuff like in that youtube video. That was the only time. Boosting at 400 m/s through the slot has always worked for me, but I'm just back to the game after months off and I haven't smuggled anything yet so I'm not sure if any of the mechanics have changed. Lining up exactly from a long ways off and then just hauling *&5 towards that slot in the cobra always worked for me. Now I have an Asp though, not quite as fast.
 

goemon

goemon
askavir said:
I believe we need a new smuggling more than new ships for smuggling.

Smuggling is far too easy, and far too lackluster except for smuggling BB missions.

You're a smuggler, the greatest risk you face is a fine that you can completely ignore by moving on to another system, that fine will expire long before you happen to go back to the same place.

And even if you're caught smuggling, the police will still let you dock and sell the illegal stuff / complete the mission, and move out without paying the fine...

Outside of BB missions, black market pays crap even if the goods are illegal at the station.

In the real world, people smuggle for instance narcotics because as they are illegal they sell for high price. In the game, illegal goods sel for less on a black market than they sell in a system where they are legal. Why then would anyone be a smuggler if they easily make more money safely being a regular trader?

Ilegal goods should sell for high price at black markets. But to balance this, if you're caught smuggling you should get a bounty instead of a fine, or a heavy fine and should warn you to turn back immediately and exit the system, or you would become wanted and they open fire.

High risk but high reward, that's the reason smugglers exist at all. Right now, smuggling is simply less profitable trading.
Click to expand...

what i would actually like to see (beside a push in prizes for legally bought but illegally sold goods), is the following:
- police scans you.
- if you have illegal goods, you get
a) a fine
b) if they come to close (mechanic like seeking goods), you loose all your cargo. they confiscate it.
c) if you run away, police (and/or station) open fire and follow you.
 

ahiredgun

ahiredgun
... vulture 10/10 ? Never even came close to being scanned no silent running no heat sinks didn't even boost everything just ignored me. Well ok then. Battle capable smuggler perfect. Problem solved.
 

goemon

goemon
ahiredgun said:
... vulture 10/10 ? Never even came close to being scanned no silent running no heat sinks didn't even boost everything just ignored me. Well ok then. Battle capable smuggler perfect. Problem solved.
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especially with a 32T cargo rack. one of the best mission-play-ships. manouverability makes landing/docking fast, and jumprange is not that important in missions gameplay.
 

Vdiff

Vdiff
Smuggling Runs

Hi Cmdrs,

i took a mission to smuggle slaves the other night at Dvorsi to an outpost in a system 9.75Ly away I can't remember it's name right now (grrrr) anyway I was interdicted by an Security Anoconda, I fled as I had illicit cargo on board nod it didn't get a chance to scan me :).. I SC'd away and felt pretty smug with myself after getting away from the system security. So I get to my destination drop out of SC and start my run to the station. As my engines get up to full thrust to my right hand side a ship drops out of SC. I look in horror as it's the Anaconda (NPC) that had interdicted me. It immediately opened fire on me no questions asked, no scanning of my cargo it took the attitude you fled your guilty (quite astute of him) I managed to request docking whilst dodging his fire, and land my ship on the pad and entered the hanger toot sweet. Gave my cargo to the bulletin board collected my credits and rearmed and refuelled. I spent around 10 mins looking and selecting my next missions. I cleared the dock and launched. The Anaconda was there waiting for me with hull pointed at the pad. It instantly opened fire Again!!!!

the point of this is I absolutely loved it the AI was fantastic and I took the tedium out of doing such runs. Has any other Cmdrs come across this before as this was the first time it ever happened to me being it was in solo mode?
 

Marra Morgan

Marra Morgan
I love a good smuggling story! Glad you made the drop-off and got away with it! :D

This happens every now and again when you take on smuggling jobs. Security's been tipped off and they don't mess about!

Fly fast and fly silent! o7
 
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