Trade community goals and PVP: The art of blockade running.

[A D]

Good summary thanks Cmdr Volgrand + 1

My 2c:

2 Avoiding and Interdiction

Note:
- hollow square = hardpoints not deployed (may not be a threat e.g. another trader).
- hollow triangle = hardpoints deployed (treat as a threat).

Checklist:
- Check module priorities (FSD to be the main priority - most protected - as the FSD is the last thing you want to malfunction if you are taking damage while trying to escape).

5. Ship Loadout

- A Class power plants have better integrity, produce less heat and you have power to spare even if it takes damage. If your power is at max capacity then it will likely run hotter and other modules can malfunction if the power module takes damage reducing its output below consumption.
- (Optional) Consider installing a module reinforcement package should you be lucky enough to have a spare internal slot.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

- hollow square = hardpoints not deployed (may not be a threat e.g. another trader).
- hollow triangle = hardpoints deployed (treat as a threat).

My own preference is to treat all hollows (be they squares or triangles) as potentially hostile. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Stealthie]

For someone not willing to give pirates cargo it's the same. Pirates are murderers. Every pirate I've ever met in ED tried to kill me. Even the nice ones who asked and repeated their request.
Something about "cargo or life".
They are murderers. Lying to themselves that they aren't. Trying to put the blame on those they murder. Claiming they where forced to kill, but they never choose not to.
They don't have to kill if they don't want to.
They just never decide not to kill.

From the other side of the guns there is no difference between a pirate and any other murderer. The differentiation between pirate and murderer is something that is only important for the pirate - and I guess for those who are willing to give the pirate some cargo (but doesn't that turn the pirate into a beggar?).

See, that's the problem with ED's lack of C&P.

A real pirate is an outlaw, in the true sense of the word.
They can't exist within the realms of law-abiding society because they'll be punished for their criminal actions.
They have to earn a living from piracy and the standard of living they achieve depends on their success at piracy.

That's not how ED works though.
A "pirate" in ED probably spends most of their time doing law-abiding stuff in order to make credits and they have the luxury of knowing that they aren't going to be troubled as a result of any previous criminal behaviour.
When they've made enough credits to buy, outfit and engineer their flying death machine, they can swap hats, go "pirating" and insist it's a justifiable style of play rather than an excuse to pick on the weaker kids.
And if things don't turn out well, they can just take their "pirate" hat off again, jump into their Orca at Quince and rack up a bunch more credits until they're ready to have another go.

Said it before but if FDev really wanted to encourage proper piracy, what they need to do is put some valuable things into anarchy systems and create plenty of high-paying missions which require delivery to anarchy systems in order to encourage players to visit those places.
Once you've done that, players who want to indulge in piracy will have places where they know they can earn a proper living.
And, of course, that'd need to be supported by a functional C&P system which ensures that a player who's made the decision to become an outlaw can't just drop back into lawful society whenever it suits them.

Until that happens, "piracy" is just murder hobo-ing with an excuse.