So I've been known to practise PvP piracy on-and-off. I'm currently making a living doing it, and and up ~200k in 3 hours. Not a great return, I know, but I'm making money, and I find it a lot more fun than anything else this game has (fun + small profit is better than boring + large profit).
So here are my 10 tips:
1) Target the weak, but make sure I know who the weak are. Some people fly Cobras, or even Asps, without sheilds. These count as "the weak". You do this as you don't want a fair fight. You can scan people while in supercruise and see their sub-targets. Do this before interdicting combat ships.
2) Give people fair warning. If you interdict and immediately start blasting you're very soon going to get a bounty, and people aren't going to ever drop cargo willingly. The other guy needs to know what you want, or he'll assume you're just trying to kill him. I usually tell people to cut engines and await scans or I will fire. This rarely works, but means I've given them a choice.
3) Show superiority. The mark has to know you're in control. If the mark doesn't do as you say start shooting. Don't stop shooting until you've done something meaningful. When you stop shooting, let him know you've stopped shooting, and make your demands for his cargo.
4) Temper your agression based on the target and how many times you think you can interdict them. Picking a hauler close to the star, and you will get lots of time to get the cargo off them. You don't have to do-or-die first interdiction. Conversely, if you're hitting a big target close to the station, hit hard and hit fast. You probably only have one chance.
5) Class A Hatch-breakers are well worth it. Get their sheilds down and let loose. You may not get everything, but something > nothing. Similarily, when shooting, aim for the cargo hatch. Cargo is what you're after, not kills.
6) Killing people has to happen sometimes. If you're on the last interdiction, they just aren't dropping the cargo, you have to kill them. People have to learn not to mess with you! The bounty is a pain, but it needs doing sometimes. Certainly do not kill people who submit to your demands. You needlessly get a bounty, and don't get anything out of it.
7) I strongly recommend a cargo scanner. Dusting somebody who won't drop cargo because they have no cargo is very quickly going to rack up your bounty pretty quick. Not always do you have time for this, it depends on the relative strengths if your ships and how many extra interdictions you think you can manage.
8) Consider not asking for all of their cargo. You can only sensibly scoop about 40-50t before it self-destructs. Similarly, people are a lot more likely to take their chances if you ask for everything. Base your demands on how confident and in control you are.
9) Find a good spot, but don't stick to it. Stay in one place too long and it'll dry up. I find good spots are rare goods end points, and High-tech systems. Look at traffic reports to see how much and what type of human ships are flying through. The other good requiement is that a system has a reasonable haul between the star and the base.
10) If somebody quits, and clearly has circumvented the 15 second time out, report them. This is for the good of all pirate kind. There are PvE private groups and solo for people who don't want to be pirated. Quitting is cheating, and should be reported as such. Be sure they're doing it though. Going to silent running, or hyperspacing out of the sector can be mistaken for quitting. Don't make this mistake.
I use a Cobra for my piarcy. Enough space for a single haul, enough speed to keep up with anything, and enough firepower to stretch to Type-6 hunting, just about. I'll probably move up to an Asp when I can afford it, but if I stick with PvP piracy, that might be a long wait!
Does anybody else have any tips/stories to share?
So here are my 10 tips:
1) Target the weak, but make sure I know who the weak are. Some people fly Cobras, or even Asps, without sheilds. These count as "the weak". You do this as you don't want a fair fight. You can scan people while in supercruise and see their sub-targets. Do this before interdicting combat ships.
2) Give people fair warning. If you interdict and immediately start blasting you're very soon going to get a bounty, and people aren't going to ever drop cargo willingly. The other guy needs to know what you want, or he'll assume you're just trying to kill him. I usually tell people to cut engines and await scans or I will fire. This rarely works, but means I've given them a choice.
3) Show superiority. The mark has to know you're in control. If the mark doesn't do as you say start shooting. Don't stop shooting until you've done something meaningful. When you stop shooting, let him know you've stopped shooting, and make your demands for his cargo.
4) Temper your agression based on the target and how many times you think you can interdict them. Picking a hauler close to the star, and you will get lots of time to get the cargo off them. You don't have to do-or-die first interdiction. Conversely, if you're hitting a big target close to the station, hit hard and hit fast. You probably only have one chance.
5) Class A Hatch-breakers are well worth it. Get their sheilds down and let loose. You may not get everything, but something > nothing. Similarily, when shooting, aim for the cargo hatch. Cargo is what you're after, not kills.
6) Killing people has to happen sometimes. If you're on the last interdiction, they just aren't dropping the cargo, you have to kill them. People have to learn not to mess with you! The bounty is a pain, but it needs doing sometimes. Certainly do not kill people who submit to your demands. You needlessly get a bounty, and don't get anything out of it.
7) I strongly recommend a cargo scanner. Dusting somebody who won't drop cargo because they have no cargo is very quickly going to rack up your bounty pretty quick. Not always do you have time for this, it depends on the relative strengths if your ships and how many extra interdictions you think you can manage.
8) Consider not asking for all of their cargo. You can only sensibly scoop about 40-50t before it self-destructs. Similarly, people are a lot more likely to take their chances if you ask for everything. Base your demands on how confident and in control you are.
9) Find a good spot, but don't stick to it. Stay in one place too long and it'll dry up. I find good spots are rare goods end points, and High-tech systems. Look at traffic reports to see how much and what type of human ships are flying through. The other good requiement is that a system has a reasonable haul between the star and the base.
10) If somebody quits, and clearly has circumvented the 15 second time out, report them. This is for the good of all pirate kind. There are PvE private groups and solo for people who don't want to be pirated. Quitting is cheating, and should be reported as such. Be sure they're doing it though. Going to silent running, or hyperspacing out of the sector can be mistaken for quitting. Don't make this mistake.
I use a Cobra for my piarcy. Enough space for a single haul, enough speed to keep up with anything, and enough firepower to stretch to Type-6 hunting, just about. I'll probably move up to an Asp when I can afford it, but if I stick with PvP piracy, that might be a long wait!
Does anybody else have any tips/stories to share?
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