Piracy in the current game is more of a concept than an actual way to play, which is really unfortunate. When there's big targets with actual value, they're often ships carrying tonnes of loot that pirates can't scoop. What they can generally isnt worth the hassle - coupled with bounties, police, randomness of goods, its all a waste of time and money (you could be getting). All other avenues are pretty reliable. Now, that is in essence the idea of piracy, that it's unreliable, but it's simply never ever worth it in comparison to alternative money making (and even fun-making) methods.
While nothing like good old PvP, I'd love to see a visible living system of NPC trade routes. They already do exist, but are hard to catch amongst many random ships flying about in supercruise, and it's still super picky and very hit and miss.
It'd be great if NPCs travelled in more regular routes - where you could see a 'vascular system' of big economy powerhouses - NPCs transporting goods from system to system - where the more economically successful and higher population zones have higher traffic than lower ones.
Depending on the total wealth, the average cargo value being held is increased - and with it, the police force is stronger (which with strong systems, this is already the case). Perhaps the people have better ships, are in stronger wings, have bodyguards or travel alone in Type 9's.
Then sometimes, very rarely (though increasingly more common the higher wealth the system is) a cache of really valuable loot is being hauled. Regularly behind a powerful wing of escorts, or even, if you're extremely lucky, all by their lonesome, hoping that no one would pay attention to a little hauler holding a tonne of specific loot to sell on the black market or rare trade goods.
Conversely, poorer systems are weaker, though less fortified. Newer pirates or lower wealth pirates could work here, where security is low, but so often is the value of the ships and the goods they're hauling.
Also, the level of piracy within a system, depending on how much there is and how much capital is lost (per day or maybe per power cycle?) can drain the economy, lowering it's wealth, or affect powerplay through unrest or economic failure. This also prevents a system from being too eaten up by pirates chasing the min/maxing of making credits - forcing them to change places and target areas. All of this also helps make the galaxy feel more alive, and allows pirates and piracy to have a greater impact on the game - allowing even another undermining type.
It'd be great to see this, since piracy was always something kinda hinted at as possible - though I think we all know that the people who can make piracy in to a 'workable wage' are working very hard for very little gain, and is not really a main or even secondary or ancillary way of making money. It's a novel thing to do in Elite Dangerous. It's unfortunate, since so many skins for ships and commanders + bounties are left with so much unused potential.
I would -love- to see this in the game, and it would be an excellent addition to multicrew.
While nothing like good old PvP, I'd love to see a visible living system of NPC trade routes. They already do exist, but are hard to catch amongst many random ships flying about in supercruise, and it's still super picky and very hit and miss.
It'd be great if NPCs travelled in more regular routes - where you could see a 'vascular system' of big economy powerhouses - NPCs transporting goods from system to system - where the more economically successful and higher population zones have higher traffic than lower ones.
Depending on the total wealth, the average cargo value being held is increased - and with it, the police force is stronger (which with strong systems, this is already the case). Perhaps the people have better ships, are in stronger wings, have bodyguards or travel alone in Type 9's.
Then sometimes, very rarely (though increasingly more common the higher wealth the system is) a cache of really valuable loot is being hauled. Regularly behind a powerful wing of escorts, or even, if you're extremely lucky, all by their lonesome, hoping that no one would pay attention to a little hauler holding a tonne of specific loot to sell on the black market or rare trade goods.
Conversely, poorer systems are weaker, though less fortified. Newer pirates or lower wealth pirates could work here, where security is low, but so often is the value of the ships and the goods they're hauling.
Also, the level of piracy within a system, depending on how much there is and how much capital is lost (per day or maybe per power cycle?) can drain the economy, lowering it's wealth, or affect powerplay through unrest or economic failure. This also prevents a system from being too eaten up by pirates chasing the min/maxing of making credits - forcing them to change places and target areas. All of this also helps make the galaxy feel more alive, and allows pirates and piracy to have a greater impact on the game - allowing even another undermining type.
It'd be great to see this, since piracy was always something kinda hinted at as possible - though I think we all know that the people who can make piracy in to a 'workable wage' are working very hard for very little gain, and is not really a main or even secondary or ancillary way of making money. It's a novel thing to do in Elite Dangerous. It's unfortunate, since so many skins for ships and commanders + bounties are left with so much unused potential.
I would -love- to see this in the game, and it would be an excellent addition to multicrew.