I have read the threads about piracy as a legitimate career choice and, for the most part, I have agreed with the philosophy that ED needs all types of players to create the atmosphere of a real living society in space with all the beauty, wonder, violence and horror of the real world.
I have played as a trader, an explorer, a bounty hunter and a soldier and have lost myself in these roles as my imagination feeds on the images created by the game.
Occasionally on my travels, I have come across other players in remote places and greeted them with a "g'day" and a "fly safe" and moved along feeling like it was a small universe after all.
On occasion I have been pulled out of a frameshift daydream by AI pirates and depending on what ship I am flying I would run or fight and be happy to escaped with cargo or bounty with no ill effect.
Being an Elite fan since the old BBC version in 1984 I decided I should make the pilgrimage to Lave at least once. Last stop on the way was Diso where I docked to refuel and picked up 4 tonnes (was flying my cobra) of rare goods for about 300 cr each. I jump to Lave and within 30 seconds of arriving I get interdicted. As per usual I throttle back for an easy exit and first thing I do on exit is 4 pips to engines and hit the booster to get a little space while I decide next course of action. I see that my attacker is a human pilot in an Imperial Clipper. First time but that's ok I have nothing of value. I'm about to open the chat window for the usual "g'day" then the demand comes " Drop 30t of cargo or I will destroy you" . HUH!? WHA!? I don't have any cargo of value what do I do. This has never happened to me before. I know I have easily destroy elite AI clippers but this is a human.
I must have thought about it too long (about 10 seconds by my reckoning) and suddenly he opened fire. At least give me long enough to get to the cargo window or type a reply for crying out loud.
At the first shot my shields collapsed ..there's no way I could take this guy. I hit the booster and started to charge up the FSD. My heat went through the roof and not only was this guy gaining on me and chewing away at my hull but the heat was eating away from the inside. I took forever for the FSD to charge up and by the time I jumped I was down to 58% hull.
"Whew" I thought " I got away" ...but no a few seconds later the alarms went off again and this time I fought like a marlin but he managed to pull me out of frameshift again. This time I knew I couldn't fight. I went straight to the cargo bay and dumped my 1200 cr worth of cargo.
My assailant quipped me with some rhetorical politeness that made my skin crawl and I sent back a resigned "Whatever".
I jumped away and docked in Lave and repaired about 12000cr worth of damage.
I sat there for ages and all I could think was "What a sad experience that was".
This cad had just attacked me.
I didn't feel the frustration that I feel when my son snipers me at the spawn point 20 times in a row in halo. I didn't feel the disappointment that I feel when I finally succumb to 7 better players in AOE. These feelings pass within seconds and I go back for another game.
I had come to Lave as a pilgrimage. I was feeling nostalgic, happy, cruising through the galaxy hurting nothing and nobody and I was snapped out of it by someone who thinks it is OK to take what others have, what others have worked for. I felt like I had been mugged ..not my character ..me ..violated.
I had thought before about whether pirating was something I should try but now I know that I never will. I don't want to make other players feel like this ..it is just wrong.
Yeah I know all the pirates are screaming "what I wuss. why don't you go to Mobius or solo" but as Nietzsche : "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger".
I will stay in open as I always have but I will not hesitate again, next time I WILL kill you. You will not get one scrap of my cargo even if I have to jettison and destroy it myself. My mission now is pirates, human pirates. I am coming for you.
