Piracy [In-Game Occupation] Let's raise the Black Flag! (TEST Piracy)

[Fenrig]

...as long as it does NOT involve NON-CONSENSUAL PVP I'm willing to try it out.

For me, SC isn't that type of game. I put it in the same category as EVE; there are safer areas and unsafe areas, no safe areas. If I meet somebody in an unsafe area we have both already made the choice to risk PvP and it is therefore consensual on some level. That doesn't mean it will occur, just that by entering this type of area we have both knowingly taken a risk and whither I'm getting my YARRR! on or not I'm going to be more cautious at those times (especially if I've got something of value with me). If I meet somebody in a safer area, I'm accepting that there will be repercussions if I wantonly engage in combat with them, so I probably will not do so. Then again somebody may start a Orion-ageddon type event where prizes and in-game money are awarded for kills on dedicated mining ships in so-called secure space. In that case I'm going to have such a bounty on my head that I'll arrange my own demise just to collect a cut of it.

In other games (like ARK) I feel differently about it.

 

[Kersakov]

I'm really interest to see how they handle player identification compared to NPCs. In AtV a while back I'm pretty sure one dev mentioned wanting there to be no dicernable difference which I think would be cool and would really help with surprise attacks such as pretending to be Vanduul or innocent miners or something; although that will cause problems for people wanting to only pirate from NPCs (Not an issue for me, I agree with Fenrig on the Safe/Unsafe areas concept). If they end up having Usernames easily identifiable on ships, stealth Vanduul is unlikely to work.

Also
@NeoHelios_SC Yes. Space Meth. All the Space Meth.

 

[Reptar Khan]

I'm honestly a big fan of catch and release piracy. We take what we want and leave everything else as intact as possible while sending the survivors on their merry way. I'm certainly not opposed to spacing the occasional poor bastard and taking all their shit either though.

This approach is more sustainable, think of the environment! Cluttered with debris Or our wallet full of credits

Ghost Fleet would EM Alpha Strike the crap out our target, then on emergency comms 'We politely ask for you to pull over for a moment.'

 

[Mettan]

Big ops are cool, but the bigger they are the more effort you have to put into figuring out how to divide up the profits.
Would be nice to know how much gross income we could make off of pirating, for instance, I would be a pirate in Elite Dangerous but it does not pay enough compared to bounty hunting.

 

[Fenrig]

Big ops are cool, but the bigger they are the more effort you have to put into figuring out how to divide up the profits.
Would be nice to know how much gross income we could make off of pirating, for instance, I would be a pirate in Elite Dangerous but it does not pay enough compared to bounty hunting.

It would depend on how far we are willing to go. Disabling and boarding something like a Orion or Reclaimer would be time-consuming and risky for goods on known low value (ore and scrap aren't going to be worth that much I imagine), so the return on those is going to be from taking the hull and everything on/in it. Ransoming the crew and hull could be an alternative revenue stream, but that involves logistical headaches so selling survivors off as slaves would be a more reliable way to get paid (I'd imagine such a mechanic as effectively being character death as the UEE would probably consider them so after a certain period of them being gone).

For taking anything multi crew but not military (so no Tali or Redeemer) or capital ships, I think 5-6 pilots and the same number of boarders should be sufficient. For the scenario I mentioned above, you will have your Tracker pilot finding targets, three Ghost pilots, and two boarding/extraction ships. If more want to participate it could go faster, but as I see it the pilot in the Tracker is running the show since they are going to be the one with the best eyes and info (e.g. they would be the one to call an abort should more contacts than expected show up).

 

[Fenrig]

This approach is more sustainable, think of the environment! Cluttered with debris Or our wallet full of credits

Ghost Fleet would EM Alpha Strike the crap out our target, then on emergency comms 'We politely ask for you to pull over for a moment.'

Yup. I don't think it'll be particularly profitable to do so, and depending on how it can be managed maybe that style would be for collecting the weapons from Freelancers, Caterpillars, Connies, or even some of the larger resource ships. I don't see catch and release being an option for smaller vessels due to speed and maneuverability.

 

[AntiSqueaker]

I'd imagine that even enough ore and scrap would be profitable enough to take. Load up a Cat, find a testie who needs it, sell it off at market cost, baddabing baddaboom. Probably takes a lot less time to steal it than mine it, so you'll probably be making more per hour than the Orion would on the same unit of ore.

 

[Mettan]

If test gets a pirate base it could use that as a hub to sell stolen good to smugglers. That could cut back on operating costs, I think, andit makes my brain hurt thinking that hard . . . but even if we did something like that I would want some type of low coast high profit means of pirating. Why use three ships when you can use one, why use one when you can use none etc. Right now I am just wishing I had more info about the game so I could accurately tell where that line is.

 

[AntiSqueaker]

I think we'll eventually have different "levels" of pirates grouping up.

Example: Squad A is hardcore boarding, kill everyone on sight, take everything that's nailed down.
Squad B: Might do the same thing, but not kill all the victims and just incapacitate them.
Squad C: Might try and ransom people first, "give my X% of your cargo and you can go home in one piece, and funny business and we'll space ya"
Squad D: Might be more inclined for Grand Theft Space and try and steal the entire ship.

To each their own, I think people will group up based upon what they want to do.

 

[Ichiru]

. . . but even if we did something like that I would want some type of low coast high profit means of pirating. Why use three ships when you can use one, why use one when you can use none etc. Right now I am just wishing I had more info about the game so I could accurately tell where that line is.

I would imagine in the less secure zones that the most profitable acquisitions would have an escort so maybe would need a hit squad to complete the business transaction and a Galleon to swoop in collect the merchandise.

 

[thanatos73]

I would imagine in the less secure zones that the most profitable acquisitions would have an escort so maybe would need a hit squad to complete the business transaction and a Galleon to swoop in collect the merchandise.

Right. But you know there are going to be the loners who try for the big run, solo. No Org to back them up, and no money to hire escorts. The ones who try to use the smallest and fastest ship that will hold the cargo. I could do it in EVE back in the early days.

 

[Fenrig]

Right. But you know there are going to be the loners who try for the big run, solo. No Org to back them up, and no money to hire escorts. The ones who try to use the smallest and fastest ship that will hold the cargo. I could do it in EVE back in the early days.

Frankly, those guys might be fun to mess around with a bit, but I'd be more likely to approach them and offer legitimate inexpensive escort services. Like a whole pirate group escorting them for 1% of scanned cargo value. I'd even go so far as to make it clear this isn't a protection racket thing, we will literally escort them until they hit safer space. Of course I mean this in the Single-ship Aurora CS, Reliant, Hull A/B type thing. Players that have more balls than brains. Solo Hull Cs and larger (including Beerfarers, Orions, Reclaimers, etc.) will be prime targets to have material taken and weapons stripped before being sent with their tail between their legs.

I would almost go so far as to say full logistical support should be offered to small or one-player outfits trying to make runs through any areas we regularly operate. Stuff like fuel, repairs, and munitions in addition to escort. Perhaps even direct trade.

I'm not saying that those types of targets should be verboten in any way, just that I don't really intend on fucking with them without reason, and would probably provide them services I was able to at low/no profit.

Plus, if the fishing isn't very good in one area such a contract would pay a party to travel to different areas that they might have better luck at.

 

[Kersakov]

Frankly, those guys might be fun to mess around with a bit, but I'd be more likely to approach them and offer legitimate inexpensive escort services. Like a whole pirate group escorting them for 1% of scanned cargo value. I'd even go so far as to make it clear this isn't a protection racket thing, we will literally escort them until they hit safer space. Of course I mean this in the Single-ship Aurora CS, Reliant, Hull A/B type thing. Players that have more balls than brains. Solo Hull Cs and larger (including Beerfarers, Orions, Reclaimers, etc.) will be prime targets to have material taken and weapons stripped before being sent with their tail between their legs.

I would almost go so far as to say full logistical support should be offered to small or one-player outfits trying to make runs through any areas we regularly operate. Stuff like fuel, repairs, and munitions in addition to escort. Perhaps even direct trade.

I'm not saying that those types of targets should be verboten in any way, just that I don't really intend on fucking with them without reason, and would probably provide them services I was able to at low/no profit.

Plus, if the fishing isn't very good in one area such a contract would pay a party to travel to different areas that they might have better luck at.

So you're saying that when we find undefended cargo vessels we should offer legitimate, legal services instead of just robbing them blind?
As long as robbing them blinds in the backup I suppose...

Us: Hailing Hull B <Insert Name Here>. You are travelling through TEST Laser Raptor Controlled Territory and appear to be unescorted; may we offer you very competitive escort services?
Hull B: No thanks, I'm good.
Us: Are you sure? Our prices are very reasonable and completely worth your while...
Hull B: No Seriously, I'm good.
Us: Well fair enough then *Locks Missles* Hull B <Insert Name Here>, The Laser Raptors claim your cargo in the name of TEST, prepare to be boarded....

 

[Fenrig]

So you're saying that when we find undefended cargo vessels we should offer legitimate, legal services instead of just robbing them blind?
As long as robbing them blinds in the backup I suppose...

...

Us: Well fair enough then *Locks Missles* Hull B <Insert Name Here>, The Laser Raptors claim your cargo in the name of TEST, prepare to be boarded....

Yes and no. Is this the first time they've gone through? If so I'd say let them pass, and see what happens. If they don't make it through they'll accept the offer next time and if they do a couple of times, then they would be fair game in my book (again, this is my personally -- I'm not suggesting Lasor Ratopr Sqaud policy or anything [although I am now suggesting that all combat groups within TEST just be named different misspellings of "Laser Raptor"]). Offering escort services does a couple different things. First it gives us something different to do while still generally staying in pirate/privateer roles. Second, it ingratiates TEST to the little guys. Third, guarding the little fish from little pirates will make them leave the area or die off. If they are capable of taking well-guarded targets they are frankly worthy of military action and if they can't they won't survive out in unsafe space for long with us protecting what they are able to hit. Fourth, if we send a decent medium-sized pirating group (e.g. 3 Ghosts, 1 Tracker, 2 Gladiators, 2 Cutlasses) there is nothing preventing the majority of it breaking off to engage a juicy target that is found en-route. If we manage to take decent control of one whole system we could even just put out a call for others to take up the escort while the rest hit that target, or vice verse (while in system, this would effectively be a patrol as well). Lastly, It'd be a PR boost. Everybody loves people helping the little guy/underdogs while also poking the biggest and baddest in the eye. We could spin this to be a Robin Hood type of thing where we still get to keep all the booty.

If somebody rolls through multiple times with a Hull B and refuses every offer of escort, the third time or so I'd take a whack at 'em. The Hull-B can pack a decent amount of cargo.

I'd also accept ransom/bribery to break off an attack as long as we weren't fully committed (i.e. still no losses on our side). Also, the more I think about it, as long as players capitulated I'd leave them with as much as possible. Of course the occasional ornery ship owner is going to have to get spaced.

 

[AntiSqueaker]

Or alternately, have an agreement with one of our legitimate Merc squads in low-sec/null-sec space.

They're the carrot ("HI there Mr. Hull C pilot, this is a rough area, you might wanna invest in some escorts, and we know this part of space really well and have agreements with the local pirates, so we can get you through no sweat").....


and we're the stick ("Oh look, an un-TEST merc defended cargo ship! 1/3rd of your cargo now, or we take all of it off your burning wreck. Your choice, mate.)

Split the loot profits with the merc pilots, and they split the escort fees with us for helping keep the other pirates in check. Win-win.

 

[BulletMagnet]

Yarr m8y. I suggest that the pirate divvy be the raptors. Random Acts of Piracy and TEST Objects Requisition Squadron

 

[Mettan]

(Victims life) = (Size of Victims Gun's - Value of Victims Cargo) - How drunk I am - If my team is winning - if I have been to the shooting range recently - how much xxx I got in the last week - If I really give a sh*t

If the victims value is positive I will be nice.

(Add to equation when needed).

 

[Kersakov]

(Victims life) = (Size of Victims Gun's - Value of Victims Cargo) - How drunk I am - If my team is winning - if I have been to the shooting range recently - how much xxx I got in the last week - If I really give a sh*t

If the victims value is positive I will be nice.

(Add to equation when needed).

This is the kinds of Maths I can get behind.

 

[thanatos73]

Just watched this on INN.

What do you think.

 

[honcho12]

Just watched this on INN.

What do you think.

Sounds accurate!