Forums » Suggestions
Would it be possible to sell limited numbers of contraband widgets at stations in Gray Space?
I was thinking, when the economy is revamped how about adding illegal cargo.
There would be a limit to the number you could buy like 20-30, they would be expensive but if you could get it to a station in a different nation the profit could be 300-500%. The catch is when you dock there is a random number picked to see if the station master found your contaband goods. If they do you lose the goods.
I see a potential for new s-port false bottomed cargo containers, L-port false bulkheads to increase the possibilty for sneaking in the cargo. You would then have to choose between weapons for you ship or a better chance for smuggling in goods.
I was thinking, when the economy is revamped how about adding illegal cargo.
There would be a limit to the number you could buy like 20-30, they would be expensive but if you could get it to a station in a different nation the profit could be 300-500%. The catch is when you dock there is a random number picked to see if the station master found your contaband goods. If they do you lose the goods.
I see a potential for new s-port false bottomed cargo containers, L-port false bulkheads to increase the possibilty for sneaking in the cargo. You would then have to choose between weapons for you ship or a better chance for smuggling in goods.
random? RANDOM!? ...no
I think if you are carrying contraband goods in any nation-aligned station, you would automatically become temporary KOS until you leave nation space. You would have to deliver the goods to an empty sector (hopefully without hive queen).
I think if you are carrying contraband goods in any nation-aligned station, you would automatically become temporary KOS until you leave nation space. You would have to deliver the goods to an empty sector (hopefully without hive queen).
Why would you be temp KOS for carrying illegal goods? Perhaps when you are CAUGHT carrying illegal goods, which should be a permanent standing reduction, but before you are caught, who would know? There should be some odds of being caught based on the size, faction and traffic coming in and out of the station. For example, going to a nation capital station makes it more likely your cargo is inspected, but also more profitable if it isn't. You could them have smuggling lport additions, etc, as well as bribes to buy off officials allowing you to move your cargo through anyway.
An idea is an idea. Suggestions are not preambled with "Do It Now". They are food for thought.
The food being chewed right now is the interactivity and fleshing out of the story line.
Down the road, this idea will be here...hopefully ripe and ready to pick after constructive discussion of the suggestion and not full of clamor for something else.
The food being chewed right now is the interactivity and fleshing out of the story line.
Down the road, this idea will be here...hopefully ripe and ready to pick after constructive discussion of the suggestion and not full of clamor for something else.
Oh yeah, in that magical far off future time of Soon™... then we'll have all the players and tools and everything else we could possibly want to go back and implement every wonderful idea posted in the suggestions section. And I was silly enough to not realize that and focus my efforts on fully fleshing out the pros and cons of a new widget. Frack, I'm so sorry.
Nah, I was just playing a lot of TradeWinds this winter break.
RelayeR, was your response in response to something that has since been deleted? Im confuzzled.
Illegal Cargo is too sexy for its shirt.
Massive bounties should be placed on those found with Illegal cargo... thus... those chars are still playable... but will be hunted... :P
Perma faction loss just doesn't seem fun... if you do something too much and badly... then you might end up with a useless char... and that's no fun.
Massive bounties should be placed on those found with Illegal cargo... thus... those chars are still playable... but will be hunted... :P
Perma faction loss just doesn't seem fun... if you do something too much and badly... then you might end up with a useless char... and that's no fun.
There should be a faction loss but not a permanent one and also a fine. after awhile of not paying the fine a bounty will be placed on you, useless you show the station that you are broke right now and they will extend your time and you will keep having to check back in until you pay your fine or a bounty is placed on you. the bounty is removed if you pay your fine.
I was refering to if you where caught with illegal goods but if you are hired to deliver goods you haven't payed for and don't deliver a bounty can be place on you head by your employer.
I was refering to if you where caught with illegal goods but if you are hired to deliver goods you haven't payed for and don't deliver a bounty can be place on you head by your employer.
buuut, if you dont deliver, your employer will put a bounty on you. Love where this is going, like that han solo and jaba the hutt thing in star wars.
[APPROVED]
Can we smuggle in Jedi, wookies & droids to the DeathStar in our corellian ferighters?
Can we smuggle in Jedi, wookies & droids to the DeathStar in our corellian ferighters?
how i envision smuggeling would work:
there would be a series goods tagged as Illegal available for sale in every station in the game (the goods are illegal for some faction other than the one you purchased them from) so i could smuggle Itani protien suplements into Sero Prime, or Corvus Cigars into UIT teratory, or UIT operative into Corvus, etc.
anyway, when you try to sell illieag goods at a station the station checks your trade level against a secret "poliece presence" value that is deterimine by the type and prosperity of the station you are selling to goods to. if your trade level is too low the poliece catch you. If the cops catch you, you get a wrist slap standing decrease (rougly the same as a low level tarde mission wopuld grant), and a credit towards a "known smuggler" badge.
There would also be a series of smuggling missions, where NPC patroles try to scan your ship and you have to evaid them without ever actualy disobeying them (ie if they hail you and you run you will get a temp KOS) if you suceed you get the reward, if you fail (get scaned by the NPCs) you get temporay KOS and a credit towards a known smuggler badge. if you fail to deliver the cargo, your employer puts a bounty on your head.
if you have any known smuggler badges (there is a seperate one for each faction) you get a bounty on your head from that faction. also there should be a series of smuggler friendly add ons for ships that grant benefits ranging from a small chance to avoid detection during a scan, to a weapon that drops mines that look exactly like cargo boxes, to a weapon that deploys a dispersal pattern of cargo boxes.
i'm on the fence about whether the NPCs should require you to drop your cargo and scan the cargo or just ask you to kill your engins and scan your ship. in either case the AI will need to be more advanced than anything i've seen in game yet, and there should be some way of "fooling" the patrole into thinking your cargo is all clear even if it isn't (but it shouldn't be obvious so that smugglers have to figure it out)
there would be a series goods tagged as Illegal available for sale in every station in the game (the goods are illegal for some faction other than the one you purchased them from) so i could smuggle Itani protien suplements into Sero Prime, or Corvus Cigars into UIT teratory, or UIT operative into Corvus, etc.
anyway, when you try to sell illieag goods at a station the station checks your trade level against a secret "poliece presence" value that is deterimine by the type and prosperity of the station you are selling to goods to. if your trade level is too low the poliece catch you. If the cops catch you, you get a wrist slap standing decrease (rougly the same as a low level tarde mission wopuld grant), and a credit towards a "known smuggler" badge.
There would also be a series of smuggling missions, where NPC patroles try to scan your ship and you have to evaid them without ever actualy disobeying them (ie if they hail you and you run you will get a temp KOS) if you suceed you get the reward, if you fail (get scaned by the NPCs) you get temporay KOS and a credit towards a known smuggler badge. if you fail to deliver the cargo, your employer puts a bounty on your head.
if you have any known smuggler badges (there is a seperate one for each faction) you get a bounty on your head from that faction. also there should be a series of smuggler friendly add ons for ships that grant benefits ranging from a small chance to avoid detection during a scan, to a weapon that drops mines that look exactly like cargo boxes, to a weapon that deploys a dispersal pattern of cargo boxes.
i'm on the fence about whether the NPCs should require you to drop your cargo and scan the cargo or just ask you to kill your engins and scan your ship. in either case the AI will need to be more advanced than anything i've seen in game yet, and there should be some way of "fooling" the patrole into thinking your cargo is all clear even if it isn't (but it shouldn't be obvious so that smugglers have to figure it out)
I'm all for it. Illegal goods could be black-market stuff bought at Corvus/indie stations, and illegal in any formalized government, or they could be nation-specific goods (ie. it would be illegal to sell Itani weaponry or tech on the open market in other nations - the government would want you to hand it over)
I think the risk should be two-fold:
You risk being scanned every time you pass through a monitored sector (relatively low-risk of being scanned outside of capitol sectors, but it could happen)
You risk being discovered when docking with a station and attempting to sell the goods (moderate to high risk depending on where you're selling them)
If you're caught in either way, you take a slight permanent standing hit, and are given a tKOS until you've left that nation's monitored space, or ditch the goods (once caught, they'll scan you immediately every time you enter a monitored sector to track you). If you're caught selling the goods at a station, authorities confiscate the goods (and maybe impound your ship?)
If you could pull it off, the profit would be, of course, great. However, if you do it a lot, you're likely to be caught often, and your standing will be dilapidated.
(¯`·._.·\\«Aequitas»//·._.·´¯)
I think the risk should be two-fold:
You risk being scanned every time you pass through a monitored sector (relatively low-risk of being scanned outside of capitol sectors, but it could happen)
You risk being discovered when docking with a station and attempting to sell the goods (moderate to high risk depending on where you're selling them)
If you're caught in either way, you take a slight permanent standing hit, and are given a tKOS until you've left that nation's monitored space, or ditch the goods (once caught, they'll scan you immediately every time you enter a monitored sector to track you). If you're caught selling the goods at a station, authorities confiscate the goods (and maybe impound your ship?)
If you could pull it off, the profit would be, of course, great. However, if you do it a lot, you're likely to be caught often, and your standing will be dilapidated.
(¯`·._.·\\«Aequitas»//·._.·´¯)
[stamp of approval]
PS. Well-worded, Aequitas.
EDIT: Perhaps we could have some licensed goods which require a government-approved license to traffick? Forgeries could be made that reduce the likelihood of being caught (but both cost significantly in proportion to their effectiveness, and would raise the penalty if caught)
PS. Well-worded, Aequitas.
EDIT: Perhaps we could have some licensed goods which require a government-approved license to traffick? Forgeries could be made that reduce the likelihood of being caught (but both cost significantly in proportion to their effectiveness, and would raise the penalty if caught)
Another option that came up in conversation today is getting caught for flying around with toys you don't have a license for, in monitored / controlled space. So, if you'd illegally buy a bigger gun than you can handle, and you go back to your home station, you run the risk of getting caught. In grey space, obviously, nobody cares.
Have fun,
Harry
Ps. this may have popped up before - I tried a quick search, but found no match
Have fun,
Harry
Ps. this may have popped up before - I tried a quick search, but found no match
was thinking about this and had a few comments...
unless you unload your cargo, should a station even know what you are carrying? radioactive elements aside, cargo seems like it should be private.
perhaps it's not as black and white... maybe Itans have no problem selling alchohol, but it is illegal in Serco land, and prized in grey space...
maybe you don't sell illegal cargo to stations at all, after all, it's a government or corporate business... what if you have to buy/sell illegal cargo to pirate cap ships or to rogue bands of traders that frequent certain spots, or maybe they loiter around stations. Station Guards might be on the look out for the dealers on the corner, so to speak, and chase you if they notice a transaction in progress.
what if you are a viper, kill a pirate, and recover illegal goods? or just a trader who came across something... perhaps you can turn in the goods to the authorities for a reward.
seems like this would be way cooler once player owned stations exist... pirates could have stations dedicated to hard to find itmes.
another thought: trade sanctions
maybe certain normal items are not allowed for export from UIT to Serco, or something like that, and you can be fined if caught trying to sell UIT technology.. might be hard to figure out, maybe there are certain stations which do not report yoiu, or a way to bribe the clerk
unless you unload your cargo, should a station even know what you are carrying? radioactive elements aside, cargo seems like it should be private.
perhaps it's not as black and white... maybe Itans have no problem selling alchohol, but it is illegal in Serco land, and prized in grey space...
maybe you don't sell illegal cargo to stations at all, after all, it's a government or corporate business... what if you have to buy/sell illegal cargo to pirate cap ships or to rogue bands of traders that frequent certain spots, or maybe they loiter around stations. Station Guards might be on the look out for the dealers on the corner, so to speak, and chase you if they notice a transaction in progress.
what if you are a viper, kill a pirate, and recover illegal goods? or just a trader who came across something... perhaps you can turn in the goods to the authorities for a reward.
seems like this would be way cooler once player owned stations exist... pirates could have stations dedicated to hard to find itmes.
another thought: trade sanctions
maybe certain normal items are not allowed for export from UIT to Serco, or something like that, and you can be fined if caught trying to sell UIT technology.. might be hard to figure out, maybe there are certain stations which do not report yoiu, or a way to bribe the clerk
Has anything come of this?
Thought smuggling was a cool idea, did my search, and came up with this thread.
How I thought smuggling could work-
First, you have certian goods that are labeled in the description as Illegal With: List of factions the goods are illegal with. The goods sell for a very high price, whether the player is doing the buying or the selling, at stations of those factions.
The station guards at all stations act somewhat like pirates, with the hail message, "Stop and prepare to be scanned!" They would not do this with all ships, but about 25% of all incoming ships, whether NPC or player. The guards would come in to scanning range and to a scan of the ship. If the player does not slow down to a reasonable speed, s/he would be attacked.
If a player is caught with illegal goods, s/he will be attacked. If player is attacked, s/he takes a faction hit as well.
Players and NPCs could arm a scan blocker of sorts in a weapons port. It would cause any cargo scans to read random cargo in the hold, all of it non-illegal. A scan blocker would have ammunition, and only hold one or two ammo at a time. Scan blockers and there ammunition would be illegal in all stations (except maybe Corvus). Each charge would block the player for about 30 seconds, s/he would have to use the blocker at the right time for it to be effective.
In stations where the goods aren't illegal, they sell for a much lower price.
And that's about it.
Thought smuggling was a cool idea, did my search, and came up with this thread.
How I thought smuggling could work-
First, you have certian goods that are labeled in the description as Illegal With: List of factions the goods are illegal with. The goods sell for a very high price, whether the player is doing the buying or the selling, at stations of those factions.
The station guards at all stations act somewhat like pirates, with the hail message, "Stop and prepare to be scanned!" They would not do this with all ships, but about 25% of all incoming ships, whether NPC or player. The guards would come in to scanning range and to a scan of the ship. If the player does not slow down to a reasonable speed, s/he would be attacked.
If a player is caught with illegal goods, s/he will be attacked. If player is attacked, s/he takes a faction hit as well.
Players and NPCs could arm a scan blocker of sorts in a weapons port. It would cause any cargo scans to read random cargo in the hold, all of it non-illegal. A scan blocker would have ammunition, and only hold one or two ammo at a time. Scan blockers and there ammunition would be illegal in all stations (except maybe Corvus). Each charge would block the player for about 30 seconds, s/he would have to use the blocker at the right time for it to be effective.
In stations where the goods aren't illegal, they sell for a much lower price.
And that's about it.
Yeah, what jinxed said.
You know I don't like random features that much eighter, espicially if the illegal goods can be extremely expencive (Serco dope for 10 000/cu, Itani weed 8000/cu) etc... if you have a 25% chance of being caught... well... it would all depend on the revenue, if it is say 300 (ie 3 times the cost) then on the long run you would loose money, if it is 500% then on the long run you would get more money... but then again if your 120 cus of cargo are worth 1.2 mil and when you sell you get 7.2 mil...