What if there were a regular mission to scan cargo ships before they dock at the station, similar the corporate espionage mission?

You would fly around with a scanner and have to scan incoming convoys as they entered the NFZ. Every once in a while a smuggler would turn up carrying illegal goods, and would have to be engaged.

It could be called Port Authority, Customs Security Official or something.

Interesting idea. I kind of like it.

~D.
"Nigel the Indecently Dressed"
"Legin the Naked"

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Phaserlight always has good ideas.
[APPROVED]

I'll join the chorus: me likey.

*won't be playing for a while, but would like to do this when he gets back

One question though: would these 'smugglers' be part of convoys from other stations? Or would 'smugglers' just spawn and jump into the sector every so often?
Maybe instead of engaging the smuggler you can hail him and ask him to jettison his cargo, which the player can then pick up and drop off with the station customs office, and be rewarded for his efforts with a xp/credit/standing boost?

Sweet idea!

Tamion Le Chatelier

Good question, LeChatlier...

Ideally, it would be cool to see these smugglers actually spawn from Corvus or other lawless factions, carrying illegal widgets which actually played a part in the dynamic economy.

Of course another way to do it would be to have the smugglers randomly spawn when someone takes the mission.

The player wouldn't necessarily have to do any fighting when a smuggler turned up, he could probably let the strike force handle them, or as per LeChat's suggestion the smuggler could be forced to jettison the cargo and then the the player would face the dillemma of "doing the right thing" and turning in the cargo or keeping it and turning a profit themselves.

Of course there probably would be a nice bonus for every smuggler destroyed or successful contraband intercept.

The flip side of this would be smuggling missions available to players in Corvus space...

Phaser;

Good additions. This could branch out into a complete sub-economy within the larger economy. Very interesting, and it doesn't sound too terribly difficult to implement.

~D.
"Nigel"