It would be interesting if the various factions were willing to sell you certain commodities based on your faction standing. A neutral player would only have access to purchase the cheap an ubiquitous items at a station. But once they gain standing, then they can buy the good/expensive stuff that has a payoff.

At the far end of the spectrum, we could then find something to apply the POS tag to. Right now it does not seem to really mean anything, in a practical sense. The POS standing could open up access to commodities that are considered state-secrets. For instance, I was discussing Serco Implants with Ryan Reign. He suggested that from a RP'ing perspective, it could be considered treason to bring them out of Sercoville. Perhaps they should. Something highly specialised like that should only be sold to the most trusted people, ie POS.

But, if you do sell it out of nation/faction space, there can be a good payoff.

On a side note: Each faction could have spies with cargo scanners of something, and will faction drop you if you get caught with the state-secret goods at a non-faction station. So this opens up suggestion number 2.

Can we have roid scanners double as ship cargo scanners?

Cheers,
~Karman

For most commodities, absolutely not. Its already the standard policy for ships and equipment where it makes sense. I'm not going to sell you good guns if I don't trust you with them.

However, for a few exclusive items such as Inubius Defensive Systems or Serco Implants or Rare Books (this is a joke people), then I could see standing mattering. However, there are precious few of this type of item that I would consider legit to make exclusive. For everything else, the only thing that matters is being able (haha) to (tee Hee) afford (/me snickers) them (peals of laughter). So if this IS ever implemented, I would recommend a modest increase in the number of items that should be exclusive, because I honestly don't believe that Betheshie Spices or Dau Wine qualify. Don't even get me started on Meditation Crystals! (because I don't have a clue and will just start spouting nonsense)

All in all, a good suggestion from a rp standpoint. I expect implementing would be fairly intensive though. I would not be opposed to commodity items requiring different levels of clearance. Perhaps the turrets could act as sentries for smuggled goods?

rg10, We have been begging for cargo scanners since before Incarnate sacrificed his only (well one of three really) developer Mommerath to atone for our sins (lack of patience). (/me is still going with the Incarnate as god thing)

Edit: Additionally, I'd like to see items a player does not have access to blocked from view.

The part of it that I think would be neat, is if there were a small set of items that were "smuggle-able". I guess the availability of general commodities need not scale on faction standing. If each faction had at least 1 item they only wanted trade/moved internally, this would open up an interesting game of cat and mouse for the players to engage in. Each of these special items could have a simple list of station sectors where they should not be seen in. It would then encourage other players to try to catch smugglers entering the stations with their scanners. Perhaps when they scan some contraband on another player, or an NPC for that matter, they will be given some compensation from the selling faction.

My intention is to create ways to get smuggling into the game. I think a lot of players are looking for more ways to interact with other players, or even find ways to best other players who have superior fighting skills. It is very hard to break your way into the fighting club and win enough fights where you wont turn away.

There are lots of ways to do it perhaps. Moving something to somewhere (illegal by nature) where it shouldn't be is potentially dangerous. If someone catches you smuggling, that is a great way to initiate a vendetta. But even a new/intermediate player can catch an ace pilot with a scanner.

I figured the ship scanner had been proposed in the past... Lots of stuff to design and code.

The smuggling aspect opens interesting possibilities. The cargo scanner, could be a medium port item... as could some type of scan blocker (available only in grey getting more people there.) along with other smuggling/anti smuggling add ons such as turbo over drives, scan signal boosters, identification scramblers... etc... etc... (giving use to medium ports, without destroying the game).

At any rate, it wouldn't just have to be nation items, don't forget faction items... AAPs XGX, Sparrows... etc...etc... UIT factions compete and would likely take a dim view of some one selling sensitive materials to a competitor.

This idea would be interesting to tie in with the crafting system which seems to have taken a back seat compared to other things (this is not meant as criticism, merely as an observation).

Commodities that allow the crafting of a faction-specific, high-powered item (be it weapon, ship or utility) could be limited in such a way.

Edit: I remembered that this has been suggested before (of course...). Apologies for not giving credit to the original conceiver of this idea, which I am too lazy to look up right now.