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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 0:50:54 GMT -5
So currently there is no way to protect your cargo from search/loot. I think it would be nice I this could be changed. Whether/how much cargo would be taken via search/loot would be based on the following:
What is your rep with the faction that's searching/looting you?
Do you have military rank with the faction that's looting you?
What factions do you have permits for besides the faction that's searching/looting you?
What factions do you have rank in besides the faction that's searching/looting you?
What is your rep with other factions?
Are you in the space of a faction you have rank and/or permit in?
How high is your rep with the faction that owns the space your in?
How high is your Intimidate/Negociate?
Did you surrender first or were you hostile?
What officers do you have on board?
How high is your Tactics skill?
How much cargo is there on board? (Ilegal for search, all non-water fuel for loot)
Do you have smuggler's hold and/or carrying contracts? (Less contracts = more space for cargo and less signature)
What is your profession?
Conflicts, rumors, enemy AI and level?
Other skills and factors?
Luck?
There are probably going to be sooo many more factors, variables, and specifics as well but these are what I came up with. My main point is if your being searched by an independent military officer, and you have permits and rank 21 with all 6 factions, and you have rediculuously high tactics, negociation, charismatic and intimidation skills, an your carrying only 10 weapons and have the scout, military and political with a smugglers hold carrying no contracts, then the enemy shouldn't take all your weapons
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Post by xdesperado on Oct 2, 2012 3:31:42 GMT -5
They are Pirates if they are looting you. Since if you have a good rep with a faction they don't care and your rep doesn't take a hit for killing pirates, they have no reason to care if your lord high muckity muck with all sorts of permits. As long as you have a trade permit with a faction the military ships won't seize any restricted trade items or records when searching, and will generally just acknowledge you and not search anyways. Contracts are a different matter, but you have ship upgrades and the scout officer to help protect them. The only time I get annoyed with the process is when I take a contract from a faction that I'm trying to build rep with and then their military wants to search me as I leave port with said court. Having military/bounty hunters just ignore contracts issued by their faction would be the only change I'd like to see. If the Prince of Hydri-Thulun Prime trusts me to carry a message for him someplace then House Thulun military vessels should leave it the bleep alone already or be having to explain to the prince why they hijacked his private missive from his designated courier preventing its delivery and spoiling his little surprise for his good friend the prince of Cadar Pavonis.  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 5:56:02 GMT -5
A) I have lost rep and been branded a wanted criminal after losing/surrenderng to pirates, even though I was doing nothing wrong whatsoever except defending myself or surrendering to pirates.
B) Agreed. Also if I have a death warrent, I should never lose rep with the faction that gave me a contract after completing it if it required to kill one of thir ships. So if I was contracted by de valtos to kill a spy, and that spy happened to be flying on a de valtos ship, I shouldn't lose rep with de valtos for defeating the ship. Same thng with alliences. If I was hired to deliver a message by cadar to thulun, and when I deliver it cadar is allienced with thulun, I shouldn't lose rep/rank. Otherwize I lose rep if I complete it or not cmplete it, so there's nothing. I can do.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 6:07:52 GMT -5
I disagree with you about pirates not caring. If an indy pirate comes after me, and imvery well-liked by all factions, and I hav very high charismatic skills, I should be able to negociate with them or ntimidate them to letting me keep some of my hold.
"I am a ranking military officer with all 6 factions. If you loot me, the factions aren't gonna be happy with you. I am a very powerful man in this quadrent. Why don't you take half my hold and we'll call it even. Do you really want to lose reputation with every single faction?" Says the offier with awards and certifications all over the ship. Plus, pirates are still human. They have to have some respect for a war hero or such.i
Or if your very tactcal, you could hide some your cargo in other places besides your cargo bay. "Sorry, but I just took a hit by some pirates earlier. As you can see in my carg bay, I have nothing but fuel to offer." Meanwhile there are several weapons in the smugglers hold, several artifacts in between matrises in the crew deck, several electronics shoved into the ship's hull.
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Post by Cory Trese on Oct 3, 2012 2:18:26 GMT -5
I think that is just the very point of the Independent Pirate -- he or she just doesn't care what rank you are or with who.
To xdesperado, that is a good point and is really just a logical oversight on my part.
ST #578
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2012 8:38:45 GMT -5
But what about non-indy pirates? I've had (occasionally) hostile pirates with a faction that I have rank with. Certaintly they must care. With them wou should be able to intmidate/negociate with them into letting you keeping your hold, or some of your hold.
And the fact that they don't care doesn't explain why the captain never hides his hold when being looted or search. With a wisdom ad tactics skill of 100 higher than the enem, surely you could outsmart them in hiding hold that they won't find. I mean, the Scout does it for contracts.
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Post by Cory Trese on Oct 7, 2012 15:20:56 GMT -5
But what about non-indy pirates? I've had (occasionally) hostile pirates with a faction that I have rank with. Certaintly they must care. With them wou should be able to intmidate/negociate with them into letting you keeping your hold, or some of your hold. In that case the issue is either Rank + Negative Rank, a Rumor or a Conflict + your character class. Pirate Hostility does not role dice, it is 100% based on current state and they only go hostile with a reason. Maybe you had Rank, No Permit and 3 or more Weapons in the Cargo Hold? Maybe the Sector was under Pirates Rumor? Perhaps there is a Trade War and you're a Merchant? |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2012 17:45:18 GMT -5
But the thing is, if I'm a de valtos pirate attacking a thulun merchant in de valtos space, I still lose rep with thulun. So if they attack me, even if I don't have a pemit with them, I have a permit with other factions and so attacking me would cause them to lose rep with them. So logically, indy pirates won't care about losng rep as their indipendents, but faction pirates don't want to be wanted crminals with other factions. And if thulun pirates attack me, and I don't have permit but I have rank with thulun, they're still losing rep with thulun! So even if I do surrender, some shuld say to themselves tha I wouldn't be worth t to loot me as they'd becme enemies with their own faction, and so its better to just let me go. I'm not saying all pirates wuld be this way, but surely some, and certaintly my negciate and intimidate skills could help them make the right decision.
And why does the captain never HIDE his hold? Tactics or Wisdom should help th captain find the right places to hde his cargo, and at the same time should help him find hidde cargo n other ships. So. Higher tactics means more stuff found on enemy ship, and less stuff taken on eemy ship. And higher enemy tactics means less stuff found on enemy ship and more stuff found on your ship
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Post by xdesperado on Oct 8, 2012 1:03:30 GMT -5
I could be wrong and Cory can correct me if I am, but I see each unit of cargo as 1 Ton. You might find room to squeeze 1 or 2 Tons into odd nooks and cranies about the ship, but logic and reality say that the majority of the cargo is going to be in the cargo holds. i.e. big open compartments with large bay doors to easily move pallets and large containers in and out of. What you find on other ships is what they have on board at the time not "just what you were able to find."
Starships like current day ocean going ships are designed to make efficient use of their available space. Having huge "secret" compartments is simply not efficient. Most smugglers, both historically and in present times rely on knowledge of the likely local and routes of any vessels likely to want to intercept them, and speed o try and outrun those authorities.
The "Rum Runners" sailing ships, like the one pictured on bottles of Cutty Sark liquor, are an example of how those things applied in the past. Only lightly armed if at all, they were built for maximum speed and maneuverability. They didn't hide their goods, they just tried real hard not to get caught and stopped.
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Post by xdesperado on Oct 8, 2012 1:18:08 GMT -5
Correction to my previous post. the Cutty Sark was built as a China Tea clipper ship and not as a a rum runner. The same reasons applied for the most part though in her construction. She was built for speed and maneuverability.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2012 1:38:41 GMT -5
That wouldn't make much sense. 1 ton of weapons is a couple hundret bucks? Plus that would mean that the weapons cabinet can hold an extra 25 tons. Ships would have to be as big as towns.
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Post by xdesperado on Oct 8, 2012 1:56:51 GMT -5
That wouldn't make much sense. 1 ton of weapons is a couple hundret bucks? Plus that would mean that the weapons cabinet can hold an extra 25 tons. Ships would have to be as big as towns. Weapons are the only thing that makes you go hmm over units equaling tons. Even then you can still rationalize it as including stores of ammunition, repair and cleaning supplies and the packaging for all the above. It can all add up in a hurry. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2012 2:12:59 GMT -5
But then a ton of weapons, and ammo and supplies are only 10x - 20x more than a ton of water. That's wrong. Per pound maybe, but ton?
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Post by xdesperado on Oct 8, 2012 2:54:24 GMT -5
But then a ton of weapons, and ammo and supplies are only 10x - 20x more than a ton of water. That's wrong. Per pound maybe, but ton? If your speaking about cost remember that what you buy in port isn't H20 (water like we drink) but a "heavy water" used as fuel for the ship. By rights it should be toxic and kill anyone dumb enough to drink it, but it works in the game universe setting.  |
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BlastGT1
Templar
[ Heroes of Steel Supporter ]
Turning ships into shards with Alchemy
Posts: 920 
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Post by BlastGT1 on Oct 8, 2012 6:42:26 GMT -5
You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to.....
_______________________________
Every day I'm torpin'.....
Party Torp is in the tube tonight,
Everybody just have a Torp time.
Hull breach will make you lose your find,
Pirates stealin', just have a Torp time!
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