..I would VERY much like to see Hive-like XP rewards for killing pirate bots.. at least weapons, maybe some combat.. better yet, just create another Advanced Combat mission with pirate-bots instead of Hive-bots....

- one, they're arguably harder than many (most?) Hive bots

- two, there is a STRONG RP reason why factions would want pirates killed far more than the sorta-harmless Hive we have now..

- three, and most importantly, pirate-bots are FAR MORE INTERESTING to kill, and we come across them in the normal course of travelling through and hanging out in greyspace..

I'd MUCH prefer a seamless play experience, rather than "oh god, I need another level of heavy weapons.. time to put all the FUN on hold, and go bore myself to death spinning around guardians for hours and hours.."

..or, you could just implement a UIT BP/BS analogue that doesn't require tanking our hard-earned faction standing...

Yes yes yes!

And:

-four, they're everywhere now!!!

Haha, "They're everywhere!!!".

Anyway, I'm all for it.

death to the pirates... with good rewards! Sounds cool, I'm definitely for this one.

Good idea thurisaz, but don't make the rewards like hive-bots. Do you see anyone running to hive-sectors without a mission just to get weapons XP from killing bots?

Perhaps Michael could make in the not-so-distant distant future, (like Thurisaz suggested) a BS, (BS, not BS)ish mission where a UIT capship spawn and capship, bots and players and go on a rampage through grey shouting "HEY, BE NICE TO THE TWADERS EVWEBODY!". If THEY start winning, the corvus escalates and provides the armed guards, ie capships, for their pirates. Then there'd be something happening in grey other than the corvus bots charging everyone and BOOOOOM HEADSHOT!!! yeah.

-Calder

I like this too, especially the UIT BP analogue. I suggest it be available only in Edras and send you to a Pelatus/Bractus wormhole to hunt down a group of pirates.

hmm... expanding on Calder's idea, it would be cool if we had a dynamic "threat level" for greyspace that would affect numbers and types of NPC pirates... maybe a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means no pirates and 10 means unaligned Teradons all over the place..

..we could have a player-sensitive feedback system that changes the threat level one way or the other, with low threat = more lucrative convoy missions

I wouldn't appreciate warping in to be killed by ten unny Teradons; the vults and hogs do it just fine, thankyouverymuch.

If the pirates are to give any XP at all, it should be only in escort missions (which is what's supposed to happen now, right?), and maybe some "pirate cleansing" missions, which would be the BP simile.

Unnie teradons would send me into fits of panick.

/me opens up a Goliath cannon rental shop.

Reasonable daily rental rates.
Operating manual and batteries included for a small surcharge fee.

100% efficiency for all your murderizing needs. :)

Call 1-800-GOLIATH Now!!!

When I called a lady told me that unless I hang up and never call again she would call the police.

Damn, wrong tape in answering machine.
That one was for troll squad, sorry :(
I'll record a new one. :)