Forums » Suggestions

New items, new twist on old items, smuggling, border patrols and consequences

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Oct 29, 2010 ryan reign link
New items...

Illegal Pharmaceuticals: Illegal everywhere except Corvus.
Illegal Weapons: Illegal everywhere except Corvus.
Human Cargo: Illegal everywhere except Corvus.
Harvested Human Organs: Illegal everywhere except Corvus.
Hacked Medical Nanites: Illegal everywhere except Corvus.
Scan Blockers: Illegal every where but Corvus.
Super Light Kits: Illegal every where but Corvus.

Old items...

Serco Cybernetic Implants: Illegal in Itani space and Biocom stations.
Serco Ale: Illegal in Itani space.
Serco Training Disks: Illegal in Itani space.
Betheshee Spices: Illegal in Itani space.

Itani meditation crystals: Illegal in Serco space.
Itani Education Disks: Illegal in Serco space.
Deneb Rum: Illegal in Serco space.
Divinia Spices: Illegal in Serco space.

BioCom Implants: Illegal in Serco and Itani space.
Corvus Holo Disks: Illegal everywhere except Corvus.
Tunguska Mining Module: Illegal in Orion space.
Orion Drill bits: Illegal in Tunguska space.

That is of course just a rough list, more could be added. The reason to do this is there has (for as long as I've been playing) been a significant desire for smuggling, and consequently... a significant amount of disappointment that there is no real form of smuggling.

With the advent of cargo scanners, we took a step in the right direction. Scan Blockers, Add On Scanners and Cargo Spoofers were another large step in the right direction. The next step is for station guards to have them hardwired into their ships and to introduce Border Patrols at Worm Holes, which obviously would have cargo scanners as well.

Simply put, you approach a nations WH and you are hailed by Border Agents and instructed to stop or slow for scanning. Failure to comply within five seconds or attacking them, gets you a temporary KoS and they attack. That in itself is not a very daunting penalty. So, as smuggling undermines the law and there for the government/organization which instated the law... there is also a faction hit. Ten points for first offense, twenty for second, forty for third, doubling each time. Easy enough to regain but, large enough to be a slight PITA.

This obviously brings us to Scan Blockers (illegal every where but Corvus) and Add On Scanners and Cargo Spoofers.

One in ten or twenty Border patrol ships should have an Add On Scanner. If you are found to have a Cargo Spoofer equipped, Border Patrol assumes guilt and attacks. Same penalties as transporting illegal trade items apply.

This gives incentive for people to make use of Cargo Spoofers and to a lesser degree Scan Blockers.

Naturally, as smugglers should use smaller, lighter cargo oriented ships... (Revenant, Atlas, Marauder, Prom MkII, Aeolus Behemoth and Centaurs) and there is double risk (pirates and border patrols) in the transport/sale of these items the pay out should be high, perhaps 10,000 to 25,000 per cu, however... as Illegal items are not always easy to sell, perhaps stations might have a cap on the amount they will but from a pilot as well as a daily/weekly/monthly cap.

Ultimately, this gives us a more exciting/dangerous form of trading with significantly higher rewards and significantly higher risks. It adds something that has been desired for a long time, adds a logical restriction on certain cross nation trading which in turn adds much needed immersion and helps to make the back story more relevant.
Oct 29, 2010 JJDane link
Didn't they already use something like this as part of the last leg of the superlight mission...been a while since I took that one.

Parts of it may be reusable...
Oct 29, 2010 ryan reign link
Not sure... been a long time for me as well. However, if there already exists some framework that may expedite this, then great!
Oct 29, 2010 pirren link
Very good suggestion, but I think there is no need to ask for stop, anyways scanners work without aiming and it's easier to implement without 5 seconds delay.. (e.g. then AI doesn't need to check more parameters, like speed of scanned ship)
Oct 29, 2010 ryan reign link
Fair enough... though I would say, keep the warning anyways. If for no other reason than it adds a feeling of "realism".
Oct 29, 2010 vskye link
+1
Oct 29, 2010 Dr. Lecter link
+1 Would finally make spoofers and blockers useful.
Oct 29, 2010 tarenty link
If you are found to have a Cargo Spoofer equipped, Border Patrol assumes guilt and attacks.

This seems crude.

Harvested Human Organs: Illegal everywhere except Corvus.
Hacked Medical Nanites: Illegal everywhere except Corvus.


Perhaps these should reward good prices at BioCom and Serco Research stations....

Otherwise, +1.
Oct 29, 2010 ryan reign link
It seems crude because it is, but smuggling is dangerous work... and there have to be more risks than trading.

[EDIT] Illegal does not mean others won't buy them... quite the opposite, it means they will pay high prices for them. For the purposes of this thread "Illegal" means it can be purchased where it is not illegal and sold where it is illegal.
Oct 29, 2010 tarenty link
Ahh. I assumed you meant BioCom would play by the rules and get you into trouble for showing up with illegal items.
Oct 29, 2010 ryan reign link
You would, outside the station... if you got within scanning range of the guards. However, inside the station... one can assume there will always be a less reputable type who would buy the items.
Oct 31, 2010 Alloh link
Check

Draft: Border Patrol and Contraband

This topic and that one are complementary.

There should be some black market rules, exactly like normal market, with a daily basic demand (comsumption) paying higest prices and anything exceeding receives lower values.

And Cargo Spoofers MUST fool Border Patrol, or else it makes no sense and no one would use, since it becomes a "Shoot Me" addon... so no guard should use addon scanners. Except, maybe, around military stations (barracks).
Oct 31, 2010 PaKettle link
Oct 31, 2010 TehRunner link
I suggest have patrols in front of stations more so that WH at entrances. You have to either dock fast before being scanned, or have a spoofer equipped (like the system in freelancer)

Also once sufficient faction standing is achieved smuggling allows for mission started by shady characters (use for the station bar, was mentioned many times earlier)

Finally, contrabands should not be salable(s?) unless the station trusts you to expose its black market, or is an outlaw station. IE, biocom will not buy human organs because it wants to appear lawful, until you are trusted enough to be exposed to the dirty side of business.
Oct 31, 2010 PaKettle link
One alternative to station sales would be to have some shady npc's accept sales outside of station space... ie obtain and deliver this contraband at this time and place.

Could result in a massive profit or a ambush with harsher consequences...
Nov 01, 2010 ryan reign link
+1 to adding PaKettle's idea to the OP.
Nov 01, 2010 ryan reign link
http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/23260

These two would work pretty well together.
Nov 02, 2010 pirren link
Yes, looks like it's time to implement into the 'verse these suggestions.
Mar 27, 2011 SkinWalker link
+1

With the recent addition of new Xoomers, implementing this now would add some interesting game-play to VO.
Mar 27, 2011 ryan reign link
"Yes, looks like it's time to implement into the 'verse these suggestions."
+1

"With the recent addition of new Xoomers, implementing this now would add some interesting game-play to VO."
+1