Forums » Suggestions

Smuggling. Again.

Jun 22, 2015 SkinWalker link
Smuggling mechanics have been suggested and begged for more than once. We definitely need some contraband in the game.

But I get how complex it probably is to create contraband. If you make something illegal in one sector, how do you enforce it? How do NPCs react? How does it get detected at boarders, stations, Etc. ?

Perhaps there are some simple, less complex ways to organically create player enforced contraband. I got the idea the other day when a semi-new player in an Atlas X zipped past me with a "scan blocked." I was able to hit him once or twice with megaposis from my UDV and, normally, I'd let an Atlas X go. Damned hard to catch :) But that "scanned blocked" motivated me!

And then I pirated a newb moving a "blank" datapad. Those are always juicy tidbits to steal even though they're worthless. I think that was my "128th 'blank' datapad".

These two events got me to thinking. Perhaps there are some ways to create contraband that players enforce and take advantage of. "Blank" datapads are worthless mostly because you can buy them by the hundreds at Ukari L-14 and voys haul them all the time. But if the only place you could get them were from players doing missions, they might hold more value. Not stupidly valuable, obviously, since you could obtain one simply by doing a mission. But some mission-specific items would be fun to pirate if they led to a "pirate badge" after you obtained a certain number or collected a certain number of types.

And a "smuggling" badge could be awarded to players who successfully move these same items from place to place. Maybe unlock some weapon or station purchasable scanner or blocker that you can't buy with these badges -similar to the way the Master Prospector badge is with HD beams.

This would make use of bot-drop scanners blockers and spoofers more popular.

Spices. Perhaps if you were killed with Divinia spices in Serco space, your attacker could lose no faction penalties (cause... you know... they're illegal anyway). Even if you're Admired or POS. But... the pay out for delivering to certain stations would be significant. Something like Corvus pr0n (holo disks) sold in Itan J-11. The same would apply to Bethashee spices, Pelatus spices, Dau Wine (or is it rum?), Serco Ale, and Itani slaves. Okay. Maybe not Itani slaves.

Surely, some algorithm could be added that would make that work.

Oh.. and another smuggling idea. Just two nights ago some newb shot the CTC voy in Sedina and couldn't dock with the loot in Dau. Of course he couldn't figure it out, dropped it, docked, and went nuts when I snatched it from the dock (he dropped it in the bay and didn't think to turn auto-dock off apparently). He chased me around Dau, another player jumped in, I lost the cargo in an empty sector, intercepted the newb in Edras, took it back, and sold it for 1.2 mil.

I dare say 3-5 people had a blast for 20-30 minutes, mostly because UIT was involved in the CTC.

Lets open up a station in UIT to buy CTC ore. I bet it will revive interest in this all-but-dead game mechanic.
Jun 23, 2015 biretak link
Sounds fun. I'm not sure how I feel about ctc turning from a nationalist event into a trading commodity, though. But, if traders want to trade something dangerous that they'll be chased for, more playing ctc could be fun.
Dec 10, 2015 vanatteveldt link
I'll bump this, inspired by the discussion about holodiscs in the "new tridents" thread.

Suggested mechanic:

- Some items are illegal in some nations / minor factions, i.e. spices/drugs, sexual goods, slaves, certain weapons, chemicals.
- Entering nation space with illegal cargo will generate a warning message like shooting in the NFZ
- You can safely dock commercial stations with these items and sell them (at a huge profit, of course).
- You can be detected by being in scanner range of "border patrol" craft that fly patrol routes from the military barracks to wormholes
- You are also detected by flying into the NFZ of barracks and capitol stations.
- Once detected, you become tempKOS and lose faction standing

Possible additions:

- Other players with cargo scanners and good standing have the option to "report you" to the police, giving off a system broadcast and making you tempKOS so the player can kill you without losing standing
- include nation ships for people with insufficient standing, flying and/or in cargo
- Make the patrol ships see through scanner spoofers/blockers, or detect their presence and make them react in a hostile way?
- On detection, have the border patrol act as a pirate, e.g. order to dump the contraband and pay a fine or get shot?
Dec 16, 2015 Cron-Wo Bashios link
I suggest an illegal drug,like skooma in the Elder Scrolls games. Seeing people running around with illegal drugs sounds fun to me. And yes you can huge amount as well,if you make to your client.
Dec 16, 2015 Death Fluffy link
I believe you are reffering to Sedina Chocolate.....
Dec 16, 2015 vanatteveldt link
Sedina Chocolate, I like the euphemism :-). Is that already in the game (I never really look at the commodities list...)?

Probably there should be two or three illegal greyspace goods from different minor factions, and at least one Itani and Serco good that is illegal in the opponent nation, I propose the mindfulness manuals and violent movie holodiscs, respectively :)

It would also fit the game if one or some of the UIT corporations would have goods that are illegal in UIT itself, setting up within-UIT smuggling routes that are somewhat safer (and hence less profitable) than a haul from/through grey.
Dec 16, 2015 Death Fluffy link
Yes, it's in the game. Sold only at Sedina D14 for 10,000 cr each iirc. The profit on them isn't great or wasn't the last I played with it.

This would be a great item to smuggle and give some actual value to the cargo spoofers that are useless vs real players, because real players don't give a crap about what you're carrying. Ships should be scanned both entering nation space and entering a capital system. There should be a higher chance of gettting caught when entering a capital system.
Dec 16, 2015 vanatteveldt link
See my full proposal above. I think scanners should be on patrol ships, not on the turrets with some random chance. This gives more life in the universe (with added patrol ships) and allows for multiplayer interaction, e.g. have the first player spot the patrols, and the second actually has the cargo, much like you can do for (PvP) risky wormhole passages. Patrols are mostly patrol a route between the border, barracks and capital systems (and hence the wormholes between them), but occasionally visit commercial stations.

Some sort of chase mechanic would also be cool, where patrol ships spot cargo ships (with low standing?) and try to get in range to scan them, following them through jumps if they are near enough to see the jump. High standing players can also report on lower standing players to trigger the chase mechanism. (which could also be fun: you can use this to spoof the patrols to follow you to a location where you spotted an enemy (of the local faction) or smuggler)