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Being a UIT trader (a modestly good one, I hope) I had taken up the battle cry of "Don't pay a Pirate" as a rote and generally good peice of advice.

I was wrong.

Traders, pay your Pirates.

A decent trader can make at least 1 million cr an hour in light duty trading. Or can raise his local reputation significantly in the same time. Ship *are* cheap - but cargo is NOT sometimes and more importantly making a good impression with clients is crucial to maintaining trade ties. Having a bad day with a pirate affects more than your ego.

If you can cultivate a working relationship with your local Pirates, do it! Offer what you can for day-passes or bulk pass rates. Don't let it cut into your bottom line, of course, but a friendly (or at least non-hostile) pirate is an assest worth a good deal of credits.

And they want your credits, you paying them means less real work for them and more time doing what they love; saying things like "Yarr", drinking for free, and shooting at things (hopeful not your things).

If you at least offer something - you tryed. If you lose the ship, the cargo, and the bonus... well, I hope you put up a decent fight. But if you can win a Pirate over to allowing you through, or better, protecting your interests, then you have accomplished a great negotiation... and negotiations are credits.

There are things worse than Pirates out there in the black. At least Pirates will sometimes negiotiate.

XS-UIT [EndTrans]:

Xeno... your premise, based as it is on the assumption that pierats are 'in it for the money', is faulty. Many pierats don't hail or even give you a chance to offer money - hell, most of them have a lot more money than a humble trader. Some ask for a million to pass - maybe you can buy a day pass with one, but will another pierat respect it? Fat chance.

The best policy is if you're not prepared to defend yourself, hit that turbo as soon as you get into a new sector. If a pierat hails you asking for money, then choose whether to stop or not. If they want money, they'll probably give you a chance to stop and pay.

Traders - If you're often getting pieratted in UiT space, move into red or blue space. Large areas are criminally underused as it is. Yeah, the pierats may still come and get you, but at least make them work for it. Yellow space is extremely accessible from grey and easy pickings especially with all those lovely subfaction stations... blue space in particular is a rat-run, (if you'll pardon the pun).

The alternative is to remember that ships and weapons are readily available. Use that money to learn how to fight or hire someone who can and the in the words of the last honourable pierat (who appears to have left us)... KILL 'EM ALL!

Come back soon, kalb.

JE

Heh. The Cargo Liberation Movement will free your crates, and let them roam free amongst the stars, as intended.

Or, it is possible to "ransom" your crates for a short while from [CLM] if you require your crates for some reason.

Freedom isn't free! (ye gotta pays us)
Stop the Trader Menace.

Join [CLM].

Buy a 'taur 3. Its just a mid range trade ship . Shoot .

If you pay me, I give you 24 hours passage.

If you don't pay me, I blow you up.

If you continue to not pay me, I blow you up some more.

If you pretend you're going to pay hoping the Strike Force will catch up and destroy me, I'll blow you up, and I'll never offer you a chance to pass again.

Impavid you need to allow more than four seconds to allow people to pay before you blow them up.

im with impavid on most of this, except if they continue not to pay, i stop giving warning that im coming to kill them.

Ecka, you forgot Point, then shoot.

Ecka uses an AGT. You don't need to point those.

Ecka's also a pretty lousy shot.

But the random spinning thing is amusing.

Eh; I'd just estimate the amount you'd be bribing the pirates with anyway, and use it to hire another player to escort you. That way, you get protection, and have the added bonus of annoying the pirates too.

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All good and valid points. And thank you for input from traders and pirates alike.

The premise *is* faulty, based on economic conditions that currently do not exist. The fault I think is somewhat also in the current galactic licensing standards (or lack of) that allow any schmuck to trade or mine or handle extremely violent weapons or whatever.

I do intend to however ever pay pirates (though more as the mood strikes me), because the universe is in fact so filthy, obscenely rich that it doesn't matter (to them or me). Also because I have a personal interest in promoting a "decorum" within the roles we insist on continuing.

However, I will also probably be paying, on occasion, with large amounts of semi-expensive ordinance... at high velocities. Again, as the mood strikes me.

So, until such time as our lots in life are reasonably well defined and/or the order of reason established within our markets; I will resign my fate to fortune, as do we all, with a small sigh and a smile.

XS-UIT [EndTrans]:

I hear Revenants are cool and doesn't afraid of anything.

However, I will also probably be paying, on occasion, with large amounts of semi-expensive ordinance... at high velocities. Again, as the mood strikes me.

Be consistent. Certain TGFT swine, who invariably pay up in the 250,000 credit range when they know I'm about to start tearing into their moth's hull, always get good service from me.

Those who pay 9 times and shoot back on time 10 automatically get shot to pieces on time 11 on forward. If an acceptable amount of credits reach my account in time for me to ease off on the trigger, great. But I'm pretty slow to realize and react.

This would be even more intimidating if you ever 'graced' us with your presence, Doc. I feel a little bit cheated that in the last 18 months I've only ever seen that pale blue imitation of you, and that was a long, long time ago.

If you don't make an appearance soon, you'll be relegated to a bit part in smurf fairy tales. By the way, does the command /givemoney_forum "Dr. Lecter" 250000 actually work? Otherwise I won't be able to pay you.

heh, as more than one pirate will tell you, if I was trading, and not far enough to make a good run off, I'll pay. If they attempt to "pirate" when I'm in a combat vessel? well, party time..

But, that was before, now the likelyhood of even finding me -in- a trade ship is, well.. slim to none. As one bluerat will attest, I paid what he asked then engaged him in combat, as I was bored and wanted to fight. heh

EZR

"Be consistent. Certain TGFT swine, who invariably pay up in the 250,000 credit range when they know I'm about to start tearing into their moth's hull, always get good service from me."

ive had them actually come back to the sector im in to pay me

Im so scary.

All are not what they seem, Mr. Pies.

But I'll put you on the list.