Forums » Suggestions

Smuggling

Jun 19, 2003 Buckaroo link
Hi,

how about implementing smuggling into vendetta?

A smuggler's ship should be a special ship available to all nations (highly agile, poor armour, only one small weapon port) able to dock *everywhere*, including hostile sectors.

A smuggler could have two functions:

a) smuggling contraband (like drugs) which are highly profitable

b) Buying other nation's special ships and selling them. This would make the blackmarket quite interesting - there shoudln't be an umlimited supply of special ships. A smuggler could buy a valk at sector 1/4 for 21k and place it for sale in another sector - for example, for 100k or so.

Regards,
Mark (Commander Jameson)
Jun 19, 2003 roguelazer link
Mmmm... I like. It'd be cool if you had to steal specials. Imagine if you had a team of smugglers that would steal a hundred promys, then sell them for high profit in sector 4. Mmm... Also, NARCOTICS WIDGETS!!!
Jun 19, 2003 slappyknappy link
I like the concept of being able to dock everywhere... but I'd like to see it implemented this way:

Quick Fix:
You are gold. In sector 18, you can buy any color ship. You buy a red ship, and can now dock in red stations, although you still show up on radar as gold (to prevent griefing). To smuggle, you buy lots of sec 3 widgets, bring them to 18. Buy the red ship and transfer the cargo to that ship. Leave 18 and head to 2. Sell the widgets and make a huge profit. To play things safe, you could stockpile sec 3 widgets in a safer sector and make the cargo transfers there.

Long-term Fix:
You are gold. You can buy various gizmos (again in black market sectors) to make your ship seem "red". This is done by outfitting the ship with red docking codes, radar idents, etc. Depending on how many gizmos you've got, you could fly around in red space and even show up as a "green dot" to red ships*. You could dock in their stations, etc. But you'd still have to switch ships (or dock somewhere and remove the modifications) before returning to Gold stations. (*should probably always be green to home ships also to prevent griefing).
Jun 19, 2003 HumpyThePenguin link
and by doing this you lso would have to have a change in your ranking me thinks.
Jun 19, 2003 electric27 link
I like...
Jun 20, 2003 Daon Rendiv link
How about the "color" of your ship being determined by a sort of IFF transponder. It would be difficult and expensive, but possible, to fake a signal. I vote that you NOT appear your true color on radar. Have your name be its normal color. Thus to detect a faker takes manualy targeting them. Upon taking a flag IFF fakeing becomes negated.
Jun 20, 2003 Buckaroo link
Daon Rendiv: this would make griefing/newbie killing very easy.

Usually, I look at my radars if any enemies (bots/other nations) are near. I could handle a "fake" green dot by using "u" and selecting the character, but still it would be far too easy to suprise someone - especially newbies.

Furthermore, imagine a an invasion of 10 disguised ships..

No, I still think a special high-agile ship with low armour and low weapons should be the only ship available for smuggling.

Regards,
Mark
Jun 20, 2003 slappyknappy link
I've been thinking of other ways to dock in enemy stations (see the thread on capturing a station)...

...the idea expressed there would allow smuggling: simply earn the reputation as a smuggler (or maybe you could buy some sort of trading credentials) and it would allow you to access trade goods while in an enemy station.

[edit] This is the thread I was talking about: http://vendetta.guildsoftware.com/?action=msgboard&thread=1778&page=1