Pirates - the newcomer's reaction.

[driftwolf]

To this newcomer, it seems that the only way to get enough cash in the game to do anything ELSE is to trade.
Trading in this game, especially under a Freelancer ID, is PAINFULLY SLOW and REALLY REALLY BORING. Emphasized because it's relevant later.

For starters, a small introduction. I've had two pirate interactions so far playing this mod:
First one I was mining in Pennsylvania using the cheapest available freighter (as the beginner guide suggests) and someone came up and demanded I drop all my cargo. I'd just spent a lot of real, irreplaceable time collecting that cargo in my tiny little freighter, and they wanted it ALL? It was properly RP'd, sure, something about the field being claimed by their faction so they were interdicting it to others. They destroyed me. At this point I left the game and didn't come back for a very, very long time. Was not a positive first experience. At all.

Second one was yesterday. I came back (obviously) because Freelancer is STILL the best space game out there (which is really sad when I think about it). This time I was trundling towards a jump gate when pirate fires on me just before I reach the gate. The only thing they said AFTER they'd fired and just as the gate cycled was "stop", My previous interaction with pirates led me to try to run - no chance, of course, because the types of transport ships that a newbie freelancer can afford will ALWAYS LOSE to anyone. At least they were "reasonable" with their demands this time, but the interaction was less than enjoyable. For everyone involved, probably.

The upshot of this is that if you're going to pirate, remember that the from the point of view of the trader, especially the newbie trader, they have spent a lot of irreplaceable time doing something that is PAINFULLY SLOW and REALLY REALLY BORING. You're stealing from someone who doesn't have a lot to begin with. That ship you see? That's their only one. They don't have another ship with oodles of cash because everything they own is invested in what's in the hold of that ship. Remember that next time you decide to destroy the ship and take everything they own in the game. They're NEW, that's why they're flying a crappy Bumblebee under a Freelancer ID (this time around).

So if you're at all interested in making things enjoyable for others, not just for yourself, do try to keep that mind. Newbies will tend to panic because, well, some of us have been burned hard before. Probably once I get to know the various pirates the RP will be more satisfactory on both sides. Until then, patience with the newbies please. And if they're flying a bumblebee under a freelancer ID, they're probably a newbie. Unless of course your goal is to drive newcomers away, in which case pirate #1 almost succeeded. Pirate #2 sort of redeemed the experience in the end, which is why I'm still here.

Unfortunately for this newbie, a combination of high ping and low motor skills means that any kind of PvP is probably out of the question. So once I (eventually) get enough cash to do "something else", I'm actually kind of wondering what that might be since it seems the focus of everything is PvP of some kind. But that's another topic.

See you out there.

[Skorak]

Most of a pirates time also involve to sit at a lane for terribly boring long time.

But that is besides the point.

I admit I do pirate in Penny somtetimes. But all I ask of new players is, depending on their rank, a sum of 100k-300k. I know when I see a sunburst or even a stargazer that I don't need to expect much. And I only ever shoot them if they play the smart*** or start shooting me.

You should try rping a pirate yourself some time. You can accompany me if you like and I explain it to you.

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[SnakThree]

Personally, I ask 100k from lowlevel freighters just so they can experience piracy. But usually, they fail to stop.

There is no excuse in being a griefing kind of pirate although the same can be said for some traders.

So as usual, Pirates vs Traders arguments are old, exhausted and always goes both ways. Noone is innocent.

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[Thunderer]

The game is being made by the vets and for the vets. Do we have to wait until the 5th of October for a revolution?

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[Epo]

The game is being made by the vets and for the vets. Do we have to wait until the 5th of October for a revolution?

It's sad, but it's true.

Also, a friend of mine (who's tried to play like 6 times so far) had some unpleasant situations in the beginning and well... Discovery isn't for people who are sharing computer between some guys and have only 2 hours to play. Furthermore, Discovery isn't much friendly for newcommers who either can't spend a lot of time on reading tutorials and wasting time in Conn or are pretty new to RP enviroment.

[Antonio]

Any person who demands to drop all cargo either hates the player behind the character or the faction he's flying for, or is a sadist, regardless if he asked it from a new player or a vet.

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[Doria]

Any person who demands to drop all cargo either hates the player behind the character or the faction he's flying for, or is a sadist, regardless if he asked it from a new player or a vet.

That. And I would add griefer.

[Burning]

Hello driftwolf,

I'm one of those players who always try to keep an interaction a positive experience for all parties involved. However, there are and always will be those who have fun on the sorrow of others. Especially new players are to be treated fairly, since they're the future of the mod/server/community.

Here's a quick advice; use a proper miner ID if you're intended to work as such. With a Freelancer ID, the droprate of the ores/helium (what ever you mined) is very low.
You can tell me your character's names and then I can introduce you to the basics of Discovery.

See you around and safe skies!

[Shiki]

Any person who demands to drop all cargo either hates the player behind the character or the faction he's flying for, or is a sadist, regardless if he asked it from a new player or a vet.

I agree when it come to pirate/trader relations, though it's a bit unfair, because when it comes to lawful/smuggler relations drop all cargo is the default demand.

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[The Savage]

Most of a pirates time also involve to sit at a lane for terribly boring long time.

Not only this, I'm speaking it as a pirate with 4 years of experience - both as Lone Wolf and in a Wolfpack. The biggest nightmare of pirates is neither the fact of being ganked, nor the silent F1-ing traders nor possibility of being slaughtered by the hunters.

The biggest nightmare are tradelane bugs. Yesterday's day, given I have been doing everything to the letter as usual, but then I have fallen victim to TL bug three times; I made myself sure twice about timing, put every piece of the puzzle onto board - and failed.

What is tradelane bug, you ask? Sit down yer scrawny land rats and listen to ye old tale. It's our own hydra, a filthy creature that from early 4.83 until now hasn't been slain by Devs or Admins. It's a terrible bug forged by Devil himself in which trader flies through seemingly inactive tradelane, despite all your efforts.



This, my friends, is the biggest nightmare to all the pirates.