I'm not sure it's such a good idea. There are missions you can do for high command that pay well against various enemy forces. They don't take long and can pay well.
One of my 'associates' doesn't trade at all and only does missions. He is quite able to support his 'fleet' of small ships off the back of this and regularly fights players etc. Incidentally, he's not a pirate.
Removing the need to trade will remove a lot of oppurtunity for other factions/individuals to interract with you/them. If you don't wish to interract with them except down the barrel of a gun, is this the right server?
If you can earn $100k+ from a five minute mission, just how much does your fighter need?
Capital class ships are different. They require a lot more to run. It's a sacrifice that you choose to make in order to run these behemoths. If you can't afford it financially or time spent, simply put, don't get one.
I like the way it is.
If you want to run a cap, run a trader to support it.
If you run a smaller class ship, do a few jobs for HQ.
Having more money floating around isn't necessarily a good idea.
Incidentally, it takes little time to arrange a faction based 'trade mission' or how about an award for the biggest donation to your faction bank in a week from trading only within RP?
A pair of CODE guns or something?
Please don't think I have aimed anything in the above text at anyone. Thats not the case at all. I am being general rather than specific.
Seth your a genius (Don't go getting a Eppyhead)
Role play wise, it would make reasonable sense. Take for instance the Outcasts, ships come to alpha daily to buy Cardamine to haul off where ever. They purchase it , thus the funds coming from admin to factions could represent the profits of the products being sold. & as you state, could be put to use to equip new players, pay bounties for factions etc. Only downside I see is how it affects independents, as they would not likely receive much benefit from this. Unless said allowance given to factions would free up some players from trading to run escorts? Anyway, I likes the idea & hope it is considered.
i agree with this idea completely! even though i have no experience of working in a faction, it would be good for when there are not alot of people in the faction trading. also, this means that the payload is on the transports to earn money. i mean, most people have other things in life, and don't just sit and powertrade all day (i hope;) )