If you can afford more than 3 million but refuse to pay it, then I'll run you till you're dead. And if you're stupid enough to come back on the same trade route, I'd do it again. A pirate doesn't care about these opinions, a pirate cares about his loot. For the last time, we're not supposed to be settling on a sum that's comfortable. If a trader gets caught, it's life or death every time, the demands should reflect that. If you keep getting caught, you're doing it wrong. Hypothetically, a level 90 A-Train could pay 500 million and still have enough left over to come at you in a fully equipped Cruiser the next day.
Just take into account their level and charge them enough to penalise them for getting caught on that route. 3 mil max is absolute rubbish, traders are supposed to be scared of pirates. An A-Train on a good route could pay 3 mil each time going both ways and still turn a tidy profit, there's no deterrent.
Quote:On most trade runs, especially now that things have been nerfed, more than that will make things nearly or completely unprofitable.
If income is all you're worried about: I know of at least 7 legal trade runs that make around 8-12 million in twenty minutes, and I've only been back in Disco for a month or so. Even a lower paying route could net you 10 million for half an hour's work.
Quote:So, ask for 5mil if you want, but you're not going to end up with very many takers.
So start killing! They'll eventually work out it's not worth their lives to refuse to pay. And they might even think twice about trading near pirates in future. The worst case scenario for the pirate is that the trader starts employing protection on their route instead of just happily paying the tiny pirate fee and continuing on their merry way unscathed. So then what do we have? More RP! Jobs for Mercs and Bounty Hunters!
A lot of you would argue that there's too many capships on the server, yet you're too timid or stuck on your moral high ground to make a stand and do some proper pirating, the only big money-sink in the game.
My point is traders should not be treating pirates like a neighbourly toll booth. Traders should be running for their lives. If you think your life isn't worth what you'd make in one trade run then perhaps you deserve to die.