Smuggling Tips 101

[MacAulay]

Macs Smuggling Tips For Dummies.

Never written a guide for players before so i thought I'd dip my toe in the water and start with a smugglers guide. I have played a smuggler successfully for as long as i can recall, which is a few years now on the server. What this guide is NOT is a spoiler. I will not post routes, those are up to you to find. And I will not suggest commodities to smuggle etc as it's each to their own. All I will do is post a few things I have learned. If you're wondering what makes me feel qualified to do that, well, I have only ever been caught once, and I have smuggled pretty much everything everywhere. One point, some of the info here is applicable to traders and may well be mentioned in other guides. The main difference here is that we are concerned with avoiding any lawful entanglements and preserving our anonymity. So, here's the tips.

1) The first rule of smuggling is......We do not talk about smuggling! No seriously, we don't. Its a simple rule. If nobody knows you're a smuggler then the risk of being 'grassed' or informed on is obviously reduced significantly and your actions are less likely to be monitored.
Also, don't be a total muppet and name your toon "Smuggler Doug" or "Cardamine Carl" etc. That's just asking for attention. And contrary to popular opinion, it doesn't make you look cool! The successful smuggler delivers his goods to his target location without anyone being aware of what he is. That is the ultimate goal.

2) There's the beaten track, now stay off it. Yup, that's right, tradelanes are a no no. Firstly, somebody somewhere is going to scan you, that's a fact. Doesn't matter if they're not law enforcers, they are still likely to report your presence to the authorities. Secondly, being an illegal type does not automatically make you immune to piracy, especially from indie pirates. They can and usually will stop and ransom you. And where do they like to stop vessels? That's right tradelanes. And once you have been stopped, scanned or otherwise ID'd then your anonymity is severely effected. And anonymity, along with patience are your greatest assets.

3) Reach for the stars! In other words, go up, or down, your choice. By this I mean, when crossing a system to the next Jumphole fly above or below the usual flight plane by AT LEAST 15km. This puts you out of detection range of just about everything. My method is to dive straight down upon entry to a system, using the Jumphole to guage my depth (or height if I go up). Once at between 16 and 20km I target my exit point, keeping it in the top part of my screen so I don't inadvertently start to climb. A good smuggler crosses space like a phantom, nobody should see you pass.

4) Know your route. Obvious but still something newbies struggle with. Learn the jumphole locations, even better, fly a dry run to get them all mapped too if they're not already. Knowing which way to turn immediately saves you valuable time. It also aids in escape and evasion should the need arise. Get to know each system on the route. Learn the 'landmarks' so that you always have an idea of your facing and location without the need to open your map.
4a) Vary your route. Common sense, don't fly back and forth along the same path. Somebody will come to investigate eventually. There are multiple routes into nearly all areas so use them. It's that simple.

5) Respect your enemies, your allies, and everyone else. Your primary enemies (Navy and Police) are not stupid. (debatable for certain capship lolwuts of course). Many of them have a lot of experience and they know the things to watch for. Don't assume that they're sitting with their thumbs up their backsides. Your flight may well be monitored and you should plan accordingly, use common sense and above all, trust your gut. I once got the awful feeling that the Cali-Penn jumphole was being camped, so I diverted and risked the NY Jumpgate instead, turns out I was right to do so. Gut instinct.
Respect your allies/friends, if you have cause to visit say Omicron Alpha (as most smugglers do) then it's not wise to antagonize the locals. They may turn on you, bar you from entering their space or even choose to inform on your activities. Treat them as you would a valuable client for that is what they are. Also, as most of the factions you deal with are unlawful, keeping on their good side will lessen the risk of ransom and may also allow you to call for help should the need arise.
The same goes for the general population. Be polite and show respect where possible. A player you have annoyed will think nothing of reporting you should he see you smuggling. Whereas a player who found you friendly, helpful and polite will most likely turn a blind eye.
When dealing with other players, make some fun RP so that they enjoy interacting with you. In the past I have even bought players silence by supplying them with a few units of cardi, just for, you know, personal use Leave them looking forward to meeting you again and they will do little to interfere with your business

6) If in doubt, don't go out. Sometimes you will just know that it's not a good idea to move. That gut instinct will kick in again. Well then, no rush, dock up and take a break in a friendly station (not literally of course). The goods will still be in your hold later. Don't risk them. If you don't think it's safe to continue, it probably isn't. Don't take the risk, a smuggler who loses his cargo is not a smuggler. If taking your time and showing caution has you thinking "Sod that, I wanna make some creds man!" then I would suggest sticking to your power trader. Here, we are concerned with 'playing' a smuggler, not amassing credits in the shortest time possible.

7) Misdirection. It's often possible to divert the attention of certain lawful factions by falsely reporting the presence of unlawfuls etc in an effort to keep your route clear. Or, request assistance in an area that you are nowhere near. I have several times sent 'LNS-Lolwut' out of the system I need to pass through. This won't always work though (also, some consider this a bit dodgy Rp wise). Another option is to use an accomplice to draw the lawfuls away from your route. This would lower your profit margin if you have to pay a second party but it can be satisfyingly funny. You can even report your accomplice to the lawfuls yourself, it not only adds credence to your report if there is a name to go with it but you could also Rp a payment refusal if your accomplice is destroyed/arrested. Yes, it's backstabbing, but its a cut throat world. The only drawback is that your partner had better not know it was you that set him up or again your anonymity will be compromised. It's a personal choice that can offer some fun Rp at least

8) Maximum risk, so maximum profit. Smuggling is illegal, it's a risky operation that can have severe consequences if caught. With this in mind, always always always try to maximise your profit margin. Don't settle for selling your goods at a station because it's easy to get to. Settle for selling it for the highest price, usually in the heart of house space, surrounded by many lawfuls and hard to reach. To do any less is shameful for a smuggler. There's a great sense of smugness (pun intended) to be had when you have flown a complete route undetected, slipped past any and all law enforcers/navy patrols, and sold your precious commodity in the heart of the lawful systems for the best price. Try it and see.

9) Rp contract work. At some point your activities will become known to someone. It's unavoidable usually. If you are fortunate, that person may well be prepared to interact with you on an Rp basis with regular work. They will know you as a cautious and conscientious smuggler who always delivers. They may provide you with contracts to ship certain items undetected to their bases or past blockades, or offer to finance your operations for a small return on their investment etc. There's a lot of opportunities to explore and I suggest you do so.

10) A note on escorts/scouts. Personally, I don't use them. I find caution and paranoia to be enough. And they will eat your profit. However it can be more fun to fly with a buddy if you are a team and are splitting the profit or just wanting to RP the run. I would NOT recommend the hiring of freelance or merc pilots however unless they have worked with you before and you are certain they will respect your confidentiality. Remember, anonymity is your greatest asset.

These are my tips for playing the solo, low key smuggler type. Some will disagree with me of course. There are smuggler factions out there but personally I would avoid them. Nothing shouts out "STOP ME" more than displaying the tag of a known smuggling group. In my opinion, a great smuggler is just about unknown. Maybe a few trusted associates would be aware of his operation but in general he is the proverbial grey man, not standing out from the crowd, seeming so uninteresting as to be beneath attention. Oh, and he is also very, very rich. Good luck folks.

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This really isn't something that needs to be taken super seriously because it's a game and most of us are just here to have fun. You should try smiling, you'll feel better about things (honest).