Traders?

[Skoorb]

I think there is an easy way to incorporate the smuggler ID into the roleplay of the game. When a legal player catches a player smuggling they can insist that the culprit change his ID to smuggler, as well as any fine that is charged. That makes sense. They just say, "As punishment for being caught smuggling i want you to pay x credits and place this smuggler bumpersticker on your ship to alert other cops of your crimes. You must do this for a week blah blah blah." Police could even carry extra smuggler IDs for just this purpose(I know the rules would have to be adjusted to allow cops to carry the extra ID). If the criminal does not carry the smuggler ID then next time that same legal person catches him smuggling he can say I warned you, then chase him out of the system or blast them. If he has the smuggler ID, more fines. It would be nice for the smuggler ID to be available at Manhattem, NB, NT, and NL for this to happen.

Not so easy but neat would be to make the smuggler ID deteriorate like the alien organisms after a longer time (say 10 or so hours play time), that could be cool.

A pirate demanding a player get a smuggler ID does not quite make sense to me. Pirates would be happy selling their stuff to anyone, and in Malta or Crete where their law says that stuff is legal, i do not see them as being suspicious of legal traders. Cuban cigars are illegal in America but legal in Cuba. Cubans still would gladly sell their cigars to Americans.

My 2 cents.

I have also found that the amount of money you make per time spent for smuggled goods is pretty much the same as the best legal routes. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose but i think that it is perfect this way. Players choose to do either not because they make more doing one or the other but because they want to be legal or illegal.