Roleplay ?

[Baltar]

*sigh*

Yes ... I too am a bit annoyed at those who make up stories to justify their ship and equipment. I don't mind the small tweak stories to explain small adjustments ... but I cannot buy an enemy of the Corsairs using Tizonas. That's no small tweak.

With regard to unwritten rules ... they are not sanctionable. That's pretty much it. For example, I was once told that a pirate cannot use trade lanes to catch up to a trader. Um ... unwritten rule ... and I get an earful about bad role play and such. I'm used to it ... but it really gets annoying when traders always complain out of character about non-existent rules because they got caught. If a rule does not exist (in writing) and the character that has you pinned is equipped and portraying his character according to the ID he or she wears ... you have no business going OOC on them.

Now ... a trader complaining about "being pirate" is natural in character. No problem there. But don't complain because I used a trade lane to catch up with you. Just simply stay in character and plead for me to be lenient. My pirate generally pleads for leniency when he's out-gunned by a the military ... but he does so in character.

EDIT: Please stop interpreting rules outside the way they were intended to get the upper hand. Traders can be engaged and taxed/destroyed multiple times since transports are not fighting vessels. Their weapons are designed for defense only.