' Wrote:No, I dont. I'm not going to risk losing my faction's access to corsair shipyards and resources to stop one artifact smuggler. As far as I'm concerned, they're working for the corsairs, and thus indirectly working for us. I dont have to -like- what they're doing, but that doesnt mean I have to pay attention to it either. I turn a blind eye and consider it a necessary evil. <-- So a trader or smuggler "works for" the factions they trade with? So an artifact smuggler works for both the Corsairs and Liberty? Pretty much all (or at least most) artifacts are destined to Manhattan. So by your logic, the smuggler works for both the Corsairs and Liberty ... ironic. Guess Liberty shouldn't be complaining much since Manhattan sells counterfeit software. My smuggler moving this counterfeit software would be working for Liberty right? After all ... Liberty DOES sell contraband. Manhattan buys all kinds of contraband and sells counterfeit software. And Houston sells slaves.
I'm not going by NPC reactions to the cargo, i'm going by the cargo's infocard. Alien organisms, by their infocard, are stated as a bacterial lifeform that is used in the terraforming process. It says nothing about them being related to nomads, or being dangerous to human beings - therefor I dont consider them contraband, and most other player here dont either. <-- And many factions / characters should go by what would logically be considered contraband. Why would a pirate be happy to see prisoners aboard a prison ship? Its like seeing slaves in a smuggler's ship. Alien organisms may be an exception based on the infocard.
Liberty doesnt restrict alaska/z21 because it borders order space, they restrict it because it's where all of their classified ships and technology are manufactured and tested. Likewise with omicron 100 - that's our version of alaska, it's where our research takes place and it's where we build our ships. We cant have some civilian burning through the system taking notes on the order's biggest secrets.
That isnt what I'm trying to do. <-- But Liberty DOES restrict access for role play reasons. AND ... Liberty physically patrols and engages vessels that approach Z21 and/or pass through Alaska.
The problem here is that the players - the smugglers in this case - are using game coding limitations to 'cheat' their way through the system. They smuggle in trains so that the guard npcs cant use cruise disruptors to stop them, or they tweak their rep so the guard npc's dont attack them at all. THAT is OoRP, and as such is sanctionable. My problem is with players actively and knowingly doing these things, then trying to cover it up with "lol, the npcs cant stop me" <-- So explain why traders are justified for the Diamond / Niobium route that passes through Sigma 13, Chugoku and Hokkaido. Is this cheating as well? They're all neutral with pirates and terrorists. Smugglers ... pay careful attention to what that word means ... are designed to ferry cargo "undetected" by authorities. Smugglers entire goal is to get cargo from point A to point B without being detected ... SO ... if they pass through undetected by you or even your NPCs ... the smuggler has done his job effectively. A smuggler's success is to make you ... the lawful guy ... think the cargo he's carrying is legal. Its YOUR job to scan him and verify the cargo is not contraband. If you're not there and your Order NPCs don't do their job (which they do scan and demand contraband is dropped) ... then you can only blame yourself.
Bottom line ... do your job ... don't rely on the admins or the rules do the job for you.
