Smuggling Is Not Unlawful

[Username removed]

ID's don't exist in the role play environment. They exist as an out of roleplay limitation system because without them, everyone could fly any ship with any loadout and shoot everybody and that kills the purpose of this being a role play server. ID's with their do's and don'ts are good guide as to how you're supposed to play a certain character, but a lot is left to the imagination of the player.

For example I used to play mainly on a Pirate ID.

Does it mean I MUST go "yarr harr ye ain' taking ma bounty ye polike skoom!" whenever I am approached by a lawful player? Hell no, there was one instance when I was in a indie pirate faction and me and a few buddies ended up having to fly in CR space, a CR patrol stopped us and threatened to kill us for being pirates, so then I went like "What makes you think we are pirates? We haven't bothered anyone in your space, you don't see us pirating anyone, do you?"

A discussion followed and then CR agreed that we can stay in their space as long as we don't cause any trouble. Bam. Role play has been had, and neither CR nor we did go robotic mode on our ID's, people had fun and no rules were broken.

ID's were ruled as inrp items. Some exceptions seem to be necessary, nomads, wilde, AI, and pirates. I always considered the pirate ID more of a pirate flag. It should probably have the jolly roger from the sanction notice item instead of the ship, would make more sense.

I used to like ID's being oorp but most players you came across didn't get how it worked, that you were (and still are) expected to treat people by their IFF, until you can get proof of their ID. So Freelancer IFF'd people should usually be treated as such until you get scans they are something else, like a pirate. When ID's were out of roleplay, you could make people treat you by IFF until you took an action proving you were more, perhaps in intel agent/special operative or pirate. So you could fly around as a spy with an intel ID, but not have people call you out until you break an inrp law.

But no one understood it and everyone was doing something different, and if you tried that you got acknowledged for your ID anyways and it wound up being inrp or you had to ignore many people or constantly explain your intent oorp.

Basically ID's have to be inrp because its just too confusing for new players who haven't done much rp'ing.

You reckon this issue can't be helped by a line on top of the ID description that goes something like "This "I.D" is NOT a roleplay item. It exists merely as a personal guide for what the character carrying it can and cannot do." ?