Unlawful IDs and non-combat ships

[Devil's Weapon]

My two cents.

The starting point: I think everyone agrees that law enforcement "drop all cardamine or die" is fine. I mean, what's the alternative, fine the transport and let it go on its merry way? I'm sure if I smuggled something from Mexico to the US, I wouldn't just be fined.

As noted by OP, this then creates the imbalance. I'm more afraid of KSP catching me and my cardamine than some unlawful FA or BD. But why does FA or BD care about my cardamine? Sure, BD wants to restore the shogunate which they presumably want to keep cardamine-free, but it's not the current government.

At the same time, BD and FA can pirate whatever lawful corporations they come across, with access to their nice, large 5kers. What's KNF and KSP going to do in the same situation? Wave hi and say "safe flight"? Good for RP but not much else. Sure, unlawful catching a cardamine smuggler is also RP but I think the smuggler would have a difficult time swallowing the fact that they have to drop their cargo for an unlawfuls AND lawfuls. Taking this into consideration, is it really fair then to give these unlawfuls "quasi-law enforcement' powers?

Assuming unlawfuls have their engagement rights liberalized, what's the result? Lawful -> RP, pew. Lawful corporation -> RP, pirate maybe, pew maybe. A hostile unlawful -> RP, pew. A friendly unlawful -> RP. Wow, I'd rather play unlawful over lawful everyday at this point. I could do everything.

One option is to develop the 'microstates' that I've heard some people loathe, for larger terrorist organizations with battlecruisers and drydocks. Alpha and Gamma can be "can attack" systems for Outcasts and Corsairs respectively. Ships stopped in these systems would have to explain why they're there. If this is to be implemented, I would like to see a reduction in ZOI because maintaining such an empire require a lot of resources right? "Common pirate" factions such as Gallic Brigands and Lane Hackers wouldn't get such a thing of course, and their bases are spread out in asteroid fields in different systems.

I think another option is to limit the transport ships that an unlawful could attack, based on commodity or faction... but we already have that. See Gaian (Gaian wildlife) and Synth foods vs. FA. I think a good addition would be Outcasts on ships carrying Nox and UC on ships carrying cardamine. If corporations could have competitors, so could drug dealers, and more violently too.

Anyway, just food for thought. I don't think I have a strong position either way.