Corsair with a Question

[Carlos_Benitez]

For the sake of easy reading, I'll set out relevant facts in a list;

• (In RP) The main source of income for the Corsairs is piracy, not smuggling. Smuggling is conducted, for the most part, by private agents.
  
• Corsairs have been known to carry Artefacts from the Omicrons to 2 bases only; Trafalgar Base in New London, and LL.Hawaii in Sigma-19.
  
• Artefacts transported into New York are done so by either private agents, Hogosha or Junkers.
  
• Artefacts are not a "corsair commodity". Unlike Cardimine for outcasts, artefacts are NOT our lifeblood. They can be found floating in space, and, according to the game itself, are transported more-often-than-not by other factions.
  
• NPC corsairs have NEVER been sighted in Liberty. The Corsairs have no interest in conquering liberty until they have finished conquering Bretonia and Rheinland, and do not conduct operations in the area. Corsairs have nothing but enemies in the region; no-one to do business with, and no-one to shelter them other than the Junkers at Rochester and Beaumont.
  
• If spotted in Liberty, the Corsairs would risk the Liberty government funding operations against them, and could well see increased defence of shipping in Bretonia, Rheinland, Omega and Sigmas, which would be a disaster for the nation. Liberty also has a habit of invading the home-territories of terrorists, and happily do so if motivated, with Rheinland and Bretonia's blessing. The Corsairs are capable of many things, but not capable of withstanding a full-on war with Liberty.
  
• Independent smugglers would much rather go undefended rather than draw attention to themselves by bringing along a Corsair ship. A Corsair ship would stick out like a saw thumb in Liberty...and if a smuggler where seen with a Corsair escort, they could very well lose business associates and buyers. (almost all of the liberty underground are anti-corsair. The rest are the cold-side of indifferent towards them.)
  
• Alaska is meant to be a secret system controlled by the Liberty Government. It is pretty ridiculous for a smuggler to go through nomad infested territory, Order territory, then a strictly classified and controlled Liberty Navy/LSF system past all their battleships and cruisers, through a strictly controlled jump gate through to a heavily monitored and patrolled no-fly zone surrounded by space-mines. It's even more ridiculous for a Corsair ship. -In fact, and I'm sorry to say it; it makes a complete mockery of the game.
  
• If a shipment was SO important (which, on occasion, I would accept)...Corsair pilots might escort, but they would keep their heads down, and certainly not fly the corsair flag; that means no Corsair tags, and use of Pirate rather than Corsair ships. They'd be far more likely to go in disguise rather than put themselves, the smuggler, and the nation at risk.
  

Despite the above, I'm informed that none of this is explicitly against server rules. Some people have told me that, if escorting, zone-of-influence rules no longer apply.
If it's true that artifact smuggling through Alaska to New York with Corsair escorts has the admin seal of approval, it's a sad day for roleplay in Liberty.
I appreciate it's the most profitable route available to Corsair-associated groups...but in my opinion, a high standard of role-play, and the diplomatic welfare of the Corsair nation should come before profit.
There have been rumours that in the next mod release, some of these issues will be resolved.

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