There can be many details that effect the outcome of a pirating attempt:
- I think most traders, but I for sure, dislike if the pirate or his/her gang forget to step off from the trigger button before even a word is heard. And might consider fighting back.
- Demanding ridiculous ammounts of money and/or cargo. Again making the best effort to make the trader unable to continue trading has a negative impact on you as well.
All in all your RP can lead to more income than overwhelming firepower. However if you are only pirating to find a chance to shoot at people, shame on you.