Miners and Pirates

[kikatsu]

This was not really an issue before, seeing that almost no one mined at all


But now that there appears to be miners everywhere, this raises an important question...


Situation:

My Outcast gunboat, the Temples, keeps running across groups of miners in Tau 23, IMG tagged and ID'd. They are almost always in mining ships armed ONLY with mining lasers. So far I have treated them like traders, pirating them for cash, then once they have payed I leave them alone (or in one case, Pulsed gunned the shields off of one down that would not stop mouthing off).

But my question is this: How should an Outcast tagged and ID'd ship treat IMG tagged and ID'd mining ships that are mining? Like traders? Or treat them like the Outcasts treat the normal IMG (attack)?

They are not really 'transports' (in my opinion atleast, nevermind the technical aspect of them) , nor are they trading. I don't really consider flying 10 K away from the IMG base in 23 and shooting rocks for ten minutes trading, but to be on the safe side, I have been using the normal pirate/trader course of action.


But an offical standpoint of the situation would be appriciated. Along with any other opinions people have on this.