The capitol systems are unbalanced now.
When I played freelancer first time (1994), it was pretty dangerous to go near any lawfull base, because the navy or police patrols were dagerous for my vanilla stiletto. even to go to the heart of each house was not so easy, so many lawfull patrols, escorted convoys etc.
Now we have stronger ships and guns (bombers, gunboats) but those patrols remain the same. I saw many times that pirate, who pirating me, is attacked by police NPCs, but he easy talks with me and he doesn't care about NPCs. They are simply weak in theirs Patriots with lvl3 guns and lvl1 missiles. They are like annoying flies, nothing more.
Somewhere here I read arguments that NPCs are much stronger near their home systems. but this apply to pirates only, but Police and Navy remain like in vanilla. My proposal is to make lawfull NPCs strong in capitol systems like it is in Galia. Give them HFs and VHFs or even one bomber on a patrol. Give them lvl9 guns. And then we will see whether pirates will be camping 5k outside Manhattan and waiting for easy 'cabbages'.
Pirates in capitol systems should be rare. They should attack traders on the borders of House, in the independent systems like Cortez, Berring, Kepler, where is not so strong presence of lawfulls. But now we see capitol systems are dangerous, often New York is occupied by pirates from every faction. They are talking openly in system chat. In the same time "dangerous" border systems are quiet and safe. The most problem for trader is how to sneak through capitol system, behind it, is safe.
