Trading - Brainstorming Changes

[FooFighter]

The only way to make trading ok-ish as it currently is is to fly in convoys and RP all the way along the route. That works for a while. But eventually, you'll get bored, as you just lack the randomness (read: interesting situations) you get when you aren't bound to fly the same routes over and over again, wasting as little time in a system as possible.

I would have an idea about how trading could be made fun though - here it is:

Freighters
They are supposed to be small and relatively agile for cargo ships. Give them the ability to fend off attackers and to escape them - give them two CM slots and some proper guns with which they can take down a lone fighter or bomber or, if skilled, maybe two of them in combat; give them the firepower of something between a SHF and a GS. Create multiple kinds of turrets - FLAK, anti-GB, rapid-firing chainguns etc, so you can try out different loadouts and find one that suits your style. This way, you wouldn't be bound to lose in a possible hostile encounter, although a trade vessel still should prefer flight to fight. Transports should rely on not getting noticed, but not to the point that getting noticed means sure death (or poverty).

Make them able to sell their cargo for a good profit. 20 - 30 millions per hour (yes, I'm serious). This way, they don't have to powertrade, and could also spend some time on just RPing with the locals (deliberately not jumping to the next system) and giving some cash to pirates also wouldn't mean that you have to trade another hour to get enough cash for your fighter.

Transports
Now, if freighter can already earn so much cash - the profits gained by trading in a transport would be awesome. But wouldn't it be far too much?

I think transports should make something around 100 millions per hour (150 for the especially risky runs). To make up for this however, lone transports should be extremely slow and vulnerable. Give them good shield and hull values, but don't let them mount thrusters, give them rather weak guns (hey, you *are* sacrificing firepower for cargo space here mate). A player flying a transport should be able to fend off an overzealous VHF if he's a good shot, but ultimately, flying with some serious protection should be an absolute necessity. If possible, don't let them cruise and give them a rather slow impulse speed drive (though, I've heard this can lead to problems when a slow guy is trying to form up with a faster guy - maybe we can restrict a ship's ability to form up with others somehow? Cannon?).

Pirates

While robbing a freighter should be similar to robbing a transport in the current trade system (just a little bit more difficult, as the freighter will now actually be able to defend itself), robbing a transport will be very special. They are the really big fish in the pond. Since they will almost always fly in convoys (an unprotected transport should be pirate Christmas), robbing one will require some teamwork: you need a fighter or two to take down the transport's escorts and a bomber to deal some hurt to the transport itself if it acts up. For optimum results, add a pirate freighter. Taxing the guy will be lucrative, as he's making huge profits and thus can also spare a lot - but what will be even more lucrative is cargo piracy. Bring a pirate freighter with you, and take some of the transport's goods. Either sell them for a nice price at the nearest pirate base (make sure only the right people can dock on them though, to avoid people buying cargo at lawful bases and shipping them to unlawful ones).

If you want to make even more cash, you could create your own black market - get a Barge and let your minions fill it up with pirated cargo. Sell said cargo to smugglers - instead of buying (let's take some example commodity) Gaian Wildlife from Perth and shipping it all the way to Cold Bay Depot, they could buy the pirated animals from you in Magellan, creating some profit for you and for themselves as well.

The results:

• Trading would still be grinding, but less so, and you wouldn't be bound to lose in any encounter as well.
  
• Especially when trading in transports, teamwork will be a must. The higher profits won't unbalance everything, as you'd have to pay your escorts as well.
  
• Since you no longer need to powertrade for hours to get a friggin' fighter, everything would be a little bit more relaxed. You could make a stop or two along the way, RP with some locals or pirates, without being forced to do another darn hour of boring F3-spamming.
  
• With my suggestion of the creation of black markets, players could play a role in the server's economy as well, which could actually be quite fun.
  
• Freighters will be used by other people than just newbies who can't afford anything better. Transports will still be used, but you'd also see much more escorts and pirates who both can now expect much better pays (seriously, why should I bother to escort a trader in my fighter for 2 millions if I could make 20 in the same time if I'd get into my transport as well?).
  

Oh, and screw all the grammatical mistakes I may have made while typing this post. It's 0247 AM here and I should be in bed by now, else I'll never get up early like I should >_< .