I feel that for fairness reasons pirates should only be allowed to demand up to 20% of the trade profit. But requesting cargo will be a good start. Basically the whole server is too pirate biased as it is now. I know, cos I've played both sides of the fense.
But my concience was too great to bear so I stopped pirating. Don't like one sided pleasure, if I have fun the other party should too. It is after all a game...
But yes, traders need to be given at least a fighting chance... better weapons and armor maybe... make them forfeit a little cargo for more armor. Maybe give all under 5000 transports a cruise disrupter, a little more agile, more thruster speed and immune to all but train cruise disrupter. And a 4500 one thats well defended for the price of a 5000, but if yo uwant tthe 5000, you have to take the risk.