The Freelancer ID

[Lance_Uppercut]

So I was looking to make an independent trader along the lines of this idea: http://discoverygc.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=58117

...and after moving up to one of the larger freighters, I went to FP4 to pick up my Trader ID. Then I realized something... why should I?

The Trader ID and the Freelancer ID are essentially the same, except Freelancers can do more. The limit on both in terms of cargo is 3800. Same goes for the Merc ID. Those two are literally the same.

I know the ID should match your RP, but that's almost never the case.. think about how many freelancer ID'd transports you see every time you fly. Freelancer ID'd gunboats... freighters... fighters... everything and every role you can think of.

Why is it like this? I understand freelancing is extremely important to the game (duh), but if you're going to be trading on your own... you're an independent trader... if you're flying a VHF and taking bounties, you're a merc. Not a generic freelancer.

My proposal is to make the Freelancer ID more of a jack-of-all-trades license, rather than a I-can-do-whatever-I-want license. This can either be done by placing limits on the freelancer ID or pumping up the other independent licenses to be more appealing. Personally, I would re-word the Freelancer ID to mean ONLY doing work FOR OTHERS... since "freelancing" doesn't usually mean doing things on your own FOR yourself.

How about this:

Pilot carrying this ID is a Freelancer, who :

• Can escort traders or join (but cannot create) trading convoys
  
• Can fulfill lawful and unlawful bounty contracts
  
• Cannot pirate, but can provide security services for pirates who are pirating if paid to do so. Freelancers can only fire on traders or smugglers in self-defense or if the trader or smuggler fires on or is bountied by the Freelancers's employer.
  
• Cannot demand contraband unless specified in employer's bounty
  
• Cannot use any transports with more than 2,000 cargo
  (* this means capped at Albatross for this ID)
  

Allowed ships: Fighters, Freighters, Transports, {removed gunboats... get a merc ID for that?}
Carrying unmounted IDs in your ship, as well as not equipping an ID, is a serious crime.

With any luck this kind of change will cut down on the number of loltraders and between-the-lines lawful/unlawful do-whatever-they-want flyers. At least it'll help push more players to picking a more specialized license, helping everyone determine what they really stand for.

Thoughts?

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::The Pennsylvania Liberation Force