Quote:7.13 Pirates and terrorists have a right to deal as much damage as they see fit before or after demanding money from a trader ship, but killing trader ship before demanding money is not allowed. Attacking traders or demanding cargo is not allowed for cruisers and battleships, unless cruisers and battleship belong to Terrorist ID or Phantom ID owner.
Quote:7.2 All PvP/RP rules listed below in section 7 are void in the following situations:
- Self-defense - level 30 limit is not active;
- Attacker and defender belong to two NPC factions that are at war (Kusari vs Bretonia, Outcasts vs Corsairs, House vs local pirates) - level 30 limit is active;
- Attacker and defender belong to two server factions that are at war (officially declared) - level 30 limit is active.
- In systems belonging to server factions and in Connecticut - level 30 limit is not active;
Since it isn't specifically listed as voided, rule 7.13 means that lawful military and police characters in a cruiser or battleship can't attack a trader, even if it's hauling contraband. They can call for fighter or gunboat backup, or dock and return in a smaller ship, but can't attack with their big capship. The only exception would be if they're at war (a pirate trading vessel, or a Kusari trader in Bretonian space).
However, the line "Attacker and defender belong to two NPC factions that are at war (Kusari vs Bretonia, Outcasts vs Corsairs, House vs local pirates)" implies (not just implies, it actually says) that a House-specific pirate (such as the Liberty Rogues or Mollys) can attack a trader from one of the same house's factions (such as Interspace Shipping for Liberty or Bretonian Mining and Minerals for Bretonia), either to pirate or just to destroy, using whatever ship the pirate wishes.
If this is not intention (and based on what I've seen and heard, it isn't), then the rules need to be changed to make that clear. Right now it would be entirely legal for a Rogue to fly around Liberty blowing up any Liberty-aligned trader he encountered, using whatever class ship he wanted. And there are a lot of traders flying around with a Liberty Navy tag.
