After there s been a bit of confusion about the behaviour of headhunters around. i d like to put it to a more reasonable point of view. so i m not referring to any out-of-roleplay stuff. just point out what how i see those two, sometimes confusing IDs.
to start with - there s the generic mercenary:
that ID works for money, basicly any job there is - no matter how dirty, no matter how much against the low. - but do they really do that? it is my believe that the mercenaries life is MUCH MUCH more complicated than that of a bounty hunters guild member. a mercenaries main concern is not money, i d say - but reputation.
money is needed and is part of the currency of a mercenaries life. but so is reputation. not choosing to work under the rules of the guild means not to be an outlaw. yes, they can work for the bad guys, killing the good guys, and yes, they can aswell work for the good guys killing the bad guys, aswell as killing good guys for good guys ( now thats when you really want a merc instead of a bhg ).
but they can only do that so long. all the money they earned won t give them anything when their reputation is hurt beyond a certain limit. a merc without contract means ( in roleplaying terms: no money, no resupply for the ship, many enemies and soon - an aprupt end of the career, most probably in a rescue pod heading into a sun )
changing sides makes you hostile to both sides soon, as being attacked allways weighs more than fulfilling a contract. what can a merc do when all his reputation is ruined? - he can try to start an "honest" life as a trader in anonymity or try to enlist with the BHGs ( but will they take someone with such a bad reputation? )
after all, a merc is free to decide but making money the very center of his thoughts and the indicator for his decissions might be wrong. taking allways the highest offers might be the wrong way. the mercs life is easy when it comes to choosing the equipment one would say. but again, its reputation. if a merc is piloting an outcast destroyer, he is unlikely to get a job from the corsairs, if he uses a titan, he ll be unwelcome at malta. same with any other equipment. - so, a merc must pay a serious thought on what he uses and who he works for - and still has the freedom to decide.
about the BHG...
THEY do not need to care so much for their reputation, - mainly because they have one allready. they have their enemies and their friends. they even have their own equipment, which they can - if needed surely switch with house equipment, cause in the end, they are on friendly terms with all lawfuls. they have proven to work in the very interest of the law and to be efficient when its about fighting pirates and villains.
they might not have the freedom of choice like the mercs have, but they have a reputation that they can allmost not hurt ( that is - as long as they play by the BHG rules of course ) THEY can care for the money in the very first place. - which is easy, cause no lawful would offer them a contract, and if so - no BHG would accept it. ( except for bribes, everyone has his price:D)
the last oddity are the generic military, but we had a thread about them not long ago - so no comment here.
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