Can Bounty Hunters actually demand cargo?

[Manni]

I need just a clarification.

Can they demand contraband from smugglers/traders?


Greets,
Colonia

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[Jinx]

yes and no. - even the lowlife rogues can demand cargo - but that doesn t mean the victim has to comply. - bhg can demand cargo - they have no right to engage a smuggler if he does not comply though .... unless authorized by the local police ( not military ).

however, a smuggler is hardly informed about if a BHG is authorized or not - and at the point of a gun, some decissions are easier than others.

if a BHG knows he is not authorized, but he can still prove that he was upholding the law - he might still not get into trouble if his actions are not wittnessed by a police officer, - cause what does the smuggler want to do? - complain about loosing a cargohold of contraband at the next police station and ask to get his cargo back?

a smuggler that is stopped by a BHG should make his decission very carefully. - the BHG is not supposed to be very sensitive when it comes to dealing with criminals. - if the police wittnesses a BHG that is not authorized - they may tell him off for it.... but that does not help the smuggler much.

( server reality is sometimes different, i have seen police yelling at the BHG and even attacking a BHG that demanded cardamine cargos to be dropped. - in the meantime the smuggler went on his way while the police engaged the BHG [ silly world sometimes ]. - thats an example of false priorities )

either way, the smuggler is toast if he does not comply when caught. for the smuggler it doesn t matter if he is blown up by the police or the BHG - and knowing that the BHG gets yelled at won t do him good..... as a corpse in space.

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[ProwlerPC]

We at S/D have a very specific policy in Bretonia regarding Contraband.
It is a liitle different than our policy in Liberty.
The reason being, both houses have different policies regarding BH and smugglers.

Currently I am assigned to Bretonian space. My orders are to identify smugglers and provide a report to the authorities, hopefully they will post a bounty later, thats my paycheque.

I suggest that current and new smugglers get familiar with how each house chooses to have its laws enforced. They aren't the same.

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[Manni]

Well, i was smuggling Artifacts to New York, then those Bounty stoped me and demanded my cargo.
Was quite unsure if they really can do it.
But later, when i was "smuggling" food, pharms & consumer goods back, Navy tried to stop me because of my ID. OK, this was pretty...well, weird. They only tried to kill me cause of my ID...weird Liberty.

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[Athenian]

This one is prertty straightforward in the rules.

6.15 Owners of Bounty Hunter/Mercenary/Freelancer IDs have a right to attack:

- Pirates
- Traders ships carrying smuggled goods and refusing to drop them
- (not for FL ID) Lawful and unlawful players with a bounty on their heads

But to prevent the BHG acting like the Sirius wide Robocops, there ought to be some self-imposed restrictions. Police forces need to clarify the situation and thankfully they are, in Liberty and Bretonia anyway. BHers should really only do this when in a particular jurisdiction. Remember the factions have different ideas as to what is contraband. The BPA wont confiscate marijuana: you pay a fine and that's it. It would be ridiculous if the Police had one standard and the Guild another when operating in the same system.
The LPI have bountied smugglers, and we have stopped and destroyed an entire hold of cardamine on one occasion.The BPA, as Felix pointed out, reserve that right to control contraband, so there the BHer scans and reports it, and the target is bountied by the BPA.

Note that no i.d. from the above can impose a fine, as that would be tantamount to piracy. And no one likes a pirate, Kollon, right? ;)

My own take is if a BHer says drop the cargo, it depends on where he is and who authorised him. It's ridiculous to think a BHer would be interdicting cardamine in the Omegas unless someone paid him to do it and authorised him to do it there in particular.
Anyone with any nomad stuff in the Lonelicrons would have BHers demanding they drop it, and possibly not for destruction either, considering it is what the Guild Core is after.

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[PinkydaBrain]

My thought is yes but only if is illegal . If you are carrying food and legal goods then no you should not be destroyed ,detained yes if a scan is needed but other than that no. Most pirates take routes through asteroids and stay a good distance away so as not to be scanned anyway. The idea being not to get caught :0) .

Trader_Pinky Basic Tradesman out of New London
Advanced Train

[Drake]

Well, i was smuggling Artifacts to New York, then those Bounty stoped me and demanded my cargo.
Was quite unsure if they really can do it.
But later, when i was "smuggling" food, pharms & consumer goods back, Navy tried to stop me because of my ID. OK, this was pretty...well, weird. They only tried to kill me cause of my ID...weird Liberty.

No one is allowed to attack or kill you just because of a Smuggler ID. Unless you're caught hauling contraband, they have to treat you just like you had a Trader ID.

However, this is more proof that the Smuggler ID is stupid and either needs to be removed, or modified so that it's actually useful (like allowing people to land on otherwise OORP bases for the purpose of buying/selling commodities).

[ScornStar]

No one is allowed to attack or kill you just because of a Smuggler ID. Unless you're caught hauling contraband, they have to treat you just like you had a Trader ID.

However, this is more proof that the Smuggler ID is stupid and either needs to be removed, or modified so that it's actually useful (like allowing people to land on otherwise OORP bases for the purpose of buying/selling commodities).

/signed.

This is like Jeffery Dahmer wearing a cannible ID and trying his gig. I dont think it would work. Experienced Disco players know better I think but we always have new folk. And new folk have just as much power in space as old folk. When you have guns blazeing on you while your in a trade vessel.

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[Colonel Z.e.r.o.]

Smuggles are people who hide under the Guize of being lawful transporter/traders that's the only real way to make it an efficient buisness. Much like carjackers can only be suspected by cops if they've been reported or if they've given themselves off like the smugger ID does traders.

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[memeics]

I hope I'm not completely offtopic to ask this but what abouto BHG NPCs? I've noticed that when I carry rogue/pirate/terrorist life pods NPC BHGs everywhere demand the cargo. If I refuse I will engage and affect my ingame reputation with BHG...