Experimental Freighter Smuggling

[Zentor]

We have boosted the Kidnapped VIPs routes significantly and utilized one of our existing plugins to prevent jettisoning and player transferring this good for the time being as a temporary measure to try out actual, lucrative, freighter smuggling.

See, the main hurdle that has stood in our way in the past for making dedicated freighter routes is the need to prevent the goods being hauled in bulk via a large transport, which would mean very broken rates, so this is an attempt at preventing this.

The one downside to this method is being unable to cargo pirate/interdict these goods for the time being, so I hope to be able to amend this in the future with some dedicated code lines.

Please provide any useful feedback if you have any, but remember this isn't our final destination. If this is positively received, we might expand this to other goods, both lawful and contraband.

Cheers, and Safe Skies

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#JusticeForBurgundy

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"Music gives Wings to the Mind, Soul to the Universe, and Life to Everything"

[SeaFalcon]

Going to try this out but these goods to need to ejected considering most are illegal and when captured by the police it leaves little other options.

Would it be possible to simply make these goods not tractorable somehow?

Will leave some more feedback when I have tested this out.

[Sally]

Would it be possible to simply make these goods not tractorable somehow?

The cargo could still be hauled by another player using the trade window or stored temporarily in player bases.

This is a welcomed change, i thought the kidnapped VIPs sell price was ridiculous and should be at least three or four times higher to make it worth it. Another possible solution to encourage freighter smuggling is making the buying points also dockable to fighters and freighters only. Or maybe make the trade bonus plugin recognize the ship class before giving bonus credits.

[LuckyOne]

I don't really understand the "broken rates" argument. Just balance the rates with this "pair smuggling" in mind. It's really just reverse mining.

Alternatively, someone suggested atmospheric systems on every freighter only smuggling sellpoint. This would be easy to balance as every "freighter route" would actually be just the in-system atmospheric run, during which they could be intercepted by other freighters and LF iterceptors.

[James Greed]

The no jettison method very much seems to be a stopgap measure.

I also don't quite like the fact that a freighter has to give up more than half of it's cargo for the best defensive options, while a similar amount of protection doesn't nearly cull as much cargo from a transport. At least not comparatively.

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Greedback

[Zentor]

I don't really understand the "broken rates" argument. Just balance the rates with this "pair smuggling" in mind. It's really just reverse mining.

Alternatively, someone suggested atmospheric systems on every freighter only smuggling sellpoint. This would be easy to balance as every "freighter route" would actually be just the in-system atmospheric run, during which they could be intercepted by other freighters and LF iterceptors.

Not everyone is able to smuggle with a partner due to various reasons, but yes that was what I did most recently. Just want to give a go to freighter specific gameplay, rather than just as a ferry.

The atmospheric systems on every freighter smuggling point puts a ton of reliance on Systems to make lots of changes to allow a section of gameplay.
I believe our best way forward will be to alter one or two of the plugins to make specific commodities only picked up by specific ship classes (freighters in this case). That way there is potential for interdictions and cargo piracy but protections against ferrying to big transports where its not wanted/intended.

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#JusticeForBurgundy

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"Music gives Wings to the Mind, Soul to the Universe, and Life to Everything"

[Zentor]

@Salty
actually, you might be on to something there. It would be an easy amendment to the Event plugin to check shipclass at the selling point and award bonuses accordingly. Hmmmm.

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#JusticeForBurgundy

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"Music gives Wings to the Mind, Soul to the Universe, and Life to Everything"

[SeaFalcon]

Not sure if it's worth flying from Manhattan to Malta for 6-7m.

Maybe if there is a good way back but since Cardie wasn't boosted and has weird pricing altogether, so it's a little funky.

Edit:
In perspective, 5k slaves earn you 36m.
That's 6 trips worth it and freighters are not going to be cutting the time in half with their faster engines.

[Toaster]

Just earned ~20 million credits dropping off 110 VIPs on Malta. Would've been more if I hadn't gimped my cargo capacity with a speedy engine. Seems pretty fair to me.

Edit: I think your math might have taken a wrong turn somewhere, Seafalcon.

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Olivia Sable

[SeaFalcon]

Just earned ~20 million credits dropping off 110 VIPs on Malta. Would've been more if I hadn't gimped my cargo capacity with a speedy engine. Seems pretty fair to me.

Edit: I think your math might have taken a wrong turn somewhere, Seafalcon.

Buy 110 VIPs for 41.250 = 4.537.500
Sell 110 VIPs for 107613 = 11.837.430
Total profit = 7.299.930

Unless FLStats is borked because of some server side stuff?