Crime & Punishment

Pirates in low-sec must have the ability to take down lucrative traffic for them to go and risk pirating in Militia dominated border-zones or prey on empire-null traffic else-where. With cloak-mechanics, JF (desperately needing a massive fuel consumption increase) and Wt0, this has become close to impossible.

A no-chance-of-escape when caught should be acceptable. The balance is in not getting caught in the first place, a lot of this involving much better suitable meta-gaming mechanics like using scouts and/or escorts. The point of allowing a bubble means pirates can have a dictor drop one bubble and GTFO or get sentry-spanked, for a specific target. But never act like a permanent net catching everything passing through. Just passing them off as 'blobber weapons' is moot.

Cultivating low-sec by a more meaningful FW presence and (moderately risky) inter-empire traffic will make the low-sec border zones less defined by PvP as you point out.

Capitals will become much less prevalent also because the aforementioned required increase in jumpfuel consumption to keep null-power minding more their own business and focusing their direct null-neighbors.

I've pirated longer then your character is old. More importantly: I've seen how it has changed over the last 9 years. I've witnessed firsthand how killmails changed piracy for example. Have you?

You are completely ignoring the fact that after Inferno, FW will completely change and likely receive a massive influx of pilots. Separating the empires by low-sec FW-zones as I mentioned and will also further boost population and this will be the 'better-accessible' part you mention. High population does wonders in keeping random pirates away, just look at null.

The main reason why this isn't happening now is the ease and low cost of null power-projection, not having to spend much attention or ISK in defending their territory and eager to crush any target-rich environment not yet blue, preferably in (for them low-risk) low-sec. So nerfing their power-projection into the ground is simply mandatory. Changing the political landscape of null back to how it was mostly in 2005-2006, when they were much too busy fighting among themselves and fully committed to living in null, not bothering low-sec much.

Also after Inferno FW will be able to PvP much more cost efficiently then any pirate, they generally don't prey on neutrals and consider pirates a piñata that take a bit more effort to smash, but well worth it.

So moderate low-sec safety, travel and cultivation will be achieved and mostly by meta-gaming mechanics I might add, the most balanced way of doing things. And like I said: JFs will not be forgotten in the fuel consumption increase, making them no longer viable as a way to make easy and risk-free money by transporting between null and empire. THIS is the main underlying cause for the dronepoo minerals problem in empire.



Yes the gang might be stationary, but their ability to catch traffic will only be intermittent since it's the dictor can't stay and continue dropping bubbles. And because nothing else changes, the ability to catch traffic without a bubble in low-sec stays minimal. And don't forget with improved FW presence permacamping should become less prevalent.



This is simply nonsense. Let's make it cost 100B ISK worth of ice to jump a capital, do you really think people will still keep moving their capitals around, hotdropping on every opportunity? Ofcourse 100B ISK would make players completely abandon capitals, but just keep lowering the number and at some point they will used solely when a pos needs bashing or in major capital clashes in null. Individual players will likely stop using their caps for individual whims is when it means a full day of plexing just to pay for the fuel.

So caps will then be used mainly for alliance level strategic goals (like taking a good moon) for which the alliance is willing and able to cough up the bill, paid by their passive moon and stationtax income. Individual ownership of capitals will drop sharply but that's OK. CCP might have to be so kind as to make some improvements to handle corp-ownership of such ships, but all in all, this is how it should have been balanced in the first place.

Players might still not care for the monetary side own owning capitals, but they damn well care for the operating cost if they have to pay up many hours worth of effort. Nor will players constantly travel up and down the bridge network for some post-op plexing or quick low-sec roams if it comes with a large pricetag (nor will their alliance let them)

And yes, some alliances can afford for their members to go crazy with their capitals and bridges, but don't forget: jumpfuel isn't just ISK, it means logistical labor as well. And even rich powerhouses like the Goons won't play around all over the map, including low-sec if they have to keep a closer eye to their neighbors that can only find targets closer at home. Because traveling all around the galaxy looking for non-blues would come with pricetag too big for most individual players and even many alliances (making neighbors fight neighbors again, like in the old days).

My Dearest Lauren Sheaperd,

I apologize for the previous posts. They wer indeed horrible.

Give people a way to effect pirating and people will come. As it stands there is none of that. There needs to be content to encourage people to combat piracy. This is what Pirates are lacking.

If only there was a way to effect sec status and make lowsec a true pirate haven. Get rid of gate guns. Want them back fight for it. Something like how the Blue incursion bar works.
100% Pirate control of system = no gate guns no station guns players need to bring the sec index up by killing actual pirates.
At 50% Anti-pirate control the gate guns reappear 75% station guns 100% anti pi's are immune to gate guns.(that last parts a stretch). Give an anti-pirate npc corp or some such like faction warfare has a militia, Rewards in the form of LP or somethin. Come on CCP make pirating mean something!

I could accuse you of the same for posting on your 2009 char. I do not have 'superior' pirating knowledge, not having been only being a low-sec pirate the last 9 years. I do however have more then enough first-hand experience to make valid experience-based observations and arguments. That should be enough for this discussion.

The intermittent absence of pirate would mean 'actual able to access low-sec' don't you agree? Increase FW-presence, especially with their increase stakes in the system after Inferno, WILL keep pirate population in militia-heavy systems under control and will definitely prevent perma-camping.


Since it's currently not possible to use bubbles at all, nobody 'knows' exactly how effective bubbling a gate will be. The sentries will not be a deterrent for the dps, but it should aim to be a deterrent from permabubbling. Perhaps it will require some sentry-AI improvement, perhaps not. But without a bubble gatecamps will be as impotent as they are now. As for increasing the size of a camp with one or two dictors, that can't stay and shoot anyway... how is that an issue? The only real issue I see here is that the FW guys might not be so keen on bubble mechanics changing their playground. But this discussion is primarily about bringing back piracy.

Except I'm not posting on a 2009 character. *Shrug*. Experienced-based observations and arguments are only valid if you know, you can prove said experience.



You're underestimating the overlap of people who "pirate" - which is to say people who will shoot neutrals, in this case - and faction warfare players. That, and with the increased need to maintain control of their systems, I doubt we'll see them organizing as many gangs to bring it to take down some gate-campers especially with bubbles on the field to scare off the weekend warriors who are worried about their implants.



You know why gate-camps are "impotent" these days? This is because there isn't enough traffic and *not* because they can't catch their targets. They even must still be worthwhile as there are still people who do it. You know what will screw over these people entirely? Decreasing traffic. You know what would decrease traffic?

You guessed it! Bubbles!

I'm not sure why you're so adamant that bubbles are what low-sec needs - when there really isn't any reason to have them there.



My argument was based on the assumption of reasonable changes, not as absolute in the face of ridiculous suggestions. While, as I believe I have said already, I agree this nerf will be effective - it won’t be on any scale that would be of any benefit to low-sec.



While the most of the arguments presented in this particular paragraph is made moot by the ones above, I'll admit this made me laugh pretty hard. I think I like this name much better.

Are Interdiction Nullified T3's immune to the focus script of a HIC?

If yes... Eek

If no, Could one not tank a Devoter triple focus script it add Sebo's bring 2x remote repair / remote sensor boosting Onieros' and a few fast dps ships to lockdown a gate for hours until a proper fleet or gang comes in to contest it? Or is this not what is wanted?

So what low-sec really needs is to allow gate-campers more frigate kills. Right. Undermine an important part of low-sec - rookies learning to PvP - so larger gangs can have more frigate kills.

I think this is appropriate.

Maybe blockade runners need to looked at, and if you've got a suggestion then great, but bubbles won't deter capitals. They will only deter new traffic - and current traffic - from low-sec.

I don't even know how that would help piracy since Incursion fleets tend to be large well coordinated groups they'd likely get their butts handed to them and the very presence of an incursion in the system nerfs their ships performance

This is thread is ridiculous. Someone saying there aren't enough juicy targets around? My friend Piracy is more than just a mere gate camp with low sec status....

You need to be innovative. See which regions have people coming in. Make a note of budding wormhole corps in low sec trying to stake a claim in "quiet" regions. Look into Null Sec news as far as which alliances are losing ground such as Red Alliance now trying to lick their wounds in our region.

Go roam! harass those snobby SOV holders with a yar and a grin so devilish it makes them cringe. All this bawwing makes me sick. True Pirates know they must hunt their prey even through myriads of systems to get that one gem....

If anything low sec now has this illusion of being "safe" due to low population. When in reality it still simmers with the few of us still craving the lust of a good fight.

And Piracy goes beyond just the low sec systems and Null. Alt Piracy is how one can make billions in a single scam. Making others trust you as just another newcomer to the game is thrilling. Acting the part, feigning ignorance... How can you sit here and say Piracy is dead when you can't even grasp the opportunities to be had!

I fly not under some SOV banner as a pet or a slave. I fly forever under a Jolly Rodger and knowing I am free to roam where I choose and hunt where I like. Because that to me is the constant in this game. Freedom.

Now strap on that eye patch, hop in something quick, flashy and put on that devilish grin.... Because it's a Pirates life for me....