Pirate: Difference between revisions

'''Piracy''' is a [[Roles|role]] that involves [[Crime & Punishment|stealing]] [[Commodities]] from other [[ships]] and then [[Trader|selling]] the goods for profit. When stolen Commodities need to be sold on the [[Black Market]], piracy also overlaps with [[Smuggler|smuggling]]. Conventional pirates leverage their superior firepower into quick and easy financial rewards by intimidating traders and [[miner]]s, who acquire their cargo at their own expense and often forego weapons and defenses for the sake of cargo space or mining tools, into giving up a portion or all of their cargo in exchange for being allowed to leave the scene intact. However, many pirates also [[Combat|destroy]] their victims while robbing them, either in self-defense or out of malice, which draws the attention of local security forces and [[bounty hunter]]s. A pirate can be considered successful when they make more credits than they expend on maintaining and upgrading their ship.

Pirates can operate anywhere in the [[galaxy]], but low-security systems are the most lucrative. Piracy is prevalent in [[Anarchy]] systems and systems with a ruling anarchy minor [[Factions|faction]]. Pirates don't gain a [[bounty]] and there's no NPC security in anarchy systems.

It's worth noting that if the last [[station]] you were docked is owned by a minor faction you have, or gain, a bounty with, you'll respawn at that station and have to pay that bounty off if your ship is destroyed. Thus it's beneficial to keep your last dock at a station in [[Anarchy]] space.

Piracy requires the use of several specific [[modules]] to operate successfully. Being able to track down targets between systems requires a [[Frame Shift Wake Scanner]]. Pirates must force targets out of [[supercruise]] with a [[Frame Shift Drive Interdictor]]. Next, a pirate must be able to ascertain what kind, if any, cargo the ship is carrying. This requires a [[Manifest Scanner]]. Without that a pirate has no way to tell whether a pilot has value cargo or the type and amount of cargo. Then a pirate must obtain the cargo, by force if necessary. This means directly [[Weapons|damaging]] the target's [[Cargo Hatch]], or by using [[Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller|Hatch Breaker Limpets]]. Lastly, a pirate's ship must be equipped with [[Cargo Rack]]s to hold the looted cargo. [[Limpet Controller/Collector|Collector Limpets]] can be used to more efficiently pick up disposed cargo. Doing these tasks effectively determines whether you make profit.

NPC ships that enter and leave stations carry cargo reflective of the station's economy. The respective imports and exports are based on the system state and the [[background simulation]]. The NPC ships may also carry an array of expensive [[rare commodities]].<ref name=":0">http://imgur.com/zZOHoOp</ref> Thus players can pirate the shipping lanes between wealthy [[station]]s and [[outpost]]s that import or export expensive goods. Such as wait just beyond No Fire Zones of stations or follow the wakes of haulers.

The philosophy of pirates in Elite is one of simplicity. It draws on the fear of total loss of a ship and cargo by the attacking pirate. Pilots either drop some of their cargo to meet the demands of the pirate, or risk destruction and the total loss of their cargo with a pricey insurance payment. Pirates may use any number of activities to assert dominance over the situation and persuade the target into cooperation, (e.g.- [[Mass Lock|mass locking]], proving faster speed, or showing superior firepower). Sometimes the simple presence of a large combat ship is enough to pressure a pilot into dumping some of their cargo. In Elite, most pirates only seek cargo and do not actively engage for PvP kills; though will attack if pilots don't cooperate.

Generally, pirates will leave players unharmed if their demands are satisfied. Some will still attack to kill afterwards. However, like any other flamboyant task, those who engage in piracy will start to become known among pilots and those who destroy their targets after receiving cargo will become infamous. Such pirates are known as "player killers," and pilots are less likely to cooperate. Instead, they'll attempt to escape or die fighting which leaves the pirate with nothing. It is therefore beneficial to the long-term success as a pirate to be careful with actions and to keep their promise of no harm if they drop cargo.

One of the most common methods of piracy involves staying in [[supercruise]] at a low speed around a [[Nav Beacon]] while waiting for players to jump into a system, then use a [[Frame Shift Drive Interdictor]] to force targets out of supercruise. Once a target has been interdicted and their cargo is scanned, the pirate has numerous options. The pirate can start simply by directly talking to the player with the [[Comms|Comms Panel]] or a microphone. The target player may already realize they cannot outrun or outgun the pirate and quickly hand over some cargo before moving on. The pirate can choose to attack, damage the cargo hatch until cargo is ejected. Once cargo begins to eject (module ~75-80% health), it is advised to stop shooting, as further damage will not change how much cargo the ship loses. Once cargo stops, you can attack the cargo hatch again. [[Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller|Hatch breaker limpets]] can be used separately or while attacking the cargo hatch. The time needed to hack the cargo hold is related to the health of the target's cargo hatch module. [[Trader]]s may jettison cheaper cargo first to draw attention away from themselves and attempt to jump to [[hyperspace]] before jettisoning more expensive cargo. A Manifest Scanner helps to prevent this and it gives you more bargaining power by telling the player that you know what they have and what your demands are ahead of time.

It's possible to pirate players without using [[Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller|Hatch Breaker Limpets]]. This frees a module slot for something else or use a ship with a more limited number of internals. This approach relies on the target manually ejecting some cargo after the pirate makes demands over the [[Comms]].

Shooting at players may send them into panic mode, especially if they have not encountered player piracy before. Try mass-locking and using Comms first.

Give the ultimatum "Stop your engines or I'll kill you." before asking for cargo. Zeroing thrust is easier to do than dropping cargo, so they are more likely to do that. From there, you have the time to talk with the target.

When you have someone mass locked say "drop half your cargo or lose all of it" works well and keeps the [[bounty|bounties]] low.

Sometimes the target will not respond in comms, but will still do your demand. You would still get what you want and can consider it a success.

If you can persuade the target to abandon cargo instead of jettisoning, you can sell it on the normal [[Commodities Market|commodities market]] instead of the [[black market]]. Sometimes the target asks what you prefer.

Pick your targets wisely. Because piracy requires special modules so your [[ship]] has reduced offensive or defensive power. Thus it can't fight as well as the same ship outfitted for e.g. bounty hunting. So pirating traders in smaller and slower ships is ideal. You can stay on their tail, mass-lock them and they can't kill you.

* You can be the scourge of 32 systems and just change ship and go back to trading when you get bored. This makes piracy viable as a role.

* Most pirates play other roles as well. They just look for the opportunity of additional income and excitement.<ref>https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/456085-Why-anyone-want-to-be-a-pirate-in-Elite-universe/</ref>

[[File:Unsanctioned-Outpost-Pirate.png|thumb|250px|Unsanctioned outpost]]

Random pirates can be found anywhere in [[supercruise]], inside [[Resource Extraction Site|Resource Extraction sites]] and [[Nav Beacon]]s, and overwhelmingly inhabit Compromised Nav Beacons. When scanning a ship they can usually be identified by their [[bounty]] since all NPC pirates have some sort of bounty. This scales depending on their ship and [[rank]]. Random pirates in supercruise will attempt to interdict the player if they get close. This can occur outside Nav Beacons for any later with cargo his, regardless if the player is carrying cargo or not. Strangely if a player interdicts a pirate they will not fight back immediately and will instead merely scan the player for cargo, then supercruise away if they have none. These pirates can also appear in certain [[Unidentified Signal Source]]s and are frequently in a [[Wing]] at threat levels 2 and higher. In [[salvage]] signal sources they will usually leave the player alone if they don't see them take cargo. Be careful with NPC Wings, because it's common for a small ship such as an [[Eagle]] or [[Sidewinder]] to be accompanied by an [[Anaconda]] or [[Fer-de-Lance]].

Event Pirates are more predictable and very common for traders. There are two kinds; ones chasing your cargo and assassins hired to kill you. The former can be generated any time you enter [[Supercruise]] or jump to a new system. They can be easily identified since they always hail the player for their large cargo hold before interdiction. Cargo delivery [[missions]] also generate them occasionally. You will often be told by your [[mission]] employer that they are coming. These pirates are always scaled to the player they are hunting; a [[Sidewinder]] will be attacked by other Sidewinders, [[Eagle MkII|Eagles]] and occasionally [[Adder]]s. Their rank is always one or two levels higher than yours.  

Supply runs, where you source a designated amount of cargo, have a rather deadly quirk. Unlike other missions, these missions commonly spawn pirates, a 70% chance per mission. Furthermore, these pirates have a higher level than assassins. For example, a [[Type-9]] normally encounters ships such as [[Viper MkIII]]s and on very rare occasions [[Python]]s. While pirates for these missions very commonly fly [[Anaconda]]s. They have a very high rank such as Elite while the player is as low as Competent. It's advised to take serious caution on these missions and don't take them in bulk. Note that [[Wing Missions]] don't have this issue.

Pirates (not assassins) always demand a certain amount of cargo when they scan you; if you have any, otherwise they will leave disgruntled. Complying will satisfy them and it's useful to have the Jettison all cargo command bound to a button for emergencies. Beware, in some cases pirates can chase the player again immediately after receiving the cargo. So this is only advisable if escaping or fighting isn't an option.

* Travel in [[wing]]s.

* Use chaff.

* Use ECM.

* Utilize developed PvP techniques and tricks to try to circumvent and outmaneuver pirates.

* Keep an eye on the [[comms]] to see demands made by the pirate.

* Losing some cargo might seem bad, but it's a small loss compared to the cost of total haul plus ship rebuy if you resist the pirate and die.

* An intelligent pirate knows that if they kill you after you have given cargo, you will likely block them. That is bad for their long term profits so they shouldn't kill you if you give up cargo.

* If it's a player in a better, faster ship they will know the tricks to not let you get away and will likely blow your rear off. So it's better to meet their demands (or run anyway if they shoot first).

Reduce ship speed to minimum or zero while using Collector Limpets to ensure that they do not impact with the hull and cause the loss of LTDs. After returning to supercruise, whether with cargo or just to select another target, be sure to wait for and evade an interdiction attempt by an NPC pirate before undertaking another interdiction. This will prevent an NPC pirate from dropping in and interrupting a piracy attempt.

* FSD Interdictor (mandatory to pull target from supercruise)

* Pack-Hounds/Seeker Missiles/Cannons/Multicannons (optional for shield tanking, mandatory for the rest)

Pirates who [[On Foot|disembark]] from their ships can also loot [[settlement]]s. The [[Maverick Suit]] is ideal for this task as its [[Arc Cutter]] can be used to cut open metal panels and maglocks to access [[Goods]] and [[Components]].

Settlement looting can be done stealthily to avoid alerting any guards and other personnel, but in order to thoroughly scour a settlement for all of its valuables, it is best to eliminate all security. First, take out any [[Skimmers]], restore power to the settlement if it is inactive, and deactivate all security systems and defence turrets via the Command Centre controls. Next, neutralise any guards or criminal scavengers in the settlement. At this point, pirates can search the entire settlement for valuable items at their leisure. It is suggested to park an SRV nearby to store collected items, since a suit's backpack has limited space and will not be able to hold all of a settlement's items.

* As of Update 1.5, Piracy in Elite was overhauled and the definition of "piracy" broadened. Previously, the term "Pirate" was normally reserved only for players who would actively seek out and prey on other CMDRs hauling valuable cargo, as well as the generic term for any ''Wanted'' NPCs that interdict players and that populate Nav Beacons, R.E.S., USS sites, and other locations. After the changes implemented in update 1.5, NPC ships entering and leaving stations now carry cargo more reflective of each station's Economy and its respective Imports and Exports. These NPC ships may also carry an array of expensive rare commodities.<ref name=":0">http://imgur.com/zZOHoOp</ref> This means that players can now choose to pirate the shipping lanes between wealthy stations and outposts that import or export expensive goods - sometimes even laying in wait just beyond No Fire Zones of stations or following the wakes of trade ships. New and updated piracy missions were also added to the [[Bulletin Board]]. These changes provided a more open-ended path with more choices for players choosing piracy. Players can now engage in a form of piracy that is reliable, lucrative, and well-paying without having to rely on only attacking other players directly; this also had a secondary effect of lessening the social stigma and impact of the term "Pirate." Since it's possible to carry out the activities of a pirate without having to attack other players many are more likely openly admit to pirating, leading to open discussion about the profession between players and helping to further piracy as a career. Piracy has become a more lucrative career choice with the potential for a much larger income less reliant on PvP than it had been previously.<ref>https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=199470</ref><ref>https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=201170</ref>