Pirate: Difference between revisions

* Piracy in Anarchy systems solves the problem of 1) Getting a bounty for destruction, and 2) Heavy fines if stolen goods are scanned in cargo holds.

* 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>

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.  

[[Assassin]]s function mostly the same, but are much more dangerous. For one they do not care for your cargo and will attack as soon as they interdict. They also generally fly better ships than typical NPC pirates. These can spawn during a mission and you will receive a message about their arrival and attack and will gain a bonus if you can eliminate them. They spawn on rare occasions for delivering data and other legal non-cargo missions. Like pirates, they always have a bounty and it scales with their rank and ship.

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.

* Pirates are often accused of being [[griefers]]. While the victim of any pirate attack may view such actions as griefing, the pirate(s) will view the same situation as a legitimate way to play the game. The usual distinction is that pirates' main goal is cargo, while griefers' only goal is to attack players.

* There are skillful pirates that prefer easy cargo. If they talk to you: listen. If you run or shoot first, you will likely 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.

* [[Combat Logging]] to avoid getting killed is not permitted. It will get you reported, your account warned and possibly name-shamed on public sites.

*Shield Tanking - Most effective against small ships, as medium and large ships often have better weapons. After attacking the target, come to a full stop, max pips in shields, and wait for the target to hover between 700 meters and 1.2 km away. While the target attacks, use Hatch Breaker Limpets and Collectors to seize all of the cargo and then depart. Note that if the Target has Point Defence modules equipped, Hatch Breaking will not work unless those modules are destroyed, but it may be faster to leave and find another victim.