Smuggler Archive
Thread: Revamp Discussion: Contraband & Smuggling Missions
Ipseck wrote:
Smuggler_Caylin wrote:
You seem to be ignoring the point that not all smuggling consists of Guns, spice and slaves.
I could be an imperial...
My mission... Imperial troops are having a Pop Tart supply shortage. Get these Pop Tarts through the rebel blockade around planet Kellogs.
I hide, I sneak, I bribe my way through the blockade with my Pop Tarts in tow. If I am cought though, I am quite possibly going to be killed for aiding the enemy, even though my cargo consisted entirely of pop tarts. Hardly something that is illegal by itself, but what I was doing was still smuggling.
why would you have to avoid rebels? why not just sweep in and eliminate teh terrorists? The rebels aren't a government or controlling authority of any type.. that really wouldn't be smuggling, that'd be taking the **edit** way out.
Because the imperials there could be outnumbered 100000 to 1. It's a big galaxy and the empire isn't everywhere and is not able to support 100% of it's outposts with star destroyer fleets.
The person in control of an area makes the rules. They act as the government as they are in control and thus have authority.
If the leader of the Imperial soldiers was a brilliant tactician, but required a steady diet of Pop Tarts to function, it would be considered a high priority for the rebels to handicap his performance by denying him his Pop Tarts.
The enemy is whoever you conceive it to be.
I used the Imperials this time as many of you want to consider them as 'the law' but I then see people immediatly say you are a criminal again for serving your side. The emperor gave me a direct command to get those pop tarts to that commander. Criminal does not apply to this situation well, as the items are not illegal by themselves on either side. The rebels though can't risk a supply of Pop Tarts getting to that Imperial Commander. Alcohol can still be considered illegal. I've yet to find references to Pop Tarts being food of the devil and punishable by death. I'm not trying to get an illegal item to them, it is not illegal on either side, it is a resource that in normal circumstances would not be punishable if I walked in and gave them a few boxes of Pop Tarts.
Ipseck, perceptions do have a place in law. This situation in the middle east is proof of that. Who is right and who is wrong depends on the perceptions of the people putting the person on trial. This goes from taped beheadings to prisoner treatment.
Ternque, in your book example, imagine the local bullies wanting everyone to be as stupid as they are. They roam the entry ways to the school, searching your backpack for materials that will further your education. If they find a book, they kick your ass, burn the book and toss you in a locked box they have nearby. You are subject to their law, but obviously the state and national law of the area would not approve.
Personally I don't believe such an act is criminal by itself. You have every right to bring in your books to school. You would not consider yourself a criminal though they might.
One of the Four Horsemen of the Smuggler Apocalypse! 
Excuse me, Mr. Nerj, but I think we have a misunderstanding. I'll comment at the end of the quotes.
Nerj wrote:
Let me say this:
Smug-Druggler wrote:
There needs to be a payment system for Smuggling missions separate from "The Skim".
I have acore concern regarding the basic structure of the Smuggling Mission.
GreenMarine wrote:
At its core, a smuggling mission is similar to a delivery mission. The player is given a crate of illegal goods to move to another contact. The player must then return the payment for the goods to the source of the mission.
Ex: Jabba gives the player a crate of 50 to deliver to a cantina in Mos Eisley. After the player delivers the narcostims, she receives a payment of 12,000 credits. The player then returns to Jabba and delivers 8,000 credits, pocketing 4,000 as payment for the job.
According to this model the Smuggler will become a de facto thief. A "skimmer" of his clients. I'm not sure I like this because:
1.) I'm a Smuggler. I want to get paid for moving contraband not necessarily by stealing from my shipments (in this case the Contraband or the dirty cash that comes back from it's sale).
Nerj says: Uhhhh! you are getting paid 4000 credits. If you want to make a little extra on the side then you do the skim.
2.) This mission model also forces you to take some risk in angering your clients thus raising your Visibility due to skimming. Personally, I don't want to chance that by trying to figure out how much Contraband/Cash skimming will keep me out of trouble (Steal Little, Steal Big). I want more risk in this game, but "The Skim" gamedevice as a sole means of payment is crude.
I would like to see us getting paid for the service of Smuggling, first. Then, if a Smuggler feels like taking the extra risk he can skim from his shipments.
Nerj says: Uhhhh! you are getting paid 4000 credits. If you want to make a little extra on the side then you do the skim.
This personal choice may leave a Smuggler out of the Spice selling business to a degree, but that's okay for me personally. I'd just make up for it somewhere else.
Regardless, I'd think that by having a reputation as a Smuggler who's known to always deliver the total shipment and always return with the total payment would bring you increasing rewards and trust within the underworld community.
In summary, there needs to be a payment system for Smuggling missions separate from The Skim.
Nerj says: Uhhhh! you are getting paid 4000 credits. If you want to make a little extra on the side then you do the skim.
Nerj says: You are getting paid 4000 credits. If you want to make a little extra on the side then you do the skim.
Jhovial wrote:
>>Ex: Jabba gives the player a crate of 50 narcostims to deliver to a cantina in Mos Eisley. After the player delivers the narcostims, she receives a payment of 12,000 credits. The player then returns to Jabba and delivers 8,000 credits, pocketing 4,000 as payment for the job.<<
>>The player may also choose to withhold part of the money to be paid to the supplier. For example, the player might deliver all 50 narcostims, but only pay Jabba 6,000 credits.<<
The first 4000 is your payment free of charge no visibility, in the second example you skim an extra 2k for yourself, giving you some visibility.
From how I read it, and how I see it actually written in both examples the Smuggler is Witholding and gaining visibility. Both times.
The "Witholding Cargo" section of the original post states:
"Withholding cargo or pay will result in the smuggler earning a small bit of visibility."
1.The first idea is the PvE/PvP "switch" which allow all players to ability to choose between a PC or NPC BH to kill them.
2.The second is the Low Risk Smuggler Mission, which allows PvE oriented smugglers to opportunity to gain equal smuggler XP while at the same time offering missions that result in less visibility gain if it is failed. A great way to implement this is to have all smuggler missions start the same. If the smuggler decides to "skim" from his suppliers then the mission posses a very large increase in visibility gain risk. If a smuggler decides to not "skim" the mission delivery, then a mission failure results in very little visibility gain because you can always explain to your boss that still have the reciept from the cloning tube you just popped out of. BTW because of the ease of avoiding visibility in this system, all BH's will be PC. There should be no excuse for "accidentally" getting a million visibility points.
3.The third idea is a Fine Option when visibility puts one on the terminals. PvE oriented people can choose to pay the fine. For people whowould rather duke it out, they can accept a PC bounty on their heads. If a player chooses to not compensate the state for their actions, a BH will be.
4.Implement a Visibility Decay System that allow for a slow decay of visibility, allowing a smuggler (or non-smuggler) to "lay low".
5.Allow smugglers to Slice BH Terminals to Remove Bounties or Lower Visibility. Chance of failure land the slicing smuggler on the terminals with no change in visibility for the client.
Message Edited by Ternque01 on 06-18-2004 05:16 PM
Rueger_Karde wrote:
In reponce to HOTDOG.
We cant have the switch. Because that would screw BH. Who in thier right mind would choose PvP combat when easier PvE combat is available (I would choose PvP over PvE 99 times out of 100). The only way to make it harder is to make it impossible. Then all the PvEer would get mad that its "Too hard" blah blah blah, thats why seperate but equal will never work. All the PvEers will never be happy with thier current difficulty level of NPC bounty hunters.
The vocal ones here may think its ok to get attacked by NPCs untill they are dead, but what about the ones that dont come here and realize there is no way to not die agiasn't NPCs? It wont EVER WORK. It will never be eqaul. YOu guys just need to bit the bullet and not do the crime if you dont want to do the time.
Message Edited by Rueger_Karde on 06-18-2004 11:35 AM