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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

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Author Topic: Trade & Smuggling  (Read 56989 times)

Alex

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Trade & Smuggling
« on: August 25, 2014, 04:07:42 PM »

Blog post here.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2014, 04:09:16 PM by Alex »
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Debido

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2014, 04:31:48 PM »

How do you define "evading" customs inspectors? Does they have to bring you up on comms first? Is that when you refuse to cooperate and then leave? Or is evading being able to get around the inspectors without them interacting with you and bringing up the comms message/inspection/scan?
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Alex

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2014, 04:39:05 PM »

How do you define "evading" customs inspectors? Does they have to bring you up on comms first? Is that when you refuse to cooperate and then leave? Or is evading being able to get around the inspectors without them interacting with you and bringing up the comms message/inspection/scan?

The way it works is first there's the comm ping, and then a few seconds after that - if you're still in range - a dialog pops up telling you to stop etc etc. If you manage to get away before that happens (i.e. moving far away, or initiating a jump), you get away without any consequences, but they'll probably try again soon.

If you evade in any way *after* the initial dialog pops up, there are consequences. What they are depends on exactly what happened. The worst case scenario is they find contraband, and then you refuse to give it up and have to retreat. Well, I guess the worst case would be you refuse to give it up and then *attack* them, but I mean "worst case where it's not insta-hostile".

Edit: there actually is a case where you get away scot-free after the inspection starts, and that's if either you or the patrol get attacked by a third party during the scan.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2014, 04:43:55 PM by Alex »
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Doom101

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2014, 04:47:15 PM »

Using bounty hunting and smuggling to balance your reputations? Sound like a good Han Solo thing we could have going on here.


I for one love that, and will almost certainly be trying out a one ship fleet in the next update to try and get that effect.

the question is which ship, if a single destroyer can evade fleets then it will almost certainly be a destroyer.. medusa's are fast and good in a fight but can't carry cargo worth a crap.. the hammerhead on the other hand.. this requires some thought which is better put elsewhere than here. ( over in General discussion if you want to add something)

Regardless of all that I find this next update looking rather excellent, cracking job there Alex & David ( sorry if i forgot anyone)
« Last Edit: August 25, 2014, 04:58:36 PM by Doom101 »
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Also I totally had the name BEFORE the cruiser.

Cycerin

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2014, 04:57:10 PM »

This gives me the warmfuzzies all around. Sector's gonna feel so much more alive. Your choices will actually mold the "character" you feel like you're playing as.
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FasterThanSleepyfish

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2014, 04:59:13 PM »

If only I had the <Dump Memory> option IRL...

Anyways, cool stuff. Me gusta the amount of lore and character on SS's IV drip;D
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Wyvern

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2014, 05:16:50 PM »

Hm... With there being a time delay between ping and hail, you can even dump contraband before they scan.  Presumably there's some easy way to tell which bits of cargo a given patrol is likely to consider contraband?
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Doom101

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2014, 05:32:31 PM »

Hm... With there being a time delay between ping and hail, you can even dump contraband before they scan.  Presumably there's some easy way to tell which bits of cargo a given patrol is likely to consider contraband?

the patrol will refer to their faction guidelines as to what is contraband, so the hegemony probably won't like people smuggling drugs around. so you would dump those. i presume there will be a way to see those faction guidelines, probably at the market/black market.
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When you can't go on, just accept your doom. It comes to all, it is inevitable.

Also I totally had the name BEFORE the cruiser.

Alex

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2014, 06:32:30 PM »

Presumably there's some easy way to tell which bits of cargo a given patrol is likely to consider contraband?

Oh, good point. Made a note to add that to the faction info tab on the intel screen, hopefully can work that in. Aside from that, you can tell stuff is illegal when you can't sell it on the open market - the background of the inventory tile is red, and the tooltip has an explanation. Doesn't help you know if that independent patrol is going to take issue with your cargo of Harvested Organs, of course.
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Debido

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2014, 06:36:00 PM »

Ok sounds good so far. You evade the inspectors, can you still dock with a station or land on a planet to trade goods? I can imagine it being possible to successfully evade an enemy by flying into an atmosphere and under the clouds, or blend in with other cargo ships etc. if you're fast enough. Or will it become impossible to land/dock because the station/planet is on alert and looking for you?
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Midnight Kitsune

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2014, 06:38:53 PM »

Will we be able to do inspections and or pings as well?
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Alex

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2014, 06:58:19 PM »

Ok sounds good so far. You evade the inspectors, can you still dock with a station or land on a planet to trade goods? I can imagine it being possible to successfully evade an enemy by flying into an atmosphere and under the clouds, or blend in with other cargo ships etc. if you're fast enough. Or will it become impossible to land/dock because the station/planet is on alert and looking for you?

If you make a clean getaway and then come back around, yeah, you can do that. You can't do it while a patrol is chasing you, though - the port authority will refuse docking clearance, and more unsavory elements you might otherwise trade with won't take the chance.

Will we be able to do inspections and or pings as well?

No. I could see something like that happening later if, say, there's a way for you to sign up with a faction and do this kind of work, but as that's not currently possible (and may or may not be, later), these are kind of inapplicable.
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Debido

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2014, 07:05:28 PM »

Will a customs inspection fleet leave you alone if...say you cruise in with 3 Onslaughts and a Atlas full illegal goods (they overwhelmed)? Or would a destroyer and a couple of frigates acting as customs inspectors be ballsy enough to scan you?
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Alex

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2014, 07:18:56 PM »

Will a customs inspection fleet leave you alone if...say you cruise in with 3 Onslaughts and a Atlas full illegal goods (they overwhelmed)? Or would a destroyer and a couple of frigates acting as customs inspectors be ballsy enough to scan you?

They'll still try to inspect. What will happen then is you'll have the choice of either complying, trying to disengage (in which case they'll harass you -> CR loss, some rep loss for you), or engaging them (in which case they'll run, and this is going to drop the relationship to hostile right away). They've got the weight of the faction's authority behind them, and as long as there aren't open hostilities, there's no reason to run. And if there *are* open hostilities, the question of a customs inspection doesn't come up.

And, if you've got a fleet that heavy, you're not going to be able to sneak in, so punching through isn't really an option. What kind of black market player is going to want to trade with you after making that much noise? That's just asking to be taken down by the authorities.

If the relationship is still at "suspicious" after you were harassed and got away, then you *will* be able to dock legally and trade. Can think of that as sort of muscling the patrol, but not quite to the point where word gets around and it gets really bad. Still, hmm. Let me note this down/think about it a bit.
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kazi

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Re: Trade & Smuggling
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2014, 07:33:47 PM »

So what are the fleet size and cargo tolls that Mr. Petty is charging you there? I'm guessing it means that every time you get inspected (regardless of whether or not they find things), you pay a toll? Or do those only come into effect when you get assessed fines?

Also, it doesn't seem to make sense that you always lose relationship when trading on the black market. That implies that the authorities always somehow find out and know everything that happens at the station. It wouldn't be a "black market" if that was the case. Just seems a little weird.

Unrelated, but after looking at the screenshot, it looks like everyone in the sector is starving simultaneously...  :(

*edit - Is this the patch where we get music control through the API? pleasepleasepleasesayyesalex   :)
« Last Edit: August 25, 2014, 07:42:02 PM by kazi »
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