Originally by: Adormi

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Greetings Pirates,

Since so many have taken the time to participate in educating others, I thought I'd chime in with what I feel is an important perspective... that of your victim.

I'm a trader and nothing but a trader. I drive a flimsy Iteron V, and carry no weapons. While nobody likes to lose their ship, it might surprise many to know that I respect "professional" pirates and even consider them a positive to the game. It's a symbiotic relationship. We're here to play a game with each other, and we're free to chose the role we wish to play.

When people flame and whine it makes no more sense to me than if you yelled and shouted at the person you're playing monopoly with if they happen to build a hotel where you're bound to land.

If I beat somebody to a good trade, or a miner takes that last juicy rock or strip mines a belt, then somebody else is deprived of the income they would have gotten otherwise. So lets not be hippocrits people.

Pirates drive the economy. Without pirates and PvPers, there wouldn't be a constant demand for replacement equipment, which means no work for miners or industry people. Imagine a game where everyone has everything already and there's nothing left to do. /yawn

Pirates provide excitement. To date no A.I. based char can come close to providing the challenge that a truly intelligent adversary can. Pirates have taken the hard road to provide the rest of us with entertainment. They are branded criminals, hunted by many (including other pirates), and have limited themselves in where they can go and what they can do.

So even though you've cost me dearly, I thank you for making the game more interesting for everyone.

With all that being said, there are those that are a bane to the game. Those that make a deal and don't keep their word, ruin the rep for everyone. Be honorable, and efficient. Also, as was mentioned earlier in this post, it's important to scale your extortion. For myself I don't mind paying protection money or ransom, providing it's reasonable. It's just a cost of doing business, and I'm more than willing to contribute to your ship replacement costs, etc. Concord charges me a tax on every transaction, and I don't get bent about that. It's the same.

If however, you're asking for 40 mil, and that's enough to break me, then you're putting me out of business. I'm not only not going to pay it, I'm going to quit the game when you blow up my cargo, and then you can't catch me tomorrow.

So for those that really want to consider themselves "professional" pirates think of it in terms of business. Do what's good for business, and think of creative ways for you and your victim to work out an arrangement that is mutually beneficial. It might even be more fun. As one example, a new trader may not have isk, but you could let them pay in trade by forcebly recruiting them to haul the cargo you steal from others.

Instead of podding miners, you might also consider charging them "protection money" by dominating X systems and keeping other pirates out.

There are a lot of ways to go that make the game fun for everyone. We all just have to have the right attitude.

Sorry for not doing a better job on editing, but hopefully some of it was helpful.

Adormi

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