VB Sarge
The Bastards
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Posted - 2007.12.13 11:22:00 -
[1]
Maybe I'm just a bastard, but my common practice is:
I ask for a ransom when I clearly have the upper hand and there is no chance of the tides turning.
I then give them a few seconds, because I know adrenaline is pumping through them right now, and it might not be the easiest thing to send me isk right away, and for them to double check the amount so they aren't over paying me.
After a few seconds, 10-20, if I have not been paid, their ship goes boom.
If they pay less than the full amount, their ship goes boom.
Of course, if I can get the pod, then a ransom goes up for the pod as well, and the same goes as above.
BUT, some things you need to consider when deciding how much to ransom:
1) Ship cost and insurance pay out. (insurance fee is factored into the ship base cost)
2) Age of character. Older characters usually get asked for a larger bounty, as isk is usually easier for them to come by.
3) Corporation/Alliance of character. This doesn't mean noob corp pilots are spared from a ransom, just means a bigger name corp might get asked for more.
4) What the ship was doing. If they are in a mission, running lvl 4's, then I know they have (or should have) more isk than someone I catch ratting in a belt.
5) Their attitude. If they are nice and polite, it goes a long ways with me. There's a lot to be said about the honor a person can exhibit. A conversation consisting of "well done, good fight" from an opponent is a lot more respected than a "omg you ***king sux! it took you x amount of ships to kill me!" in which case, your bounty will either be raised or you will not be given the chance to pay one.
6) If my gang or I has a cargo/ship scanner. Faction of T2 ammo, or other valuables, will see a higher ransom than a ship with T1 ammo. Ship scanner speaks for itself, as we can choose how much a ship is worth on the spot without any guess work.
I use a bit of moral character while I'm out hunting as well. If a character is obviously too young to be flying the ship they are in, say, a month old in a BC, then I might not even kill them, but take a small paltry ransom instead and let them go with some tips. (I've had someone convo me later on down the road thanking me for talking them back into a cruiser for a while as I saved them a lot of headache)
Even though I am known as a professional who acts with honor, there are times when the bloodlust takes control, so don't expect a ransom every time you get scrammed, and same should go for young pirates. You don't have to offer everyone a ransom. Usually, they go up on my killboard, unless I know their ship is worth a lot.
In the OP's scenario, I'd run down my list of criteria for a ransom, and make a decision. Most times though, if you don't pay up the full amount, you have decided not to honor the terms I set before you. And since I am in control and you have no escape, you are in no place to bargain with me. Boom, you explode, I scoop your loot, and I keep your less than full payment as a tip for my time.
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