Cargo System Revamp

There is currently a discussion about how to make smuggling an actual thing instead of just a class name, and part of it involves slight changes to the cargo system to allow for board-required cargo checks. While this is all well and good, and I support the ideas, there really isn’t much reason for anyone to smuggle if the cargo system itself stays how it is – anyone who can afford a cargo ship can just set up a program to run legal goods almost indefinitely, and the typically ‘illegal’ cargo types really aren’t separated in any meaningful way (sometimes they give better profits but they’re still just another commodity).

What I want to suggest would be to change the cargo system entirely in order to achieve a few things, namely:
– Reduce the effectiveness and necessity for botting cargo: I really feel like running cargo shouldn’t be a character’s lot in life, as ends up happening for so many ‘Admirals’ and engineering ‘Company Execs’
– Restrict accessibility of ‘illegal’ goods (as defined by a planetary leader or ruling clan): More on this in a bit, but essentially making some goods only accessible to smugglers
– Make the cargo system more involved and rewarding and less of a time-killing way to become super rich in your spare time

The basic ideas I have would be to set up a quest-like system for cargo running that uses some already implemented systems. Basically, you would get your cargo assignment in the same way you use the old outdated package system (package request; package list; etc. for any who aren’t aware) except you can only have ONE at a time. In addition, you would do this on a landing pad with the syntax being like:
cargotask request <destination planet (or ‘any’ for a random destination)> <ship>

This would give you something like…

A cargo run is available from this location to Tatooine for 5000 units of Medical Supplies, paying 21000 credits. The shipment must arrive in 320 rounds. Loading the cargo will cost you (calculated cost of the resource and units). Type cargotask accept to take this contract.

To prevent spamming for better assignments, there would have to be a cooldown timer if you turn down the offered cargo run. Acceptance would automatically load the required resource onto your ship, in exchange for the cost of it, and completing the quest (cargotask deliver at the destination) would give the promised reward. The numbers above are just examples obviously… And the package system already seems to have a way of assigning a time limit based on how far away the destination planet is (I may be mistaken).

There are other extensions of this that could be considered, like ‘expedite’ runs, where you are required to use a small transport-class ship to transport a small amount of a resource in a short period of time, but giving a better reward than that small shipment would normally give. One such extension would be smuggling!

I’d propose a smuggling skill around level 100 that functions like cargotask would but is used from a different room, with a flag set up specifically for this reason. Possibly only visible to level 100 smugglers. This would represent the ‘Mos Eisley Cantina’ of the planet… The place that you can go to find smugglers and unsavory sorts, the tricky part would be making it a location that other people have a legit reason to be at. So like a bar or a specific NPC shop or something along those lines. Basically, it would allow you to take a cargotask-style quest with an illicit good (requiring the ship you want it on be on the planet) for a high reward. It would typically be a small amount. Smugglers would then be able to fill up most of their hold with legitimate goods, using cargotask, destined to the same planet in an attempt to hide their dealings.

To detect these goods would require the inspector being aboard and either physically looking in the hold at objects meant to represent cargo containers or from the cockpit (or both maybe). Another thing that could be looked at is an adjustment to the jettison command, allowing smugglers to clandestinely drop their smuggled goods, only detectable by any ships within a certain distance.

So that sums it up pretty well I guess. A lot of things would need to be figured out of course (like a cooldown timer for after you finish that run, in exchange for the payout of assignments being higher than the example?), but I think I’ve gotten the general idea across.