Piracy

This article is about the player activity of piracy. You may be looking for Pirates (NPCs). For other uses see Pirates (disambiguation).
Piracy, also known as ganking, is the act of attacking and destroying another player's ships in a way which is unlawful for the system you are in. For example, attacking an innocent player in high security space is piracy, and if local security forces are present and outgun you, you would be essentially committing suicide, hence suicide ganking.
== Player pirate activities ==
Whether or not an action performed in game is illegal or not will depend on various factors, for example what the security level of the system you are in is, what the local laws are by the governing NPC faction, what your security level and standings are, etc. As the game is in pre-alpha, this has not been fully fleshed out yet. 
In general, when an action is considered illegal, attacking another player, stealing from them, etc, is piracy. 
If you were to attack another player pirate, or one that has an equally low security rating, that would not be piracy and would generally be considered legal as long as it was within local combat laws. 
== Pirating tips (for pirates) ==
As mentioned earlier, if you illegally attack a player in higher security space, you may be engaging (whether knowingly or unknowingly) in suicide ganking depending on the circumstances. Lower security systems do not guarantee a response from Nova Guardians, however in medium or high security systems, if conditions are met, such as faction security being unable to neutralize you, or your illegal activity is deemed "severe" and/or you have a criminal status rating, Nova will appear. It is important to note that unlike factional security, **you cannot beat Nova**. If they appear, you're gone, regardless of how big your ship is. 
If you want to attack players in higher security space without risking Nova blowing you to smithereens, focus on attacking other players who have low security ratings so as not to warrent a Nova response. Additionally, if you attack players who have a bad enough standing with faction security forces, and you are not in a 1.0 system, they may not respond.
Faction security forces may range from small police and customs fleets to large navies. Be warned that not all NPC factions will respond the same way or have the same ships. The Federation and Crux Empire are two of the most powerful NPC factions within the game, and have very powerful warships. Even if you bring a big ship or a few of your friends in big ships, skirmishes with the Federation or Crux Navy will be very dangerous and you better be prepared. 
Additionally, you may choose to suicide gank players using a lower tiered ship, so that you do not suffer a great loss from it's destruction at the hands of police forces. It may also be possible to enlist the help of a friend who will jump in after you destroy your victim, and take the loot from their wreckage.
== Avoiding pirates ==
Unless you are in a combat disabled system, other players will generally be able to attack you. It is safer to stick to higher security systems, as most NPC factions will respond to unlawful PvP combat. If local security forces are unable to respond and/or if certain conditions are met, Nova, a crimewatch which acts as the game's rule enforcement system, will intervene. It is important to note that Nova is primarily intended to punish players who engage in unlawful activities, not to protect you. 
In general, it is expected that due to the inherent risks and dangers of piracy, especially towards law abiding players with an excellent standing, that it will be much less commonplace in high security space. 
Factional security response times will vary based on a system's security rating, whether or not there is another incident nearby, and other conditions such as whether or not the faction is engaged in a war with another NPC faction. Mid and low security systems are more risky to travel in as security responses are not guarantied. Nullsec (0.0 and below) have no automatic protections whatsoever. Piracy will be much more commonplace in these systems as NPC nations are not present or will not respond. 
In order to avoid piracy altogether, it is reccomended to stick to higher security systems and use major hyperlanes where possible. These routes offer the safest and fewest number of stops, allowing you to travel far without venturing too deeply into space. 
Ultimately, the best way to avoid piracy is to be more powerful then the pirates. After all, why would they attack you in a cruiser or heavy destroyer if you're piloting a decked out battleship or dreadnought? 
== Hunting pirates ==
Not all player vs player combat in secure space is considered illegal. Attacking another player with criminal status is almost always legal. Players may choose to engage in "pirate hunting" in which they seek out and eliminate pilots who illegally target other players. 
Hunting pirates may be done independently from any NPC nation, or it may be done in conjunction with them. There are plants for the game to allow players to be contracted by local security forces to kill known pirates, or to receive bounties upon the successful elimination of another player in bad standing with said faction.
If a player is illegally attacked by a pirate, any other player may freely attack the perpretrator without repurcussions, and in some cases, recieve a reward if Nova or another faction has placed a bounty on the pirate.
Category:PvP
Category:Combat
Category:Game mechanics