X3:R Can a pirate get a jumpdrive?

[Goloburdeaux]

I am playing the original X3 Reunion version 2.5 as a pirate (starting position Enemy of the State), so Argons and Goners are hostile to me.

Is there a way for me to get a jumpdrive in such conditions?

Can jumpdrives:

fall from the enemy ships as a cargo?

remain on abandoned enemy ships?

be bought from someone other than Argons or Goners?

[RAVEN.myst]

I can't give you a definitive answer regarding Reunion, unfortunately. In Terran Conflict and Albion Prelude, however, it's definitely possible. The cases I remember as definite "yes" have to do with boarding, though, which doesn't yet exist in Reunion, but it may be that ships equipped with jumpdrives and which are made to bail, may occasionally retain that installed item - I am, however, not sure. I don't remember ever seeing a jumpdrive dropping as a loot container, though.

[Alan Phipps]

I have recently replayed through all the plots in vanilla X3:R and despite over 400 target ships bailing and being claimed, the highlights of the retained loot were transporter devices. So a jumpdrive as loot via that bailing route is either not happening or is very rare.

[jlehtone]

Can jumpdrives:

fall from the enemy ships as a cargo?

remain on abandoned enemy ships?

be bought from someone other than Argons or Goners?

1. No, never seen that happen (IIRC, and I have shot quite many ships).

2. Most likely not; the NPC have no reason to have them onboard to begin with.

3. No.


Would it be dishonest and traitorous for a pirate to bribe the Argon guards and sneak into TerraCorp?

[RAVEN.myst]

2. Most likely not; the NPC have no reason to have them [jumpdrives] onboard to begin with.

In X3TC and X3AP many NPC ships do in fact have JDs fitted - but those are a whole other animal. Most of the ones I acquired were on boarded TMs (a ship class that is predated by Reunion)

Would it be dishonest and traitorous for a pirate to bribe the Argon guards and sneak into TerraCorp?

If playing an amoral pirate, then the end justifies the means and so yes, this could apply.

Alternatively, one *could* perhaps play a Robin Hoodesque sort of pirate, which might justify getting those drives from the Goners...

Either way, Goloburdeaux, it looks like you're stuck with some sort of role-playing rationalization required.

[AleksMain]

...
Can jumpdrives:

fall from the enemy ships as a cargo?

remain on abandoned enemy ships?

be bought from someone other than Argons or Goners?

Yes, of course, it can be bought.

If you have Universal Trader, then he will buy jumpdrive himself at level 12.

Transfer jumpdrive to any of your ships, if you need it.

I know, it is known to all players of X3:Reunion, X3:Terran Conflict and X3:Abion Prelude.

It is faster to train UT to level 12 than get jumpdrive from abandoned enemy ships, although it is possible too in rare occurrences.

[RAVEN.myst]

Yes, of course, it can be bought.

If you have Universal Trader, then he will buy jumpdrive himself at level 12.

Yes, but this would first require buying a TCS3 (which no NPCs carry, and thus can't be looted from them), which is violating the OP's proposed pirate ethos in the same way as buying the JD in the first place...

[AleksMain]

Yes, of course, it can be bought.

If you have Universal Trader, then he will buy jumpdrive himself at level 12.

Yes, but this would first require buying a TCS3 (which no NPCs carry, and thus can't be looted from them), which is violating the OP's proposed pirate ethos in the same way as buying the JD in the first place...

"The Teladi are a reptilian race whose main concern is profit. They are neutral to all the other factions, including the Pirates"

[Goloburdeaux]

Would it be dishonest and traitorous for a pirate to bribe the Argon guards and sneak into TerraCorp?

Bribe the Argon guards? How?

[RAVEN.myst]

Would it be dishonest and traitorous for a pirate to bribe the Argon guards and sneak into TerraCorp?

Bribe the Argon guards? How?

I think he meant that as a role-playing rationalization to explain why you might be docking there in the first place...

[Goloburdeaux]

Oh I would like to dock there, but after so many of their pilots killed and so much property destroyed they are kinda skeptical of letting me in

But that made me think. I gained the access to the Pirate Anarchy Port through the BBS hacker service on a Pirate base in a nearby sector. Do such hacker services generate in the BBS on other Pirate stations? Because there is a Pirate base in Ore Belt...

[RAVEN.myst]

I gained the access to the Pirate Anarchy Port through the BBS hacker service on a Pirate base in a nearby sector. Do such hacker services generate in the BBS on other Pirate stations? Because there is a Pirate base in Ore Belt...

Yes, BUT: you may still need to repair your relationship somewhat first, otherwise: you may end up paying a high price for a station hack, only for it to turn red on you again almost immediately.
Advice:

Spoiler

Show

pirate some Paranid ships in Argon space, that will make Argon like you more. Also, make sure that your IFF settings don't have Argon listed as "enemy" - if so, that may be the only thing preventing you from docking at Argon stations.

[jlehtone]

The original question could have been writen in more than one way:

1. I'm a Pirate. The Argons hate me. I want that. Does someone else offer Jumpdrives?
2. I want Jumpdrives, but Argons hate me now. How can I solve this?

If the case would have been the (1), then making friends with Argons would not be an option due to roleplay reasons.

Oh I would like to dock there, but ...

Ahh, clearly case (2). What you have done so far is irrelevant. You have nothing against making friends.
Relevant fact: Goners and Argons hate you.

IIRC, nothing solves the Goner dilemma. They are single-minded fanatics. You can turn love to hate, but their hate is and stays.

Argons have TerraCorp HQ. Argon love is achievable.


Interlude:
Each race has an opinion about you. In addition each Ship and Station have a boolean Friend/Foe flag.

• If the race hates you, then its every member shows that hate, regardless of that flag.
• If the race likes you, then the attitude of an individual depends on the state of the flag.
• If you attack a Ship or a Station (or Ships/Lasertowers/Gates owned by that Station), then the damaged party will set its flag to "Foe" state.
• The Hacker "Mission" might revert the flag of a Station into the "Friend" state.
• Pirate Bases do indeed have small chance of having the Hacker.

Back to making love ...

1. It is possible with the Argons. Even from the very bottom.
2. Killing enemies of Argons within Argon sectors is good for reputation. Xenon, and Kha'ak are enemies of Argon too. Xenon do occasionally fly from 472 into Black Hole Sun, etc. Kha'ak Clusters spawn randomly.
3. Assassination missions. The client that gives the mission does have a race. The target to kill has a race. Both of those races appreciates your assistance. The owner of the sector, where you kill the mark, does not care for formally the mark has a "neutral" ship. (X3TC/AP differs.) You can find Assassinations everywhere.
4. X3R does have "Donation Missions" that should improve your reputation. Alas, those are avalaible only if you can dock to Stations.
5. In principle you can find an Argon client with a mission on non-Argon Station. Whether they want to give you the mission or if it is at all doable, is an another matter.
6. Argon Free Traders can come to buy from player Station regardless of official attitude. Whether that improves reputation, I cannot remember.

Yes, Teladi do sell Trade Software MK3, and UT does order a Jumpdrive after reaching some level (12?). That sounds like a cunning plan, and without touching the reputation.

[Goloburdeaux]

The original question could have been writen in more than one way:

1. I'm a Pirate. The Argons hate me. I want that. Does someone else offer Jumpdrives?
2. I want Jumpdrives, but Argons hate me now. How can I solve this?

If the case would have been the (1), then making friends with Argons would not be an option due to roleplay reasons.

Oh I would like to dock there, but ...

Ahh, clearly case (2).)

You're wrong, it's case (1).

I don't want peace with the Argons, because robbing them is my source of income. But I don't precisely want them to hate me either, I just want their stuff. Hate is a consequence, not a goal.

And when I say "I would like to dock there" I mean "I would like to somehow dock there without giving up robbing them". Cause that's what pirates do - they cheat and bribe and find their way into forbidden places, don't they?

Anyway, as a pirate my choice of action is to try and find a hacker's service on a pirate base in Ore Belt.

[jlehtone]

Anyway, as a pirate my choice of action is to try and find a hacker's service on a pirate base in Ore Belt.

That won't help.

The check of whether you can dock/trade at TerraCorp is essentially:

Code: Select all

bool CanDock() {
  if ( race.Argon.reputation < 0 ) {
    // 0 == neutral, <0 is hate
    return false
  }
  else {
    // race.Argon likes you
    if ( TerraCorp.status == Friend ) {
      return true
    }
    else {
      return false
    }
  }
}

In other words, you can approach TerraCorp ONLY IF
"Argons do like you" AND "TerraCorp is not angry at you"

The hacker can only change the TerraCorp.status. As long as Argons hate you, the TerraCorp.status is not even looked at.


If you, for roleplay reasons, will not make friends with the Argon for long enough to buy (enough) JumpDrives, then the Trade MK3 (UT) seems to be the only possibility.