Space Pirates and how thy could be implemented.

[Granite]

One of the most pervasive character archetypes in modern sci-fi is the pirate(but in spaaace!). I'm curious as to whether we will see this represented at all in game.
For example, one possible hazzard for colonizing a planet could be that it has already become a haven for pirates. In that case, you might have to use far more of a military presence to get feet on the planet than you normally would, and even after colonization the world may well be the proverbial Las Vegas of your empire, a place where sin and criminal enterprise come first and rule of law comes second.
Additionally, one of my favorite mechanics from EUIV is the privateering mechanic. Now, I don't want a copy-paste of that in Stellaris, but I would love to assign a few ships to participate in a little plausibly deniable harassment of shipping, trade, or colonization.

 

[Zupanicarr]

Apparently there's a chance you'll find technologically advanced 'fallen empire' in a state similar to the Imperium in 40K, that will serve much the purpose of pirates. Basically they'll block you from colonizing their worlds until you're powerful enough to take them out.

 

[King Ari]

I think it would be sweet if you as the player could take on the role of a space pirate, possibly getting less in the way of infrastructure but getting bonuses to raiding/stealing other civilations ships and tech

 

[Thure]

I hope I can hire Samus Aran to fight the space pirates...

 

[hkrommel]

If space pirates are a thing I want to be able to play as one.

 

[Granite]

I hope I can hire Samus Aran to fight the space pirates...

Despite having the very literal name of space pirates, I don't think the species in Metroid is quite what I was thinking of. Though, now that I think of it, designing your race to just be opportunistic vultures and raiding everyone would be pretty cool in its own right...

 

[Biminis]

 

[Thure]

Despite having the very literal name of space pirates, I don't think the species in Metroid is quite what I was thinking of. Though, now that I think of it, designing your race to just be opportunistic vultures and raiding everyone would be pretty cool in its own right...

And if you don't defeat them... the end game crisis is a war against metroids. You need to develop cyro weapons to defeat them!

 

[Highlordelliot]

they could operate out of neutral worlds or have bases in asteroid belts fields and other space anomalies. they can attack your trade hit colony worlds or be hired by others space fairing civilizations to attack their rivals military targets.

 

[Nirmara]

I really want to play a Dark Eldar style specie.

And if you disagree with me then...

 

[Zupanicarr]

I really want to play a Dark Eldar style specie.

And if you disagree with me then...

 

[kineticspartan]

Maybe something similar to the "Terminus Systems" from the mass effect universe?
-An extremely unstable area populated by hostile indigenous life, pirates, mercenaries and slavers that regularly raid local "civilised" colonies and ships passing though.

 

[HeartsofMetal]

Doesn't matter. They will get purged like the rest!

 

[praguepride]

Distant Worlds has a very aggressive pirate presence in their 4x games. If you start during their "Time of Piracy" setting then Pirates are you major adversaries in the short/mid-games. They start out with better tech and larger fleets and basically ransom the whole galaxy (and fight among themselves as there can be dozens and dozens of pirate factions). Then as the empires start teching up you throw off the shackles and start fighting back, wiping them out one by one and clearing your sector of the galaxy of the scourge (assuming none of them found some uber-lost-ancient-tech and have world destroying ships at their beck and call...)

It's frustrating at times but refreshingly different then how other games handle pirates which are basically equivalent to the barbarians of the Civ games that just randomly spawn, disrupt things, and then disappear again...

 

[aitaituo]

Distant Worlds has a very aggressive pirate presence in their 4x games. If you start during their "Time of Piracy" setting then Pirates are you major adversaries in the short/mid-games. They start out with better tech and larger fleets and basically ransom the whole galaxy (and fight among themselves as there can be dozens and dozens of pirate factions). Then as the empires start teching up you throw off the shackles and start fighting back, wiping them out one by one and clearing your sector of the galaxy of the scourge (assuming none of them found some uber-lost-ancient-tech and have world destroying ships at their beck and call...)

It's frustrating at times but refreshingly different then how other games handle pirates which are basically equivalent to the barbarians of the Civ games that just randomly spawn, disrupt things, and then disappear again...

The Clausewitz event system could provide some pretty interesting pirate dynamics. A polity with a Jem'Hadar type species might see some off their fleet desert and turn to piracy, an economic crash could have merchant ships turn to piracy, a distant governor might set his defense fleet to charge "fees" on passing ships, etc.

I just hope we don't see anything like EU3's pirates are everywhere unless you autopatrol and then they're nowhere.

 

[praguepride]

Using Clausewitz terms, treating Pirates like Mercenary Companies is an interesting idea. Basically they would be "army stacks" that would wander around and loot an area. You could offer a reoccuring small monthly payment to make them "ignore" your stuff or you could hire them for a large monthly payment as actual mercenaries.

And if you can't pay? BACK TO LOOTING YOUR SYSTEMS!

 

[Ezumiyr]

I'd like to see pirates, but also smugglers, slavers, raiders, and all kind of nomads (refugees, fugitives from prison planets, automated exploration drones, space Vikings, etc...).


There should at least not be one unified space pirate faction, and all pirates should not be pirates for the same reasons.

 

[Novacat]

Distant Worlds is a major inspiration for Stellaris, I suspect that Paradox has a similar feature to their pirates planned as post-release DLC.

Though note that I do consider the Distant Worlds implimentation to be flawed, especially in that pirates are shoe-horned into being permanently aggressive against empires due to a complete lack of diplomatic options. This is generally a detriment for smuggler-type pirates whom should have no interest in a shooting war with their clients.

 

[Sinister2202]

I never found space pirates plausible in most 4x games, where the player and the opponents start out with no FTL technologies/hull-building technologies at first. There's just no way mere smuggling anarchists were once an ancient civilization capable of space faring. If anything, pirates should spawn as technologies in the galaxy advances AND as galaxy becomes more busier and busier with larger populations, many colonies, and bustling with freighters. Otherwise, pirates were nothing more than speed bumps for those certain 4x games, without any true meaning for their existence. A large corruption on a colony, low loyalty - those things should be a factor of local populace breaking off to become smugglers, which then causes populace from other colonies to join that same formed pirate organization.

This would also open up an interesting feat for a player to do, such as enforcing the law in the player's systems, suppressing the pirates, and trying their best to not let their people be swayed to join the pirates by trying to accommodate the people....etc. Wouldn't this bring more spice into space politics?

 

[Prophet of ReShrek]

I never found space pirates plausible in most 4x games, where the player and the opponents start out with no FTL technologies/hull-building technologies at first. There's just no way mere smuggling anarchists were once an ancient civilization capable of space faring. If anything, pirates should spawn as technologies in the galaxy advances AND as galaxy becomes more busier and busier with larger populations, many colonies, and bustling with freighters. Otherwise, pirates were nothing more than speed bumps for those certain 4x games, without any true meaning for their existence. A large corruption on a colony, low loyalty - those things should be a factor of local populace breaking off to become smugglers, which then causes populace from other colonies to join that same formed pirate organization.

This would also open up an interesting feat for a player to do, such as enforcing the law in the player's systems, suppressing the pirates, and trying their best to not let their people be swayed to join the pirates by trying to accommodate the people....etc. Wouldn't this bring more spice into space politics?

I'll put my Trump like men on it. Now can everyone say it with me now? "Fiasco".