The Pirate in the Traveller Universe

[ieqo]

In frontier areas (not talking 3I setting) pirates are more likely to be privateers. Just like in the age of sail, they MANY times more numerous than unaffiliated pirates. Having safe ports is critical to longer term survival.

While that's accurate as far as historical commentary and the implications of same, there's two salient points to be made:

1) Who cares if they're pirates, privateers, brave freedom fighters trying to overthrow the oppressive regime, or aggressive missionaries distributing literature? To the crew of the ship they're shooting at, it matters not one bit. "They're bleepidy-bleeping shooting at us and demanding that we heave to for boarding! That makes them bleepidy-bleeping pirates!"

2) If you're not talking the 3I setting, then you're either talking about SD, HS, or some version of YTU, since the OTU pretty much is the 3I. So moving forward from there, any statement made after the words, "not the 3I setting" is no more valid or relevant to the OTU than the guy who says, "Piracy isn't a problem in MTU because
starships run on rainbows and psionic unicorn farts."

 

[sideranautae]

1) Who cares if they're pirates, privateers,

Because it completely changes how and where they operate. :roll:

 

[ieqo]

Because it completely changes how and where they operate. :roll:

I still maintain that the victim isn't really concerned about the semantic distinctions. Let's put it differently: if a band of urban thugs shoots your dog, kicks in your door, loots your belongings, and is in the process of doing unspeakable atrocities to your family, is there any possible permutation or combination of specific gang affiliations that would make this less of an outrage to you?

Yes I get that there is a real difference between a pirate, a privateer, and a commisioned commerce raider. My point is that those distinctions are neither apparent nor relevant to the ship on the other side of the crosshairs.

 

[Reynard]

They'll just have to wait until they're spaced, blown up, put in low berth or hear "Thank you for your patience and remember to contact your insurance company."

 

[dragoner]

There is an old JTAS write up on pirates.

 

[Reynard]

That's was a good read. I reread it before joining a Pirates of Drinax campaign for inspiration.

 

[phavoc]

In frontier areas (not talking 3I setting) pirates are more likely to be privateers. Just like in the age of sail, they MANY times more numerous than unaffiliated pirates. Having safe ports is critical to longer term survival.

A privateer is going to be someone who is using a letter of marque (or it's future equivalent) to prey upon the shipping of enemies. Which would require a lot of planets to be at war, or at least at unease, with their neighbors.

On the one hand, having privateers when you are a lower tech planet would be great, because you could not build starships to prey upon higher tech worlds in some cases. But beyond that, the lower tech planets really have nothing to offer, aside from safe harbor and a potential place to unload loot since the planetary authorities are looking the other way. There would always be the risk of an Imperial ship showing up at the wrong time, and most Imperial warships would be TL14-15, more than a match for a pirate in many cases.

It seems very odd to me that you'd have such rampant warmongering among planets that really have no need to do so. A planet can't claim an entire system, and the Imperium owns all the space between worlds, so there is further disincentive for war like that. And inter-system wars make some sense, but not a lot. Sure, there could be some economic warfare going on, or even war over resources on other planets/colonies. But the Imperium doesn't tolerate large-scale war, nor would many planets want to risk having the Imperium come down on their heads for supporting piracy. A privateer would potentially point the finger back at the world they are working for.

Historically privateers often did some piracy on the side, using the letter of marque when it was to their advantage. But the parallel to sailing-day raids to the 3I comes up a bit short, at least as I see it.

 

[dragoner]

That's was a good read. I reread it before joining a Pirates of Drinax campaign for inspiration.

Yes, that is a good idea, maybe I should re-read it as well.