This new system of Space Combat was added to the game along with other Space and GCW improvements with Game Update 16.
The Piracy system allows for space content almost on a par with Instances, in which players use interdiction technology to pull heavily armored convoys out of hyperspace. Once the convoys have been brought to a halt, players are then tasked with destroying the freighters and their escorts and will receive special rewards for doing so. Special components are required before the interdiction can take place. These components can be gained through performing the new Space Duty Missions.
Destroy Duty Missions[]
These new missions can be activated by conversing with certain space stations in various space sectors. Stations will offer duty missions of an appropriate tier based on the area, which is to say that the Tier of the fighters in the surrounding space sector determines the Tier of the duty missions, rather than the player's Tier. Players are tasked with defeating increasing numbers of enemy starfighters at a given waypoint and are rewarded with Duty Mission Tokens for their effort.
These missions should not to be confused with the Duty Missions that planetside trainers give to players to help them advance through their pilot training. The new missions can be used to the same effect, however, as they still do grant Space XP in the same manner.
Destroy Duty Missions are available to all players, however there are some faction restrictions as to which missions players can take. Freelance Pilots can align themselves with either space navy using the new Space Factional Commands in order to take part in any factional Duty Missions.
Mercenary Tokens[]
The Duty Mission Tokens are used to purchase a number of different rewards from a vendor on Nova Orion Station. In addition to this, Watto the Toydarian is willing to sell players a number of illicit items that will help them with the interdiction process, including a schematic for the Interdiction Burst Generator.
Convoy Flight Plans[]
The Interdiction technology is not as powerful as it might sound. It only has the power to extend a gravity well over a small portion of space for a small amount of time. This means that you and your party will need to be in exactly the right spot in order to bring the convoy to a halt. To obtain the convoy's flight plans, you must go through the memory banks of looted Droid Interfaces that might hold some vital data. Players should use Droid Interface Scanners to do this.
With both the Interdiction Burst Generator and the Convoy Flight Plans in your inventory, use the radial menu on the plans to load it into the generator. By examining the generator, you will be told which Space sector (region) to go to find your convoy.
The Convoy[]
When you're in the proper space sector, radial the Interdiction Burst Generator and choose Create Waypoint. It will add a waypoint to your datapad named Interdiction Location. Go exactly on that waypoint and radial again the IBG and choose Deploy Generator. A beacon will begin to emit the luring transmission for a few seconds and the yellow-con convoy will hyper in.
We have left hyperspace as a result of an unforeseen gravitational event. All hands to battle stations, this could be an ambush.
The difficulty of the convoy depends upon the Security Rating of the Convoy Flight Plans, with a slight random factor. However, they will always be Tier 5 opponents:
- Security Rating 1: Cargo vessel, 1 Assault Gunboat, 2-4 escort fighters
- Security Rating 2: Cargo vessel, 2 Assault Gunboats, 1 Nova Courier or YT-1300, 4 escort fighters
- Security Rating 3: Cargo vessel, 2 Assault Gunboats, 1 Nova Courier or YT-1300, 4 escort fighters
- Security Rating 4: Cargo vessel, 3 Assault Gunboats, 1-2 Nova Couriers, 1-2 YT-1300, 4-5 escort fighters
- Security Rating 5: Cargo vessel, 4 Assault Gunboats, 1-3 Nova Couriers, 1-3 YT-1300, 6-8 escort fighters
Escort fighters can be: Rihkxyrk Attack Ship (bombers), Dunelizard Starfighter (medium fighter), ...
Cargo Vessels usually hold 3 turrets and can be: HC-A1A Medium Cruiser, Warlord Cruiser, ... or an unarmed Transport.
You have 10 minutes to do all of the following: destroy all of the Cargo vessel's escorts, disable the vessel itself (DO NOT DESTROY THE CARGO VESSEL!!) and complete the docking procedure.
If the player who spawned the convoy dies, he can come back to continue the battle until the end of the mission timer.
If you can't make it before the 5 minutes, the Cargo Vessel will jump out into hyperspace if he's not disabled or ignite an auto-destruction sequence if he's disabled. In both situations, it will mean failure.
To dock with the Cargo vessel, target it and use the "u" key to retrieve the No-Trade Crate of Components. Opening the Crate of Components will yield your loot, usually between 8 and 15 items related to space ships.
The Loot[]
- More Convoy Flight Plans
- More Interdiction Burst Generator (Schematic)
- More Interface Scanner (Schematic)
- Exclusive Pilot command chips
- Exclusive components and schematics
- Schematic: Incom Elite II Prototype Engine (POB ship only)
- Schematic: Weapon Efficiency Booster (crafted weapon subcomponent that lowers drain)
- Schematic: High Capacity Projector Shield - MK5 (crafted shield subcomponent that increases mass but also shield effectiveness)
- T86 Shooting Star Engine (High-speed L6 engine)
- Kuat Engineering Systems TC-62 engines (High-speed L10 engine)
- Moncal Ionweb Prototype B Shield (L6 Shield with high front/back hitpoints)
- Taim Torton Heavy Shield L10 shield with high front/back hitpoints)
- Random raw ship parts
- Pilot Tree Rewards:
- Incom "K-77" Shield Generator
- Mon Calamari "D-22" Droid Interface
- Novaldex "Hypernova" Starship Booster
- Taim & Bak "Ion Driver"
- Corellian Engineering Corp. Triplate Armor
- Qualdex Capacitator Battery Array
- Incom Military-Grade Starfighter Engine
- Slayn & Korpil "Hypervortex" Reactor
- Taim & Bak Military-Grade Shield Generator
- Novaldex Low-Latency Droid Interface
- Qualdex "Halcyon" Starfighter Boosters
- Incom "Tri-Cannon"
- Cygnus "Starblaster" Disruptor
- Sienar Fleet Systems Light Military Grade Durasteel
- Republic Sienar System Ion Booster
- Rendili Dual-Projector Shield Generator
- Rendili "K-Class" Weapon Capacitor
- Sienar Fleet Systems Military Grade Droid Interface
- Sienar Design Systems High-Output Reactor
- Cygnus "Megadrive" Starship Engine
- Sienar Design Systems "Boltdriver"
- Cygnus "Holoscreen" Shield Generator
- Republic Sienar Systems Special Durasteel
- Republic Sienar Systems Advanced Military Grade Reactor
- Hoersch-Kessel Military-Grade Blaster
- MandalMotors "M Series" Booster
- Koensayer "DS-23" Reactor
- SoroSuub "W-19" Droid Interface
- SubPro Military-Grade Reactor
- MandalMotors "Inferno" Starfighter Engine
- SoroSuub "V-1" Weapon Capacitor
- Kuat Systems Engineering Handcrafted Durasteel Plating
- MandalMotors "Q Series" Booster
- Borstel Disruptor
- Armek "Plasma Web" Shield Generator
- Haor Chall Military Grade Engine
- Underworld shinies (only appears if you're a Smuggler)
- Security Rating 1: 20 Underworld Faction points + Tier 1 Contraband items + 2-6 Illegal Pistol Modules
- Security Rating 2: 30 Underworld Faction points + Tier 2 Contraband items + 4-6 Illegal Pistol Modules
- Security Rating 3: 40 Underworld Faction points + Tier 3 Contraband items + 4-6 Illegal Pistol Modules
- Security Rating 4: 50 Underworld Faction points + Tier 4 Contraband items + 4-6 Illegal Pistol Modules
- Security Rating 5: 60 Underworld Faction points + Tier 5 Contraband items + 4-6 Illegal Pistol Modules