They're getting lots of love in the next micro expansion. IC said so!

I just wished they changed "pirates" for something that would make some more sense in the setting of "Sins". Somehow, the fact that a bunch of pirates can mount a massive attack on well established interstellar empires doesn't cut it for me. Dunno, a rebellious faction, a marauding alien race, anything but pirates. Not that pirates wouldn't exist in space, but they would most likely be just be a threat to trade, not to the survival of the empires themselves.

The thing I find most redicolous is that the pirates are suicidal in their attacks and fight to the last ship, yet the AI empires retreat all the time.

How can Pirates who are just miserable criminals be braver fighters then the military forces of AI empires?! Not even mercanaries act like that.

 

"Pirate love" was mentioned as being a (small) part of the diplomacy/culture micro-expansion. So yes, it will.

Also, I'd assume the A.I. would get an overhaul to deal with all the new options, so there'd be some love for that too. (computers need love and understanding as much as the rest of us. )

 

unless you were dreaming while driving a car... or dreaming of your girlfriend when you are with your wife....

but hey, forget i said anything...

 

but i do like your ideas, maybe making pirates more sneaky... attacking a recently colonised planet with poor defenses etc, rather than the closest planet... i was playing a map with pirates and simply fortified a nearby planet with mines, gauss, SC and a starbase, the pirates just kept getting their asses handed to them... if i wanted to lvl up a Cap ship quicky, id put him in there for a bit and lvl six VERY quickly... never really had to rebuildany defenses either... did make pirates quite boring though, i even let them attack me on purpose, just for the EXP

i like the idea of control, telling them where to attack, but the bidding on yourself thing, maybe that would work with mercenaries, but not with pirates methinks.... maybe add it in, pirates could be a more diversionary force, more hassling than dangerous, and while the enemy is distracted, send in the much more dangerous mercenaries to sabotage the fleet, or wipe out a planet, or whatever...

makes sense, mercenaries would be better trained, better equipped.... maybe we could even pitch mercenaries against pirates... pirates have more numbers but mercenaries are better equipped and effective. would mean that if you win both of them, you should be feared, but if you only win one you need to guess where to deploy your particular faction, either counter the other faction, defend a weak spot in your empire, or attack the enemy empire...

i have to say i really like this idea of pirates and mercenaries.

now that im thinking about it, why do pirates attack an empire with bounty? because they have to work for their pay... however, the pirates keep all the money put in the bid against all empires... does not make sense, they are getting money for nothing, i really think that that should be changed... only the highest amont of bounty should remain when the pirates launch.