While some might enjoy endless hours of mining, or doing quiet trading runs, others want to feel the heat of action, and live in the knowledge that a fiery death could come at any moment. For those who like that rush of adrenaline, being a pirate in Eve can be a very powerful feeling. With unsuspecting miners and trade route runners at your mercy you can extort money hunt bounty and enjoy the thrills of a pirates life!
In lawless space, however, you can do what you want. Most pirates look at their actions in the context of a business enterprise, meaning that they will do it for profit.
Though NPC pirates almost never shoot down a pod, there is a glimmer of honor left in some of the pirates as well. The Eve Pirates are a jolly diverse bunch. You'll find pirates who'd scare you into paying ransom money so they leave you alone. And you'll find some who'll blast your pod to smithereens even after they've extracted their desired sum, just for the heck of it!
If you are in the business of extortion, a common sense rule of thumb is to set standard demand amounts based on the type of warship, or percentage of cargo if it is a trader.
Some organizations, though thoroughly disreputable in every sense, present themselves as legitimate businesses, and in a way they are. This type of pirate fights a proxy war on behalf of others. When one corporation is feuding with another, or wants to weaken their control over certain trade routes or territories, they will hire a pirate organization that will then launch an all out attack on the enemy corporation's assets.
Those on the receiving end of the attack will think of it as an unprovoked attack, something completely random and inexplicable, when really it is just business as usual. This type of pirate organization is simply a corporation with a mercenary mission statement.
Another form of organized piracy is sometimes referred to as 'ganking'. This involves setting up a trap near a warp gate, laying in wait with a few other ships, ready for someone to wander through. And then?Bang!!!
Being a pirate has a definite cost. When you engage in a number of unsavory acts, repeatedly and mercilessly, then your security status will sink quickly.
If your status is low enough, you will be killed on sight by empire agents should you venture into empire controlled areas. Plus, as a result of your misdeeds, some of your former victims may have decided to put a bounty on your head, in which case you will have to be on the look out for bounty hunters eager to make your acquaintance!
The life of a pirate may be very exciting, but there are downtimes as well. With the amount of enemies you make in the middle of nowhere, you can be blasted off the scene by some guy who holds old grudges against you. So the best thing is to plan ahead for the times where you'll come out on the wrong side of a battle. Keeping an up-to-date clone is one big asset and the other is your ship's insurance.
