Mod Idea: Immersive Smuggling (1.0)
SUMMARY: This mod adds a deeper and more consequential smuggling system to Starfield – smuggling contracts, a diverse contraband system and illicit economy, improved contraband scans and security presence, and a host of new smuggling-focused ship modifications. Fast travel while in possession of contraband is severely limited, placing increased emphasis on experimental ship parts to minimize the risk of contraband scan while transporting illicit goods across multiple systems. The new smuggling system is designed with an emphasis on proportional risk vs. reward, and successfully transporting illicit goods will net you a substantial payout. The amount of scrutiny you face when traveling through a system now depends on your use of specialized equipment, factional alignment, and persuasion skills, all of which will help smugglers out of dangerous situations.
Smuggling Contracts
Smuggling contracts are now available at most major cities and hubs across the starfield via dedicated terminals and NPC questgivers. Contracts are, for the most part, directly or indirectly sanctioned by the dominant faction in the system and will almost always require the player to transport sensitive cargo through the territory of one or more rival factions. Contracts will typically involve smuggling contraband that cannot be carried in your inventory (bulk shipments, ship components, personnel, etc.) and may require arrangements for hands-on delivery. Failure or forfeiture of a contract may incur a bounty with the mission giver. Contract payouts depend on the contraband rating of the cargo, travel distance required, and assessed risks involved. More sensitive contraband or riskier voyages will generally yield the largest payout, see below examples:
- Deliver Insurrectionist Leader: Ves Melfi, an exiled insurgent leader in the far-flung Katydid system, and her lieutenant need to attend a high-level meeting in New Atlantis to finalize the details of their next attack on the United Colonies. Ensure they reach their engagement with the authorities none the wiser, and we will take advantage of the ensuing chaos.
- START: Kryx System, The Key, Smuggling Contract Terminal
- FACTION: Crimson Fleet
- PICKUP: Katydid System, Katydid III, Civilian Outpost
- END: Alpha Centauri System, Jemison, New Atlantis
- RATING: 5/5
- REQUIRED: Shielded Holding Cell, or, Hidden Compartment III
- RECOMMENDED: Biometric Defeat System III
- REWARD: 30,000 credits; Crimson Fleet faction points; funds delivered direct on landing
- Black Aurora Shipment: One of our Freestar Collective sources – a clandestine narcotics manufacturer – stumbled on an experimental mix for his latest Aurora batch. He calls it Black Aurora and says it is the most potent batch he has ever created; ensure this high-value shipment arrives in Neon so we can map out the Freestar narcotics network. Do not tamper with the tracking devices.
- START: Deimos Staryard, Hangar, Lt. Devlin McCabe
- FACTION: United Colonies
- PICKUP: Alchiba System, Alchiba VIII, Biochem Laboratory
- END: Volii System, Volii Alpha, Neon
- RATING: 4/5
- REQUIRED: Shielded Cargo Hold
- RECOMMENDED: Narcotics Detection Scrambler II
- REWARD: 20,000 credits; United Colonies faction points; funds delivered in-person upon delivery to Neon contact
- Protection for Mining Operation: Mining can be a tough gig. Mining near the Colonies can be even tougher with all the industrial restrictions in place. A small mining operation on Mars is having trouble getting the paperwork straight for weapons they need to equip their security contractor, and they are having trouble fending off marauders in the area. Get them those guns.
- START: Cheyenne System, Akila City, Smuggling Contract Terminal
- FACTION: Freestar Collective
- PICKUP: Archimedes System, Archimedes V, Industrial Outpost
- END: Sol System, Mars, Mining Outpost
- RATING: 2/5
- REQUIRED: Shielded Cargo Hold
- RECOMMENDED: Tech Signature Mask I
- REWARD: 10,000 credits; Freestar Collective faction points; funds delivered in-person upon delivery to mining outpost
Additional contract archetypes:
| Deliver wanted refugees to safe homestead | Transport components from settled space to remote space station | Smuggle science team into ruins near sensitive military installation |
|---|---|---|
| Run illicit cargo through a blockade | Aid bounty hunter struggling to transport target to client | Steal back ship/goods from pirates, deliver to client |
| Hijack ship at a military space station, fight/talk your way to the client | Bribe a customs official for an impounded item, transport to client | Infiltrate military installation, steal sensitive information, deliver to client |
| Establish smuggling route | Escort bulk freighter carrying illicit goods |
Emergent Smuggling and Contraband Economy
In addition to formal contracts, enterprising smugglers can always transport and sell illicit goods they accrue simply during their normal playthroughs – though they will of course be subject to increased scrutiny from security forces. Emergent smuggling activities are purely for profit and selling goods to a fence affiliated with an opposing faction will never negatively impact your faction standings, unless you end up fighting security forces.
- Improved Contraband: A variety of specific contraband items have been added to the loot table, and looted items now have a small chance of being pre-flagged as contraband. Contraband items will be assigned a distinct Contraband Value (CV) – as will normal stolen items and unregistered ships. CV indicates the price at which an item can be sold to an illicit fence. Though special items can also be flagged as contraband, contraband items will be otherwise normal items and will not be given abnormal properties aside from heightened prices when sold to a fence. For example:
| ITEM: Aurora Hookah Canister | ITEM: Illegally Modified Ace Sidearm | SHIP: Small Va’ruun Blockade Runner (Freighter) |
|---|---|---|
| CV: 500 credits | CV: 2,500 credits | CV: 20,000 credits |
- Fence Network: Trade Authority vendors will no longer purchase contraband, which smugglers will instead need to sell to a network of underworld fences residing in major hubs, such as New Atlantis and Neon. The fence system will require smugglers to infiltrate highly-policed areas to sell most of their contraband. Smugglers selling to a factionally-aligned fence will derive a small bonus in profit. However, some independent fences prefer remote ungoverned territories and will buy your contraband for a reduced price. Smugglers would be wise to track the prices offered by each fence, who will each specialize in moving certain types of items, to get the maximum profit. For example:
| Lt. Devlin McCabe | Slavemaster Joka | Sylvia Yarr | Deniz “Brink” Birkan |
|---|---|---|---|
| FACTION: United Colonies | FACTION: Crimson Fleet | FACTION: Freestar Collective | FACTION: None |
| LOCATION: Sol System, Deimos Staryard | LOCATION: Kryx System, The Key | LOCATION: Volii System, Volii Alpha, Neon | LOCATION: Bohr System, Space Station |
| FENCE SPECIALTIES: Narcotics (4/5); Illicit Goods (3/5); Weapons (1/5); Ships (3/5); Ship Components (3/5); Clothes and Equipment (1/5); Personnel (1/5); Trinkets (2/5) | FENCE SPECIALTIES: Narcotics (2/5); Illicit Goods (2/5); Weapons (3/5); Ships (4/5); Ship Components (1/5); Clothes and Equipment (1/5); Personnel (5/5); Trinkets (1/5) | FENCE SPECIALTIES: Narcotics (5/5); Illicit Goods (4/5); Weapons (1/5); Ships (1/5); Ship Components (1/5); Clothes and Equipment (3/5); Personnel (1/5); Trinkets (4/5) | FENCE SPECIALTIES: Narcotics (1/5); Illicit Goods (4/5); Weapons (3/5); Ships (2/5); Ship Components (1/5); Clothes and Equipment (5/5); Personnel (1/5); Trinkets (3/5) |
Tougher Security and Customs
The security presence in the settled systems has been overhauled to present an actual challenge to smugglers and customs officials will be present at major starports. Smugglers will find the normal contraband scans have been enhanced to test even the cleverest countermeasures. Upon landing at a starport with contraband, all players are now required to declare their cargo with a customs officer after disembarking or find ways around this restriction.
- Contraband Scans: Upon arrival into a new system, players will be subject to a deep initial scan for contraband. The enhanced contraband scan will take into account the overall amount of contraband you have on your ship (capacity) and the sum of the value of your cargo to assign a risk number that will compare to your Deception skill rating and benefits offered by smuggling-specific ship equipment. If the contraband scan yields a higher value, you will be discovered and your goods confiscated. There will always be a chance that your countermeasures fail. All is not lost, however, as smugglers can equip Hidden Compartments which will allow them to stow a small amount of high-value contraband which will always be immune from contraband scans.
- Failed Scan: Upon failing a contraband scan, beyond admitting defeat, the player can opt for several courses of action:
| Fight | Flee | Inspection |
|---|---|---|
| The player can opt to fight security forces; this will incur a large bounty and alert planetside security forces, preventing landing; players will have to jump to another system after defeating security forces and wait for a cooldown period before trying again | The player can opt to flee; this will again incur a small bounty and alert planetside security forces, preventing landing; players will have to jump to another system and wait for a cooldown period before trying again; long-range grav drives are useful here, as security forces will follow the player if he/she jumps to a nearby system with a similar factional alignment | The player can opt to submit to inspection; this will disable the player's ship and law enforcement will board your vessel; the inspection will initiate another "roll" (similar to being scanned again); at this point, players can attempt to persuade the security team to let them pass, bribe the security team, or kill/incapacitate security forces; killing security forces will incur the same consequences as Fighting whereas incapacitating the security team will incur the same consequences as Fleeing; failing the inspection will result in a fine, ship impoundment, contraband confiscation, and jail time. |
- Customs Office: Players will be required to check in with local customs officials, positioned near every major starport, before entering populated areas. Players will incur an automatic bounty and will be arrested by law enforcement if entering cities without first declaring with customs. Most customs officers are malleable, and smugglers can circumvent the customs office in many ways:
| Bribe | Intimidate | Persuade | Forged Manifest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Players can opt to pay off customs to look the other way on a shipment of contraband; the bribery sum will depend on a player's Commerce and Persuasion skills | Players can opt to threaten the customs officer; the success of which will depend on a player's Intimidation skill; failure will immediately incur a law enforcement response | Players can opt to peacefully convince the customs official to look the other way on a shipment; success depends on a player's Persuasion skill; failure will incur a hefty fine | Players can opt to expend a rare, one-time use forged manifest item, to get past customs; this item can be purchased from fences or found as rare loot |
Ship Modifications
Ships now have a wider variety of components designed specifically to aid smugglers attempting to avoid detection or escape from the law. Certain sensitive types of cargo - such as personnel - will also require specialized storage components to ensure proper delivery. Smuggling components can only be purchased from fences, some of which will specialize in dealing restricted or illegally modified parts. As noted earlier, some smuggling contracts will require the player to have certain components installed. Example components include:
| Hidden Compartments (I-V) | Heavy Shielded Cargo Hold (I-III) | Narcotics Detection Scrambler (I-III) | Tech Signature Mask (I-III) |
|---|---|---|---|
| These compartments grant the player space to store high-value contraband, rendering it immune from scans; each grade adds slightly more space; grades III and above enable the player to store personnel without a Shielded Holding Cell | Heavy shielded cargo holds allow the player to take contracts involving the transport of bulk contraband goods; each grade adds slightly more space and increases the chance of passing a scan | This scrambler increases the chance of passing a scan when carrying narcotics; if the player fails a scan, only a percentage of the shipment will be confiscated | Applies a coating to the cargo hold that increases the chance of passing a scan when carrying weapons and equipment; if the player fails a scan, only a percentage of the shipment will be confiscated |
| Biometric Defeat System (I-III) | Shielded Holding Cell | Modified Grav Drive Booster | Encrypted Comms |
|---|---|---|---|
| The BDS increases the chance of passing a scan when transporting personnel; if the player fails a scan, there is a small chance security forces will confiscate only non-personnel contraband | This holding cell allows the player to take contracts involving the transport of wanted personnel | This illegal modification to the player's grav drive will enable a one-time jump to the nearest independent system, enabling the player to flee from law enforcement without being followed | This addition to the communications array allows smugglers to contact fences prior to their arrival; using encrypted comms has has a small chance of enabling the fence to distract law enforcement in the destination system, sparing the player a contraband scan or visit to the customs office |
Hopefully someone far more talented than I can take inspiration!