-10? Good or bad? Oh, and piracy in general.

In the world of modern piracy, many people have found their security status plummeting. CCP's recent changes to the security status to be gained from NPC's has meant that many people are stuck with a security status below -5. Is this good or bad? From a purely role-playing perspective then yes, a low sec status is good. It shows that you pay no heed to some simple faction standing, and do as you wish. It serves to intimidate those you are hunting, and as a badge to get respect from your pirate companions. Unfortunately, it's also bad. In practical terms, heaving such a low security status and being branded an outlaw means that you lose access to the high sec systems that comprise 75% of EVE's markets. When I first became a pirate there was no criminal flagging, there was no response from sentry guns to belt piracy. You could pod someone, and then merrily continue on your way into the next system and begin again. The security hit system was also bugged. So you could shoot someone down (usually a sec hit for initiating combat, 0.5%, and a second for destroying a ship, 2.5%) and then pod them (a ridiculously high 12.5% standing hit) and occasionally, if you were lucky, one or more of these sec hits wouldn't land. It would simply never appear on your security status record and as such your standing with CONCORD (aka security status) would never change. I used to run around in my tristan and ransom and blow up frigates, indy's and cruisers. The Fat Man as the tristan is also known was my ship of choice, without the 15 minute criminal timer I would roam around the Dantumi/Mara/Aurohunen/Passari systems and have a jolly good time. :) My security status did suffer though, and fell to roughly -3.5. Now my piracy took me from Syndicate to northern Lonetrek, but fortunately there is a low sec corridor to facilitate movement. The downside was that I had no second account to allow me to shop in high sec. I was also without a battleship. It took me many months of tagging along with others and getting second hand security status increase before I could return to 1.0's. So, my word of advice to any new pirates; losing your security status is not necessarily a badge of honour. Be careful before you go down that road, since it takes time to get your security status back. The flipside to having a low security status is the impact of your actions in Empire. Personally if I pirate in Empire, and I do from time to time, I always put my ship on the line. I go right in there to the target, and use my personal skill to ensure victory. Of course it doesn't always work, you come against something you weren't expecting, and lose a ship. But I hate Empire gate snipers. Gate sniping is only a worthy tactic if you are outnumbered against a foe that you have no other choice against. People that camp and snipe a gate in Empire risk nothing. I despise it because it takes no personal skill to get a kill. You don't risk anything and you're outside sentry gun retaliation range. Now, this may appeal to some of you, and it is a valid tactic. It breaks no rules and requires little skill. But, and this is the driving force of my pirate career, it is dishonourable. When I pirate, I like to use my skill as a pilot, I want to feel the thrill of achieving something through my ability to pilot my ship. I want the victim to step back and realise that they were out piloted and stood little chance of beating me. Now when you start piracy you may have little in the way of knowing how to pilot your ship. You have to decide what you want to do. You have to decide whether you want to become a big red flashing object on everyone's overview. In Empire, people often don't defend themselves, but you get a sec hit for fighting. You also have to sit around for 15 minutes after a hostile act before you can change systems, unless you want to risk the wrath of the sentry guns. Or there is 0.0. People tend to be better at fighting back, and know what to do. People also know to expect the worst. You can kill or be killed without any protection or retaliation from the sentry guns. Plus there are no sec hits. I prefer 0.0 piracy. It's harder, and the lack of sec hits is a real bonus. People know it's dangerous so I risk more to pirate there. I also get surprised more often. People are more willing to fight in 0.0 so I get more of what I'm looking for. The other advantage is that in 0.0 there is no law. You can do whatever you want to do and disregard what everyone else says! So, to conclude; as a person, I believe that having a low security status is a bad thing. The downsides to it outweigh the advantages. However, if you are simply looking to roleplay the badass pirate and have people run from you whenever you enter local, and even take potshots at you as you pass, then start shooting stuff!