I'm just reading about the game as a newbie, and it seems like if you get jumped while carrying loot, there's all to lose, but nothing to gain.
I just want to clarify, does the aggressor have anything to lose, other than their time? Does the attacked player have anything to gain if they win instead of running away (other than experience?)
If not, shouldn't there be some detriment to starting and losing a PvP battle, even if you had no loot onboard?
By convincing the people you meet to raise an alliance flag of course!
Sometimes you have to be a little uh… cough aggressive in first negotiations
Ah, I don't know what an alliance flag is :)
In the crowe’s nest you can raise a flag that will offer an alliance to nearby ships. If they also join the alliance, you can see each other on the map, and receive I believe 50% of what alliance members sell.
Oh cool