Forums » Suggestions
Make player owned cap ships a force to be reckoned with
This is a three part suggestion relating to issues surrounding the player owned capital ships as I see them:
1) Give the player cap ships some long range offensive weaponry.
I have a few suggestions here. I have also heard people recommend using the capital gauss and swarm turrets found on NPC Tridents. Another idea would be to use some form of accelerated Avalon torpedoes. Any of these would do well to increase the Type-M's firepower.
Make the weaponry adjustable by integrating the Type-M's powercell and giving it a grid power that would allow these weapons to be equipped, while preventing them from being used on the Moth and the Atlas. Then the weapons themselves could either be manufactured or purchased depending on how the devs see fit to implement. Otherwise the neutron turrets currently used could be replaced with any of the above as part of the Type-M's basic package.
2) Allow more than one player to pilot the capital ship.
Those that help in the construction effort should have a chance to stand at the helm at some point or other. I have not seen what the user system looks like for the finished product so I apologize if this sounds unintelligent, but perhaps the key system currently in place for the conquerable stations could be used such that anyone with an "owner" key for the capital ship could select and launch the cap ship from the shipyards as the skipper.
As a corollary I think player owned cap ships should be persistent. In other words, if someone logs off at the helm, the next player docked with the ship with an active owner key takes his/her place. If no docked players have an owner key, the docked player with a user key and the most seniority (lowest character #), most PKs, or any other measure of rank is given one and promoted to the helm. If no other players are docked, the cap ship remains adrift and the first player to dock with it is given a new owner key. Optionally, this could happen after a 2 minute countdown timer.
3) Give player owned capital ships meaningful objectives.
The first two parts lead into this, making them more powerful and more accessible. Thinking about the Deneb conflict, the outcome affects the blockades, which affects CtC, so it all comes down to the neutron blaster mkIII at present. Perhaps the nIII stats could be tweaked to make it more attractive, such as a 10% increase in damage and a 100kg reduction in mass. Perhaps additional badges could be made available for CtC participation. I have also heard it suggested that the nIII be limited to prevent over stocking during victory weeks. This might be accomplished by relegating the nIII to a manufacturing mission that is only available to the CtC victor, and limited in the number of times it can be taken per day. Another idea would be to make the nIII sensitive to demand, such that as more people buy it the price goes up.
Alternately, conquerable stations could become a test bed for a true player run market. Station owners could unload commodities and consign ships to be sold at quantity from their inventory for any given price. These would show up to all who are docked at that station as available to purchase. The station would take 10%, and the rest would go directly to the seller. Optionally, if a station is conquered, the conqueror receives all of the inventory up for sale at that station. These reasons may revitalize the conflict that surrounds the conquerable stations, and the player owned cap ships should be powerful pieces in that conflict.
1) Give the player cap ships some long range offensive weaponry.
I have a few suggestions here. I have also heard people recommend using the capital gauss and swarm turrets found on NPC Tridents. Another idea would be to use some form of accelerated Avalon torpedoes. Any of these would do well to increase the Type-M's firepower.
Make the weaponry adjustable by integrating the Type-M's powercell and giving it a grid power that would allow these weapons to be equipped, while preventing them from being used on the Moth and the Atlas. Then the weapons themselves could either be manufactured or purchased depending on how the devs see fit to implement. Otherwise the neutron turrets currently used could be replaced with any of the above as part of the Type-M's basic package.
2) Allow more than one player to pilot the capital ship.
Those that help in the construction effort should have a chance to stand at the helm at some point or other. I have not seen what the user system looks like for the finished product so I apologize if this sounds unintelligent, but perhaps the key system currently in place for the conquerable stations could be used such that anyone with an "owner" key for the capital ship could select and launch the cap ship from the shipyards as the skipper.
As a corollary I think player owned cap ships should be persistent. In other words, if someone logs off at the helm, the next player docked with the ship with an active owner key takes his/her place. If no docked players have an owner key, the docked player with a user key and the most seniority (lowest character #), most PKs, or any other measure of rank is given one and promoted to the helm. If no other players are docked, the cap ship remains adrift and the first player to dock with it is given a new owner key. Optionally, this could happen after a 2 minute countdown timer.
3) Give player owned capital ships meaningful objectives.
The first two parts lead into this, making them more powerful and more accessible. Thinking about the Deneb conflict, the outcome affects the blockades, which affects CtC, so it all comes down to the neutron blaster mkIII at present. Perhaps the nIII stats could be tweaked to make it more attractive, such as a 10% increase in damage and a 100kg reduction in mass. Perhaps additional badges could be made available for CtC participation. I have also heard it suggested that the nIII be limited to prevent over stocking during victory weeks. This might be accomplished by relegating the nIII to a manufacturing mission that is only available to the CtC victor, and limited in the number of times it can be taken per day. Another idea would be to make the nIII sensitive to demand, such that as more people buy it the price goes up.
Alternately, conquerable stations could become a test bed for a true player run market. Station owners could unload commodities and consign ships to be sold at quantity from their inventory for any given price. These would show up to all who are docked at that station as available to purchase. The station would take 10%, and the rest would go directly to the seller. Optionally, if a station is conquered, the conqueror receives all of the inventory up for sale at that station. These reasons may revitalize the conflict that surrounds the conquerable stations, and the player owned cap ships should be powerful pieces in that conflict.
Oh there will be some meaningful objectives. We just haven't seen one in the hands of a militant/combat guild yet...
I think Itan will build their cappy pretty soon.
Re persistence:
I think if a player is on board when the pilot logs while in space that can assume the pilots duties and has a key then they should be allowed/offered to take over as pilot.
I think if a player is on board when the pilot logs while in space that can assume the pilots duties and has a key then they should be allowed/offered to take over as pilot.
PaKettle; right, in so many words that's pretty much exactly what I am suggesting.
Using progressive approach again:
For me, priority is shared ownership and all its consequences: change pilot, guild ownership, sell cappies.
1.1) Make only Shipyards sell existing Capital-Class Weapons and Turrets, and only installed on a capship (== no stocks)
1.2) New capital class weapons, as autoturrets, mining turrets, torpedos, etc
2.1) Make only possible to change pilot on shipyard, when pilot "gives" ship to another player, when both are present. No ownership change. RP-wise, only shipyards have required installations to enable a pilot-capship interface.
2.2) Enable Keys (owner,pilot,user) for cappies. Allow change pilot during flight, when both are present in capship.
2.3) Shared ownership (Guild owns, all member can use). Allows selling cappies using key transfer
3.1) Create new, specialized capital ships versions, as freighters, miners, flagships for Guilds, mobile factories, etc.
3.2) New capships models, more specialized
With above improvements, highlighting the guild shared ownsership, and more cappies in game, naturally cappies will change many game aspects and have way more value than now.
Later we'll also need national and TPG's shipyards, bringing new demainds on products, while offering easier access to cappies, existing and new.
For me, priority is shared ownership and all its consequences: change pilot, guild ownership, sell cappies.
1.1) Make only Shipyards sell existing Capital-Class Weapons and Turrets, and only installed on a capship (== no stocks)
1.2) New capital class weapons, as autoturrets, mining turrets, torpedos, etc
2.1) Make only possible to change pilot on shipyard, when pilot "gives" ship to another player, when both are present. No ownership change. RP-wise, only shipyards have required installations to enable a pilot-capship interface.
2.2) Enable Keys (owner,pilot,user) for cappies. Allow change pilot during flight, when both are present in capship.
2.3) Shared ownership (Guild owns, all member can use). Allows selling cappies using key transfer
3.1) Create new, specialized capital ships versions, as freighters, miners, flagships for Guilds, mobile factories, etc.
3.2) New capships models, more specialized
With above improvements, highlighting the guild shared ownsership, and more cappies in game, naturally cappies will change many game aspects and have way more value than now.
Later we'll also need national and TPG's shipyards, bringing new demainds on products, while offering easier access to cappies, existing and new.