Forums » Suggestions
Investing in station upgrades
Yet another word wall by yours truly, but dreaming is fun...
In addition to the stations having unique types, they should also have upgradeable facilities. These facilities require material and credits to upkeep. This upkeep should be shared among the entire playerbase, however, as a mass resource sink. Stations offer more and/or better services when facility upgrades are reached. Upkeep amounts should be tangentially related to the number of active pilots (even if they don't contribute) so that, should the game have an influx of persistant activity, this system isn't overloaded and made easy through sheer player-mass.
Upgrade categories:
Not all categories are available at all stations; barebones manufacturing facilities wouldn't have luxury suites for VIPs, and commercial stations might be lacking in the space for outfitting ships. Some stations might have multiple available categories, but the ceiling on upgrades is capped low. Upgrades have unique costs related to the subject being upgraded, and all require credits. Some example categories are below.
Housing:
Merchants and miscreants alike can make do with simple accomadations as they chase credits, but the affluent will only visit stations that can cater to their whims. Upgrades to housing will improve this system's local NPC population and increase mission quality. Some missions given by faction leaders require a high level to be available. Upkeep decay is reduced by a sliver per level.
Upgrades start with structural components, and move towards luxury goods.
Nation capitols and faction bases have the highest ceiling.
Bars and Barracks:
Station police and guns for hire hang out in these places. Upgrades to B&B improves the ability of station guards and the number of hireable mercenaries in the station.
Upgrades are mostly related to training material and baseline goods.
Military outposts and Barracks-type stations have the highest upgrade ceiling.
Industrial:
If you want to build something, you need the machines to build it and the technicians to operate those machines! Upgrades to industrial will make repairs cheaper and unlock special items to manufacture.
Upgrades cost in high-end tooling and supplies.
Manufacturing facilities such as the conquerable station would obviously have the highest ceiling, followed closely behind faction-owned facilities that have opened their doors to unlicensed operators (aka us players).
Refinery and Recycling:
The bread and butter of trade all comes down to the raw resources used to create commodities. Build out facilities in order to convert ores and recycle materials into new components. Stations will more quickly take raw resources and turn them into their "local" trade good when upgraded, and also ties into my salvaging suggestion mega-wall here.
NPC convoy impact to upgrades:
NPCs carry goods around to stations, but the impact of that should be muted, at best. These convoys should manage trade and stock, of course, and boosted convoy capacity through the housing upgrade can reduce upkeep costs, but these convoys are seeking to balance the upkeep of the station itself and have their own agendas as licensed contractors of the various factions/corporations/businesses and generally wouldn't get involved. Any further upgrades should be handled through external generous organizations and individual pilots. In other words, let the community be responsible for choosing what they invest in!
Upkeep badges:
Pilots who contribute to station upkeep can get fancy badges! Badges badges badges badges mushroom mushroom!
station upgrade loss:
Stations need to be difficult to upkeep, both in terms of commercial requirement that promotes decay as well as potential engagement opportunities. All station's upgrades de-level once a week, and need to be fed that level's commodities to be regained. Additionally, richer stations will randomly attract equally larger groups of NPC pirates and hive incursions; if these are not fought off within their time window (4 hours?), then the station is "stripped" of its upgrades. These incursions would also be a great place to place unique NPCs, such as Unrat minelayers or hive trappers. They shouldn't impact ALL stations, especially all at once; instead, the server selects a romdom one from a list, weighted by the station's percieved value (and maybe by its player traffic?). **OBSERVANT** players could be forwarned of an impending attack by the presence of certain NPCs in trade convoys visiting the station (either an increased risk assessment by the larger corporations dispatching more guards for the convoy itself, or as spies for the incursion blending in, or something). I won't claim that a no-win scenario should be presented if a station is kept at max for an excessive time, but the response should grow exponentially after a point.
When players may WANT a station to lose upgrades, how they can trigger this:
Since an upgraded station benefits ALL players, that also means it needs to be possible to sabotage these efforts and be rewarded for doing so, to offset the potential benefit that having a station upgraded can provide. The "reward" part, i'm not sure how to handle, but here's my idea on triggering an early loss mechanic. Pilots can blockade a station from its convoys; in the dynamic economy system, this would lower the stock of items available at this station (whether visible on the market or not) as well as what the station can naturally produce due to lacking in resources. While the station would thus be more urgent in its requests for goods, this will also increase the price the station is willing to pay. However, if the station were to become desperate enough, they may turn to cannibalizing unnecessary services - thus dismantling the facilities that were only publicly-funded donations in the first place. Pilots could also just hinder anyone trying to defend the station against the reset mechanic, which might be easier and less time intensive.
Interface:
Obviously, this is up to interpretation as well as how such a system could be implemented, but I imagine something similar to the player's faction list as a tab in the station menu itself. New pilots don't see the tab at all; it is unlocked and made visible at trade 4, along with a brief tutorial mission that explains how the system operates. Unlike the player's faction list, however, only the upgrade categories actually available for being upgraded at the station will show progress bars, making it clear when a particular category is maxed out or simply not available at this particular location. When the player clicks/presses on a category, the right side panel shows on top the benefits given by the current level, then lists the items remaining necessary to reach the next level. The user can open their inventory window here and select to move their cargo into the station "donation bin", as it were. Items not being used for any valid category would be rejected (the station doesn't want to keep your garbage on their hands! Though they might recommend you sell it, so they can properly inventory it and ship it off where someone might need it). Honestly, this section probably needs work...
TL;DR
Provide an investment system for pilots that allows them to enhance the capabilities and rewards given by a station globally, with potential for decay over time of the investment without upkeep and semi-random events that can trigger resets.
In addition to the stations having unique types, they should also have upgradeable facilities. These facilities require material and credits to upkeep. This upkeep should be shared among the entire playerbase, however, as a mass resource sink. Stations offer more and/or better services when facility upgrades are reached. Upkeep amounts should be tangentially related to the number of active pilots (even if they don't contribute) so that, should the game have an influx of persistant activity, this system isn't overloaded and made easy through sheer player-mass.
Upgrade categories:
Not all categories are available at all stations; barebones manufacturing facilities wouldn't have luxury suites for VIPs, and commercial stations might be lacking in the space for outfitting ships. Some stations might have multiple available categories, but the ceiling on upgrades is capped low. Upgrades have unique costs related to the subject being upgraded, and all require credits. Some example categories are below.
Housing:
Merchants and miscreants alike can make do with simple accomadations as they chase credits, but the affluent will only visit stations that can cater to their whims. Upgrades to housing will improve this system's local NPC population and increase mission quality. Some missions given by faction leaders require a high level to be available. Upkeep decay is reduced by a sliver per level.
Upgrades start with structural components, and move towards luxury goods.
Nation capitols and faction bases have the highest ceiling.
Bars and Barracks:
Station police and guns for hire hang out in these places. Upgrades to B&B improves the ability of station guards and the number of hireable mercenaries in the station.
Upgrades are mostly related to training material and baseline goods.
Military outposts and Barracks-type stations have the highest upgrade ceiling.
Industrial:
If you want to build something, you need the machines to build it and the technicians to operate those machines! Upgrades to industrial will make repairs cheaper and unlock special items to manufacture.
Upgrades cost in high-end tooling and supplies.
Manufacturing facilities such as the conquerable station would obviously have the highest ceiling, followed closely behind faction-owned facilities that have opened their doors to unlicensed operators (aka us players).
Refinery and Recycling:
The bread and butter of trade all comes down to the raw resources used to create commodities. Build out facilities in order to convert ores and recycle materials into new components. Stations will more quickly take raw resources and turn them into their "local" trade good when upgraded, and also ties into my salvaging suggestion mega-wall here.
NPC convoy impact to upgrades:
NPCs carry goods around to stations, but the impact of that should be muted, at best. These convoys should manage trade and stock, of course, and boosted convoy capacity through the housing upgrade can reduce upkeep costs, but these convoys are seeking to balance the upkeep of the station itself and have their own agendas as licensed contractors of the various factions/corporations/businesses and generally wouldn't get involved. Any further upgrades should be handled through external generous organizations and individual pilots. In other words, let the community be responsible for choosing what they invest in!
Upkeep badges:
Pilots who contribute to station upkeep can get fancy badges! Badges badges badges badges mushroom mushroom!
station upgrade loss:
Stations need to be difficult to upkeep, both in terms of commercial requirement that promotes decay as well as potential engagement opportunities. All station's upgrades de-level once a week, and need to be fed that level's commodities to be regained. Additionally, richer stations will randomly attract equally larger groups of NPC pirates and hive incursions; if these are not fought off within their time window (4 hours?), then the station is "stripped" of its upgrades. These incursions would also be a great place to place unique NPCs, such as Unrat minelayers or hive trappers. They shouldn't impact ALL stations, especially all at once; instead, the server selects a romdom one from a list, weighted by the station's percieved value (and maybe by its player traffic?). **OBSERVANT** players could be forwarned of an impending attack by the presence of certain NPCs in trade convoys visiting the station (either an increased risk assessment by the larger corporations dispatching more guards for the convoy itself, or as spies for the incursion blending in, or something). I won't claim that a no-win scenario should be presented if a station is kept at max for an excessive time, but the response should grow exponentially after a point.
When players may WANT a station to lose upgrades, how they can trigger this:
Since an upgraded station benefits ALL players, that also means it needs to be possible to sabotage these efforts and be rewarded for doing so, to offset the potential benefit that having a station upgraded can provide. The "reward" part, i'm not sure how to handle, but here's my idea on triggering an early loss mechanic. Pilots can blockade a station from its convoys; in the dynamic economy system, this would lower the stock of items available at this station (whether visible on the market or not) as well as what the station can naturally produce due to lacking in resources. While the station would thus be more urgent in its requests for goods, this will also increase the price the station is willing to pay. However, if the station were to become desperate enough, they may turn to cannibalizing unnecessary services - thus dismantling the facilities that were only publicly-funded donations in the first place. Pilots could also just hinder anyone trying to defend the station against the reset mechanic, which might be easier and less time intensive.
Interface:
Obviously, this is up to interpretation as well as how such a system could be implemented, but I imagine something similar to the player's faction list as a tab in the station menu itself. New pilots don't see the tab at all; it is unlocked and made visible at trade 4, along with a brief tutorial mission that explains how the system operates. Unlike the player's faction list, however, only the upgrade categories actually available for being upgraded at the station will show progress bars, making it clear when a particular category is maxed out or simply not available at this particular location. When the player clicks/presses on a category, the right side panel shows on top the benefits given by the current level, then lists the items remaining necessary to reach the next level. The user can open their inventory window here and select to move their cargo into the station "donation bin", as it were. Items not being used for any valid category would be rejected (the station doesn't want to keep your garbage on their hands! Though they might recommend you sell it, so they can properly inventory it and ship it off where someone might need it). Honestly, this section probably needs work...
TL;DR
Provide an investment system for pilots that allows them to enhance the capabilities and rewards given by a station globally, with potential for decay over time of the investment without upkeep and semi-random events that can trigger resets.
Huh waddaya know I was just thinking about putting in a suggestion for a derelict station next to the I2 wormhole in edras; there was a wicked lil itani barracks station there that got removed about ten years back.
Would be pretty spiffy to have a derelict non functional station as a placeholder in edras as a sorta monument for I2, building on modules/subsystems with a lil sprinkle of awesome on the already great idea would be to make the subsystems pop in ouside the station when they go online; making them targetable with a metric fuck-load of armor. Attacking these would ping keyholders and promp them to defend the station in question.
To boot conq stations could have a turret manufacturing mission; taking the station would spawn a barebones defense forcing the attackers to continue defending until the attacks subsides to fortify the position. Targeting/fire control subsystems on the station could be damaged/destroyed/attenuated and/or temporarily disabled by PCBs & energy blaster giving light fighters a role station offense beyond harrasing repairing spaceboats.
Would be pretty spiffy to have a derelict non functional station as a placeholder in edras as a sorta monument for I2, building on modules/subsystems with a lil sprinkle of awesome on the already great idea would be to make the subsystems pop in ouside the station when they go online; making them targetable with a metric fuck-load of armor. Attacking these would ping keyholders and promp them to defend the station in question.
To boot conq stations could have a turret manufacturing mission; taking the station would spawn a barebones defense forcing the attackers to continue defending until the attacks subsides to fortify the position. Targeting/fire control subsystems on the station could be damaged/destroyed/attenuated and/or temporarily disabled by PCBs & energy blaster giving light fighters a role station offense beyond harrasing repairing spaceboats.