Money is not a real issue in this GREAT game. Every activity including botting is profitable to a certain extent (unless you are a really bad trader). And you lack something to spend your money on.

I would suggest to make money a little bit of a concern for us by introducing "cost of living", for example:

- daily credit deduction for each ship you own (maintenance costs), for an amount depending on the ship type and where it is parked (like the buy price is different depending on the station);

- special credit deduction for each death (for example total of your levels x 1000 credits) in addition to the cost of the ship and weapons.

Otherwise we will just wait for those expensive capital ships :)

I think it's fine right now, we just need MORE stuff to spend our money on, that is expendable, like purchasing npc guard bots for trading missions, or renting mining bots for extra cargo intake. I don't think we need to start taxing deaths or making us pay just for playing or maintaining our ships. You could bring back having to pay to repair, and then lower the "20,000" or up rule so that we actually HAVE to pay for repairs.

Its fine the way it is , I lose enough money dieing and buying back my ship and weapons. who the heck wants to pay for parking
I dont like doing that in real life I sure dont want to do it in my favorite game

I'm in favor of paying for repairs.

The formula I would prefer is:

Cost of the Hull * Percent of Damage Taken * .5

a) The free ship could be repaired 'for free'.

b) Most repairs would cost a few hundred credits.

c) More expensive ships would cost more to repair.

d) It would always be cheaper to repair your ship than to buy a new hull.

e) We have the option of introducing a repair skill.

I've got other ideas for small money sinks which would serve various purposes, but since most people don't like money sinks I'll not worry about describing them until such time as they obviously add to gameplay.

I agree that 'berthing fees' would be tedious though. I've got various cargo ships scattered all over the universe. If there was a berthing fee, I'd just sell them off. The only purpose I can see to a storage fee is if the ammount of ships and other garbage in storage begins to become a major memory issue for the server.

I would love to see a repair skill tree implemented

I also would like to see costs of repairs. It seems odd that two people can fight in empty space, one can lose (but not die), and each recieve the same time penalty by having to go back and repair.
It seems that in most cases, unless you force someone to flee without getting hurt, you both recieve the same disadvantage.

I'd like to see limits on special ship repairs. For example, a Serco flying an Itani valk shouldn't be able to dock at a station where he's at -200 faction and get it repaired. He should have to go somewhere where there'd be people with the skills to repair it, like corvus or Itani, Or maybe just make Research stations the only ones able to repair nation specials. I dunno. But there should be different repair rates for different ships, getting higher as the ships get more complex.

rogue: That'd work strangely with the new auto-repair. It would have worked when you had to buy repairs, by simply greying it out, right now there would be no indication save perhaps a status text. Bad JuJu and bad interface towards the player.

If i was charged a maintainance fee for ALL of the ships i own, i'd be broke within a day :D

I think this game needs some more money sinks. Really, not everything has to be cheap, We need a Tiffany's and other botiques that offer expensive, and somewhat useless items like different colored flare guns or colored light beams.

Sarah;

Why, of WHY was it a woman that suggeted a Tiffany's? :)

Seriously, though, I think the money situation is going to be changed drastically when the dynamic economy gets moving. I can't WAIT to see what Momerath has come up with. I would suggest that we run three running plays and keep the ball in bounds, taking as much time off the clock as possible before we punt and hope our defense can hold.

Er... sorry. The football coach in me is leaking out as we get closer to the season.

~D.
"Nigel"

LOL, Klabbath. Anyway, I agree with waiting for the new economy first (which, btw, has already been assured will include paying for repairs). I can see having some money sinks, but not forced ones (like expensive repairs). One of the nice things about VO is that you DON'T have to mule away for hours to get good equipment and JUST HAVE FUN.

I was watching Audry Hepburn movies this week so that's where I got the idea.

What I really would like to have in this game is more complex customization options for ships

for instance, being able to decide the armor type (among various types with different densities and resistence)

engine replacements, multiple energy cells, more weapon ports, turning engines (and turning brakes) radar jammers, better radar options, aiming computers
etc... etc...

being able to refit your ship to allow it to handle more equipament or more cargo space

and, I agree, a repair cost would be intersting, but, only if it have a meaning such as allowing a player that possess a capship to offer repair and salvage services to other players, otherwise, it would be just an annoyiance

paid repairs? oh well in my case its usually a new ship :D

Unless I am mistaken, pay-for repairs are intended to be one of the income streams stations can depend on. Having some more customization options would be nice, but don't go overboard with it. The more complex the game is, the less new people will be interested in learning how the whole puzzle works.

LostCommander;

True, but there are some things I'd like to see added. Right now we have two variables that can be fiddled with: weapons and battery. What about armor? If/when shields are added, that would be a fun thing, too.

Think of most fantasy-style MMORPG's. A new player has to coordinate at the very least: weapons, armor, and equipment. Anyone that's played Diablo 2 had to learn to coordinate and use two sets of weapons, armor, equipment, and feats, etc. I think a new user could be able to figure out armor on a ship, for example. Do I want to use high-weight armor that offers good protection but makes me a slow target, or lightweight armor that you can sneeze through but makes me incredibly fast.

Add shields. Do I want armor AND shields? Light armor but heavy shields (fast, but serious energy drain), heavy armor and light shields (takes money for repairs after your shields are penetrated.) or what have you.

Just a different dynamic. I've no clue how tough it would be to add.

~D.
"Nigel"

I agree with the weapons, armor, and equipment bit. I look forward to additional engine, defense, and equipment complexity; I just think the weapons coordination is complicated enough already to be fun without being a burden. Also, how did a new Diablo II player have to coordinate the use of [2] sets of stuff?

LC;

Diablo 2 offered the ability to switch back and forth with one key between a ranged weapon and a melee weapon. Since most of the ranged weapons were two handed, it affected your armor and speed of attack when you dropped your sheild to pull out a javelin, so there were good times NOT to do it.

~D.
"Nigel"

Ah, and since I only ever played a pansy Necromancer, I never made those choices. LOL, mkay. :) Thanks.