Why boarding of ships is unlikely to ever happen.

[orfeboy]

It is my theory that we are never actually going to see the boarding of ships in this game. Unless FD create a new play mode for this game that includes this expansion and leaves the other mode for others to play with out the expansion as a seperate game I see no other way it could possibly happen.

My reasoning is that if you consider that another player decides to board your ship because he has bought the new expansion and decides for whatever reason this would be a good idea, he now needs to latch onto your ship, grab a gun and board your ship. Unfortunately his chosen target has not bought the said expansion and is incapable of getting out of his seat and repelling the boarder.

This means those who have bought the expansion by default will need to be playing a different mode on seperate islands from the rest of the players in the game. This is possible I suppose but still breeds food for thought all the same...

 

[euclydian]

I imagine the player would not be able to enter the ship to begin with, maybe the doors are locked on ships without the expansion. There's lots of ways you could hand-wave this away really. Sceptical this will be made though.

 

[Robert Maynard]

As boarding of ships would be a small portion of the EVA expansion, I would expect that, when the EVA expansion is released, all players will be able to be boarded - it would give every player the experience of the expansion. To do anything else would create a split in the user-base every time an expansion is released.

 

[orfeboy]

I imagine the player would not be able to enter the ship to begin with, maybe the doors are locked on ships without the expansion. There's lots of ways you could hand-wave this away really. Sceptical this will be made though.

That sounds a bit silly. That would encourage players not to buy the product. Players who do have the expansion would also quickly get bored of trying ships that were locked. The game needs mechanics that make sense. I do not see any other way of doing it other than creating another play mode.

 

[euclydian]

It was just an example. I can't imagine there would be a separate play mode though. Regardless, this thing might never get made, I won't worry for now.

 

[Divinious]

I think players would be able to be boarded & defend their own ship but be unable to board without paying for the expansion similar things have been done in such a way in other games.

 

[Zargor]

Maybe players with expansion will not be matched with those without it? That would be an easy solution. Also, once the expansions hit, I'd expect those that do not get them to be a real minority.

 

[gary.brain]

Expansion :
player can board any ship and the player in the ship can defend.

Without Expansion :
Player cannot board a ship but can repel boarders.

 

[Arithon]

My son asked David Braben about this (boarding ships) on 22nd November at the Premiere Party and he said they would like to do it, but the walking around ships needs to be done first and the boarding mechanic must be believable for it to happen or they won't do this.
Which I think boils down to "if we can't make it great, we won't make it".

My son (12) was suggesting the idea of salvaging ships left after battle or run-ins with the feds, or piracy where you target life support and take the ship when the pilot is dead.

This would work for those that bought said-expansion (ship boarding) but not affect anyone who didn't.

 

[fireFly1000]

Expansion :
player can board any ship and the player in the ship can defend.

Without Expansion :
Player cannot board a ship but can repel boarders.

My thoughts exactly. You can only move around in your ship. Plus, if you have the expansion, you can go out of the ship into the stations.

 

[Voz]

Or it may be that there enough NPC ships to board to keep the pirates happy.

 

[Sallen]

As a matter of fact, how will any expansion work around the balance problem that creates having different people with different features in their game? You could argue not having the boarding expansion is a benefit because it protects your ship from being boarded. Or that being able to board other people is "pay to win".

How do other games do this?

 

[popuptoaster]

You would probably have to shoot out the docking bay door to board a ship, those without the expansion could just not have a docking port that you can target.

 

[Red Fox Four]

Boarding ships?

Sure, as long as you allow me to install motion+IR+nightvision-sensor machinegun turrets in my ship as well as multiple shape-charge explosives and claymore mines.

Also, I demand lightsaber and sonic shields for melee combat.

 

[Philip Coutts]

I have very little interest in boarding ships, it just doesn't feel "right" for the game.

 

[OVMorat]

Sentry Guns.

 

[popuptoaster]

I have very little interest in boarding ships, it just doesn't feel "right" for the game.

it's going to be difficult to board small ones, you'd have to kill the engines and open a hatch without destroying it plus a small ship means just the one corridor, which is going to leave you looking straight down the barrel of whatever weapon the owner has when you stick your head around the corner.

I suspect if it ever happens it will be the bigger ships, plus dont forget, to board someone else's ship you have to leave your OWN ship unattended and vulnerable.......

 

[foxpur]

You do know that boarding ships is supposed to be part of the ability to walk in stations and they have it in the todo list?

 

[Myspace Kaitsu80]

It is my theory that we are never actually going to see the boarding of ships in this game. Unless FD create a new play mode for this game that includes this expansion and leaves the other mode for others to play with out the expansion as a seperate game I see no other way it could possibly happen.

My reasoning is that if you consider that another player decides to board your ship because he has bought the new expansion and decides for whatever reason this would be a good idea, he now needs to latch onto your ship, grab a gun and board your ship. Unfortunately his chosen target has not bought the said expansion and is incapable of getting out of his seat and repelling the boarder.

This means those who have bought the expansion by default will need to be playing a different mode on seperate islands from the rest of the players in the game. This is possible I suppose but still breeds food for thought all the same...

Major expansions you need to buy (unless you backed at certain level to get all expansions), or you cant play the game anymore. This would be one such major expansion (with planetary expansion).

This is how I imagine it would work, as this game (funding) is based on expansions (too), and expansion based games work this way.

 

[Vandaahl]

It is not going to be an expansion. End of theory