2.2's Instant Ship and Module Transport - Yay or Nay?

[cheesenbiscuits]

I would humbly say to Frontier to reconsider instant transport.

It breaks the distant mechanic in the game

It means you could hop into a long range hauler (cheap) or anaconda for instance, fly 300 ly in 20 mins, then summon your !imited range fdl to you. Therefore making the difference in jump distances between the fdl and other ships immaterial. This is just one example.

Whats the point having ships with different jump ranges if you can break this mechanism by instance call.

Make the time to get the ship dependent on its jump range and your distance to it

I hadn't considered this.
You could have a situation where you use an explorer build to get to Robigo and dedicated hauler for the journey back.
This troubles me somewhat.

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

As per my previous comment, I can see why they're doing this, as they don't want to/can't set up huge numbers of timers on the servers, which would update the database at the correct time. It's not scalable. You can't have the timers in the client as (a) they're not running all the time, and (b) it could be hacked.

However, what I wouldn't mind is "next day delivery" on all modules and ships. A player would basically put a request in for transfer and on the next tick of the galaxy status all the ships and modules are moved. This is as scalable as you can get, but it would still be a higher overhead for Frontier's servers and would require back-end development, whereas the proposed solution is purely client based (with an API call to the database engine).

So, basically, anything other than instant or galaxy tick based movement is out of the window.

IF there are technical reasons why it's impossible to do it any other way - then they should say so! Not that it's for gameplay reasons.

Would people consider "Next Day Delivery" a good compromise?

I would.

 

[Strife]

Would people consider "Next Day Delivery" a good compromise?

No.

I don't see why something like this is not possible:

Distance  / Max Jump Range = Minutes to arrive

Run a timer and when it is up the ship moves and the client updates the server.

 

[[VR] Marrs]

Sending a ship to your destination rather than bringing it to your current location solves all the problems.

It cuts down the number of journeys needed to get your ships into the same place but the ship would effectively travel there in real time because you wouldn't be able to use it until you had flown there yourself. Also you wouldn't be waiting around for your ship to arrive.

 

[Banana's_Are_Good_For_You]

Would people consider "Next Day Delivery" a good compromise?

I'd be cool with that kinda thing.

 

[Sergy096]

Transport was a very important feature, but it needs to take some time so you have a reason to keep one system as your base.

 

[raymondo the great]

When has anything this crazy happened before ?

I've seen it happen in the development of plenty of games

And it always starts with "we'll do it just this once" with people insisting "it's not the thin end of the wedge, they'll not slide down the slope any further"

But it always happens.

So saying it's unlikely to happen is fine.... saying it will not happen with absolute surety? That's silly.

I've seen plenty of people saying "it will not happen" only to see it then happen.... and get very very upset when it does.

Just because we like the game doesn't mean the devs may not make mistakes or take a wrong turn that leads to multiple other wrong turns.

 

[Luniticisi]

I'd be cool with that kinda thing.

Aren't you a Banana ? .. why would you want to wait a day ? .. you might spoil!

 

[Mike V. Bering]

Ship transfer should include risks same as the one existing for players: you should hire an NPC to make the trip as you would have.
The road will be calculated with your ship's jump range (fuel limited range).
You'll have to croos your fingers if the npc pilot is interdicted by others npc.
The price of the ship transfer should match the risk you can afford:
low cost = high ship transfer failure
Normal = successful transfert but ship a bit damaged
High cost = low risks, ship intact

 

[Sysmon]

We already have instant ship transportation with the rebuy option upon death. And the ships respawn with modifications and materials, but not cargo, so already somewhat inconsequential.

I have accepted the way respawn after death works, but think instant transport (of anything) is taking it too far. Make the transport time a minute per jump, and make the price scaleable with distance too. Then I'd be less grumpy about it.

S

 

[CMDR Heydan Seegil]

I'm a bit surprised that so many people agreed that the transfer should take just as long as it actually does to get to where you are. Nice!

 

[Ziljan]

Its science!

It's science fiction. The only rule for science fiction is that it doesn't break is own rules. Every time it does, it destroys the fabric of the world building Frontier is trying to achieve.

Jump range is probably the most important aspect of the sci fi since

1) it is the only way we get a sense of the scale of the galaxy. Destroy that, and every system becomes just locations on a hard drive. The matrix is shattered.

2) we've worked our butts off schlepping across the bubble in 13LY range FDLs. Now Frontier is saying that was all just a joke. Our suffering wasn't for balance purposes after all, it was just a cruel joke. Now the next cruel joke, short range ships will just be more expensive to own.

It's messed up in so many ways.

 

[2plex]

It comes to my mind that with these new 3D (quantum) printers practically all you need to transfer is the complete quantum state of your old ship, which could be done in pretty much an instant, and then have it printed out in the hangar, which would take some time ofc.

 

[rareshutzu]

My take on this it should be that ship transfering would take a little less then it would take you with only costing the fuel. Just like an automated system. This can open the way to an AI on your ship. Pretty much like an airplane is nowadays.

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

Ship transfer should include risks same as the one existing for players: you should hire an NPC to make the trip as you would have.
The road will be calculated with your ship's jump range (fuel limited range).
You'll have to croos your fingers if the npc pilot is interdicted by others npc.
The price of the ship transfer should match the risk you can afford:
low cost = high ship transfer failure
Normal = successful transfert but ship a bit damaged
High cost = low risks, ship intact

Could tie it in with the hiring of NPC pilots - The better the pilot the lower the risk and higher the cost.

 

[WeirdWizard]

It comes to my mind that with these new 3D (quantum) printers practically all you need to transfer is the complete quantum state of your old ship, which could be done in pretty much an instant, and then have it printed out in the hangar, which would take some time ofc.

I'm sure there was a time when FD insisted that FTL communication didn't exist in the ED universe.

 

[cheesenbiscuits]

They could put a weeks time limit onto moving each ship.
You can still move your whole armada but you can't move any again for another week.
As far as i was concerned,the only reason i want to move my ships is to gather them into strategic positions.
Having the ships moving in real time is something I'd personally be fine with.
But i am aware a large portion of the community would see this a a pointless time sink.

 

[Yaffle]

It comes to my mind that with these new 3D (quantum) printers practically all you need to transfer is the complete quantum state of your old ship, which could be done in pretty much an instant, and then have it printed out in the hangar, which would take some time ofc.

Yes, but it can't explain why I can't buy every ship type at every station. De Lacy would just have a reference design of each ship in their shipyard, then in every station a gian quantum 3D printer thingy and a lump of goo ready to print it. But for some reason they can't, but I can with my old ship on the other side of the bubble. It's not consistent, lore can't be mutated to make it fit.

My take on this it should be that ship transfering would take a little less then it would take you with only costing the fuel. Just like an automated system. This can open the way to an AI on your ship. Pretty much like an airplane is nowadays.

AI is banned in the Elite universe, it is the one thing the Powers would all align to destroy. According to the lore. But who knows now as instant teleportation used to be impossible too.

 

[Ziljan]

It comes to my mind that with these new 3D (quantum) printers practically all you need to transfer is the complete quantum state of your old ship, which could be done in pretty much an instant, and then have it printed out in the hangar, which would take some time ofc.

A system that sells only sidewinders and Eagles will be able to 3D print a fully engineered 20 LY Range Thargoid Proof FDL?

Why haven't they taken over the galaxy then? Or at least the ship manufacturing business?

 

[Luniticisi]

I can say this with absolute certainty, If FD implemented a "Risk" of losing your ship in transport this forum would explode .. Imagine someones A rated Combat Anaconda got destroyed on the way to it's destination .. people would lose their turnips ! .. not gonna happen .. ever!