Small Pad Only Outposts/Installations

[GraXXoR]

I was just jazzing around in my Cobra MKIV with its new, funky chrome paintjob and was thinking how cool this ship would be as a general purpose vessel if there were some nice missions/rares available in stations that only have small pads

What a shame that there is no small pad only content. That would bring a nice new dynamic to the game, IMO.

 

[Alec Turner]

You know what ... I really like that idea!

Maybe the long rumoured asteroid bases (as sneak peaked in the PS trailer) will be just such a thing?

 

[Deleted member 115407]

I was just jazzing around in my Cobra MKIV with its new, funky chrome paintjob and was thinking how cool this ship would be as a general purpose vessel if there were some nice missions/rares available in stations that only have small pads

What a shame that there is no small pad only content. That would bring a nice new dynamic to the game, IMO.

It would certainly encourage some folks to hop back in the little guys. Love the little guys, myself.

 

[Farmboy]

I would really welcome there being some content which was only accessible with small ships. It might be hard to retrofit on existing platforms, but some of the platforms and planetary stations have so little demand in their commodity markets, that it would make a lot of sense for them to be small pad only.

Small ships arguably have a stealth advantage over medium ones, but i've found that speed is more useful than stealth when it comes to avoiding scans. Perhaps this should not be the case either.

Perhaps in future only small ships will be capable of flight in an atmosphere or something like that.

 

[GunnerBill]

Seems good to me!

 

[Riverside]

I'd like that, and yes, it would give purpose to the Cobra MkIV

I find myself mostly using either small or large pad ships. I think it stems from the irritating launch delay that used to be present on medium pads.

 

[nosleepdemon]

I was just jazzing around in my Cobra MKIV with its new, funky chrome paintjob and was thinking how cool this ship would be as a general purpose vessel if there were some nice missions/rares available in stations that only have small pads

What a shame that there is no small pad only content. That would bring a nice new dynamic to the game, IMO.

Some people just prefer to go big. Check your privelege, cmdr!

 

[Iskariot]

I was just jazzing around in my Cobra MKIV with its new, funky chrome paintjob and was thinking how cool this ship would be as a general purpose vessel if there were some nice missions/rares available in stations that only have small pads

What a shame that there is no small pad only content. That would bring a nice new dynamic to the game, IMO.

I think that might be a good idea, although I'm sure I will curse it when it is in the game .

Yes I really think FD should do this.
Would add a reason for me to fly the Cobra again and therefore add variation.
FD should outfit some of those cool new frontier town type settlements (with those inflatable buildings) with a small pad.

This is a simple but very effective suggestion.
Repped.

 

[Arubeto]

This is a great idea! Hope the devs take note!

 

[IndigoWyrd]

From what I've been able to gather from the recent livestream, the size of the landing pad is not really something the mission creation system can or does take into consideration, so coding something like this could well mean having to rework the entire mission creation system from the ground up - and that's not something likely to be done at this point.

Now I suppose it would be possible to create outposts/installations that only have small landing pads, thus limiting what ships could be brought to those locations to initiate or complete a mission, but this wouldn't stop someone from taking a "smallcraft" mission, then switching ships at another station to an Anaconda, completing the mission, then returning to turn it in with a small craft.

 

[NW3]

Now I suppose it would be possible to create outposts/installations that only have small landing pads, thus limiting what ships could be brought to those locations to initiate or complete a mission, but this wouldn't stop someone from taking a "smallcraft" mission, then switching ships at another station to an Anaconda, completing the mission, then returning to turn it in with a small craft.

True, but I'm not sure it matters. You'd still have to complete the mission in the small craft. If you wanted to ensure a particular ship was used, you could make it require a specific paintjob which the user probably wouldn't have and would probably not wish to purchase (especially if it was a limited-offer paintjob).

Small landing pads are not necessarily required for these kinds of missions. Here's an example:

Our agent has been <captured/killed> and we need for you to complete his mission in <system>. Our contact <NPC_name> is expecting to meet up with a <chrome/red/yellow/blue/etc.> <sidewinder/eagle/cobra>, so you'll need fly the ship we provide. Once you've met the contact and delivered the data-packet, return here to claim your reward and get your ship back. Enemy agents will attempt to disrupt your mission. Destruction of our ship will result in mission failure and a fine of <number> credits.

If the mission fails, you spawn back in the mission station in your original ship. Outfitting would not be allowed on a mission-specific ship. This could really increase the challenge level. I would assume you would have to be friendly or allied with the mission faction. I would think this sort of mission would have a large reward. Perhaps the reward would be the ship and its unique paintjob, which would only be available by completing one of these missions.

The current mission code probably can't handle something like this, but it would be fun to have these sorts of missions.

 

[Yaffle]

A really good observation OP, a relatively easy way to coax people back into the smaller ships.

The issue of course is that I think every outpost has S and M pads. But maybe with asteroid bases we could get S only...

 

[Arry]

A really good observation OP, a relatively easy way to coax people back into the smaller ships.

The issue of course is that I think every outpost has S and M pads. But maybe with asteroid bases we could get S only...

If asteroids did have only small pads, that would be a constant, that all players could understand. Like we understand that outposts, do not have large landing pads.

 

[Iskariot]

A really good observation OP, a relatively easy way to coax people back into the smaller ships.

The issue of course is that I think every outpost has S and M pads. But maybe with asteroid bases we could get S only...

it would be a good reason for FD to add 2 new types of stations to the game. This will also serve to increase variation.
FD could add a small space station (smaller than an Outpost) with only a small docking pad.
And of course we need a small planetary settlement type that also only features a small dock.
As I already said before, FD could use the cool new settlement type with the inflatable buildings for this.
They would only have to add a small pad (or two) to the existing model.
This might even be a pad with no underground hangar facilities at all, just a topside platform to land on.
This would be fitting considering the fact that this settlement seems to be a starter settlement.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Yes please.

 

[DNA-Decay]

I think that might be a good idea, although I'm sure I will curse it when it is in the game.

Trouble is, everything has to go in procedurally generated.
It means you're going to get a lot of 'edge cases' where a station becomes effectively useless.
Long jump range requires a medium pad, so you could end up really isolating a lot of low population systems.
I'd be interested to hear what Communism Interstellar or Border Coalition have to say about the suggestion. Those who are based out on the fringes of the bubble might have a very different view.

I've even been stuck within fifty LY of Alioth by FSD availability. Small pads only would cause a lot of problems.

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

As a predominatly small ship pilot, I like the idea. I don't really need another reason to fly them, but more variety to the play available would always be welcome.

 

[Yaffle]

Trouble is, everything has to go in procedurally generated.
It means you're going to get a lot of 'edge cases' where a station becomes effectively useless.
Long jump range requires a medium pad, so you could end up really isolating a lot of low population systems.
I'd be interested to hear what Communism Interstellar or Border Coalition have to say about the suggestion. Those who are based out on the fringes of the bubble might have a very different view.

I've even been stuck within fifty LY of Alioth by FSD availability. Small pads only would cause a lot of problems.

Interesting conundrum, I guess the only solution would be to ensure that these only are present if another station type is also in the system.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Trouble is, everything has to go in procedurally generated.
It means you're going to get a lot of 'edge cases' where a station becomes effectively useless.
Long jump range requires a medium pad, so you could end up really isolating a lot of low population systems.
I'd be interested to hear what Communism Interstellar or Border Coalition have to say about the suggestion. Those who are based out on the fringes of the bubble might have a very different view.

I've even been stuck within fifty LY of Alioth by FSD availability. Small pads only would cause a lot of problems.

First time I bought a Vulture, I was stuck in the system for about a week until I could afford to upgrade it enough to reach another system. Took another week to get back to my "home", only 100ly away.

But a DBE has a pretty good range. Hauler and Cobra isn't too bad either.

 

[mojododo]

Could lend to some good variations, a mining outpost on the edge of an asteroid field, with one or two of these small only asteroid platforms in the field, with mining only focus. Ie commod market etc. as an example