Ability to contact other ships

[Tel Prydain]

While there are many things that could be improved in Elite, I don’t really seem to see people asking for this very often, and without it, the whole universe feels hollow and lifeless…

How many of us, after learning how to request docking from a station, then tried to hail other ships, only to be surprised and disappointed when it didn’t work. NPCs we can interact with would bring the whole game to life, and make the NPCs feel more like real pilots.

I’m not talking about long RPG conversations or anything…. That would be silly. But there should be the option to send simple messages to other ships and get a response. For example:
* Surrender (to anything attacking you)
* Request help (from system authority, allied or similar faction)
* Demand Cargo
* Taunt
* Offer assistance (to anything being attacked or in distress call USS)
* Demand retreat
* Offer escort (to traders or (in the case of system authority) offer to join wing)
* Request escort (to system authority, allies or bounty hunter)
* Apologise (after bumping or firing on something)

These were options in very basic space sims, so it’s always a tad disconcerting that there’s no option to communicate with other ships at all in Elite Dangerous.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

NPCs out of fuel in distress should offer missions to return with 20 tons of fuel, or pick up a mechanic, or even just take their location to the nearest station - which generates a rescue mission. Returning would of course generate the same NPC in a mission USS.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Big ole +1 from me!

 

[Marc_Hicks]

Yes, as much as some people want Space Legs for season 3, I would much prefer it if they spent season 3 on expanding NPC's-increasing our range of interaction with the NPC's in the game (both in space & in stations) & giving us some Tier 2 NPC's to play with-Nemeses & Solid Contacts/Allies.

Indeed, I'd argue that expanded NPC interaction would make a fantastic launching point for future space legs content.

 

[concentric]

That's right. How many npcs' lifes have we saved already at extraction sites and distress calls and we haven't even received so much as a thank-you

 

[Hydrino]

Yes, as much as some people want Space Legs for season 3, I would much prefer it if they spent season 3 on expanding NPC's-increasing our range of interaction with the NPC's in the game (both in space & in stations) & giving us some Tier 2 NPC's to play with-Nemeses & Solid Contacts/Allies.

Indeed, I'd argue that expanded NPC interaction would make a fantastic launching point for future space legs content.

+1 OP and also, exactly this. ^

Being able to escort NPC and also hire NPC wingmen. The DDF topics around this were a thing at one point in the dream...

and everyone has been clamoring for FD to revisit all the core stuff and DDF for two years.

However, not knowing the overall highest prio items in the roadmap, we have no visibility into where FD sees this type tech fitting or how/when relatively they are getting us to atmospheres, earth-likes and legs. They might indeed say more robust NPC interaction must wait for legs because workload balancing and X, Y, Z factors. Holo-Me rolled out recently... also seemingly a foundation requirement for legs, so there's that (as long as it isn't just another FD disconnected "headline" feature that will not lead anywhere (I can't imagine that... but there's several headline features that have stagnated and FD comments about not developing further some initial efforts like multi-crew lead one to think such thoughts about every headline feature announced).

So many player requests, but this one does seem like a basic every old space sim since forever has had.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

+1 OP and also, exactly this. ^

Being able to escort NPC and also hire NPC wingmen. The DDF topics around this were a thing at one point in the dream...

and everyone has been clamoring for FD to revisit all the core stuff and DDF for two years.

However, not knowing the overall highest prio items in the roadmap, we have no visibility into where FD sees this type tech fitting or how/when relatively they are getting us to atmospheres, earth-likes and legs. They might indeed say more robust NPC interaction must wait for legs because workload balancing and X, Y, Z factors. Holo-Me rolled out recently... also seemingly a foundation requirement for legs, so there's that (as long as it isn't just another FD disconnected "headline" feature that will not lead anywhere (I can't imagine that... but there's several headline features that have stagnated and FD comments about not developing further some initial efforts like multi-crew lead one to think such thoughts about every headline feature announced).

So many player requests, but this one does seem like a basic every old space sim since forever has had.

For me, hope springeth eternal . Sometimes the things you hope for suddenly just appear when you least expect it (like the NPC Crew in 2.2, or the massive improvements to missions in 2.1).

 

[znôrt]

no option to communicate with other ships at all in Elite Dangerous.

i guess it's not so much about the communication but the mechanics that would need to be added to make your list meaningful. some of those interactions may become quite complex, but the idea is indeed nice and this is exactly the type of interaction that would make the game world not so barren.

somewhat unrelated, i would like that for players too. nothing fancy, a small set of generic hails with a convenient shortcut would facilitate interaction between players.

some cmdrs do that already but i don't think use of macro utilities should be required. simple messages might be read out by the ship. 'cmdr zulu november oscar is requesting a communication channel'. wouldn't that be cool?

 

[khaos526]

NPCs out of fuel in distress should offer missions to return with 20 tons of fuel, or pick up a mechanic, or even just take their location to the nearest station - which generates a rescue mission. Returning would of course generate the same NPC in a mission USS.

Instead of The AA in the UK or the AAA in the US or CAA in Canada, you could just have the SA (Spaceship Association) and people could make their space livings doing just that, delivering fuel, AMFU service, Towing, etc. for members or higher cost for non members.

That's a great idea...