Landing waiting line for outpost

[ManFlex]

There is a situation that is completely immersion braking in the game : having to switch to solo mode because a player is "sleeping" in the only medium pad of an outpost.

There are many systems with lots of players doing missions involving landing on a medium size pad of an outpost.
This is often a good place for player interactions, but too often leads to switch to solo mode, because the player on the pad or in the hangar is AFK, or just taking is time.
Moreover, when messaging a player that is on the station services interface, he does not receive a popup or something telling him someone is waiting for him to free the pad.

A simple feature to implement would be a landing queue system. When issueing your landing request, instead of simply denying it, just give a number in the queue to the player.
To the player that is currently on the pad or in the hangar, make a message appear to him that someone is waiting for the pad, and set a reasonnable time limit to free the platform (as it is already done when leaving or landing each station), or disconnect (let's say 5 min). Passed that limit, he will be charged with a fine every minutes he's still on the platform and eventually disconnected (not destroyed).

This is just an idea, but there is clearly something that need to be done to increase immersion and players user experience around outposts, especially for those who love to do missions in open play mode, which is way more funny.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

There is a situation that is completely immersion braking in the game : having to switch to solo mode because a player is "sleeping" in the only medium pad of an outpost.

There are many systems with lots of players doing missions involving landing on a medium size pad of an outpost.
This is often a good place for player interactions, but too often leads to switch to solo mode, because the player on the pad or in the hangar is AFK, or just taking is time.
Moreover, when messaging a player that is on the station services interface, he does not receive a popup or something telling him someone is waiting for him to free the pad.

A simple feature to implement would be a landing queue system. When issueing your landing request, instead of simply denying it, just give a number in the queue to the player.
To the player that is currently on the pad or in the hangar, make a message appear to him that someone is waiting for the pad, and set a reasonnable time limit to free the platform (as it is already done when leaving or landing each station), or disconnect (let's say 5 min). Passed that limit, he will be charged with a fine every minutes he's still on the platform and eventually disconnected (not destroyed).

This is just an idea, but there is clearly something that need to be done to increase immersion and players user experience around outposts, especially for those who love to do missions in open play mode, which is way more funny.

That makes too much sense. Denied.

See the movie: Pushing Tin.

 

[ManFlex]

Dream braker [big grin]

 

[who?]

The queue's a very good idea. Beats everyone doing a 'quick draw' as soon as the pad lights come back on.

I don't agree at all about the immersion-breaking though - your immersion is only broken if you choose to switch modes. A small station being full if there's lots of traffic passing through is perfectly realistic; a ship being destroyed if someone is spending >5 minutes in outfitting or on the mission board, much less so.

 

[ManFlex]

Don't mis-understand me : I'd like to see a station full of ships waiting. But only if the game has a mecanism so you know you are not going to wait for nothing.
I only switch to solo mode usually after 10 to 15 min wait, which I guess his rather high compared with the majority of cmdr

 

[ManFlex]

After all, humans did it with something called "airport" back in the 20th century ... [big grin]

 

[who?]

After all, humans did it with something called "airport" back in the 20th century ... [big grin]

http://i.imgur.com/mdKrOQ9.jpg

I think I'd prefer a "non-voluntary launch" than destruction. The pad rotates, landing clips disengaged, the pad becomes available. Ideally the station could push you off with thrusters on the pads, so you don't get destroyed for loitering, but otherwise ships could shove you out of the way once you're free anyway.

There's still the issue of legitimate players who simply could be spending time in Station Services (or in the Galaxy Map) and not aware there's a backlog. (Yes, Im' sure there are plenty of Cmdrs who hog the pads just for the lols too).

 

[ManFlex]

There's still the issue of legitimate players who simply could be spending time in Station Services (or in the Galaxy Map) and not aware there's a backlog. (Yes, Im' sure there are plenty of Cmdrs who hog the pads just for the lols too).

That's why I mentionned the fact that having something to make the player in the dock aware of a backlog waiting necessary.
The countdown message above the radar when authorized to dock and when leaving dock could be more or less the same.

 

[DocLooshkin]

"sleeping"

Hello, ManFlex.

You needn't put "sleeping" in quotes: while most players are a bit more considerate, I greatly enjoy flying while drunk and I confess freely that I have accidentally fallen asleep with my ship on the pad on more than one occasion. It's a long way to Hutton, after all...

 

[ManFlex]

Flying while drunk ? and you didn't loose you pilot licence ? [big grin]

 

[Demascus]

Take 30 seconds to swap modes. Reworking the mechanics of the game to maintain your "pretend" seems a bit selfish.... and childish.

 

[Riverside]

If we're going to use the immersion argument I'd say you need to dock somewhere else or try again later.

However, an automatic log off after 10 mins would be okay, the Cmdr on the pad may be legitimately waiting for the mission board to update, and while AFK pad blocking is inconsiderate, mode switching shouldn't be encouraged.

If the Cmdr on the pad wants to stay logged into the game they can just perform any input to let the game know they are not AFK, otherwise just log them back to the menu. When they return to the game they will pick up a new instance if the pad is occupied.

I can see that this log off timer could cause issues for supercruise & many other aspects of play so it would need to be only whilst docked (ie the ship is safe & nothing is lost by the player).

 

[ManFlex]

In the systems I'am since a few days, we are a lot of players complaining about that.
I made some new friends while waiting (that's a good point), but one of the players blocking the pad admitted doing it intentionnaly. That's just a shame that nothing can be done against that.
Instead of switching to solo mode, other cmdr take their little ship to land only on S pad, the problem is well known in the game.
Once I'll have finished what I want in those system, I'll probably be destroying a few ships before leaving ...

 

[Allchemyst]

I believe investing in proper phasing technology would be a much less troublesome solution.

Player enters the docks? Phase him out of the standard instance so others can dock as well.

Alternatively, they could exploit the design of station docks and add multiple levels or stories to the internal pads. Are there already 5 people docked here? Well, the system lowers you to dock 5!

 

[ManFlex]

Alternatively, they could exploit the design of station docks and add multiple levels or stories to the internal pads. Are there already 5 people docked here? Well, the system lowers you to dock 5!

Really like that idea !

 

[Allchemyst]

Really like that idea !

Glad to hear it!

In fact, as it was already suggested (if memory serves me right), we could even go crazier than that : Every landing pad could have a cross-shaped interior dock with 4 ship pads each level spread on x levels, depending on settlement or station development.

FD would have to create adaptable landing/takeoff animations, but they would be rather interesting. Also, the ability to see other ships inside as you dock would be quite cool.

 

[Stellar Gambit]

You could work with a permit system.

You are granted access to the pad free of charge for 7 minutes.

After 5 minutes, the ATC issues you a warning about the permit expiring. You are offered to extend your lease of the Pad by another 7 minutes free of charge. Or you can extend the lease of the Pad an additional 7 minutes manually from the comm (1) if you know your gunna be longer than 5 minutes and wont be there for the ATC reminder

That's 14 minutes.

ATC contacts you again 5 minutes in to your second lease, but this time the lease costs 25,000CR to extend - then 50,000CR and so on.

If the player has no money, then when the current lease expires, they are magnetically launched from the mad into the centre of the docking ring - and the usual get the hell out of die timer comes up.


As a possible added extra, the ATC can increase or reduce the lease time initially offered or the cost of staying after the first two leases, based on traffic, waiting queue and station capacity (smaller station charge more than larger ones for example)

 

[DocLooshkin]

ATC contacts you again 5 minutes in to your second lease, but this time the lease costs 25,000CR to extend - then 50,000CR and so on.

I'm not great with numbers, so do I have this right: falling asleep for a couple of hours would cost the unfortunate commander 800 million credits? I know ED's galaxy can be a funny old place to live in, but charging someone the same penalty as 160,000 murders - for the heinous crime of falling asleep in a safe place, no less - really does seem to be a little bit on the strange side!

 

[Raino]

did read all those ideas about landing procedures and blocked pads but please

the main reason has been mentioned at start!

messages from players get lost cause there is no pop up or a sound been played or both when a player sends message
i did install EDDI for this reason, i killed all sound events except messages from players (i really dont understand how you can use it with all other events on, it basically dosnt stop speaking most of the time) and now i am able to notice a player talks to me when i am on missions or in outfitting or wakes me up when i fell asleep

 

[Stellar Gambit]

I'm not great with numbers, so do I have this right: falling asleep for a couple of hours would cost the unfortunate commander 800 million credits? I know ED's galaxy can be a funny old place to live in, but charging someone the same penalty as 160,000 murders - for the heinous crime of falling asleep in a safe place, no less - really does seem to be a little bit on the strange side!

If that's your repair bill then aye... if you don't renew the lease, the station jettisons you from the pad.. Fine if your on an outpost, but not so fine if your on a space station and you fell asleep at the helm.