Devs, please make the phrase "Home Starbase" meaningful

I initially posted this in a different subforum in order to get some feedback. At this point I am posting it here in hopes that the Dev's will actually see it.

We can all agree that player owned Starbases (SB) are not in the short term plan (. . . or, said more bluntly, a “non-starter’). That is not what this is about. This is about the Starbases that we choose to call, “home.”

What should a, “Home Starbase,” (HS) be?

Pilots should be provided a single free HS. Please understand that when I say HS that this is not an entire SB, it is simply a home on the SB (or planetary base). It should require that a pilot be, at least, friendly. If a pilot falls to unfriendly they should be required to pay rent. It they fall to hostile then it is reasonable that the home and all assets in it be seized (stored ships and modules may, merely, become unavailable).

Players pledged to a power should not be able to purchase a HS in a SB that is pledged to a different faction. The superpower of the players HS would determine the superpower flag of their ships (e.g. a player with a HS in an Alliance SB would show as Alliance when scanned). Some have mentioned a time limit on how frequently a player can acquire new homes (e.g. a player cannot declare a home SB more than one per [unit of time])

What should a home provide?

First, something that has been called for by many players; a small amount of storage. I would consider about 40t (approximately the capacity of a 21st century shipping container) to be adequate. This would keep players from storing enough to unbalance economies.

Second, low cost, or free, module and ship transfer TO, and only to, the HS. It is reasonable that it would take longer to transport modules on a reduced, space available, cost basis.

A resident should, based on a combination of reputation and time as a resident, develop the contacts to access slightly better prices at his, or her, home SB. Ideally, a trusted resident would also be trusted with special, more delicate, missions. A Resident should also, by virtue of better contacts within their home SB be able to access slightly better prices for cartographic data; again, the exact multiplier would be based on a combination of reputation and time as a resident.

A couple of comments that were made, that I would like to hang on to were these:
The details can be debated, but, if you're tied to, obviously as an option, a specific faction you're more likely to become interested in the game deeper than "PowerPlay is for shield upgrades and missions are to be stacked with board flipping to get a Cutter."

and this one, also calling for meaning to be applied to "Home" albeit, with slightly different details.
Marking a system as home system.
---------------------------------
- Commanders can mark a system as a home system.
- Cmdrs can only mark a system as a home system when they are allied.
- You can only mark one at a time and only change home systems once per 3 months (just throwing it out there, could also be 6 months or 12).
- A system that is marked as a home system will always stay allied.
- A system that is marked home system will get a special marker in the star map.


Possible Advantages:
--------------------
- You get discounts there (perhaps 10%). People know you, like you, treat you better.
- You get better missions, better pay-outs, better rewards. People know you. Like you. Treat you better.
- Moving ships to your homesystem costs 10% or perhaps 20% less
- Your fines are lower (perhaps?).
- If you are attacked in a homesystem the authorities will respond much quicker to help you out.
- Bounty pay-outs are 10% higher.

Other stuff:
-----------
- When you commit crimes, you will lose your special status and you will have to work to get it back.

- Also commanders are greeted with lines to make you feel like you are returning to you home "Welcome home cmdr". "Long time no see", "Glad you are back" and stuff like that.


What it comes down to is that ship commanders should be able to apply meaning to the term “Home.” The actual details are just that. Details.


 
Last edited:
And better to all of that.

--> You could have a "Base inventory" to store any non-perishable cargo there with, lets say, 100Tons.

And then, as 99% of MMO games, you (Frontier) can sell to players the "Inventory expansion". Want 100T more space? $2,00 or $10,00 whatever.


Want to set you "Home base" to another star system? No worries, you can hire a transportation service (the same we have for ships now) that will charge
in game currency amount per Ton according the distance.

Its so simple to develop that (much and muuuuch simpler than having a Landable atmospheric planets [big grin] ) ... just a comparisson ok? Of course we will LOVE when the Landable Atmo Planets arrives.
 
And better to all of that.

--> You could have a "Base inventory" to store any non-perishable cargo there with, lets say, 100Tons.

40T . . . 100T, that is all details, I feel it best to leave the details to the devs. . I suggested 40T because it is not enough to impact local economies and because it is, roughly, the cargo permitted in a standard shipping container. I am more concerned in what a "home" means and what it provides.

For that matter, this mechanic would do something else that I would like to see. It would "flag" the ships. A ship would be registered with one of the big three, not registered at all (in the case of newer players who haven't found a "home" yet), or registered to a Pirate space platform. Being attached to a superpower would add a lot to the game. Instead of just saying "I'm an imperial pilot," my ship would actually be registered Imperial, and visible as such on scans. As some mentioned on the thread before this one, it would add depth by creating more superpower allegiance.
 
This really is important to you I see. :)
I think the devs have read our proposals by now (the second quoted proposal is mine).
It is not the first time people have discussed this stuff.

Your text is not readable by the way. It's black on black.
 
This really is important to you I see. :)
I think the devs have read our proposals by now (the second quoted proposal is mine).
It is not the first time people have discussed this stuff.

Your text is not readable by the way. It's black on black.

Is this black on black?
This is using the quote feature.

Is is just what I wrote in a word processor that comes out that way?
As stated, I am using the default, white/cream coloured background and I see it is black text on a white/cream background.


And yes, It is an important feature to me. Not for the storage space; but, to have a firm connection to who I am in the game. Yes, for RPG and immersion purposes.
 
Last edited:
If something like this were to be implemented I would also like to see a benefit/detriment to choosing not to have a home base.
Perhaps have a diminishing return as players put the LYs between themselves and their home system.
For example, someone who's homebase is in Duval space will pay extra for services in Hudson space.
Maybe systems not allied with the players selected home alliance will refuse to buy cartographic data from them.

That way, not every player feels like it is necessary to pick a side to ally with by selecting a home base and can instead continue to exist as a neutral entity within the galaxy.
 
I can see nothing in the mechanic I described that would force a player to choose to establish a Home.
 
Is this black on black?
This is using the quote feature.
Is is just what I wrote in a word processor that comes out that way?
As stated, I am using the default, white/cream coloured background and I see it is black text on a white/cream background.
And yes, It is an important feature to me. Not for the storage space; but, to have a firm connection to who I am in the game. Yes, for RPG and immersion purposes.

Often, if one uses a word processor to compose a post, because the default font-color in many word-processors is black (on white background) when you copy it into the thread the font color is remembered and the post comes out as black (on black background). Simply select the copy of the post (already in the thread) and use the "A" button in the chat window header to change the font color to white.
 
A "home" base really has no relevance in-game unless the CMDR has more than one ship. Then, a "home" base becomes a convenient place to store ships and modules, making it easier to switch out ships and modules when necessary.

Seems like a lot of CMDRs want a "home" base game-mechanic allowing "something-for-nothings", discounts, increased storage, etc. something the developers apparently do not feel is necessary.
 
Often, if one uses a word processor to compose a post, because the default font-color in many word-processors is black (on white background) when you copy it into the thread the font color is remembered and the post comes out as black (on black background). Simply select the copy of the post (already in the thread) and use the "A" button in the chat window header to change the font color to white.

But if I do that, will the text still be visible on a white background?

I just tried it and no, it is not visible on a white background; so, while those who use a black background will be able to see it, I will not be able to see what I entered.

As far as:
"something-for-nothings"
No, it is not something for nothing. It is expanded game play for a game which I purchased.

If you mean that any added content should be nerfed to the point that it is unusable, that is just absurd. How was planetary landing nerfed to the point of being unusable? It wasn't. It was simply added content for people who wanted to use it. The game did not force anyone to land on planets at all. It was simply something that was added.

Just the same, having ae ability to declare a home, and ideally flagging the ship with that superpower, would not require players to use the feature. It is not
"something-for-nothings"
it is added content.
 
But if I do that, will the text still be visible on a white background?

I just tried it and no, it is not visible on a white background; so, while those who use a black background will be able to see it, I will not be able to see what I entered.

As far as: No, it is not something for nothing. It is expanded game play for a game which I purchased.

If you mean that any added content should be nerfed to the point that it is unusable, that is just absurd. How was planetary landing nerfed to the point of being unusable? It wasn't. It was simply added content for people who wanted to use it. The game did not force anyone to land on planets at all. It was simply something that was added.

Just the same, having ae ability to declare a home, and ideally flagging the ship with that superpower, would not require players to use the feature. It is not it is added content.

Very darkish grey on black background, you need to use the function "paste as plain text" when posting from a word processor so that it doesn't use the world processor formatting for the text colour, either that or use a basic word processor that saves in unformatted text like notepad. If you must use your own word processor there is also a function in the menu to "remove formatting" (two capital A's side by side in the menu), it will then use the formatting of the web page when posting rather than the formatting of the word processor which overrides the existing web page format, so you can go through and change old formatting of already pasted text.
 
But if I do that, will the text still be visible on a white background?
I just tried it and no, it is not visible on a white background; so, while those who use a black background will be able to see it, I will not be able to see what I entered.
As far as: No, it is not something for nothing. It is expanded game play for a game which I purchased.
If you mean that any added content should be nerfed to the point that it is unusable, that is just absurd. How was planetary landing nerfed to the point of being unusable? It wasn't. It was simply added content for people who wanted to use it. The game did not force anyone to land on planets at all. It was simply something that was added.
Just the same, having ae ability to declare a home, and ideally flagging the ship with that superpower, would not require players to use the feature. It is not it is added content.

The background in the thread will stay black, you are only adjusting the font-color to white.
A lot of people suggest changes to the game and most of those suggested changes involve more of something a player wants but cannot currently have: more module storage, more materials storage, free this, free that, easier this, easier that. Not always, just usually. Here's an example:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/369691-Set-Course-For-HOME-QoL-Idea-Suggestion-for-FDev


Yes, limited storage is a PITA, but it is something everyone works around and there are ways to work around the limitations, you'll figure them out. I do not understand what you mean by "declare" a home-base. I have a home base. Call me paranoid but to me it is tactically significant and I do not want anyone to know where it is. It is just a bookmark in my galaxy map, a space station storing 20 of my ships and stored modules. I edited the name of the bookmark so it appears at the top of my bookmarks list, makes it easier to select when I want to plot a course "home".
Allegiance to a super-power smells like Power Play. I avoid Power Play because it gives a bunch of players a new reason to shoot at me. o7
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom