Elite Spec Ships

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Here's a random thought I had, again...!

I've been playing a bit of Burnout Paradise.
When you get a new car, you unlock a time trial race, which on completion, unlocks a better version of that car.
(Slightly better stats, and a new paintjob)

What if something similar was in place in ED? Obviously, it doesn't involve racing. Lol
But have all the ships in the game have special improved versions.
If you clock enough flying hours, jumps, kills, trade or something along those lines, in a specific ship, you gain access to the improved version.
These versions cost more, based on the improvements, and you can then use that ship to unlock the next improved version.

For example, a stock Eagle.
The stock Eagle, being a combat ship, requires you to kill 100 large ships (or something) to unlock the Eagle+.
The Eagle+ costs about 10x as much (400k?), had a minor improvement to base stats. It's all round better, but more expensive. And you get a flashy paintjob, unique to that ship.
With the Eagle+, you can then unlock the next one, by killing 200 large ships.
You then unlock the Eagle++(or something).
This costs 10x again(4mil?), and has another minor improvement over the Eagle+ stats.
You keep doing this, until you unlock the Eagle Elite. Which has really good stats compared to the original, but will set you back a huge some of money, like 400mil.

It would be an interesting goal for end game players. Ideally the goals will be something that can't be exploited for a quick access.
But would provide quite alot of entertainment, and give players a whole new reason to spends good amount of time in all of the ships.

Obviously it's very gamey, but if there were just ranked locked, and/or expensive, most end game players would instantly have access to all of them on release, and still be in the same situation or nothing new to earn.

Because the models don't actually change, it's quite light on dev time. I think. Lol

What do you think?

Obviously the goal I listed for the Eagle was just made up, it could be anything, more related to the ship.
For example, an AspX could be "discover 10 ELWs in your AspX" (doesn't have to be a first time discovery) to unlock the AspX+. And so on.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[RidingTheFlow]

Umm, if you "clock enough hours, jumps, missions, etc" you can get your Eagle++ already.
Its called better outfitting and engineering.

Do we need a third mechanism to do the same?

Unless I misread you and you want better equipment just bestowed on you because you've spent some time in the game doing no matter what.

 

[M00ka]

So let me get this straight: The more experienced the player, the better ships he has access to - yeah that sounds fair to all - NOT.

At present those that have played longer tend to have more credits so they can get the better ships, they don't need to be rewarded twice for their efforts.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Umm, if you "clock enough hours, jumps, missions, etc" you can get your Eagle++ already.
Its called better outfitting and engineering.

Do we need a third mechanism to do the same?

Unless I misread you and you want better equipment just bestowed on you because you've spent some time in the game doing no matter what.

You may have misunderstood, or I worded it wrong. Lol

To unlock the + variant, you need to perform certain actions in the original ship.
So in my example, you needed to kill 100 large ships in the standard Eagle to unlock the Eagle+.
You may have done this already, so it would infact unlock straight away.
But to unlock the Eagle++(or whatever) you'd need to kill 200 large ships, in the Eagle+, which you wouldn't have done yet.

If you killed 492,701,201 large ships in your Corvette, you'll not do anything for the Eagle+(++/elite, etc) unlock.

Make sense?

The idea is to encourage use of all ships for end game CMDRs, with neat rewards other than a badge. Lol

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

So let me get this straight: The more experienced the player, the better ships he has access to - yeah that sounds fair to all - NOT.

At present those that have played longer tend to have more credits so they can get the better ships, they don't need to be rewarded twice for their efforts.

Ah, so you're against progression. Got it. I'll remember that.
(I won't)



Besides, a total newbie can go and unlock the better variants aswell. The only setback is the increased cost of purchase (and rebuy).

 

[RidingTheFlow]

If you killed 492,701,201 large ships in your Corvette, you'll not do anything for the Eagle+(++/elite, etc) unlock.

Ok. And why would I want this Eagle+++ if I have a Corvette already?

 

[M00ka]

Ah, so you're against progression. Got it. I'll remember that.
(I won't)



Besides, a total newbie can go and unlock the better variants aswell. The only setback is the increased cost of purchase (and rebuy).

Not against progression at all, just against the stronger getting stronger. It is a bit like the killstreaks in CoD - what a wonderful idea, reward a player who is already dominating a game with the means to dominate it totally. But it is only my own opinion, if others like your idea then go for it.

 

[kpmop]

You may have misunderstood, or I worded it wrong. Lol
...

Ahh. Makes more sense now. It seemed like an over-complicated rank-lock thing initially!

Yeah I think that could work. It could be simple things an extra/larger internal slot, that wouldn't have much overhead to implement (I assume!) or as you say slightly better specs (though as mentioned: engineering)...

I think whatever the challenges were they'd have to be hard - e.g. 10 undiscovered ELWs (otherwise everyone'd just google it). And a race, despite what you said, I think there needs to be a race now!

 

[Sylveria]

Actually, there should be some passive bonuses that unlock on ships once you've achieved a certain rank- based on the role of the ship.

This would help everyone- and really help to define the ship roles, too. For example, haulers would get bonuses to cargo (something like "Efficient Packing" that would expand cargo capacity by X), Explorers could gain scan speed or range bonuses, Combat could gain target scan/tracking bonuses, etc.

Would also help to alleviate the feeling of "grind" that people speak of when it comes to the ranks, too.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Ok. And why would I want this Eagle+++ if I have a Corvette already?

But would you want a Corvette+++?

It would apply to all ships, obviously some ships, like the Corvette, having monumental challenges to get the next variants, and an completely ridiculous price tag, for very little gain really.

But some players are driven by goals, and will want to achieve them, if they have them.

I'm thinking each variant increase a few base stats by about 10%~. Ideally, there's be 5 variants, so the Elite variant would have 50% better base stats over the original, but cost like a silly amount more. Lol

The variants can simply be named E-A, or +/++/+++, etc, or whatever.

 

[Darkslayer]

I think it completely breaks the imersive design of the ships. The Viper 3 doesn't have a class 2 power distributor because they were building it cheap. It was the best one they could possibly fit during design. They had to make a whole new ship MK4 to put in a class 3. Do you think they wouldn't have fit the type 7 with more cargo space if it was feasible by design?

 

[RidingTheFlow]

But would you want a Corvette+++?

It would apply to all ships, obviously some ships, like the Corvette, having monumental challenges to get the next variants, and an completely ridiculous price tag, for very little gain really.

But some players are driven by goals, and will want to achieve them, if they have them.

So, having to get Navy rank, money, and fully engineer the Corvette is not enough "goal to achieve"? Have you actually tried to do it?

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

So, having to get Navy rank, money, and fully engineer the Corvette is not enough "goal to achieve"? Have you actually tried to do it?

I own a Corvette.
It's mostly engineered, but then I stopped playing.
In part due to nothing to use the Corvette on, that provides an adequate challenge, but mostly due to the constant CTDs I keep getting. Lol

What's wrong with having more to work towards, with a decent reward?

 

[RidingTheFlow]

I own a Corvette.
What's wrong with having more to work towards, with a decent reward?

Umm, nothing wrong with having adding more to the game.

Though personally I would prefer something actually *different* being added, not another iteration of "do some grind => get some equipment".


lol.

 

[Veeta]

I think it completely breaks the imersive design of the ships. The Viper 3 doesn't have a class 2 power distributor because they were building it cheap. It was the best one they could possibly fit during design. They had to make a whole new ship MK4 to put in a class 3. Do you think they wouldn't have fit the type 7 with more cargo space if it was feasible by design?

I agree totally and not only that the idea is a game gimmick, it breaks reality. Getting a better ship for killing more bad guys it just smacks of an arcade kids game.

I'm of the opinion that a simulator should reflect how the real world would work, getting upgraded ships just for randomly putting time into everything possible just makes no sense from a reality perspective.

Now, getting an upgraded version of ship while being part of the Navy now that makes sense.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Umm, nothing wrong with having adding more to the game.

Though personally I would prefer something actually *different* being added, not another iteration of "do some grind => get some equipment".

lol.

Lol fair enough.

Burnout Paradise just inspired that idea is all.
I quite like being rewarded with a better version of my car, for using the original to complete a race.
Although it was a bit too easy. Lol

I sounded quite cool to unlock an improved version of your ship, simply for using it.

Currently, there's no real use for going back to some of the smaller ships, other than a bit of fun.
Which is what triggered this idea, you'd have an incentive to go back to use those smaller ships that are now obsolete, even if it's simply for the bragging rights to owned a slightly better obsolete ship. Lol

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[RidingTheFlow]

Currently, there's no real use for going back to some of the smaller ships, other than a bit of fun.
Which is what triggered this idea, you'd have an incentive to go back to use those smaller ships that are now obsolete, even if it's simply for the bragging rights to owned a slightly better obsolete ship. Lol

And lol to you too.

So, this is another of these "make small ships as powerful as large ships, because reasons" threads

 

[CMDR Corlas]

I'm normally all for new ships, but I really dislike the delivery method here. It's far too arcadey, and it doesn't fit in the established world at all.

 

[Hadarmil]

Wrong game. You bought a ship so congrats, fly it. The salesman selling it don't care how you use it and he doesn't reserve his better models for people who completed some arbitrary pointless challenge.

Aside from navy ships, but that's saying something.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

In a single player game that gets continuously harder as you progress, this would be a good idea. But in ED, no.