Please reconsider fleet carriers for solo players.

[[VR] Goooost]

Roleplay is fine, but I prefer to roleplay in a semi-plausible game world. It's one I f the reason why I don't like NMS and their fleets controlled by one person. It's just looks silly. I don't like it. Other may want that, that's fine, bit I allow we to not agree with them.

Sorry but I can't see having these for lone pilots. They just won't make sense.

The problem I have with this is that is means not everyone who sincerely wanted one would be able to get one. It becomes an elitist game asset. Most people playing the game HAVE to be lower ranked squadron members. That's just how squadrons work. So if you lock the carriers to squadrons of a certain size, that means that all but one of those squadron members will never truly own one, even if they really want one and are a veteran player. Only the most socially adept players would be able to get them, and that isnt in the spirit of videogames.
And we dont want to say, "alright then, one person squadrons can have fleet carriers if they really want" because we can only ever join one squadron, and we'd end up with people defecting from large squadrons to start solo ones and the system would dissolve.
What needs to happen is they need to be attainable by individual commanders not in squadrons, and those commanders can allow access to people from any squadrons they specify, so if they are in one, it can either be shared or not. If they have allies, they can benefit too.

In Elite lore there are plenty of eccentric billionaires that retreat from society and build their own bases. We call them engineers. There's even an android that owns his own station. It's not uncalled for to ask that we be able to solo-fly carriers.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

You don't understand. These things will based and balanced multiple players, not one. These ships probably won't have shipyard, so all it can do is carry the ship you are in. So what the point in a single player having this huge lumbering ship that takes weeks to move a couple of hundred lightyears that you could do in five minutes in the only ship you are bringing with you.

The youtube video is named "Fleet Carrier Teaser". We've got fleets. What are we supposed to think?

Also i know in the past they've mentioned (even in into the feedback of determined solo players are going to do it somehow anyway), that its being designed for multiplayer uses only... hence the suggestion of the post was to "reconsider", given they have taken a year of extra development time for the feature.

Also, who plays in a squadron? Noone (assumption). I know its likely, but im going to just live in denial and assume that frontier after spending over a year on a feature probably don't want to limit it to a subset of players.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

What's the point in having a fleet that could take weeks to move from one place to another. The point of the matter is that is doesn't make any sense for a solo player to have one. What the hell does an explorer need with a whole fleet of ships out in the black. At the end of the day, fleet carriers only really make sense with squadrons. I prefer a game that makes sense. Having single commanders running around with basically megaships just seems ridiculous for a game such as ED where there is a proper game world to consider.

A (small) fleet carrier does make sense for a lone player in my opinion.

• it gives the player something to do outside the BGS, engineering and credit farming
• having a few ships easily available has its advantages for a lone player as it will open up small systems without docking facilities for gameplay. CMDR supporting a small faction in a small border system.
• it could be used as a base of operations for explorers allowing the player to switch between long range scout ships and lower range, but better equipped ships.
• it would be a nomads base camp. Moving around if wanted/needed. Offering some RP for the lone player.

It would be nice if all players would have access to fleet carriers if they want to - as long as they are not a requirement for some things. It's up to them to decide if it's worth for them. Those who want one will find ways to get one anyway, so why add random restrictions and obstacles?

 

[Mars Starcruiser]

The youtube video is named "Fleet Carrier Teaser". We've got fleets. What are we supposed to think?

Also i know in the past they've mentioned (even in into the feedback of determined solo players are going to do it somehow anyway), that its being designed for multiplayer uses only... hence the suggestion of the post was to "reconsider", given they have taken a year of extra development time for the feature.

Also, who plays in a squadron? Noone (assumption). I know its likely, but im going to just live in denial and assume that frontier are spending over a year on a feature only to limit it to a subset of players.

By solo, do you mean game mode? Almost forgot that mode exist... Hope this carrier is open only but can be owned by 'individual' players. I am lone wolf but play exclusive in open.

 

[yianniv]

I really wish Frontier allows some sort of carrier for the solo players, too. A smaller version, with fewer pads and capabilities. Because I'd like to be able to use one. It's not in my genes to fly with others, I'm a lone wolf, I'm afraid.

As we can see in this thread, I'm not alone (see what I did, here?). So it would be wise for Frontier to find a way to keep us satisfied, too. 2.8% or not, we are still a percentage.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

The youtube video is named "Fleet Carrier Teaser". We've got fleets. What are we supposed to think?

What was described and how moveable megaships work now.

Also i know in the past they've mentioned (even in into the feedback of determined solo players are going to do it somehow anyway), that its being designed for multiplayer uses only... hence the suggestion of the post was to "reconsider", given they have taken a year of extra development time for the feature.

I hope they don't. It will look silly for a single person flying around in a massive mega ship. I find it difficult to believe with the big five. I want to play in a semi-plausible Gameworld.

Also, who plays in a squadron? Noone (assumption). I know its likely, but im going to just live in denial and assume that frontier after spending over a year on a feature probably don't want to limit it to a subset of players.

There are hundreds of squadrons. I am in a squadron. There are many who play in a squadron. There are exploration squadrons. You want a fleet carrier, join on of those.

 

[Morbad]

Far less concerned with how they are obtained than how they are destroyed.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

A (small) fleet carrier does make sense for a lone player in my opinion.

• it gives the player something to do outside the BGS, engineering and credit farming
• having a few ships easily available has its advantages for a lone player as it will open up small systems without docking facilities for gameplay. CMDR supporting a small faction in a small border system.
• it could be used as a base of operations for explorers allowing the player to switch between long range scout ships and lower range, but better equipped ships.
• it would be a nomads base camp. Moving around if wanted/needed. Offering some RP for the lone player.

It would be nice if all players would have access to fleet carriers if they want to - as long as they are not a requirement for some things. It's up to them to decide if it's worth for them. Those who want one will find ways to get one anyway, so why add random restrictions and obstacles?

I have said I wouldn't be against smaller carriers for individuals that can carry three ships or so. But it would have to run by the same rules as the larger ships in regards to refuelling etc.

I would have them limited to medium and small ships.

But it maybe all moot. There maybe technical limitations and having them as squadron based will limit the amount there are. So intead of there being 100,000s of fleet carriers there are only 1000s. A lot less stress on the servers I suspect.

 

[Morbad]

I hope they don't. It will look silly for a single person flying around in a massive mega ship. I find it difficult to believe with the big five. I want to play in a semi-plausible Gameworld.

I don't see anything even vaguely implausible about tiny crew sizes.

There are container ships and tankers an order of magnitude bigger than anything we can currently fly in Elite that can be piloted, at least in the short term, by a single person. They still have crews to spread out the work load, provide look outs, and perform maintenance, of course, but the day is not long off when most of these vessels are entirely unmanned or have a tiny complement onboard to take over in case of emergencies. If it can pilot itself, one person will be able to pilot it.

 

[Aashenfox]

Even the worst possible implementation I can imagine will be a game changer for active squadrons.

I kinda want you to get what you want op, but what I don't want is to open the system map or orrery of Shinrarta and see 150 fleet carriers.

I expect fd will make them prohibitively maintenance heavy for a single player. I.e. As a solo player you'd have to spend half your time or more, feeding your carrier.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

I don't see anything even vaguely implausible about tiny crew sizes.

There are container ships and tankers an order of magnitude bigger than anything we can currently fly in Elite that can be piloted, at least in the short term, by a single person. They still have crews to spread out the work load, provide look outs, and perform maintenance, of course, but the day is not long off when most of these vessels are entirely unmanned or have a tiny complement onboard to take over in case of emergencies. If it can pilot itself, one person will be able to pilot it.

You are talking about real life. I am talking about ED life. They are different.

 

[yianniv]

I hope they don't. It will look silly for a single person flying around in a massive mega ship. I find it difficult to believe with the big five. I want to play in a semi-plausible Gameworld.

In my case, it won't look silly because you'll not see me: I'm almost exclusively in solo, and when I'm not, in Mobius.

There are hundreds of squadrons. I am in a squadron. There are many who play in a squadron. There are exploration squadrons. You want a fleet carrier, join on of those.

But I don't want to join a squadron. I play solo. I want to choose my playstyle, trail, etc, and not comply to a collective decision. I don't want to join a corporation.

 

[PaxtonNewt]

I don't understand why some people are asking why can't the solo players have it?

That's akin to a single human being asking if they can launch themselves to the moon all alone in 1975. No ground control to talk to, single person, etc.

They're not designed for single players. Single players if you want to use one, there is a gameplay mechanic allowing you to participate. Not trying to sound like a jerk or anything, but sometimes things that are made for groups are not made for people who choose to be solo players.

Imagine you have your own carrier with all your fleet on. You could set it on a course for colonia. You can meet up with your carrier to swap ships rather than having to go back to a station. I can see the exploration potential of doing it that way. So as a solo player I should like to have one. At the end of the day it's a game and just a piece of code.. it could be made available for solo players but that's up to the creators..

 

[Morbad]

You are talking about real life. I am talking about ED life. They are different.

What aspect of the ED setting makes it implausible for the ships we have, or any conceivable Elite vessel, to be operated by a single individual?

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

I have said I wouldn't be against smaller carriers for individuals that can carry three ships or so. But it would have to run by the same rules as the larger ships in regards to refuelling etc.
…

I understand your point about "semi plausible game world" and the amount of crew ships need, but even for a squadron the carrier will probably be controlled by one player only - the rest of the squadron will probably just be the supplying stuff needed for the maintenance of the carrier.
And then you will never know by just looking if a carrier is controlled by one player or by a squadron of 250 active players.

Different sized carriers for lone players, tiny squadrons, medium sized and big squadrons would be nice, no access restrictions based on squadron size. Let the players decide if they want to spend the time and energy to maintain a carrier.

 

[Mars Starcruiser]

Far less concerned with how they are obtained than how they are destroyed.

You on xbox live morbad? We can figure this out together when the time comes That brings up some interesting questions on the rebuy screen for a carrier

 

[Morbad]

Imagine you have your own carrier with all your fleet on. You could set it on a course for colonia. You can meet up with your carrier to swap ships rather than having to go back to a station. I can see the exploration potential of doing it that way. So as a solo player I should like to have one. At the end of the day it's a game and just a piece of code.. it could be made available for solo players but that's up to the creators..

Of course it could be made available, but as the game is not single player, even in solo, there are balance considerations that may limit how far Frontier is willing to go.

Personally, I think the whole thing is a questionable idea. The advantages are obvious, but those advantages will detract from established flavor of the game, and likely add elements of upkeep that fragment a significant portion of the player base into insular units that do nothing but run around in PG looking for crap to sacrifice to their mothership so that they can retain it's use. I'm highly skeptical that they will be adequately integrated with the rest of the game.

You on xbox live morbad? We can figure this out together when the time comes That brings up some interesting questions on the rebuy screen for a carrier

PC player and not on XBox live.

While I'm skeptical that any lasting, direct, action will be possible against fleet carriers, I would be glad to be mistaken.

Most likely, a hostile group will show up at an enemy fleet carrier and be the only one's in the instance, with an indestructible megaship, while the would-be defenders just go about their business in PG or Solo.

 

[PaxtonNewt]

Of course it could be made available, but as the game is not single player, even in solo, there are balance considerations that may limit how far Frontier is willing to go.

Personally, I think the whole thing is a questionable idea. The advantages are obvious, but those advantages will detract from established flavor of the game, and likely add elements of upkeep that fragment a significant portion of the player base into insular units that do nothing but run around in PG looking for crap to sacrifice to their mothership so that they can retain it's use. I'm highly skeptical that they will be adequately integrated with the rest of the game.



PC player and not on XBox live.

While I'm skeptical that any lasting, direct, action will be possible against fleet carriers, I would be glad to be mistaken.

Most likely, a hostile group will show up at an enemy fleet carrier and be the only one's in the instance, with an indestructible megaship, while the would-be defenders just go about their business in PG or Solo.

Forgive me.. but how is solo not single player. I only encounter npc. I don't encounter any other real people as I'm playing all by my ownself..solo..single..on my own.. binary 1.. o7

 

[Mars Starcruiser]

Forgive me.. but how is solo not single player. I only encounter npc. I don't encounter any other real people as I'm playing all by my ownself..solo..single..on my own.. binary 1.. o7

Because of effects of background simulation. Planets can change hands because of the missions that you do for whatever agent your working under and it can have an impact on the galactic community in negative ways for some, and they would not be able to do anything to stop you. Solo ends up very exploitable on larger fronts. I mean if every solo player was in essence 'doing their own thing' and scattered, then no one bats an eye. But when planets change in power play because of what 50 solo players did unopposed. I think if they could start making solo have no effect on background and everything would be much better.

 

[Robert Maynard]

.... except that they recently restated that the BGS is for all players, on all platforms and in all modes....

.... as it has been from the beginning, over six years ago.