Ferry services to Collonia may finally be a thing!

[Quantis Trap]

Even though I'm not yet completely sold on Fleet Carriers, I cam excited about one possibility!

I'm excited by the possability that there might soon be player supported ferry lines to Collonia!!!

Back in March of 2017, I suggested a ferry megaship service to Colonia and we didn't get it. When we finally did get ferry megaships, it was too short and to somewhere no one cared to go.

Here's what would have to happen given what we currently know. A very dedicated player or more likely a group of players could provide carrier(s) and dedicate it/them for a ferry service. They would need to manage these things:

1. The scheduling of one or more carriers for the purpose.
2. Conducting the ~45 jumps over 4.5 to 5 days for each carrier. <- Hopefully the minimum times shorten based on beta feedback.
3. If not free ... and why would it be:
   1. the making of a mechanism for taking payment.
   2. The management of entrance into the carrier probably facilitated by a 3rd part website.
   3. The buying / donation / mining of fuel. To save time, fuel will need to be procured just twice when using the 25000 tons of storage for fuel!
4. The layover of each carrier at each end point would need to be a day or two to allow players to get on and disembark so each trip would be a week given current specs.

One thing which could completely derail this idea could include if a full complement of ships negates the 25000 tons of storage. It would be nice if during the beta we make sure that we can have a full complement of ships on board without loosing storage which will be need for fuel! I would also be nice if we could get Frontier to double the storage for carriers to make them better for this!

I would probably pay for this service. Would you? Think of what it would do for Collonia.

 

[Robert Maynard]

We don't yet know what ther per-jump wear and tear costs are going to be - 45 jumps to Colonia might be quite expensive.

 

[Ashnak]

Wouldn't think that this is viable. Guessing from the stream (also wasn't mentioned yesterday in the recap thread), the carrier seems to use 500 tons of fuel for a 500 ly jump, with a fuel capacity of 1000 tons, i.e. two maximum range jumps. Recharging would require one fully loaded Type-9 per jump.
With the given timing, you would need access to the game pretty much 24/7 if you want to do the trip in 4 days - so realistically, it's going to be more like 8 to 12 days for the trip. More if you have to mine the fuel yourself.
With the jump properties, fuel and upkeep requirements, carriers seem poorly suited to long distance travel or exploration. What is missing is a means to generate the upkeep cost, independent of other players, NPCs or the availablity of stations. A UC office might do that.

Question: could you store Tritium as cargo? 20 k tons would mean 40 jumps, or 20 kly. Still not quite enough to reach Colonia.

 

[Vandaahl]

Would indeed be cool to provide a transport service to Barnards loop, but to load them off in Colonia.

"But, but..."

 

[Winterwalker]

What is missing is a means to generate the upkeep cost, independent of other players, NPCs or the availablity of stations. A UC office might do that.

A UC office would do that but suddenly upkeep costs are 1000% trivial.

I'd lean towards Codex Discovery Vouchers directed into upkeep costs.

 

[Quantis Trap]

We don't yet know what ther per-jump wear and tear costs are going to be - 45 jumps to Colonia might be quite expensive.

Yes, but I'm betting that whatever the total cost, it's not as expensive as owning your own and not as time consuming as making the trip yourself.

Would indeed be cool to provide a transport service to Barnards loop, but to load them off in Colonia.

One step at a time.

+1 for carrier docking fees?

Yes, lets ask for that in beta!!!!

 

[Winterwalker]

+1 for carrier docking fees?

 

[Shaele]

who is going to lose access to their ship(s) for 80+ hours? their whole account really.

 

[Quantis Trap]

who is going to lose access to their ship(s) for 80+ hours? their whole account really.

I wouldn't have a problem with that most of the time and when I did, I could almost always get off any time I want and wherever the carrier currently is.

 

[777Driver]

Question: could you store Tritium as cargo? 20 k tons would mean 40 jumps, or 20 kly. Still not quite enough to reach Colonia.

Capacity should be 26000 tons, tanks and cargo, assuming no outfitting etc fitted.

@Shaele - Wouldn't it just be like a regular ferry service, anyone onboard jumps with the ship, just every two hours instead of a Thursday.

 

[Winterwalker]

who is going to lose access to their ship(s) for 80+ hours? their whole account really.

You can use the shipyard of even a decomissioned carrier if you have ships stored there, they were quite careful to mention this. More likely to mean the carrier owner won't get any income from a service that's shut down.

 

[Ashnak]

A UC office would do that but suddenly upkeep costs are 1000% trivial.

I'd lean towards Codex Discovery Vouchers directed into upkeep costs.

Depends. I am (that is, one of my accounts) out in the black towards BP for... one year? 15 months? Make it one year. That's 52 weeks. At 10 M per week base cost (and more realistically 15 M once I have repair and refuel figured in), that's 780 MCr. I wouldn't consider that trivial, especially considering I'm not even there yet. So make it maybe 2 BCr. for a full circle around the Galaxy at my relaxed speed.

Codex discoveries are what, 10 k each? So 1000 Codes discoveries per week to keep up with even the minimum upkeep?

 

[Shaele]

You can use the shipyard of even a decomissioned carrier if you have ships stored there, they were quite careful to mention this. More likely to mean the carrier owner won't get any income from a service that's shut down.

Ships stored in a decomissioned carrier are sent back to the nearest base I thought?

 

[Winterwalker]

Codex discoveries are what, 10 k each? So 1000 Codes discoveries per week to keep up with even the minimum upkeep?

I agree with you. I was going to suggest cartographics vouchers getting a boost, or paying 100 times their worth when sold to a carrier but we've no data on this at all. I'd go for that (or just about anyuthing else) over cartographics as a way to upkeep though, possibly my instict only but I would. I feel a carrier should be able to back up your explore data but not be entirely independent of some station somewhere without a pretty serious effort. Jump honk scoop aint a serious effort.

Ships stored in a decomissioned carrier are sent back to the nearest base I thought?

I suspect a decommissioned carrier won't persist forever. Likely when that happens the ships transfer?

 

[BDelacroix]

Even though I'm not yet completely sold on Fleet Carriers, I cam excited about one possibility!

I'm excited by the possability that there might soon be player supported ferry lines to Collonia!!!

Back in March of 2017, I suggested a ferry megaship service to Collonia and we didn't get it. When we finally did get ferry megaships, it was too short and to somewhere no one cared to go.

Here's what would have to happen given what we currently know. A very dedicated player or more likely a group of players could provide carrier(s) and dedicate it/them for a ferry service. They would need to manage these things:

1. The scheduling of one or more carriers for the purpose.
2. Conducting the ~45 jumps over 4.5 to 5 days for each carrier. <- Hopefully the minimum times shorten based on beta feedback.
3. If not free ... and why would it be:
   1. the making of a mechanism for taking payment.
   2. The management of entrance into the carrier probably facilitated by a 3rd part website.
   3. The buying / donation / mining of fuel. To save time, fuel will need to be procured just twice when using the 25000 tons of storage for fuel!
4. The layover of each carrier at each end point would need to be a day or two to allow players to get on and disembark so each trip would be a week given current specs.

One thing which could completely derail this idea could include if a full complement of ships negates the 25000 tons of storage. It would be nice if during the beta we make sure that we can have a full complement of ships on board without loosing storage which will be need for fuel! I would also be nice if we could get Frontier to double the storage for carriers to make them better for this!

I would probably pay for this service. Would you? Think of what it would do for Collonia.

I think its a great idea. I wonder if docked ships count against the storage units space.

 

[Bigmaec]

Ships stored in a decomissioned carrier are sent back to the nearest base I thought?

Ships in a decommissioned carrier are available for transfer, but not auto-transfered - that was said in the stream iirc.
But the mechanic is already there with damaged starports and rescue ships.

 

[Vedmo]

who is going to lose access to their ship(s) for 80+ hours? their whole account really.

Two different ways I could see this working. A schedule in which you know when you depart you will spend X amount of time in a certain region, and you pick a schedule in which the jumps occur when you won't be playing.

The other one, which would take pretty massive player investment into making it happen, a Pony Express type relay, set up with a small window after an FC jumps for the travelers to move to the next FC which is already well into its charge up time. FC1 departs in one hour! FC2 Waite 15 minutes and charges, FC3 in another 15 minutes, etc.

 

[BDelacroix]

I had imagined ferries would travel the road and stop at each of those stations along the way. on a regular schedule. So people can get off the ship and stay in whatever for a while then catch the next one.

Yea, you can not play for 80 hours or you can get out and play at the stops along the way.

 

[Just Paul]

The more important question is why?
You can get to Colonia with an explorer ship in a few hours. Even my combat fit T-10 and Cutter made the trip in 2 days.

I would probably pay for this service. Would you? Think of what it would do for Collonia.

It would do nothing, the people who want to come out and visit do so already, even the ones who just want the engineers unlock.
Btw it's Colonia, no double L.

 

[Quantis Trap]

The more important question is why?
You can get to Colonia with an explorer ship in a few hours. Even my combat fit T-10 and Cutter made the trip in 2 days.

For instance, I think many casual players who hate many jump trips may like the idea. Also, those who may want to move with more than one ship may find it more efficient.