Ways a Fleet Carrier changes my Game

Brrokk

Brrokk
I bought a fleet carrier thinking that I wasn't sure I needed it, but I'd try it out and sell it again if I didn't want it. I've found that besides the obvious features like carrying ships and having outfitting, it's had some other effects on gameplay. Maybe others have noticed this and have more observations. I've noted that:-

Credits matter again. Although I'm rich, the thought of the upkeep and Tritium costs going out every week gives me an incentive to at least earn that amount in the same time.

Mining is different. Rather than seeking to fill the hold with one commodity, it's worth hoovering up everything that has significant value to throw in the carrier and maybe use for sale or missions later.

The Cobra III is great again. If my business at a station doesn't involve a large amount of cargo, why not turn up in the most iconic Elite ship?

Special purpose ships are now more attractive. Not every ship needs a fuel scoop (but this idea should be applied carefully!)

It's possible that Open is less dangerous for a trip from carrier to station than for a trip from star to station, (I'm not sure the difference is significant though).

Loop trading is now naturally Bubble-wide rather than needing stations close together.

Ram Tah's second mission was a lot easier as I had a place to stash Thargoid samples and other corrosive stuff. Now it's over, I might as well keep those in case there's a "Thargoid bits" CG.

I'm still not sure that all those points add up to sufficient benefits to keep the carrier, but I am impressed by the number of unexpected conveniences.
 

Reggit

Reggit
My Carrier has made me lazy...and I love it!

While I haven't really been following the CG's recently, I've been using my Carrier for just about everything else.
I spend alot of time micro-managing while hemorrhaging credits, and - while this sounds bad - I honestly quite enjoy the change of pace!
Having my whole fleet available and only 15 minutes away from anywhere in the Bubble makes whatever gameplay I'm in the mood for alot easier to get into (Been fighting Thargoids this week!) - and helping newer members of the Squadron move around gives me a warm fuzzy feeling! :love:
It's certainly 'different' from the norm (and expensive!) and I can see the day when I will probably retire my Carrier (But not for a long while yet!) - Carriers are, imho, a welcome addition.

.....I just really really wish I could look out the window during jumps :rolleyes:
 

RyuStaar

RyuStaar
Absolutely, people on the forum crap on FC but they are awesome. Using mine as a squadron exploration vessel. 4 of the squadmates and I have taken my FC into the black checking out nebulas and exploring. It eases the tedium, gives you a home base to come back to and sell your data, and if you find a good mining spot you can fill er up with whatever. Used it for engineering, gathering, mining, mobile combat base, and I could go on.

It's expensive, but I think a lot of players leave a lot of money on the table. It's easy if you know what you are doing
 

Ralph Vargr

Ralph Vargr
Ah. My carrier demands to be fed weekly. Mining is the usual demand.

Now that I have achieved Master in combat, I'm being continually interdicted.

The combination of the two is that I would like to play my other account. Leaving a carrier alone is a money pit. And, the tritium in the tank is a deliberate sunk cost on Frontier's part. Hence the complaints about transferring tritium.

So, I'm selling off six thousand tons of tritium in the Azaladshu system. The Traveller Box is also selling three meta-alloys. All yours, guys.
 

DragonIV

DragonIV
I like: being able to bring my fleet (and all my modules) around with me. Was able to go out to Colonia with my whole fleet, which was sweet.

I dislike: the cost. As low as the cost is, I don't move around all that much. Possibly once or twice every three months. Still haven't decided if the costs justify owning it...but it doesn't hurt that I make enough CR that it sort of doesn't matter right now. Tritium isn't a problem for me since like I said, the carrier doesn't travel all that much. It might, it the fuel was more trivial to obtain like it was in the first few weeks of the carrier release.
 

GJ51

GJ51
For anyone that has every ship and several of some ships it makes ED enjoyable again.

With 40 engineered ships on board plus the one you're sitting in, hopping around the bubble without having to do multiple ship transfers truly removes some of the tedium that was starting to wear thin before the FC came along.

Bravo FD

Now fix the route plotting and fuel transfer issues...

If I have 20k Tritium in the hold I should be able to plot a course and let the FC transfer fuel as needed directly from the hold without the tedious step of loading it onto a ship first.

What's the point of the current setup?
 

Florenus

Florenus
Carrier proves to be real end-game asset.
I very much enjoy early game, where scope is limited, and you can feel you're actually a spec of dust in galaxy, owning very little, but once you have lots of stuff, FC changes the way you can play the game slightly, helping you to utilize all the things you've accumulated - which is exactly what end-game asset should be.
GJ51 said:
What's the point of the current setup?
Click to expand...
I think it's not supposed to be a super ship, but a tool to help you manage your wealth and property. You want to fly 10k LY? FC is not there to do it for you - you'll get there faster in properly engineered ship. But if you want to get all your stuff there - you need to do some work.
 

Nadreck

N
Florenus said:
I think it's not supposed to be a super ship, but a tool to help you manage your wealth and property. You want to fly 10k LY? FC is not there to do it for you - you'll get there faster in properly engineered ship. But if you want to get all your stuff there - you need to do some work.
Click to expand...

Even if that "work" involves writing, testing and debugging a macro to automate the plotting of multiple jumps and the transfer of tritium. Not really fair on console players though.
 

Rat Catcher

Rat Catcher
Two of my accounts have FC's.
Currently they have upkeep of a little over 11 million a week - one will jump up higher a little later when I add extra facilities to benefit one of my RL friends who is joining in playing, of course I do have to do a few minutes 'work' each week to cover the upkeep cost.

Yes, I think having them has changed my game, they make raising huge profits exceedingly easy for those times I feel like wasting a billion on ships I don't really need, but like having anyway - easily paid for in a few hours of 'space trucking'.

I'm also one of those odd folk who will mine for Tritium too, the odd hour here & there covers the incidental travel, and will give me sufficient to come back from Colonia when I'm ready, although I did have 800t in the tank when I arrived and only need around 3kt to return 🤷‍♂️
 

Riverside

Riverside
Another member of the Squadron I'm in has one, we use it as a squadron asset & it works well as a remote base of operations.

It's even motivated me to start mining (still laser only so far) for Tritium fuel. As a social hub for certain styles of exploration it's great, and although I've not used one for the job it's good to see how much less of a chore it's made the bubble-colonia run for players more interested in what they'll do once they are there than the travelling.

Hopefully solutions will be found for the effect large gatherings of them have on system maps & game stability.
 

Saltyseadog

Saltyseadog
Best thing that ever happened in ED. It has made long term exploration viable from my pov. In my previous single ship exploration jaunts I always got bored with it after a while and ended up back in the bubble after several weeks. Now that I can take my fleet with me, when I get bored surveying systems I can mine away to my hearts content in the pristine rings I find and attempt to fill her up with goodies. I have been outside the bubble for over three months now, have approximately 3500 tons of good stuff and not even thought about coming back inside.
 

Brrokk

Brrokk
I agree with the comments that FCs have made a right mess of system maps.

I'd like to see some filters available like:-
All carriers
Carriers which offer me docking and shipyard
Carriers which offer me docking and outfitting
Carriers which offer me docking and will buy
Carriers which offer me docking and will sell
No carriers
 
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