Ways a Fleet Carrier changes my Game

[Starshot_Jigawatts]

Module/ship management in this game is so painful and tedious that I find the FC more appealing than I originally did. A place to keep all my ships and modules together that I can also fly around the galaxy? That's a win!

That upkeep cost tho....meh.

 

[Rat Catcher]

Module/ship management in this game is so painful and tedious that I find the FC more appealing than I originally did. A place to keep all my ships and modules together that I can also fly around the galaxy? That's a win!

That upkeep cost tho....meh.

Upkeep cost is so low now that, unless the player has bankrupted themselves buying the FC (I was down to under 100 mill when I bought the first one) and then doesn't play for an extended period, to almost be ignored. A usefully equipped FC (in my opinion) costs around 11 mill a week, or a couple of short missions, half an hour mat collecting in a Haz res etc.

The benefits to one with a little imagination can be massive too (from my own experience)

 

[CMDR Serra]

Return trip is average 88 jumps - fully laden on the way out will use more than (assuming) 'empty' on return - there is a calculator for fuel use posted somewhere here, which is excellent! (so 8.8 million maintenance cost to recover too)

I certainly wish you well if you go for it, particularly if aiming just a little above 'break even' pricing, you could be a welcome 'asset' for the Nebula
(My main is in Colonia and happily mining every other day for an hour in readiness for a return to the bubble, just not in any rush so can give it the time!)

My plan is to fill up with 50k Tritium in the bubble and fly it out to Colonia then take an overnight FC (or suicidewinder) back home. If this is feasible (and there's a market) then I can repeat this on a fairly regular (monthly?) basis.

I've run the number thus:

FC loadout - Min services (6289), Tritium in Tank (1000), Tritium in market (18711)

Jumps (one way): 45 (M TAURI - PENNSYLVANIA)
Tritium used (one way - from spansh): 5544
Total cost: (Tritium & Maint) 277,650,000
Tritium remaining (in Colonia): 14167

Profit required per unit to "break even": 277,650,000 / 14167 = 19,598
Sale price to break even: 70,000

So if I add a "capitalist pig" margin of 5-10k per unit (to cover time any additional overheads and a week or two's regular maintenance) that'd be 75-80k per unit of Tritium. Does that sound fair?

The only question I have for FC owners: if I decom voluntarily (assuming no debt), will I receive my 5bn back or is there an additional fee?

 

[Rat Catcher]

Profit required per unit to "break even": 277,650,000 / 14167 = 19,598
Sale price to break even: 70,000

So if I add a "capitalist pig" margin of 5-10k per unit (to cover time any additional overheads and a week or two's regular maintenance) that'd be 75-80k per unit of Tritium. Does that sound fair?

The only question I have for FC owners: if I decom voluntarily (assuming no debt), will I receive my 5bn back or is there an additional fee?

That is a very 'fair price' even with a little added for snax, booze and 'companions'!

Decommisioning will cost something, so hopefully someone who has done so will answer more definitively - but I get the impression that there is also a deduction for 'Light Years on the clock' (but would love to be proven wrong) so it would have to be considered carefully.

 

[CMDR Serra]

That is a very 'fair price' even with a little added for snax, booze and 'companions'!

Decommisioning will cost something, so hopefully someone who has done so will answer more definitively - but I get the impression that there is also a deduction for 'Light Years on the clock' (but would love to be proven wrong) so it would have to be considered carefully.

Well, as stated, I am an eccentric space billionaire, so maybe I'll just try it and see what happens.

I've got 4.5bn in the bank over and above the FC, so I'll maybe just give it a go and adjust the price next time to cover it.

 

[Rat Catcher]

Well, as stated, I am an eccentric space billionaire, so maybe I'll just try it and see what happens.

I've got 4.5bn in the bank over and above the FC, so I'll maybe just give it a go and adjust the price next time to cover it.

When you get to Colonia look up my business partner, Ratkatcher, he'd take a Cutter full or two - he's fine but... a little eccentric, if you get my drift... Space Madness I think, all those NS jumps...

 

[CMDR Serra]

When you get to Colonia look up my business partner, Ratkatcher, he'd take a Cutter full or two - he's fine but... a little eccentric, if you get my drift... Space Madness I think, all those NS jumps...

I plan to leave it with the sell order until it's empty and then decom it.

I'll have a piggy-back T9 drop-tank (obvs) so can visit your associate and deliver him some high-grade Tritium personally.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

That is a very 'fair price' even with a little added for snax, booze and 'companions'!

Decommisioning will cost something, so hopefully someone who has done so will answer more definitively - but I get the impression that there is also a deduction for 'Light Years on the clock' (but would love to be proven wrong) so it would have to be considered carefully.

Out of the five billion you spent, you will get 4,850,000,000 back. 150,000,000 charge.

 

[Rat Catcher]

Out of the five billion you spent, you will get 4,850,000,000 back. 150,000,000 charge.

Thanks a million! (or should that be 150 million?)
I remember seeing a deduction mentioned but couldn't remember.

 

[CMDR Serra]

If It's 150m for decom then I can do 80k per unit.
Arriving in the next day or two.

 

[Tikanderoga]

My carrier gave me a home.
For me my carrier is my base of operation, which moves to where I want to do stuff.
Mining? Move the carrier to the ring
AX? Who needs a long range FSD when you can park right next door?
Missions? Haven't done those in a while.
Engineering? We park in orbit and fly down what needs to be done.
Trading? Park in orbit, load 'er up and move to destination.

It made my game much more pleasant and homely.

 

[Treya]

Bought mine during beta 2 and "Her Majesty's Embrace" has been in continuous service ever since. I used to keep various ships stationed at strategic locations all over the place with Shin Dez as a general home, these days I only keep storage ships there and everything meant for actual use is on the FC. Moving combat ships around has become way easier, instead of going somewhere in my bubble taxi and then waiting for the ship transfers I can now move everything (including myself) in one go.
Then there are those small QoL improvements like being able to sell carto data that a station refuses because of the 20 ly limit. Or temp storage for cargo so I can switch ships without the game telling me to sod off for having too much in my hold.
After getting that double eng FSD (from one of the Coalsack CG's) I overhauled my explorer Phantom and then took her on a shakedown cruise to see how the ship handles under more extreme circumstances - high heat landings like in Skardee or high G approaches (including a botched landing to see if the shields hold). Having my carrier close by in orbit meant I could sell off all data beforehand and not have to worry about getting moved back to the bubble after ship destruction.
A personal highlight was organizing a shuttle service up to Rackhams Peak. Getting there in the first place was only made possible with the introduction of carriers of course but sharing that experience with a bunch of other CMDRs? Priceless, and not something I would've thought about doing not too long ago!

And while it sure is annoying to have the sysmap cluttered with a gazillion FCs having them near a combat zone (especially AX) is a true game changer. During the recent Thargoid attacks a friend and me finally got the chance to do one of those and instead of doing field maintenance (ammo synth and repair limpets) we took turns to wake out and go to a nearby carrier to rearm/repair there. Even with all the bugs and instancing problems that felt way more like an actual battle dynamic, with a frontline and tactical movements back and forth etc.
So yeah, it's more than simply being in love with my FC, more like "out of my cold, dead hands"* Getting that FC was truly transformational for my gameplay on pretty much every level.

* not the best quote, but fitting

 

[A D]

I read this thread with an open mind, but still not convinced FC have added much to the game. I suppose it really comes down to individual preferences. In my case, I don't play ED often enough now days so logging in to just to pay the rent (upkeep) would be a pain. From a game play perspective, I still have reservations about a ship that I can neither fly nor see out the window. I play ED for the feeling of being in space.

 

[space voyager]

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.

Private stash is the most lucrative offer of carriers IMO. I'll get one at some point. Though it will be VERY cut sown as I don't want to sell my liver fpr it.

 

[Mohrgan]

With the advent of Fleet Carriers, I have had to go out of my way to deselect them from my Navigation page.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

The great advantage of the carrier is the storage.

Ships, modules, commodities, it can store them all. It can also move them all.

I enjoyed working with other players during CG's. That's where the carrier has a good roleplay aspect.

The amount of the upkeep has been greatly reduced. It can be paid with a few hours of mining.

It's just that I have to clock in for those hours, not the amount.

 

[Rock Hunter]

When Carriers were about to come out and information was coming in I saw no real use for one. By the time the decision was made to offer a UC module I knew I could use one on my exploration account. Since then the Prickly Blackfish has travelled a fine distance around the Galaxy and proved to be a real bonus. The travel time increased but the things I saw and did certainly increased.

However, I kept reading about all these clever uses Cmdrs were coming up with for making their Carriers work for them back in the Bubble. So the other day I decided to buy one for my main Cmdr. I selected forty ship types that I could use for various roles, stripped the modules from various other ships (I had between 65-70 ships all fully engineered) and sold the hulls I wouldn’t need. I’ve got 3.5bn in the FC bank and had just 100M in credits by the time I’d loaded some tritium.

Cimmerian Mist ran her first load of Ceramic Composites, bought for 82cr per tonne, to a station buying for 24’500 credits per tonne later that same day and before I knew it I‘m sitting on 865M credits. Nice, but not the point. The point is, on an account that’s triple Elite, that’s done most things but serious Anti Xeno (I just can’t get excited by that for some reason) it’s given me that sense of being a freelance spacer, using the markets properly but without the need to buy and sell now. I can scan for opportunities and make the most of them. I supplied another Carrier with just over 1000T tritium out near Shenve for a good profit before heading back to the Bubble and continuing to look for more business opportunities - it’s not the credits that interest me but the gameplay.

Also, despite selling off a huge fleet of ships I’m actually using more ships than ever before. I’ve just bought an Adder for surface salvage....I’ve always hated the Adder (it does boost to over 715m/s though so maybe that helps )

To answer the question with just one answer.....in every way. A very positive experience.







*Not that there aren’t improvements that can’t be made. Which leads to my best advice for anyone contemplating buying one - name it very carefully and well because you’ll be looking at that name a lot.