I just realised something.....
If telepresence across light years is possible for multicrew, then the 30km limit of telepresence for SLF's becomes nonsense and should be removed.
You're correct, one or the other doesn't fit. FDev hasn't justified both. YET!
Short range TP using some kind of radio transmission, limited by the speed of light complies with the church of scientism's current grip on physics. TP over long range however, with each LY distance adding one full year of ping time does not.
What they could do is leave the SLF's as is, add similar functionality to the SRV with perhaps a class 3 module that includes a remote pilot TP unit and sufficient materials for half a dozen SRV's to be 3D printed as required, like the SLF unit.
What they could also do, with the introduction of MC is add a brand new module, like the planetary approach suite that made Horizons functional, and an extra slot for it, or a module stacking system so 2x class 1 modules can fit in a class 2 bay.
An extra engineer, maybe the one that doesn't exist yet but seems to be making corrosion resistant cargo racks for Professor Palin could be introduced, with a set of rack mods that allow us to fill up those half or one third empty bays we have?
As suggested earlier in this thread, there is lore compliant technology on board Jaques Station that facilitates a 22,500LY jump range. Perhaps a new CG to recreate the original 'accident' could be used to research exactly how it worked?
Once this new 'science' is developed it could be used to create new CG's while we all help build well defended assets just outside the Sol and Colonia bubbles such that a justifiable unicorn magic uber-jump and low ping TP network exists.
The insta-crowd is happy, MC works even though they don't care how. The old way using your ship's FSD still works from any direction. Immersion isn't broken, it's supplemented with something 'tangible' in-game that justifies heresy magic.
Then it's just a matter of waiting until some large, eight legged spider type creature accidentally runs foul of a relay station, breaks it and everyone that's connected to Colonia from the bubble suddenly realises the TP network is down.
Regardless of what, or who broke the relay station, a significant portion of the players online are bound to notice. Either because some or all their crew just unicorn poofed off the flight deck or, they fell out of uber-jump full of cargo.
Why oh why didn't I take the neutron superhighway today? (Navigator) "Cos the uber-jump tunnel is way more convenient and takes a fraction of the time CMDR, we'd have difficulty getting all these supplies to Colonia on schedule without it."
You're right! Set a course for the nearest station so we can swap this Type 9 cargo bus for the Conda then switch to the trading seat so you can link ahead and find us a crew from this side of the TP breach point to come along and help.
All hail mighty FDev for coming up with this brilliant idea that seems to make most players happy for a few minutes and saves FDev a whole load of time building CG events by hand now they spawn automatically every time the TP net is broken.
Hard core explorers still not happy huh? Not sure I would be either. This "detailed" surface scanner isn't really, is it? Did anyone at FDev play that really old Star Trek monochrome text adventure where particular stations could share data?
Science: "CMDR, this moon has a localised EM field like a pair of great dane nuts!"
CMDR: "What, where, I can't see it! How do you expect me to land close to it?
Navigation: "It's ok CMDR, I'm pushing the data to the helm control now for you."
MC is a space awesome idea! If you TP on board with your alt-toon you get to experience being there while not really, no bonus! Leave extra bonuses for space legs and same-station loading your CMDR's magic pockets escape seat on board.
If people get the bonus via TP, what's left to entice them into buying season X?
