A question about player owned stations.

[IndigoWyrd]

Maybe I'm just stating the obvious but I think the biggest problem with player-owned stuff is the 3 different modes in which the game can be played.

If players own any kind of real-estate which is persistent within the game then somebody (or a group of somebodys) could locate that real-estate and then use Solo or Private-Group modes to do stuff to it and you'd have no way of preventing them..

Ever find one of those POI Outposts? Not the ones with data points to scan, but rather the ones that consist of something like A Large Building, or A Small Building, or even a couple buildings?

Ever try to do anything to them?

I've showered them in missiles, blasted them with Plasma, even emptied my cannons into them. And nothing happens. They're still standing.

The simple solution is:

Treat player "real-estate" the same way - It's Just There.
Perhaps a player landing pad could issue a loitering warning (no fine, but a warning) to any other ship along the lines of:

"Warning, this is a private facility. Clear the landing pad or face lethal response."
After the countdown, open fire with a couple beams like stations do. This should keep them clear of unwanted visitors.
Wanted visitors can park somewhere else.

 

[Stealthie]

Ever find one of those POI Outposts? Not the ones with data points to scan, but rather the ones that consist of something like A Large Building, or A Small Building, or even a couple buildings?

Ever try to do anything to them?

I've showered them in missiles, blasted them with Plasma, even emptied my cannons into them. And nothing happens. They're still standing.

Yep.

If a planetary base was just completely inert to everybody except you (and, perhaps, people in your friends list) then there'd be very little reason for people to try and mess with your stuff.

I suppose (with no defences) it'd be possible for a would-be ganker to hover above your launch-pad in the hope of causing a fatal collision or attack as soon as you appeared on the pad but, meh.
Equally, that could be deterred if your base had skimmers and an exclusion-zone but, then again, that might become an exploit if people could just find a base and use it to farm skimmers to increase combat rank.

Both defended and defenceless bases have their pro's and con's as long as the actual base is inert.

Maybe player bases could be defended by lasers rather than skimmers so there'd be a deterrent to incursion but nothing to encourage attacks?

 

[DaveB]

A few things would be broken in my opinion:

1) replace "buddy" with "client" (who "bought" the module for real cash outside of the game) and re-read....;
2) it would circumvent the current required gameplay by giving Engineered modules to players who do not have access to those Engineers / materials necessary to Engineer the module.
3) any modules given to a player could probably then be sold - introducing player/player credit transfer on a much larger scale than the drop/scoop cargo transfer we have at the moment.

These are fair points. However, much as I agree with your vehement dislike of "gold farmers" and think their place is under the jailhouse rather than in it, something as limited as I was talking about could be workable IMHO without letting those bottom-feeders mess up the game for the rest of us.

 

[Duckfather]

I would personally like a small planetary base or asteroid base, as long as it wasn't just there for its own sake (the Captains Quarters in Eve springs to mind here!). there would have to be a reason for such a base to exist, but not something that was so much of a time sink that you couldn't enjoy the game!

To those that say that this would be a magnet for griefing, I think they would have to be made invulnerable anyway. The reason? Instancing.

Imaging the scenario: Your base gets attacked and you receive an alert. You race to your trusty Corvette to defend your property, launch and.... there's no-one there. But your base is still taking damage until it explodes, no matter how much mode switching you were forced to do to try and get into the same instance as your attackers.

It turns out that your attackers created their own private group in order to carry out the attack, safe in the knowledge that you couldn't stop them.


Even if steps were put in place to stop the above 'workaround', there's still the difficulty of matchmaking to the correct instance in open anyway. So, if they do exist in the future, they'll be invulnerable, like current stations

 

[Schlack]

Open Solo is largely meaningless seeing as damage to structures is magically repaired next time the damn things spawn anyway.

As a general point attacking bases directly to damage their facilities would be a good mechanic and group activity, could be repaired by trade of certain goods. Might be a good powerplay mechanic too, allowing for offensive and defensive space battles for assets.

So much potential.......

 

[CMDR _BigJay_]

I would personally like a small planetary base or asteroid base, as long as it wasn't just there for its own sake (the Captains Quarters in Eve springs to mind here!). there would have to be a reason for such a base to exist, but not something that was so much of a time sink that you couldn't enjoy the game!

To those that say that this would be a magnet for griefing, I think they would have to be made invulnerable anyway. The reason? Instancing.

Imaging the scenario: Your base gets attacked and you receive an alert. You race to your trusty Corvette to defend your property, launch and.... there's no-one there. But your base is still taking damage until it explodes, no matter how much mode switching you were forced to do to try and get into the same instance as your attackers.

It turns out that your attackers created their own private group in order to carry out the attack, safe in the knowledge that you couldn't stop them.


Even if steps were put in place to stop the above 'workaround', there's still the difficulty of matchmaking to the correct instance in open anyway. So, if they do exist in the future, they'll be invulnerable, like current stations

Yeah, I'm not "racing back" from anywhere to protect my base. What if you get that alert when you're in Colonia? So your base HAS to be invulnerable. Now, since your base is invulnerable it really can't be allowed to do anything that would modify the galaxy or else that could be exploited.

So it's going to be a glorified garage. But I'm fine with that. I would really enjoy keeping my things in "my" base rather than the station that I currently use.

 

[Itaki]

I hear a lot on the forums that people want player owned stations.

My questions are : why? And how do you think it would work?

Some extra questions to ponder...
Where would the people come from that run it?
Would it be tied into the background simulation, with minor factions and missions?
If so, what happens when another faction takes control?
What benefits can you see from owning a station?

People want a home and stamp their name on it. I'm not sure how it would work. But Eve does it. And it only has 7800 solar systems. ED has 400 billion. I think it could allow some to be owned by players.
The people that run it would be players.
It would be nice if it was tied to the BGS or other player run market and manufacturing mechanic
Maybe the player group would have to fight the NPC faction for control. That'd be fun.
Benefits would be togetherness, home, social aspect, group play, building, maintaining, protecting, wars, etc

Multicrew could be expanded to guild members manning station guns to defend against the player attackers. Attack declarations could be issued by one player group against another player group and the server would issue a date/time that the station would be vulnerable, notifying all group members involved. It could be a war in Open mode or a special war instance just for the group members.

Haulers could haul materials needed to maintain the station and war effort.

 

[Sidman]

I got an idea of how player owned stations could work in this game.

First the framework for it is already there, I think player owed stations should be community ran, the minor fractions.

In order to adapt a minor fraction you must put a house or personal outpost on a planet, than in your personal house or base you can declare the adoption of a minor fraction and if enough people adopt that fraction, and if the fraction gains a station you will have a few features ability to clear docking pads of stuck ships by repairing them. The rest of the community besides those that declared home and your minor fraction would know the starbase is player ran. Also when your fraction looses the base it goes back to the NPC control.

 

[Saool]

In general - No

Players having there own space house to decorate - No

Players groups being able to control stations and dictate access etc - No no no no no no!


At most I would have this:

Every player owned faction gets to place a single space based Outpost. This Outpost is a standard build, with the same services and a limited market for everyone. Groups have no other control over it. They cannot customise it, then cannot limit access to it.

It serves as a BGS starting point. As such it is locked to that faction. So if that group lost everything else that would always have that market to try to start again from. However it operates like any other base, so can be UA bombed and anything else.

 

[Deareim]

FD is not capable to have a standard BB in a standard station. I don t even imagine with your own station.

 

[Maitolee]

I would let big stations to minor factions (and improve at some point the actual BGS system).
BUT I would love so much tiny player owned bases. I think of it as some kind of modular house you can improve over time.

-It could have different modules: main/hall, hangar, advanced hangar with repair option, fuel container, cargo storage, refinery for your minned raw materials, ...
-You should buy each module recipe/blueprint individually, and bring the materials you need to build it (iron plates, etc). It would cost time and money to build it up. You should buy some building drones (easier implementation than legs/proper 1st person building gameplay).
-You could add extra hangar modules so you can host you friends ships, they can also bring raw materials and use the refinery, ...
-Fuel/repair/ammo restock should be replenished before usage. The idea is "anything it's there you have to bring it there before or craft it". You can make a couple trips before with fuel tanks equipped ship to fill the base fuel container. Same with ammo or "repair ammo/material" (or craft it if there's the option).

-It could be built almost anywhere on a moon (maybe only on flat surface) and perhaps on asteroids in the future, and could have a beacon remotely activable so a friend/wing mate can find it.
-No instance locked, so in case your friend already knows where it is, he should be able to get there. Also, you should be careful to not let other players follow you as you fly there (in case you don't want them to find it). This would lead to looking for interesting (maybe hidden) places before start building it, so it's less likely that some random flying player finds it (don't build it near a barnacle!).
-Docking permission required for other players, and it shows up on your ship so you have to grant it or deny it. There could be an option for close friends to set permanent permission so they can dock when you're not playing (if you want it).
-Friends could also bring materials to help you build it? Coop gameplay?

It could be a nice way of spending money and time for some of us, and it could allow to some interesting exploring/minning (coop!) game options, even BGS opportunities (small base shared between minor faction players).

Would LOOVE to see it, even with limited capabilities on first implementation. Only me knowing that on a tiny valley behind a mountain on a lost tiny moon there is a small modular house/hangar I can manage.

 

[Steve50]

Not naming names, but some people in this thread seem to have no clue about what Elite truly is and would be wise for them to go read about its history and what the game is and isn't.

 

[Maitolee]

Not naming names, but some people in this thread seem to have no clue about what Elite truly is and would be wise for them to go read about its history and what the game is and isn't.

Do you like being able to land on fully sized moons? Anywhere on it, unlimited freedom. It blows my mind, and I find really fun racing with the SRV. But there is not much to do, even more outside the bubble. I sincerely think this would add nice game options, without changing the actual game.

What are your fears?

 

[lenna]

Do you like being able to land on fully sized moons? Anywhere on it, unlimited freedom. It blows my mind, and I find really fun racing with the SRV. But there is not much to do, even more outside the bubble. I sincerely think this would add nice game options, without changing the actual game.

What are your fears?

I think the general issues have been covered.

I think the principle of increasing "life" propagation should be left to FD and the BGS. Factions can already control but not irrevocably own Stations/Outposts/Bases via the BGS and that is as far as I think such things should go.

IMO Player owned Apartments with-in stations/outputs/bases may come in time when FD implement space legs, but they should not have any fringe benefits (i.e. no tangible in-game rewards nor zones of control) and be purely a cosmetic feature.

 

[Arry]

I think the general issues have been covered.

I think the principle of increasing "life" propagation should be left to FD and the BGS. Factions can already control but not irrevocably own Stations/Outposts/Bases via the BGS and that is as far as I think such things should go.

IMO Player owned Apartments with-in stations/outputs/bases may come in time when FD implement space legs, but they should not have any fringe benefits (i.e. no tangible in-game rewards nor zones of control) and be purely a cosmetic feature.

I think if they are rank or credit based options; then the said station, should not be firing on you; just for failing a scan. Other acts; such as loitering; would be business as usual of course.

 

[Vasco Sapien]

I hear a lot on the forums that people want player owned stations.

My questions are : why? And how do you think it would work?

Some extra questions to ponder...
Where would the people come from that run it?
Would it be tied into the background simulation, with minor factions and missions?
If so, what happens when another faction takes control?
What benefits can you see from owning a station?

instead of owning a station why not just have an office at that station which a player rents.

So every station has a sub menu for Commander offices (guilds, factions, corporations, fellowships, etc) and a docked player can enter that menu and see the various different player owned (rented) offices at a given station and maybe interact with messages and player issued missions.

Those who rent the office get special functions, including setting up a guild, corp, etc and maybe a special private docking bay which can be adorned with more microtransation do-dads.

A guild can debit money from member accounts per month to rent the office and create a new cash sink for players.

Small single docking bay and offices are cheap... Larger multi member guilds with docking bays will increase in price.

Offices (store fronts) without a docking bay are cheapest of all.

 

[Arry]

instead of owning a station why not just have an office at that station which a player rents.

So every station has a sub menu for Commander offices (factions, corporations, guilds, fellowships, etc) and a docked player can enter that menu and see the various different player owned (rented) offices at a given station and maybe interact with messages and player issued missions.

Those who rent the office get special functions, including setting up a guild, corp, etc and maybe a special private docking bay which can be adorned with more microtransation do-dads.

A guild can debit money from member accounts per month to rent the office and create a new cash sink for players.

The same as Eve?

 

[Vasco Sapien]

The same as Eve?

No idea.

I played eve for all of two month and quit.

Never got to that level of the game play.

 

[Arry]

No idea.

I played eve for all of two month and quit.

Never got to that level of the game play.

They have corporation slots you can buy. Based on supply and demand, the more popular places have much higher prices etc..

 

[Vasco Sapien]

They have corporation slots you can buy. Based on supply and demand, the more popular places have much higher prices etc..

Ok. well if it works in EVE which we all know has been a great success, then maybe ED should poach the idea. Ive moaned so many times that ED needs greater social mechanics and people wish to own their own stations.. this sounds like a good compromise.