A way to fix the often eye-watering carrier services fixed weekly costs

[GraphicEqualizer]

Make the ongoing cost of an installed service largely based on how much yourself or other commanders have used them in that week instead of the eye watering fixed weekly cost.

For example make them a much lower fixed weekly cost (e.g. 500,000 cr each - 100,000 cr if suspended) but rises up to the maximum of the current level of costs for the week based on the number of commanders (including yourself) who have used that service that week. Kinda similar to the carrier maintenance cost based on how many jumps you've done that week.

 

[Imo]

And stop the NPC crew eating money even when set inactive. -.-

 

[Cmdr Kellett781]

As I can bank $20m in 10 minutes or so, I don’t see the point. By the time a player gets a carrier, is there really anything else to do with money? Perhaps you got a carrier too soon?

 

[GraphicEqualizer]

As I can bank $20m in 10 minutes or so, I don’t see the point. By the time a player gets a carrier, is there really anything else to do with money? Perhaps you got a carrier too soon?

After almost 5000 [holy crap, just checked nearly 7000] hours in game I don't think I got it too soon. If you have the carrier in the black exploring opportunities to earn are a lot less - but the larger point is that when the service is very rarely used again in the black the weekly cost should be a lot lower than if you were in an inhabited bubble where you have way more traffic (even if a lot of the ships coming and going are just NPCs that never seem to disembark or do anything). The weekly upkeep costs should be largely dependent on usage, similar to the carrier maintenance cost being dependent on number of jumps.

 

[CardioTherapy]

The cost of upkeeping carrier is nothing. 25 mil per week is 1.2 billion per year. With my lasy playstile I can do 1 billion per week. if you can spend 5 billions on FC you should not have problem paying the upkeep. I have stocked my carrier with credits for like 2 years ahead.

 

[Zieman]

The weekly upkeep costs should be largely dependent on usage, similar to the carrier maintenance cost being dependent on number of jumps.

That would be nice.
But it would mean developing the FC cost side further from its current implementation. Not very likely thing to happen.

 

[Factabulous]

Make the ongoing cost of an installed service largely based on how much yourself or other commanders have used them in that week instead of the eye watering fixed weekly cost.

Nah. They're supposed to be credit sinks. Seems they're working

 

[Brrokk]

I don't call it eye-watering when a one jump mission run can pay for it.

 

[GraphicEqualizer]

Don't get me wrong I agree that just a couple of hours on even low level gameplay out in the black (not talking about those that only do populated bubbles missions and trade runs stuff who have found ways to earn hundreds of mil doing some repetitive mind numbing), pays for it easily... but its the principle of the thing. The fixed credit sinks thing works for those scenarios (as it should) but penalises those that want to get away from all that noise and money grind.

It really all boils down to the need for an exploration variant carrier as described in my Suggestions Document

 

[Sysmon]

After almost 5000 [holy crap, just checked nearly 7000] hours in game I don't think I got it too soon. If you have the carrier in the black exploring opportunities to earn are a lot less - but the larger point is that when the service is very rarely used again in the black the weekly cost should be a lot lower than if you were in an inhabited bubble where you have way more traffic (even if a lot of the ships coming and going are just NPCs that never seem to disembark or do anything). The weekly upkeep costs should be largely dependent on usage, similar to the carrier maintenance cost being dependent on number of jumps.

No, the cost shouldn't change. In fact, they should probably increase in the black, as crew will be on 24/7 and on field rates. Also, all the services required to run the carrier that we can assume are automatically taken care of when in inhabited space will not be available in the black. Those will have to be taken care of by the carrier owner instead.

When we tested the carriers ages ago, I suggested keeping the upkeep as high as they were originally, but allowing the owner to replace some of the upkeep costs with commodities that can be found in the black with mining and mats collecting. That would bring some sort of sense to taking carriers exploring. At the moment they are just mobile money printers.

S

 

[GraphicEqualizer]

No, the cost shouldn't change. In fact, they should probably increase in the black, as crew will be on 24/7 and on field rates. Also, all the services required to run the carrier that we can assume are automatically taken care of when in inhabited space will not be available in the black. Those will have to be taken care of by the carrier owner instead.

When we tested the carriers ages ago, I suggested keeping the upkeep as high as they were originally, but allowing the owner to replace some of the upkeep costs with commodities that can be found in the black with mining and mats collecting. That would bring some sort of sense to taking carriers exploring. At the moment they are just mobile money printers.

S

lol well played cmdr.

 

[MDHansen]

No, the cost shouldn't change. In fact, they should probably increase in the black, as crew will be on 24/7 and on field rates. Also, all the services required to run the carrier that we can assume are automatically taken care of when in inhabited space will not be available in the black. Those will have to be taken care of by the carrier owner instead.

When we tested the carriers ages ago, I suggested keeping the upkeep as high as they were originally, but allowing the owner to replace some of the upkeep costs with commodities that can be found in the black with mining and mats collecting. That would bring some sort of sense to taking carriers exploring. At the moment they are just mobile money printers.

S

Oh you devil you!



Micheal Jackson gif eating popcorn at the cinema

 

[BDelacroix]

Like clockwork, the same players come along and tell you no, and it should be higher.

 

[Northpin]

If you have the carrier in the black exploring opportunities to earn are a lot less

What?

What are you doing in the black?
Actually nope, don't answer


(in 2 days - granted they were 2 long days - i hit 600 systems and got like 260 millions - that was before Odyssey, so no exobiology)

 

[GraphicEqualizer]

What?

What are you doing in the black?
Actually nope, don't answer


(in 2 days - granted they were 2 long days - i hit 600 systems and got like 260 millions - that was before Odyssey, so no exobiology)

haha [actually missed adding a comma meant to say, "in the black exploring, opportunities to earn are a lot less"], I just prefer to explore at a leisurely pace, I have a life outside of the game. Load up, explore just a couple of systems, wander around a bit on a couple of planets for the views and the mellow chill out with some ambient background music, maybe bring out a zippy speeder for a bit of a hoon to Hans Zimmer. Repeat a day or two later. Maybe mine a bit more tritium ready for shifting the carrier on in a week or two. Certainly not all grind grind grind for the credits. That is kinda the point I am getting at. Yes the carrier upkeep cost is not really that much for the RIGHT sort of gameplay - but when away from the regular grindy parts and the carrier is also not being visited a lot or at all other than yourself occasionally bringing out another ship for a bit of variety. Seems like the fixed amount upkeep is yet another slap in the face and flick to the nuts for a decent segment of player gameplay style... which is again my argument for a more leisurely exploration focussed carrier variant, 1/4 the size, capacity and upkeep to be fairer on the more casual non grind focussed players.

I have 6+ years 7000 hours in the game, carrier and a dozen fully engineered ships and an extra bil in credits sitting there... I am not arguing all this based on woe is me or that I just got this carrier before I should have progressed. It's that the one size fits all model does not work, because you know, choose our own path thing... lol

If the design strikes ME as a little tone deaf from a design and genuine fair "engagement" point of view, imagine how it turns a lot of other people off from playing the game at all. What we need right now is more players and less turning them off now more than ever - as an aside, whatever happened to the engineering grind feedback outcome?

 

[HRDiagram]

(in 2 days - granted they were 2 long days - i hit 600 systems and got like 260 millions - that was before Odyssey, so no exobiology)

Good point!

I guess that with Exobiology included that could easily be 1/4 or less!