Personally I would not like that direction at all. I think stuff like this would dilute the game too much and make it lose focus. Even within the current design philosophy FD has more than enough on its plate for many years to come. I strongly feel this kind of game play would be the beginning of the end.
Somebody else could make a game like that perhaps. It would fit the EVE universe better. And that is a game I do not want to play at all, even though I have been lured by some of its ship designs many times
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I think we agree on the central principle of no Players running around in personal Capital Ships in the Elite Dangerous 'player as pilot' universe proper. That seems silly/ totally unrealistic with just a little thought as many posters have pointed out, if only due to the severe restrictions on actions that corporations and governments (and the whole crew driving the machine) would place on a commander, in addition to the limited number of players that could experience this.
My point is a bit different, and I think you misunderstood. FD can accommodate this type of play after Planetary Landings are done, but as a
different, stand-alone game that is not a live part of the initial Elite Dangerous multi-player universe.
That means no loss of focus in the Elite Dangerous game proper. But such an expansion or scenario-driven offshoot would be based in the Elite Universe and use all the game assets and mechanics that it will take FD years to develop. That could allow a much shortened development effort. Leverage the existing intellectual property to keep FD financially healthy by satisfying a different gamer segment and type of play in an different or offline-only instance.
Support of a modding tool/community has been mentioned by FD but that makes no sense in terms of the initial multi-player instance either, only in an offline or 'experimental' instance. Who wants 10,000 wacky death-star ship designs by 11 year-old kids showing up in the official multi-player instance? Not me.
I totally agree FD have enough to keep them very busy for 2-3 years. But then what? Besides bringing in alien races, creating a border skirmish or some technology upgrades what will be done and what can be done? An offshoot game of a strategic military campaign and a scripted single-player experience easily come to mind. These would allow more story-driven narrative and voice-acting in what will be a fairly sterile universe with trillions of silent NPC's.
These ideas are to me part of a discussion of how FD can use the "completed" initial game engine and assets in other ways /offshoots /games to keep the legacy of Elite vibrant and viable and to accommodate multiple play styles within the Elite universe. I could also see licensing the artist directed PG galaxy for a more 'realistic' Star Wars or similar franchise title.
Based on what I see so far in Elite Dangerous, FD will handle any decisions about capital ship control and such with good sense and at the proper time, which means at least a couple of years before even considering any option for this type of thing.
