First off, thank you Fdev for the most addicting game I have ever played. This game has more active play hours than any other game I own. Quite a few of those hours are spent playing in multi crew or using SLF in other ways, because I absolutely LOVE the carrier/fighter concept in games. I hope you can truly consider the following suggestion, as it would be a dream come true!
Currently, the Class 7 Fighter Bay is generally unused. I would venture to say that they are one of the most underused modules in the game. Only 3 ships in the game can even equip them, and of those 3 ships, it is 100% of the time outclassed in usefulness by another 7SCB. In fact, they are Meme level bad. Akin to docking computers.
A class 6 Bay has ALL the benefits of a Class 7 but ... 4 fewer fighters? I have NEVER run out of fighters on my Class 6 bay. Ever. Even after more than an hour of bounty hunting with random strangers crashing my fighters and not playing well.
Now, for the suggestion. I would love to see the Class 7 actually having a tactical advantage for the much coveted Class 7 slot. I propose that a Class 7 Fighter Bay be given an additional fighter slot. This would mean less waiting for respawns, it would mean you could hold more fighter types for your crew, and it would mean an actual meaningful number of additional fighters that can be thrown away (not that it would ever run out, since even C6 never runs dry). In order to compete with a Class 7 option, I would also suggest it NEEDS to be able to launch all 3 of those fighters at once if desired. 2 crew members and an NPC. A 7A SCB can literally turn the tide of a fight multiple times. A Class 7 Fighter Bay with these features could do the same.
Currently, there is no Class 8 Bay. But I would also like to propose a fun addition to those who absolutely love the fighter gameplay mechanics in multi crew. The SLF descriptions literally mention Sidewinder size. I propose that a Class 8 Bay be added, that can house actual ships. I would suggest Eagle, Sidewinder, and iEagle (the smallest ships). Players could buy these ships, outfit them any way they like, then "Convert" them into the fighter bay somehow. As a "balance" against the cry of OP that I'm sure would come, these ships must not be engineered. All it would do is allow CMDRs to sacrifice the absolute largest internal available in the game (which is a HUGE sacrifice) in order to have 2 of their friends fly custom built small ships. The FSD of course can be disabled with this feature, as we would expect them to work like fighters.
The potential that this would create for players like me, who LOVE fighters, is outstanding. To have a few friends be able to pilot specific small custom ships with the guns I wanted to add on there, but also enjoy the fighter/carrier aspect of the game, would be incredible.
Overall balance mechanics:
1. Replacing those custom ships would = the insurance cost when you dock and refit. You don't want players crashing them all over the place!
2. No engineers means no massively crazy builds, like an 800m/s racing iEagle that can just be replaced 10 times in a fight.
3. Giving up that 8 slot means any ship using this feature will have much smaller shields than they otherwise might have, which in itself will discourage flippant use of the feature.
4. Only 2 ships in the game could equip this, the Cutter and T10. This may also help balance the struggling T10, which has significantly sub-par performance compared with the big 3. The T10 would be the only "budget" ship that players could use as the "flying fortress" concept I want to feel when I use multicrew benefitting from the proposed Class 8 Bay.
5. While I would LOVE to be able to fit 3 ships, Sidewinder, Eagle, or iEagle, Fdev could of course reduce this if balance is a concern. Fdev could also limit each slot to a different ship, and thus only allow a single eagle, a single iEagle, and a single Sidewinder build at a time for variety. Having to pick a loadout for each of the 3 ships could be a unique and rewarding experience for commanders hoping to experience the true carrier feel.
I am eager to hear additional suggestions and thoughts about the balance of this concept! It sounds super fun to me, and I would love to see Fdev toss it in the game. It could really make a unique fighter bay experience.
Currently, the Class 7 Fighter Bay is generally unused. I would venture to say that they are one of the most underused modules in the game. Only 3 ships in the game can even equip them, and of those 3 ships, it is 100% of the time outclassed in usefulness by another 7SCB. In fact, they are Meme level bad. Akin to docking computers.
A class 6 Bay has ALL the benefits of a Class 7 but ... 4 fewer fighters? I have NEVER run out of fighters on my Class 6 bay. Ever. Even after more than an hour of bounty hunting with random strangers crashing my fighters and not playing well.
Now, for the suggestion. I would love to see the Class 7 actually having a tactical advantage for the much coveted Class 7 slot. I propose that a Class 7 Fighter Bay be given an additional fighter slot. This would mean less waiting for respawns, it would mean you could hold more fighter types for your crew, and it would mean an actual meaningful number of additional fighters that can be thrown away (not that it would ever run out, since even C6 never runs dry). In order to compete with a Class 7 option, I would also suggest it NEEDS to be able to launch all 3 of those fighters at once if desired. 2 crew members and an NPC. A 7A SCB can literally turn the tide of a fight multiple times. A Class 7 Fighter Bay with these features could do the same.
Currently, there is no Class 8 Bay. But I would also like to propose a fun addition to those who absolutely love the fighter gameplay mechanics in multi crew. The SLF descriptions literally mention Sidewinder size. I propose that a Class 8 Bay be added, that can house actual ships. I would suggest Eagle, Sidewinder, and iEagle (the smallest ships). Players could buy these ships, outfit them any way they like, then "Convert" them into the fighter bay somehow. As a "balance" against the cry of OP that I'm sure would come, these ships must not be engineered. All it would do is allow CMDRs to sacrifice the absolute largest internal available in the game (which is a HUGE sacrifice) in order to have 2 of their friends fly custom built small ships. The FSD of course can be disabled with this feature, as we would expect them to work like fighters.
The potential that this would create for players like me, who LOVE fighters, is outstanding. To have a few friends be able to pilot specific small custom ships with the guns I wanted to add on there, but also enjoy the fighter/carrier aspect of the game, would be incredible.
Overall balance mechanics:
1. Replacing those custom ships would = the insurance cost when you dock and refit. You don't want players crashing them all over the place!
2. No engineers means no massively crazy builds, like an 800m/s racing iEagle that can just be replaced 10 times in a fight.
3. Giving up that 8 slot means any ship using this feature will have much smaller shields than they otherwise might have, which in itself will discourage flippant use of the feature.
4. Only 2 ships in the game could equip this, the Cutter and T10. This may also help balance the struggling T10, which has significantly sub-par performance compared with the big 3. The T10 would be the only "budget" ship that players could use as the "flying fortress" concept I want to feel when I use multicrew benefitting from the proposed Class 8 Bay.
5. While I would LOVE to be able to fit 3 ships, Sidewinder, Eagle, or iEagle, Fdev could of course reduce this if balance is a concern. Fdev could also limit each slot to a different ship, and thus only allow a single eagle, a single iEagle, and a single Sidewinder build at a time for variety. Having to pick a loadout for each of the 3 ships could be a unique and rewarding experience for commanders hoping to experience the true carrier feel.
I am eager to hear additional suggestions and thoughts about the balance of this concept! It sounds super fun to me, and I would love to see Fdev toss it in the game. It could really make a unique fighter bay experience.