Firstly, because I cannot emphasise enough: increase profitability please.
Secondly, usual disclaimers of following post being opinion, possibly wordy and an apology if similar has been suggested before but I couldn't see such.
In the common thread under exploration, there is a mention of a more diverse playground. Ship hulks, abandoned stations etc. I'd suggest that navigational hazards in general make for more entertaining fights and allow for a greater role for skill over that of turn rates, shield cells and big guns. This for both conflict zones and regular instances.
In regard to conflict zones, I'd also suggest some asymmetric, less simple objectives. In 'x intensity' zones the objective is pretty symmetrical, each side has to get kills. It may become a bit less symmetrical if one side has a capital ship and the other doesn't. What if the side with the cap had to defend it and repair/support vessels for x minutes till it can depart? Combining the ideas, say the cap had an FSD failure and dropped into an asteroid belt? Add a finite time limit or somesuch mission fail state so the other side could win. That sort of mission might only be able to take place in a busy system but it'd add diversity where applicable. Maybe one side or the other could get a mid flight courier mission to get to the nearest allied station to call for back up?
I have mentioned it before but multi stage missions. Say an assassination where you can hand it straight in for standard reward but could trace last transmission of target to neighbouring system where their allies are located in a USS. Take out the additional targets for much bigger payout. Entire mission fails on ship destruction, even after assassination. Also can't go to station to rearm/refuel/repair as it would give secondary objective time to escape. Again, possibly have second target(s) flying around a hazard like a hulk/station/belt.
This way you get to increase profitability by increasing the risk, a very spiked increase quite in line with the bounty hunting theme.
I can't think of a way to make it workable or a fun challenge but I did wonder about introducing a solar flare hazard to certain ship systems when flying close to a star, such as shields and/or sensors. Making gimballed/turreted weapons less effective for a few seconds, overloading visual filters so the pilot is blinded for a few seconds? Not at the same time. Temporary max shield/SYS pip reduction? Shields dropping then reengaging, only a few seconds as opposed to have been shot down and needing to recharge.
How about an electronic warfare module where a player can, after an activation, deceive an enemy's computer into believing there are additional targets firing on them? An observant player would note that while the shield/hull display might show the animation for being hit, the actual shield/hull strength does not change.
Defend an instance of a station against a hostile faction, such as during civil war state. The opposition has sabotaged the station defences so it is entirely down to ships.
All this and more, making combat more than turning, shield strength and big guns.
Secondly, usual disclaimers of following post being opinion, possibly wordy and an apology if similar has been suggested before but I couldn't see such.
In the common thread under exploration, there is a mention of a more diverse playground. Ship hulks, abandoned stations etc. I'd suggest that navigational hazards in general make for more entertaining fights and allow for a greater role for skill over that of turn rates, shield cells and big guns. This for both conflict zones and regular instances.
In regard to conflict zones, I'd also suggest some asymmetric, less simple objectives. In 'x intensity' zones the objective is pretty symmetrical, each side has to get kills. It may become a bit less symmetrical if one side has a capital ship and the other doesn't. What if the side with the cap had to defend it and repair/support vessels for x minutes till it can depart? Combining the ideas, say the cap had an FSD failure and dropped into an asteroid belt? Add a finite time limit or somesuch mission fail state so the other side could win. That sort of mission might only be able to take place in a busy system but it'd add diversity where applicable. Maybe one side or the other could get a mid flight courier mission to get to the nearest allied station to call for back up?
I have mentioned it before but multi stage missions. Say an assassination where you can hand it straight in for standard reward but could trace last transmission of target to neighbouring system where their allies are located in a USS. Take out the additional targets for much bigger payout. Entire mission fails on ship destruction, even after assassination. Also can't go to station to rearm/refuel/repair as it would give secondary objective time to escape. Again, possibly have second target(s) flying around a hazard like a hulk/station/belt.
This way you get to increase profitability by increasing the risk, a very spiked increase quite in line with the bounty hunting theme.
I can't think of a way to make it workable or a fun challenge but I did wonder about introducing a solar flare hazard to certain ship systems when flying close to a star, such as shields and/or sensors. Making gimballed/turreted weapons less effective for a few seconds, overloading visual filters so the pilot is blinded for a few seconds? Not at the same time. Temporary max shield/SYS pip reduction? Shields dropping then reengaging, only a few seconds as opposed to have been shot down and needing to recharge.
How about an electronic warfare module where a player can, after an activation, deceive an enemy's computer into believing there are additional targets firing on them? An observant player would note that while the shield/hull display might show the animation for being hit, the actual shield/hull strength does not change.
Defend an instance of a station against a hostile faction, such as during civil war state. The opposition has sabotaged the station defences so it is entirely down to ships.
All this and more, making combat more than turning, shield strength and big guns.
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