(Cross-posted from the sub-reddit)
Some of you may have seen this piece of concept art and it got me thinking. Why would you build a rotating starport into an asteroid, when clearly higher-quality building material is readily available in the elite 'verse? I then had a bit of inspiration.
The answer? Camouflage.
Imagine: You're a pirate (or maybe don't imagine ;P). You steal, murder, and jaywalk for a living. Now, this isn't going to gain you any favours with the locals, wherever it is you prowl, and soon you'll find most reputable establishments won't want you on their landing pads.
But what if there were places where no questions are asked? Places where hard Credits are the only thing that matters, and bullets answer all the questions? Places where decent people don't go, the police get shot, Crime Report broadcasts are blocked, and Black Markets are always present, yet unnecessary, because nothing is illegal?
Enter the blackmarket starport, or Dark Port for short. These are stations run by criminal organizations, mafias and pirates. There are no scans, because there are no authorities. Not only are these places inaccessible unless you have enough standing with the local gangs, you might not know they are there at all. They won't show up on your Navigation menu at all, unless you know where to look. And for that, certain requirements need to be met. Gain enough rep with the local disreputables, succeed at a specific dubious smuggling mission, or gain a high enough bounty to impress the local godfather.
Once you gain the knowledge of their location, you'll find them floating in the cold of deep space, or nestled within planetary asteroid belts (be careful when docking!). What benefits do these bring? Well, not only will a Darkport be a safe haven for you to repair, refuel and rearm in between "aggressive wealth redistribution" runs, in here you'll always be able to sell the goods without worry, you'll find illegal smuggling goods on the market, and you might even be able to fit your ship illegally.
Limplet launchers with biowarfare/cyberwarfare payloads (cause random (or targeted!) module failures), shielded cargo bays (sacrifice space for a chance to evade scans), and shields designed for ramming, you'll find all manner of unorthodox goodies here that are not available at other stations. Get caught (or scanned, if you aren't already Shoot-on-sight with the cops) with one installed and you'll gain a bounty (on top of what already impressive sum you've doubtlessly already accrued)
Obviously, the specifics are just suggestions, but my general idea is giving Elite some true thematic hives of scum and villainy. The idea is essentially giving lawbreaking gameplay some unique branching gameplay options, to separate them from the lawful sorts. These would be accessible through hard smuggling missions, reputation gain with the relevant factions, or just accruing a high enough bounty (in case you're lazy).
Obviously, we'd also have some counterbalances to keep everything in check. Higher bounties and such, more defense options for traders, etc. That's all up for discussion.
And just in case someone thinks I just want things made easier for myself: I'm not actually a pirate. Might try smuggling if it was more engaging and lucrative, though
TL;DR: We need more seedy gang-run backwaters like Mos Eisley or Mactan Base from Freelancer. And they should be in asteroids because that would look awesome.
Thoughts? Ideas? Sudden bouts of inspiration? Discuss and debate!
Some of you may have seen this piece of concept art and it got me thinking. Why would you build a rotating starport into an asteroid, when clearly higher-quality building material is readily available in the elite 'verse? I then had a bit of inspiration.
The answer? Camouflage.
Imagine: You're a pirate (or maybe don't imagine ;P). You steal, murder, and jaywalk for a living. Now, this isn't going to gain you any favours with the locals, wherever it is you prowl, and soon you'll find most reputable establishments won't want you on their landing pads.
But what if there were places where no questions are asked? Places where hard Credits are the only thing that matters, and bullets answer all the questions? Places where decent people don't go, the police get shot, Crime Report broadcasts are blocked, and Black Markets are always present, yet unnecessary, because nothing is illegal?
Enter the blackmarket starport, or Dark Port for short. These are stations run by criminal organizations, mafias and pirates. There are no scans, because there are no authorities. Not only are these places inaccessible unless you have enough standing with the local gangs, you might not know they are there at all. They won't show up on your Navigation menu at all, unless you know where to look. And for that, certain requirements need to be met. Gain enough rep with the local disreputables, succeed at a specific dubious smuggling mission, or gain a high enough bounty to impress the local godfather.
Once you gain the knowledge of their location, you'll find them floating in the cold of deep space, or nestled within planetary asteroid belts (be careful when docking!). What benefits do these bring? Well, not only will a Darkport be a safe haven for you to repair, refuel and rearm in between "aggressive wealth redistribution" runs, in here you'll always be able to sell the goods without worry, you'll find illegal smuggling goods on the market, and you might even be able to fit your ship illegally.
Limplet launchers with biowarfare/cyberwarfare payloads (cause random (or targeted!) module failures), shielded cargo bays (sacrifice space for a chance to evade scans), and shields designed for ramming, you'll find all manner of unorthodox goodies here that are not available at other stations. Get caught (or scanned, if you aren't already Shoot-on-sight with the cops) with one installed and you'll gain a bounty (on top of what already impressive sum you've doubtlessly already accrued)
Obviously, the specifics are just suggestions, but my general idea is giving Elite some true thematic hives of scum and villainy. The idea is essentially giving lawbreaking gameplay some unique branching gameplay options, to separate them from the lawful sorts. These would be accessible through hard smuggling missions, reputation gain with the relevant factions, or just accruing a high enough bounty (in case you're lazy).
Obviously, we'd also have some counterbalances to keep everything in check. Higher bounties and such, more defense options for traders, etc. That's all up for discussion.
And just in case someone thinks I just want things made easier for myself: I'm not actually a pirate. Might try smuggling if it was more engaging and lucrative, though
TL;DR: We need more seedy gang-run backwaters like Mos Eisley or Mactan Base from Freelancer. And they should be in asteroids because that would look awesome.
Thoughts? Ideas? Sudden bouts of inspiration? Discuss and debate!
