This post is the result of the thread about "What happens if I travel 100 LY in one direction?" in the newcomer's section, in particular these two posts therein:
I could think of a way that would be worthy of an Elite game.
The Do-It-Yourself Camp
The aim is to allow the player to build his own little camp in space, in particular in unpopulated regions - in systems under faction control such stations could be "unsanctioned". The process I'm going to describe involves the player buying kits, which can be carried in the cargo bay and hauled to the construction site. The base design is modular and the process of establishing your private little storage camp in space is quite an involved process. But as far as I can see, that's just the kind of game Elite is. It would disappoint me a bit if such major possible future features like the establishment of a private base would be the matter of a button press, you know.
1.) To begin, the player needs to lay the groundwork.
Equipment to buy:
- Welding Arc Thrower
Similar to Mining Laser, but with an electric arc effect instead of a ray.
- Docking Clamp
A piece of equipment that probably needs a dedicated equipment slot. This isn't exactly internal, though then again, neither is the fuel scoop... Anyway, the docking clamp is a piece of equipment that I'll talk about in a dedicated thread later - there's a couple of uses I could think of for such a tool.
- Frame Kit
The first one of several different base kits to buy. The frame is to what the player will later attach things like the landing pad, storage containers and whatever else one might want. Several frame kits have to be unpacked and welded to one another to provide the space for modules. How many exactly? I'm tending to four frame segments for the landing pad (which would also be built out of four kits) - a small spaceship with only 4 tons of storage space would have to jump back and forth for each step in the construction, which sounds quite about right. The pricing of kits is for the maths geniuses out there to determine - and one frame segment for one storage module each. Each storage module would hold 2 tons.
2.) The player travels to the construction site.
3.) The player drops a frame kit container.
4.) The player uses the docking clamp to dock with the container.
5.) In the contacts screen, the player selects the container and selects "unpack".
6.) The player is now docked with an unfolded frame segment, instead. He can still move about slowly, so he adjusts the orientation of the frame to get a nice view from his future landing pad. This first frame segment is also equipped with a transponder that makes the construction site selectable as a super cruise destination to the owner.
7.) The player comes to a stand-still and, while still docked to the frame segment, drops the next frame kit container. It is placed right behind his ship, next to the frame segment under him.
8.) The player selects it and triggers it to unpack.
9.) The player undocks from his frame segment and needs to be careful now! One false turn and the frame segments move about!
10.) He slowly backs away and targets one of the two segments which sit there right beside each other. He selects a subsystem that comes up whenever the corners of frame segments touch.
11.) He uses the arc thrower on these welding points. The two segments combined constitute one targetable object now.
12.) The player attaches two more frame segments to form a square.
13.) The player attaches an unpacked landing pad per segment. Four makes a functional landing pad!
14.) The player can now dock normally with the landing pad and is provided with his own station screen. It's rather empty for now.
15.) How about beginning by giving your camp a name?
16.) From here on, additional frame segments for other modules can be dropped and unpacked from the station screen.
17.) The player undocks and welds away after placing a couple more.
18.) The player gets himself a couple of storage kits.
19.) Modules of that kind can be unpacked and installed from the station screen, as long as enough empty frame segments are present.
20. to 99.) The player indulges in a lot of other stuff for his little camp. He transfers his docking computer to the station instead, for example. This provides him with the docking bearing indicator in the radar screen. At some point he may set the transponder to "friends"... Some day even to "public", installing software that allows the player to set prices for commodity trade... And on and on... et cetera...
Might also want to make ownership of the base transferable from its station screen - that would enable players to offer base building as a paid service.
Derent said:
I could think of a way that would be worthy of an Elite game.
The Do-It-Yourself Camp
The aim is to allow the player to build his own little camp in space, in particular in unpopulated regions - in systems under faction control such stations could be "unsanctioned". The process I'm going to describe involves the player buying kits, which can be carried in the cargo bay and hauled to the construction site. The base design is modular and the process of establishing your private little storage camp in space is quite an involved process. But as far as I can see, that's just the kind of game Elite is. It would disappoint me a bit if such major possible future features like the establishment of a private base would be the matter of a button press, you know.
1.) To begin, the player needs to lay the groundwork.
Equipment to buy:
- Welding Arc Thrower
Similar to Mining Laser, but with an electric arc effect instead of a ray.
- Docking Clamp
A piece of equipment that probably needs a dedicated equipment slot. This isn't exactly internal, though then again, neither is the fuel scoop... Anyway, the docking clamp is a piece of equipment that I'll talk about in a dedicated thread later - there's a couple of uses I could think of for such a tool.
- Frame Kit
The first one of several different base kits to buy. The frame is to what the player will later attach things like the landing pad, storage containers and whatever else one might want. Several frame kits have to be unpacked and welded to one another to provide the space for modules. How many exactly? I'm tending to four frame segments for the landing pad (which would also be built out of four kits) - a small spaceship with only 4 tons of storage space would have to jump back and forth for each step in the construction, which sounds quite about right. The pricing of kits is for the maths geniuses out there to determine
- and one frame segment for one storage module each. Each storage module would hold 2 tons.2.) The player travels to the construction site.
3.) The player drops a frame kit container.
4.) The player uses the docking clamp to dock with the container.
5.) In the contacts screen, the player selects the container and selects "unpack".
6.) The player is now docked with an unfolded frame segment, instead. He can still move about slowly, so he adjusts the orientation of the frame to get a nice view from his future landing pad. This first frame segment is also equipped with a transponder that makes the construction site selectable as a super cruise destination to the owner.
7.) The player comes to a stand-still and, while still docked to the frame segment, drops the next frame kit container. It is placed right behind his ship, next to the frame segment under him.
8.) The player selects it and triggers it to unpack.
9.) The player undocks from his frame segment and needs to be careful now! One false turn and the frame segments move about!
10.) He slowly backs away and targets one of the two segments which sit there right beside each other. He selects a subsystem that comes up whenever the corners of frame segments touch.
11.) He uses the arc thrower on these welding points. The two segments combined constitute one targetable object now.
12.) The player attaches two more frame segments to form a square.
13.) The player attaches an unpacked landing pad per segment. Four makes a functional landing pad!
14.) The player can now dock normally with the landing pad and is provided with his own station screen. It's rather empty for now.
15.) How about beginning by giving your camp a name?
16.) From here on, additional frame segments for other modules can be dropped and unpacked from the station screen.
17.) The player undocks and welds away after placing a couple more.
18.) The player gets himself a couple of storage kits.
19.) Modules of that kind can be unpacked and installed from the station screen, as long as enough empty frame segments are present.
20. to 99.) The player indulges in a lot of other stuff for his little camp. He transfers his docking computer to the station instead, for example. This provides him with the docking bearing indicator in the radar screen. At some point he may set the transponder to "friends"... Some day even to "public", installing software that allows the player to set prices for commodity trade... And on and on... et cetera...
Might also want to make ownership of the base transferable from its station screen - that would enable players to offer base building as a paid service.
