How many of the systems are legit?
8000 +
The whole thing needs wiping.
You should also have claim restrictions such as "Elite" rank in one or another field.
15ly limit is laughable. Make it anywhere, after all you're the one that's got to transport the stuff.
Maybe make it for "elite" carrier owners only?
The whole thing is a mess
Everyone should be able to claim a system. Locking it behind Elite is ridiculous especially how much a time investment that requires.
Also, what exactly does Elite say about a person, other than they spent x amount of hours in the game and started before everyone else?
At a certain level, there is no visible difference between Elite and those below.
System unlocks being 15LY is reasonable to get things started and to see how this works.
It would be weird however, if they never expand on these restrictions.
Then tying it to Elite Carriers is also foolish, because not everyone wants to own a Fleet Carrier, I have friends who share a single carrier just for the sake of ensuring it can be kept up without having to always be active. To expect players to buy a 5 billion CR Fleet Carrier in order to participate in the expansion of the galaxy is silly. At this point, they might as well just raise the cost of claiming a system, as it would make no difference for the general player.
The way I would solve some of your issues would be the following:
- Make the first claim for a system be free (Requiring no tokens, only CR). Consecutive claims would require tokens.
- Every 15LY would cost a token.
- When using up 2 or more Tokens, the extra Tokens would add 50% more. (1 Token = 15LY, 2 Tokens = 37.5LY, 3 Tokens = 60LY) This would be to balance the time it takes to make a new settlement, as opposed to just claiming a new system each time you get a Token. If you have 5 Tokens and use them at once, you could jump 105LY, whereas if you keep chaining with 1 Token, but 5 times you'd only make 75LY jumps in total. (Obviously values can change, but it would help populate systems with more than just a station. A cap could also be placed if need be, to prevent people from hoarding tokens and then one day make a 5KLY jump.)
- Tokens are obtained by successfully constructing settlements and building stations. (This would give incentive to develop more than just a single station in a system, especially when the option for settlements exist)
- When the System Architect finishes their first construct, they get a token. Every claimable system within the affordable distance for this architect is reserved for them for 1 hour. (A visible counter would also be applied for everyone)
- This DOES NOT exclude other architects who are ALSO WITHIN reach of those systems. (This simply just stops snipers who are trying to derail a chain or "steal" a system somebody has been working towards reaching).
- Other claimable systems that are not within reachable distance are free for all.
- Higher number of tokens work the same in other systems even if the architect decides not to chain. So if they find a system 500LY from their original system due to it being NPC controlled or opened up through the construction of other players, they can stack their tokens to jump x LY from that location as well, so long as it's not currently locked.
- People working in a squadron all have access to chained planets regardless who in the squadron owns the claim, this way teams can work together on chains.
- An alternative would be allowing the Architect to add a name to their claimed system, and by doing so it would allow that player to claim any of the reachable systems despite them being restricted to the architect. (This would be done so that one mustn't be a part of a squadron, but team work can still take place.)
- Perhaps a function allowing players to register themselves to the system can help the Architect manage who he wants to give permission to. After all this only lasts for an hour, but if the team is much larger than a squadron, this can open up options in cases where several people band together and set goals such as chaining to Colonia.
- There should be no requirements to claiming a system, for those who don't understand the game, will probably fail at finishing, allowing someone else to claim it instead.
- In addition, if such beginners are helped, what does it matter if they now have a system? They would have to work on it to get more tokens and what better way than to improve the system you already own? Eventually they'll get around to working on their original system, to save up tokens so they can build new systems.
- Transferring claimed systems to others, should not be allowed, unless someone can think of a clever way to prevent people from selling systems for real world currency on 3rd party sites.
- Architects who are inactive for a year, shouldn't lose access to their system, but it should allow others to expand on it. For example if a system is claimed, and there are planets that can have settlements on them. If an architect is gone (or dead or found a new game, etc..) another player should be able to populate that system and make something out of it. Once a player starts this process, other players cannot start building new things, until a year has passed and that player becomes inactive too. This would prevent nice systems from being "incomplete" due to player inactivity. If the original Architect returns, the 2nd player is allowed to finish the new settlement and also profits from it, but can no longer build new settlements, unless agreed upon by the original Architect.
Now obviously there might be flaws in this idea as I have no thoroughly tested it myself with various scenarios, but it does address the following issues which I have read so far:
- Abandoned systems with a single station
- Snipers interfering with progress or unfairly yanking a system, to which someone worked hard to reach.
- The lack of LY in which one can claim a system, this ties back into less abandoned systems, as stacking Tokens would allow further jumps.
- Preventing systems from being sold on 3rd party sites
- Adding more ways for people to work together and not having to necessarily be in a squadron/crew or otherwise a team.
- Inactivity won't cause an Architect to lose their system, but it won't prevent that system from being further developed.
Values written here can be changed, I just tried to stick with those we already have, after all this is just an idea. So don't get hung up on the 15LY and the little math with using more than 1 Token when chaining.
I too am not entirely pleased with the 15LY restriction, but I do understand it being this way probably for the sake of the beta. I am not a fan of restricting players from accessing features which don't necessarily harm anyone else if they partake in it. I find it fair if people working towards a system, have an advantage to make a new claim. I also am not a fan of the idea that there might be several systems with a sole station and nothing else, especially when it is a system with various landable planets.
Anyways, do with this info what you will. These are ideas, so you're welcome to hate me for it too, although I won't really make sense of that.
![[VR] Mad Mike](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/27/27910.jpg?1553527108){kind=avatar}
