I'll spare the usual critiques and get into my idea. I may add to the thread in the future, but for now this amounts to a list of changes I think facilitates player styles even further, building towards the engineering endgame perhaps a bit more passively.
1. Pins & Experimentals:
There is no reason why an unlocked upgrade should need to be sought out physically, and another pinned upgrade replaced by it; all unlocked upgrades should be available remotely once acquired.
This idea includes experimental effects, to avoid the needless logistical nightmare of getting a short jump range ship to each engineer site it's needed at.
Why? I believe this is an unnecessary and frustrating aspect of engineering which amounts to a time sink. At the very least, allow for module deliveries appropriately timed from the Engi location.
2. Plans, Projects & Mission Rewards:
One should be able to plan the upgrades they want on their ship. In addition to this, flying or perhaps marking a 'project' ship. This could result in mission material rewards which always contribute to a players progress towards that upgrade project (materials rewards depending on mission pay out levels etc). Missions of this sort could have an engineering icon or highlight applied in the mission screen and be specific to system and mission types (refinery for raw, high tech for data, etc).
Why? Many players I've spoken with over the years are single-mindedly engaged in a certain style of play, having a new combat build or an AX experiment passively progressing while they engage with their general playstyles may be better at retaining players. On that note, number 3...
3. Remote Pay Out — Home System / Carrier Deposits:
With the exception of transport / delivery missions, which logically conclude at the delivery destination. The ability to remotely complete a mission seems like a simple way to address the mildly irritating fetch quest that plagues every game eve (imo!). Within the GalMap, a player selects a home system or FC to which material and cargo type rewards can (optionally) be sent for later retrieval. This mechanic already appears to exist with the recent PP2 care package mechanic. While not specifically about engineering, it's super relevant to the direction recent tweaks have moved, this is me expanding on those ideas.
Why? Largely this could benefit exploration. Players who enjoy exploring could remain engaged with Humanity while out in the black; you surface scan a planet, Vista Genomics might send you a mission to scan one of the lifeforms there. You FSS an earth like, your pledged power wants you to SS it to check for terraforming potential. The potential isn't exclusive to this of course, but these features exist in the game already, and would give every type of player missions and rewards no matter their playstyle or coordinates; a bit of variation to the otherwise repetitive beat of many playstyles?
4. Upgrade Slots & Transfers:
I've seen the suggestion to allow module upgrades to be made similar to suit & weapon upgrades; slots, and hot swappable ones at that (maybe).
I'd add to the small QOL option to pluck a module from an existing ship during outfitting WITHOUT having to back out, load in that ship, stock that module, load back into your project ship, and attach it. Just a little menu instead, as a treat.
Why? QOL more generally. Consistency with Odyssey mechanics. Also, avoids cases of materials wasted on builds which don't perform as expected (overheating, power management miscalculations), a shame to waste hard fought for materials for a small mistake.
5. Scooping Every Material? Too Busy Blasting.
Destroyed ships often drop many materials players don't want, but end up needing later. This results in — from what I've seen — players just ignoring or otherwise filtering out non-cargo, non-valuable materials from destroyed ships so they can continue gameplay. Reduce the quantity (and quality?) dropped, but instantly receive non-cargo drops when destroying ships. Along with this comes the similar scoop or retrieval of raws from surfaces, my current thinking is to skew the rarity drop curves here too but make pickup instant as above.
Why? There are certain new gameplay opportunities that open up from this without really any other changes but the instant pickups; Players hunting out specific types / levels of ship to fight for certain drops. Players taking on drones on planet surfaces FOR the material drops. Material Hit & Runs on stations/installations a new possibility? Many data scan material types are quite quick to get compared to the other two types.
6. All Raws, Both Sources:
One should be able to take a slower route to farming raws. Retain the abundances for raws in their current source locations, but introduce the small chance for all materials to appear in either surface, or asteroid locations. The odd Polonium every dozen or so asteroids (in the right sites), an exciting little bonus.
Why? Again. Playstyles. Many people would be happy to skim along a planet for materials but don't want to go mining asteroids with pirates buzzing about. Vice versa.
Notes (text wall):
There are suggestions like buyable/tradable materials & modules that I have left out. I think there needs to be some sort of progression and retention strategy with a system like engineering after all.
That said, the current state of engineering has had caused me to quit to desktop a fair amount of times earlier than when I might have hopped off without certain frustrations, in fact the recent event in Sol inspired this post, AX is quite inaccessible to non-late game players without at least some essentials engineering grinding (or ARX).
When I look at the work ahead of me to pivot to a new playstyle for an exciting event like this, the time required appears to conflict with the period the event will take place in, I lose interest, and return to my usual gameplay style. These suggestions are my answer to this, as its happened many times and I have no foresight apparently.
I feel these ideas retain the core late game progression that is engineering unlocks and upgrading, without completely dismantling the system and its underlying incentives to stay on the game longer. If I could jump out into unexplored places like I often have, but have a very slow but steady project ship back home I'm earning my way towards while I do it, I feel that'd be a great incentive.
Players who want to maximise their grind can continue to run the usual missions to farm and scoop from hotspots just as as freely. ED is a unique sort of MMO in the sense that players niche into specific roles and pivot on occasion to others, I'd love to see a nice equilibrium and smoothing between "professions"
1. Pins & Experimentals:
There is no reason why an unlocked upgrade should need to be sought out physically, and another pinned upgrade replaced by it; all unlocked upgrades should be available remotely once acquired.
This idea includes experimental effects, to avoid the needless logistical nightmare of getting a short jump range ship to each engineer site it's needed at.
Why? I believe this is an unnecessary and frustrating aspect of engineering which amounts to a time sink. At the very least, allow for module deliveries appropriately timed from the Engi location.
2. Plans, Projects & Mission Rewards:
One should be able to plan the upgrades they want on their ship. In addition to this, flying or perhaps marking a 'project' ship. This could result in mission material rewards which always contribute to a players progress towards that upgrade project (materials rewards depending on mission pay out levels etc). Missions of this sort could have an engineering icon or highlight applied in the mission screen and be specific to system and mission types (refinery for raw, high tech for data, etc).
Why? Many players I've spoken with over the years are single-mindedly engaged in a certain style of play, having a new combat build or an AX experiment passively progressing while they engage with their general playstyles may be better at retaining players. On that note, number 3...
3. Remote Pay Out — Home System / Carrier Deposits:
With the exception of transport / delivery missions, which logically conclude at the delivery destination. The ability to remotely complete a mission seems like a simple way to address the mildly irritating fetch quest that plagues every game eve (imo!). Within the GalMap, a player selects a home system or FC to which material and cargo type rewards can (optionally) be sent for later retrieval. This mechanic already appears to exist with the recent PP2 care package mechanic. While not specifically about engineering, it's super relevant to the direction recent tweaks have moved, this is me expanding on those ideas.
Why? Largely this could benefit exploration. Players who enjoy exploring could remain engaged with Humanity while out in the black; you surface scan a planet, Vista Genomics might send you a mission to scan one of the lifeforms there. You FSS an earth like, your pledged power wants you to SS it to check for terraforming potential. The potential isn't exclusive to this of course, but these features exist in the game already, and would give every type of player missions and rewards no matter their playstyle or coordinates; a bit of variation to the otherwise repetitive beat of many playstyles?
4. Upgrade Slots & Transfers:
I've seen the suggestion to allow module upgrades to be made similar to suit & weapon upgrades; slots, and hot swappable ones at that (maybe).
I'd add to the small QOL option to pluck a module from an existing ship during outfitting WITHOUT having to back out, load in that ship, stock that module, load back into your project ship, and attach it. Just a little menu instead, as a treat.
Why? QOL more generally. Consistency with Odyssey mechanics. Also, avoids cases of materials wasted on builds which don't perform as expected (overheating, power management miscalculations), a shame to waste hard fought for materials for a small mistake.
5. Scooping Every Material? Too Busy Blasting.
Destroyed ships often drop many materials players don't want, but end up needing later. This results in — from what I've seen — players just ignoring or otherwise filtering out non-cargo, non-valuable materials from destroyed ships so they can continue gameplay. Reduce the quantity (and quality?) dropped, but instantly receive non-cargo drops when destroying ships. Along with this comes the similar scoop or retrieval of raws from surfaces, my current thinking is to skew the rarity drop curves here too but make pickup instant as above.
Why? There are certain new gameplay opportunities that open up from this without really any other changes but the instant pickups; Players hunting out specific types / levels of ship to fight for certain drops. Players taking on drones on planet surfaces FOR the material drops. Material Hit & Runs on stations/installations a new possibility? Many data scan material types are quite quick to get compared to the other two types.
6. All Raws, Both Sources:
One should be able to take a slower route to farming raws. Retain the abundances for raws in their current source locations, but introduce the small chance for all materials to appear in either surface, or asteroid locations. The odd Polonium every dozen or so asteroids (in the right sites), an exciting little bonus.
Why? Again. Playstyles. Many people would be happy to skim along a planet for materials but don't want to go mining asteroids with pirates buzzing about. Vice versa.
Notes (text wall):
There are suggestions like buyable/tradable materials & modules that I have left out. I think there needs to be some sort of progression and retention strategy with a system like engineering after all.
That said, the current state of engineering has had caused me to quit to desktop a fair amount of times earlier than when I might have hopped off without certain frustrations, in fact the recent event in Sol inspired this post, AX is quite inaccessible to non-late game players without at least some essentials engineering grinding (or ARX).
When I look at the work ahead of me to pivot to a new playstyle for an exciting event like this, the time required appears to conflict with the period the event will take place in, I lose interest, and return to my usual gameplay style. These suggestions are my answer to this, as its happened many times and I have no foresight apparently.
I feel these ideas retain the core late game progression that is engineering unlocks and upgrading, without completely dismantling the system and its underlying incentives to stay on the game longer. If I could jump out into unexplored places like I often have, but have a very slow but steady project ship back home I'm earning my way towards while I do it, I feel that'd be a great incentive.
Players who want to maximise their grind can continue to run the usual missions to farm and scoop from hotspots just as as freely. ED is a unique sort of MMO in the sense that players niche into specific roles and pivot on occasion to others, I'd love to see a nice equilibrium and smoothing between "professions"
