I propose and expansion to the current cargo mission mechanic. Make them like mini-CG for the player. Or, like the engineer unlocks. Essentially, allow a player to fulfill a cargo mission in allotments, instead of one bulk delivery.
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Benefits:
- A player with a smaller ship can fulfill a cargo mission requiring more capacity than available.
- If parasite small craft are ever introduced, then the mechanic for transferring cargo missions from a large ship to an outpost in small allotments would be in place.
- MUCH larger cargo missions could be offered with payouts appropriate to the level of effort (time, danger, distance, etc.)
- Extended duration cargo missions could be offered
- Extreme Long Haul cargo missions could be offered
- WING cargo missions could be offered
- Potential to offer bonus for rapid completion
- Potential to offer penalties for lost (pirated/destroyed) cargo that has to be replaced at the mission source
Drawbacks:
- large cargo missions may require maintaining records of the mission and the total cargo accepted and delivered by the commander(s) at the origin and destination systems - though this is very similar to the powerplay allotments on the source side...
- something else I've not considered?