Fleet Carrier capabilities in late 2020

[Scoob]

Hey all,

I took a break from Elite prior to Fleet Carriers being introduced, thinking they'd be the reason for my return. I'd done the Mining grind - well, not really grind, I liked mining - during the lead up to the original expected release date. However, when it was delayed I stopped playing and didn't return when they finally were introduced as they just did nothing for me. I finally returned to the game a couple of weeks ago and realise that during the year or so I was away Fleet Carriers changed as FDev actually responded to user feedback.

All I ever really wanted from a Fleet Carrier was a place to stow some of my ships, store Commodities - likely the result of Mining - and be able to repair and rearm my ships. I have zero desire to sell ships - the implementation of this is daft in my opinion, ships "packs" sigh they're still a thing, right? - and would be happy just storing previously bought modules and not want to sell them, cos the implementation is, once again, a bit daft in my view. I expect a Fleet Carrier could meet my needs ok currently, though I'm unsure at the moment how they handle restocking of things like Ammo, Limpets, Chaff and the like - is there a separate module for this? Do I need to buy "ammo packs" with loads of surplus crap I don't need?

The things that put me off are fuelling the FC, though I understand Tritium goes further than it originally did now. Also, the big, one is simply not being able to fly the FC to where I want it, due to the slot limitations in systems. I think it's darn stupid that FC's persist EVERYWHERE, so I have other peoples FC's cluttering up my Solo (not that I play solo) or Private Group (I do play in a PG) sessions. It makes the system map look ridiculous and I wish they'd just sod off lol.

Of course, lots of people have FC's and I assume are liking them. For my use-case how practical are they now in late 2020? I have plenty of credits to run one, I just don't want it to be a whole separate grind only to find, as some report, them to be a waste of effort for a given use case.

I base myself out of Shinrarta, most of my ships are there and I have access to ALL ships and ALL modules at a slight discount. It's a very convenient "home" location. Other than the odd road trip a little further out of the bubble - the current AX CG for example - what other good reasons are there to own a carrier, outside the "I just want one" argument, which is perfectly valid of course.

Just wanting to get some thoughts and feedback from those who have FC's and how they're using them and what value they're adding to individual's game play.

Cheers,

Scoob.

 

[Nadreck]

Having a Carrier means that I can have all of my ships handy.

Some examples: working the BGS in a system with a single planetary base with no shipyard. I parked my Carrier in orbit above it, when I wanted to change ships for a different activity, I had them nearby.

Returning from the black to find that an asteroid base was in civil war, I was able to unleash my Corvette. The Bubble was still thousands of lightyears away.

Transferring money between accounts. One of them now has her own Carrier.

 

[SCiARA]

for me if you could store more engineering mats I'd be snapping one up asap
but as it stands recon I'm in the same boat really, bit on the fence and in no great rush to get one

 

[Speedcuffs]

Hey all,

I took a break from Elite prior to Fleet Carriers being introduced, thinking they'd be the reason for my return. I'd done the Mining grind - well, not really grind, I liked mining - during the lead up to the original expected release date. However, when it was delayed I stopped playing and didn't return when they finally were introduced as they just did nothing for me. I finally returned to the game a couple of weeks ago and realise that during the year or so I was away Fleet Carriers changed as FDev actually responded to user feedback.

All I ever really wanted from a Fleet Carrier was a place to stow some of my ships, store Commodities - likely the result of Mining - and be able to repair and rearm my ships. I have zero desire to sell ships - the implementation of this is daft in my opinion, ships "packs" sigh they're still a thing, right? - and would be happy just storing previously bought modules and not want to sell them, cos the implementation is, once again, a bit daft in my view. I expect a Fleet Carrier could meet my needs ok currently, though I'm unsure at the moment how they handle restocking of things like Ammo, Limpets, Chaff and the like - is there a separate module for this? Do I need to buy "ammo packs" with loads of surplus crap I don't need?

The things that put me off are fuelling the FC, though I understand Tritium goes further than it originally did now. Also, the big, one is simply not being able to fly the FC to where I want it, due to the slot limitations in systems. I think it's darn stupid that FC's persist EVERYWHERE, so I have other peoples FC's cluttering up my Solo (not that I play solo) or Private Group (I do play in a PG) sessions. It makes the system map look ridiculous and I wish they'd just sod off lol.

Of course, lots of people have FC's and I assume are liking them. For my use-case how practical are they now in late 2020? I have plenty of credits to run one, I just don't want it to be a whole separate grind only to find, as some report, them to be a waste of effort for a given use case.

I base myself out of Shinrarta, most of my ships are there and I have access to ALL ships and ALL modules at a slight discount. It's a very convenient "home" location. Other than the odd road trip a little further out of the bubble - the current AX CG for example - what other good reasons are there to own a carrier, outside the "I just want one" argument, which is perfectly valid of course.

Just wanting to get some thoughts and feedback from those who have FC's and how they're using them and what value they're adding to individual's game play.

Cheers,

Scoob.

The reasons you're saying you want one, is EXACTLY why I got one: Convenience.
I'm based out of Diaguandri (Discounts, local mat traders etc).
Having the carrier means I now do very little transfer of ships or modules, current CG being a good example.
As for fuelling it, I just buy it, I can make plenty of credits from missions etc.
Last two CGs made over 500 million.

Edit: no need to buy restock and stuff, that's only if you're selling ships/modules to other players.

 

[SCiARA]

Edit: no need to buy restock and stuff, that's only if you're selling ships/modules to other players.

can you earn out of that?

 

[Speedcuffs]

can you earn out of that?

Er, um. Dunno, sold loads of mining eqpt, I assume so, never kept track of it really. Too busy mining.

 

[Stelar 7]

I love my carrier.

I do sell some modules because they are the ones I wanted and there is a module storage limit.

It gives me repair and rearm anywhere I want it. So if I'm stacking war or pirate slaughter missions I put the carrier right by the cz or rez site and I can repair and rearm in seconds.

The market can be handy, I'm still up on profit but the bottom fell out on metaalloy so less than I used to. The storage is great I have a couple hundred LTD because I felt like mining but didn't feel like selling.

Also super handy as a anti-xeno platform. I have combat ships with little to no jump range. Because I saved all that weight and power need for pew pew.

It's not a ship, but a portable base and that is exactly what I wanted.

 

[777Driver]

Yahre Viking stays in the bubble, used as a tritium & rare goods storage barge, also makes the bulk of credits these days buying from miners. The other (ATLAS) is on my main PC, used for exploration and passenger runs to Colonia. Has done around 600,000LY

Am not a fan of the UI system map clutter. Fortunately old ducks mod sorts out the clutter on the HUD. Combined upkeep is around 20mill a week, the bubble carrier earns around a billion a month, paininte gets delivered for 700k, I sell for 900k every now and then.

These ships are like panther clippers on steroids, very happy with them. Just needs a bridge (with crew) and captains quarters to top it off.

 

[Drelthar]

I base myself out of Shinrarta...

If you are one of those players that doesn't really move around, a carrier might be pointless to you.

I never understood people having a "home" system myself, and as a result, all my ships were strewn around the galaxy like I'd dropped a box of lego.

Once I bought the FC, I transferred everything to it, now I move the fleet carrier to where I'm going, and then I can just grab whatever ship I want.

 

[Stelar 7]

Yahre Viking stays in the bubble, used as a tritium & rare goods storage barge, also makes the bulk of credits these days buying from miners. The other (ATLAS) is on my main PC, used for exploration and passenger runs to Colonia. Has done around 600,000LY

Am not a fan of the UI system map clutter. Fortunately old ducks mod sorts out the clutter on the HUD. Combined upkeep is around 20mill a week, the bubble carrier earns around a billion a month, paininte gets delivered for 700k, I sell for 900k every now and then.

These ships are like panther clippers on steroids, very happy with them. Just needs a bridge (with crew) and captains quarters to top it off.

I'm hoping for a social area. I really want a bar on my tower overlooking the pads.

FDev! I will give you money to add a bar on my Carrier!

 

[Lucifer-666]

Mine is a mobile base for me. I own every ship and every ship has been individually engineered for a purpose so no swapping of modules or weapons. It carries additional fuel scoops, cargo racks, limpet modules, guardian frame shift drives so i can custom fit an existing ship to do another task. I've put enough in its bank to run for 5 years whilst i still have several bill in my personal account which just grows too. It works out perfect for me and exactly what i wanted. I'm just finishing the Power Play modules to upgrade ships then off i go to where ever.
There is something about the carrier holding a max of 40 ships yet only 38 exist. 2 more new ships to arrive at some point?

 

[Astaran]

Hey all,

I took a break from Elite prior to Fleet Carriers being introduced, thinking they'd be the reason for my return. I'd done the Mining grind - well, not really grind, I liked mining - during the lead up to the original expected release date. However, when it was delayed I stopped playing and didn't return when they finally were introduced as they just did nothing for me. I finally returned to the game a couple of weeks ago and realise that during the year or so I was away Fleet Carriers changed as FDev actually responded to user feedback.

All I ever really wanted from a Fleet Carrier was a place to stow some of my ships, store Commodities - likely the result of Mining - and be able to repair and rearm my ships. I have zero desire to sell ships - the implementation of this is daft in my opinion, ships "packs" sigh they're still a thing, right? - and would be happy just storing previously bought modules and not want to sell them, cos the implementation is, once again, a bit daft in my view. I expect a Fleet Carrier could meet my needs ok currently, though I'm unsure at the moment how they handle restocking of things like Ammo, Limpets, Chaff and the like - is there a separate module for this? Do I need to buy "ammo packs" with loads of surplus crap I don't need?

The things that put me off are fuelling the FC, though I understand Tritium goes further than it originally did now. Also, the big, one is simply not being able to fly the FC to where I want it, due to the slot limitations in systems. I think it's darn stupid that FC's persist EVERYWHERE, so I have other peoples FC's cluttering up my Solo (not that I play solo) or Private Group (I do play in a PG) sessions. It makes the system map look ridiculous and I wish they'd just sod off lol.

Of course, lots of people have FC's and I assume are liking them. For my use-case how practical are they now in late 2020? I have plenty of credits to run one, I just don't want it to be a whole separate grind only to find, as some report, them to be a waste of effort for a given use case.

I base myself out of Shinrarta, most of my ships are there and I have access to ALL ships and ALL modules at a slight discount. It's a very convenient "home" location. Other than the odd road trip a little further out of the bubble - the current AX CG for example - what other good reasons are there to own a carrier, outside the "I just want one" argument, which is perfectly valid of course.

Just wanting to get some thoughts and feedback from those who have FC's and how they're using them and what value they're adding to individual's game play.

Cheers,

Scoob.

Rearm, refuel and restocking limpets require the respective modules installed in your FC, but otherwise provide unlimited resupply once active.No need to purchase any "ammo packs" or something like that. Shipyard and Outfitting are only useful, when you want to bring friends along for the ride (and to allow them to use your FC as a base as well, e.g. storing multiple ships and modules onboard).

I used to be based in Shinrarta as well and it was supremely annoying to switch between activities: Mining? Fly back to Shinrarta to get into my mining vessel, then move to the mining location. Oh, I want some pew-pew? Fly back to Shinrarta, get into my (low jumprange) Corvette and fly to where I'd like to fight...and don't even get me started on AX combat in the Pleiades or Witch Head. Now, (almost) all my ships are based on my FC, making it very easy and convenient to switch between activities. Within the bubble, I am one 15 minute jump away from whatever I want to do (although most of the time I can just fly there without the FC anyway).

I also use my FC for carrier based exploration, which means I can use ships for exploration I normally wouldn't use (e.g. Keelback, Cobra Mk III, Beluga). I also still maintain a fleet of "conventional" explorers (Krait Mk. II, Krait Phantom, AspX) to wander away from my FC for a few days and then call the FC in when I've found a new spot to set up camp (a nice looking ELW, a Tritium Hotspot, some other visually pleasant location). UC and Redemption office also allow me to hand in discoveries right away, allowing me to take more risks when exploring (especially landing on High G planets).

A short while ago I finished the first of the two Ram Tah Guardian missions. The FC allowed me to store items like Thargoid samples for later use. So when I ran into a rebuy screen due to an absolutely overreacting Medusa, I did not lose any progress in the mission at all: all other items were safely stored in my FC

The weekly upkeep is irrelevant. With all services but the black market active, I still only pay some 25mil per week in upkeep. I don't even play actively "for" the upkeep. At this point, 25mil is pocket money and my carrier's account is filled with enough money to maintain it for the next 2 years without me earning a additional single penny. Fuel costs can be a relevant factor, if you cannot find a place that offers Tritium for 4k/ton. Personally, given the increased efficiency of Tritium, I do not mind paying 40k/ton. The FC is the endgame asset currently available in Elite and so I do not mind paying some serious money for the benefits it provides, even if it is "just" for the fuel.

To conclude: Despite some design flaws (mainly UI issues), I consider FCs the best addition to the game since I've started with Elite in 2018. FCs negated some of my primary grievences with Elite ("wasted" travel time when switching between activities, lack of feeling "Home" at one place or the other) and tremendously increased my joy when playing Elite.

 

[Old Duck]

These days I use my carrier solely as a remote exploration platform. I left it in deep space, in my own personal "bubble", when I returned to the real Bubble in my exploration ship. When it comes to refuel and repair, there is always a carrier just a few seconds away from any CZ or RES that I'm interested in (community goals), so I don't need to bring mine home for this. I did miss my carrier with the latest CG, since Witch Head is so far away, but I just used the old "ship transfer" function to get my combat vessel to where it needs to be.

The other advantage of leaving my carrier out in the black is that I can suspend all services while I'm away, thus reducing the weekly cost. By the time my carrier balance reaches zero, I'll be playing a finished and bug-free version of Star Citizen on my PS7.

 

[askavir]

Best addition to the game in a very long time. It drastically transformed the way I played.

 

[Speedcuffs]

And of course, I am finding more and more ships carrying fuel scoops and FSD boosters, now unnecessary.
And FSDs which can be changed to more combat suited models etc.
And I don't need that big fuel tank, and I can have better sensors now, and...

I'm going to be busy rebuilding ships for some time.

 

[Scoob]

Thanks for all the responses, I appreciate it.

So, which Module(s) do I need in order to provide Repairs, Ammo and Limpets and what sort of weekly upkeep can I expect? I tend to have longish breaks from the game from time to time, the last one was about a year, so I don't want to come unstuck. I think I'd be fine financially as have about 16 Billion credits, just 15 ships and a load of Engineered modules.

I'd like to be able to offload the results of Mining to the FC, is commodity storage standard or another bolt-on feature? I think, originally, didn't you have to buy a module for basically EVERYTHING, including just being able to dock at it? I understand FDev caved on that one though.

Scoob.

 

[Nadreck]

Thanks for all the responses, I appreciate it.

So, which Module(s) do I need in order to provide Repairs, Ammo and Limpets and what sort of weekly upkeep can I expect? I tend to have longish breaks from the game from time to time, the last one was about a year, so I don't want to come unstuck. I think I'd be fine financially as have about 16 Billion credits, just 15 ships and a load of Engineered modules.

I'd like to be able to offload the results of Mining to the FC, is commodity storage standard or another bolt-on feature? I think, originally, didn't you have to buy a module for basically EVERYTHING, including just being able to dock at it? I understand FDev caved on that one though.

Scoob.

You need Refuel, Repair, and Armoury (which restocks everything, including limpets, SRV's etc). You pay to use the services, it's assumed that the money is used for resupply, you don't have to stock up.

You no longer need a Shipyard or Outfitting for your own ships, only if others want to store multiple ships/modules on your Carrier.

Cargo storage is standard, as is the commodities market.

 

[Drelthar]

Thanks for all the responses, I appreciate it.

So, which Module(s) do I need in order to provide Repairs, Ammo and Limpets and what sort of weekly upkeep can I expect? I tend to have longish breaks from the game from time to time, the last one was about a year, so I don't want to come unstuck. I think I'd be fine financially as have about 16 Billion credits, just 15 ships and a load of Engineered modules.

I'd like to be able to offload the results of Mining to the FC, is commodity storage standard or another bolt-on feature? I think, originally, didn't you have to buy a module for basically EVERYTHING, including just being able to dock at it? I understand FDev caved on that one though.

Scoob.

If you have 16 billion credits, there is no reason not to have a carrier - that will last you literally years.

 

[Scoob]

Currently considering popping over to Diso... Just trying to do more homework on FC's but I think @Nadreck has covered it!

I thought it would be nice if there was a way for the FC to generate a semi-passive income, like selling a commodity I've gotten cheaper at a fair local price, or offering a good price for something with plans to sell in bulk manually at a higher profit elsewhere. However, I bet plenty of FC's are already doing this, plus I don't think FC's advertise their Commodities or services until you land on them, do they? Can't think what would distinguish mine from all the others out there.

Is it still true that you cannot have both Buy and Sell offers at the same time on a Fleet Carrier, i.e. Buy x at 100cr, sell x at 105cr? I recall reading that somewhere, but it might be outdated information.

I did get quite excited about FC's a couple of weeks ago as a friend told me he had NPC's visiting his FC and they were earning him a passive income - presumably from repairs and resupply - but I've since found out that this isn't the case, though he seems convinced he's making money, yet his FC is set as Private, no docking but him...and the aforementioned NPC's of course.

Just trying to ascertain if there are other things the FC might be useful for, outside of my immediate use case.

Edit: by the way, can I order an FC spec'd up how I want right away? I read posts, a while ago now, where people say they ordered their FC's, which then appeared in another system. They then had to fuel them up, before jumping them back to the original system to equip them. Seems like faf. Also, what if all the system's FC slot are occupied, how does the player jump their FC back to equip it?

Scoob.

 

[goemon]

playing the backgroundsimulation. over 20k of mission supply commodities traded by other commanders or me.

probably not your usecase, but that's what my bubble commander got one for - for group efforts. i personally would have no use for a solo cmdr fc.

on the other hand - if cr are no concern to you: i recommend buy one, play around with it, and sell it if it doesn't make your game better. you get 90% of the purchase price back, and there is nothing else in the game to spend 5 billion on. so there is nothing to loose.