Fleet carrier upgrade and engineering for long range exploration.

[thinder]

Since I get myself my carrier I have been moving it around a bit, from Wolf 363 to Colonia, back to CEOS, Rodentia and then on my way back to CEOS again.
I'm rather happy with it only for a few things...

500 Ly range for <> 114tons of Tritium is rather poor for propulsion system performances, so I was thinking; why not introducing an upgrade and engineering system similar to that of ships such as the Anaconda with more fuel efficient engines, improved navigation system, Guardian FSD booster to increase jump range and SFC?
I'm ready to pay for the upgrades and farm materials for engineering but right now, the carrier is too limited in terms of mobility and the tritium consumption is perhaps a bit high, it would be a huge improvement if we could give them more flexibility this way and make it possible to turn our carriers into better exploration platforms.

I carry a small fleet based on the need for capabilities: Armed transport and mining: (Pythons, one or two depending on need). Material collection/farming and planet exploration (Krait Phantom). Combat/bounty hunting: Federal Corvette. To cover the distance from Rodentia to CEOS I need 5,838 tons of Tritium and it takes me 47 jumps.

You're welcome to give your opinion. Happy New Year!

 

[Codger]

They already increased Tritium efficiency from where it started, but I still agree with you. Fueling the carrier is rather too time consuming (or expensive). It could do with a further buff.

 

[thinder]

They already increased Tritium efficiency from where it started, but I still agree with you. Fueling the carrier is rather too time consuming (or expensive). It could do with a further buff.

Yeah that's the issue, I tried to mine a full tank but it's a LOT of work even with a dedicated miner, a Python fitted for the task, having one onboard is good just in case but not a viable solution, as for the cost, in Colonia it's really expensive, luckily, there are some good trade routes to get credit.

The possibility to upgrade and engineer would add a lot to the game, as it does when one player wants to improve the stock performances of a ship, I have to say that I like farming for the number of different taks it implies, credit, material, guardian sites, engineers etc all good, I just don't understand how it haven't been implemented yet, perhaps not enough demand for it?

Today's aircraft carriers are among the fastest large ships and have near-unlimited range, so in comparison, those game Fleet Carriers are still very limited.

I still love mine despite of all.

 

[YORKSH1RE NEO]

For me personally they need to allow you to multi jump without having to physically do it yourself. Just done Colonia and back which was a 30 hour round trip (45 jumps there and same back). I mean seriously, who has that much time on their hands? (I’m currently unemployed and have been for 6 months due to mental health and other personal problems) Why can’t you set a destination and provided you have sufficient tritium, the FC will do it automatically, especially as you are paying a crew to pilot it!! This would also work whilst logged out so you could set a destination before bed or going to work and depending on the distance, be there when you get up or get home after work!

 

[Deluvian]

Same here, I agree that the platform could be made more appealing to Explorers (still, my crew and I are doing just that)
Engineering is a good idea, but as it has bad fame I am expecting huge resistance from the majority of the community.

As I mentioned, I try to use FC for exploration - what would actually help in my opinion is the Tritium drop rate improvement. As the price of this precious mineral stabilized and makes it way less lucrative than Painite or Platinum - nobody actually mines Tritium anymore... nobody, but those who attempt to explore in a group, using FC as a very good platform to have some fun "together"


P.S. I know it is an old topic, but as I just try to enjoy exploration moving forward causes scanning relatively fewer systems than in a single ship (of course). Not a big deal as I currently have plenty of credits, but in general: my crew and I traveled so far 130,151.83Ly... and I do not remember a single week that I was able to make more money than the weekly upkeep... Exploration should not be a type of activity to "hit the upkeep goal" and I do not want to make it its purpose... and if we want to stop and stare at some miserable life form, that should be the case. Constantly losing money while exploring using FC feels just bad.
Elite Dangerous has always encouraged us to "blaze your own trail" game style. Before I owned the carrier (few now on different accounts), that is how it felt... I could leave the game for months if I did not have a mood or chance to play. Not only I should not do it right now, but it kinda makes me feel: "All trails are equal, but some are more equal than the other ones"

o7

 

[thinder]

Yes, I saw some reaction of players with experience of the game who criticized the engineering system, but personally, I realized that it was a precious addition to the game as it pushes players to tackle a few different tasks to satisfy the requirements of the engineers.

It goes as far as exploring new systems to find Guardian sites an Structures, learn how to get the material you need there and I struggled with that but had a lot more satisfaction succeeding than just buying my upgrades, I knew new systems, where to farm diverse materials and where etc.

There always will be players who want to adapt the game to their need instaed of meeting challenges.

 

[tolm]

I recently took my new Carrier out to the crystal / bio sites with both my PC and PS CMDRs on board. Was very useful to be able to get both of them stocked up on raw mats but the process of jumping the carrier out there and back was “unpleasant” I would say:

- Fuel : 100% agree that the fuel used and expense seem excessive. I did try mining for it but - as with all mining it just seems like a total waste of time. I can’t even begin to imagine the boredom if trying to completely refuel a carrier this way … so general advice is to just buy it. Which is fine but it’s hardly cheap.

- Route Plotting: Two problems for me … firstly … where do you go? You can’t set the end destination and then have the computer just work out the waypoints (it’s 3308 people … why the heck can’t our navigation software handle that?!) so I had to resort to Googling for an online tool to work it out. Ridiculous. And then there‘s the fact that you can’t just plot a multi-point route and hit “go” … no, you have to manually plot each stage yourself … but make sure you’ve waited for the cool-down … otherwise it won’t let you so you’ll have to exit the map, wait for the cool-down and the search for “Pbgsh x-5 sys-B7” all over again … lucky typing on a PS controller is such fun, hey?!

Now, I really do like my carrier - having a private base with all my stuffz on is very nice. But boy-oh-boy is moving it a pain ... I plan to leave it in one place as much as possible now!

 

[thinder]

I was given this link and it helps a lot... Fleet Carrier Router

I totally agree that our Nav system is very limited, it is a huge ship after all and it should be equiped with more capable systems to plot and follow multiple routes.

Right now, I keep a ship ready to transfer fuel to the Carrier tank and plot each jump one after another using this Fleet Carrier Router, it is very useful.

 

[tolm]

yeh, that might be the one I used but it just seems daft that we need such things.

Standard ships can plot a route waaaay further than their maximum jump range … yet the FC cannot?! Even if you had to manually “confirm” you wanted to execute the next jump (followed by the 15 minute wait, of course) if it could at least do what the smaller ships can do and work out the waypoints … I mean …

 

[thinder]

yeh, that might be the one I used but it just seems daft that we need such things.

Standard ships can plot a route waaaay further than their maximum jump range … yet the FC cannot?! Even if you had to manually “confirm” you wanted to execute the next jump (followed by the 15 minute wait, of course) if it could at least do what the smaller ships can do and work out the waypoints … I mean …

Agreed. The maximum with a ship is 1000 Ly, 500Ly for a Fleet Carrier is ridiculous.

But I am sure that being able to upgrade and engineer them would go some way to solve the issue, if you take a stock Anaconda it will give you a 9.83 jump range but with upgrades and engineering, it can be pushed up to 69.73 Ly.

That's an increase of 609.35%, if we compute this from a 5000 Ly range stock for a F.C we can expect reaching 30,450 Ly, 25,000 Ly with useful load and a proper navigation system without having to use something like Faster boot sequence, even with an extra 5 mn wait it would still make the Carrier a viable option for a jump that long.

What it would need is an automatic syustem for transfer of fuel from the cargo to top up the tank after each jump (upgrade + engineering), an upgraded FSP, a guardian FSD booster, and the same options for Power Plant, Power Distributor and Thruster than for conventional ships.

If the Fleet Carriers became fully upgradable, their flexibility and usefulness would be greatly increased, perhaps players would be more likely to purchase them.

I have to say that I feel like going everywhere with my F.C but I'm suffering, so l;et's hope we see some possibility for us to upgrade them in the near future, hope you will support the idea!

 

[varonica]

Agreed. The maximum with a ship is 1000 Ly, 500Ly for a Fleet Carrier is ridiculous.

20,000ly, and with a trick or two you can push it was further than that!

 

[thinder]

20,000ly, and with a trick or two you can push it was further than that!

I'm curious to know how you can get any ship to plot a course further than 1000Ly, on the map it will say "out of range" and won't let you.

So if you can disclose what those tricks are for everyone benefit I'm sure we all will apreciate...

 

[varonica]

I'm curious to know how you can get any ship to plot a course further than 1000Ly, on the map it will say "out of range" and won't let you.

So if you can disclose what those tricks are for everyone benefit I'm sure we all will apreciate...

You are plotting using economic routing which will limit your max route plotting to 1,000ly, if you use fastest it will let you route up to 20,000ly, that's simply an in game setting so it's not a trick, you just don't understand the route plotter fully and that's not a negative, a lot of people get that wrong. Change route type to fastest, not economical.

There's a trick for really long routes that's not a normal in game setting, I did post about it but I prefer to keep it quieter for now in case FDEV decide to "fix" it. since I posted once that's enough, I don't to splash it everywhere!

 

[Peter Mannion]

• Make refuelling from storage to tank easier and can be done remote
• FC Upgrades/Engineering (But done right this time ...)
• Buff to Tritium Mining (or SSD mining in general)
• Long range route plotting

 

[Heinz Volmer]

Here is another perspective:

I am an explorer (single player). I am about to set out for an expedition in my fleet carrier and I do not intend to head back at any time. For that purpose the fleet carrier is ideal.

Since months I am carefully planning which ships I will take, which modules I will store and how to manage fuel (since I am starting from Colonia with no fuel).

I enjoy this process to the fullest!

Fuel: I personally like spending time on fuel. I think: Yes, this game is all about grinding. And I believe it's for a reason. Because nothing awesome comes for free and because succesful effort leads to contentment. And if I want to travel more lightly (=faster) I would just take my Krait.

Route Plotting: To some extent I agree to what has been said. Owning a fleet carrier means owning a business with employees. Therefore I should be able to head over the "steering" to my bridge crew in whom I trust while watching some "classic entertainment" in my cabin. This feature - if implemented - however would be uninteresting to me. I want to be in control of my biggest achievement when doing these massive and dangerous jumps...always! When fuel, spare modules and time are rare assets every jump has to be carefully planned. Route Plotting is a very mindful task to me which takes the haste out of my previous life phases as a commander.

Happy new year!

 

[K Olley]

Here is another perspective:

I am an explorer (single player). I am about to set out for an expedition in my fleet carrier and I do not intend to head back at any time. For that purpose the fleet carrier is ideal.

Since months I am carefully planning which ships I will take, which modules I will store and how to manage fuel (since I am starting from Colonia with no fuel).

Understanding weights in relation to a carrier is the most important thing for exploration with a carrier.

The heavier the carrier the more Tritium required for each jump so the lighter you can keep it the less Tritium you will need to mine.

The only things that weigh are carrier modules, shipyard and outfitting packs and cargo. Your own ships and spare modules do NOT weigh anything as far as carrier weight is concerned so you can take up to your or the carrier limits (40 ships, 200 modules) without it affecting carrier weight.

I am a single player out in the black and for me Shipyard, Outfitting and Secure Warehouse are not needed, a saving of 5,000t carrier weight and in my case extra cargo capacity if needed.

I carry spare modules that I have never even fitted into a ship (apart from when purchasing them) Various limpet controllers, extra fuel tanks and scoops etc just in case and I have flown back to both the bubble and Colonia in an explorer type ship to purchase and have shipped back to my carrier newer modules that have just become available.

Take a look at my carrier, link in sig, I am both an miner and explorer that spends a lot of time out in the black.

 

[GroG79]

I am torn on this subject; For me the main problem is not so much range or cooldown but the tritium mining per hour. If you are a bit capable you can ssd mine around 200 ton per hour and this is NOT enough. This is a game and not work. As stated above almost no one mines tritium anymore. Rates should be more like 800-1000 ton per hour. Make it easy and a lot of fun (ssd mining IS fun) but not for 1.5 jump / hour!!

Please Unnerf SSD mining Fdev!!
You put the wrong bandaid back then.

 

[alexzk]

engineering system

We have full lazy crew on salary, who can't even refuel using on-board tritium. They should just make crew to work. Maybe mine some tritium too if icy rings are present.

 

[Fullo111]

They already increased Tritium efficiency from where it started, but I still agree with you. Fueling the carrier is rather too time consuming (or expensive). It could do with a further buff.

Being able to transfer fuel remotely by commanding my crew to do it should be a thing, not me having to take a large cargo ship, transfer to the ship and then donate it back to the carrier. It's absolutely stupid!!!

 

[thinder]

Being able to transfer fuel remotely by commanding my crew to do it should be a thing, not me having to take a large cargo ship, transfer to the ship and then donate it back to the carrier. It's absolutely stupid!!!

That's why we need to be able to upgrade and engineer them...