ANNOUNCEMENT Fleet Carriers - Content Reveal Recap
- Thread starter Stephen Benedetti
- Start date
So I was thinking about this feature. Honestly I think this is one of the best direction I saw from frontier and made me very curious about the announcement of the next payed content.
For the first time, we got a tool that helps us form community. Also I'd consider this as the first implementation of a player driven economy.
Now we will be able to buy and sell commodities to other players trough a carrier. I think it's great, and if the NPC ships would do trade with the carrier it would be just simply awesome.
Well if we all calm down, I think it's clear that this is a really good addition to the game. The only problem that it comes with the usual FDev spices. It is a great idea, that is implemented with all the main functionality, but lacks the additional support from the other features to become a game changer. Well at least this is what I believe, as we have to test it first. Also upkeep costs while is realistic and not an ultimately bad choice as a game design, it just simply sucks right now and we need a lot more in this feature to be alright with it.
If we look into a bright future, where the carriers are essential features in the game, I'd say with the carries:
As I said I am exited about the next payed content and will have a look what these carriers can do
I hope we are heading towards a direction I just described or an iteration, where we are getting a new gameplay that ties everything together in the game
Fly Safe O7
For the first time, we got a tool that helps us form community. Also I'd consider this as the first implementation of a player driven economy.
Now we will be able to buy and sell commodities to other players trough a carrier. I think it's great, and if the NPC ships would do trade with the carrier it would be just simply awesome.
Well if we all calm down, I think it's clear that this is a really good addition to the game. The only problem that it comes with the usual FDev spices. It is a great idea, that is implemented with all the main functionality, but lacks the additional support from the other features to become a game changer. Well at least this is what I believe, as we have to test it first. Also upkeep costs while is realistic and not an ultimately bad choice as a game design, it just simply sucks right now and we need a lot more in this feature to be alright with it.
If we look into a bright future, where the carriers are essential features in the game, I'd say with the carries:
- We can mine and refine materials more efficiently
- We are able to BUILD / PRODUCE the modules and ships (VERY IMPORTANT to have a reason to buy up materials and a reason to interact with carriers)
- We are able to Offer engineering services
- We are able to sell / auction engineered modules
- We are able to store / sell Exploration data
- We are able to trade Materials as well as Commodities -> Maybe easier to build up another market that is influenced by the player base and leave commodities as is
- We are able to generate combat missions on the carrier -> Carrier reputation -> In the end better and well priced missions that otherwise are not available (your own bounty corp)
- Very similar solution to Piracy, however if the materials can be used to build modules/ships and generate credit, piracy could return in a better organized form
- Black market goods should also have an industry -> drogs, boosters, slaves -> short time consumable boosters to modules -> booster to facility production, or cost reduction trough slaves.
- Be able to create courier missions for players with your stored materials/commodities
- Be able to negotiate high volume trades between two carrier (yeah delivery can be done with above mentioned mission generation)
- I guess it would involve a contract system that binds you with collateral credit.
- Be able to supply NPC systems with end products like weapons and ships
- Let players be a significant factor in how much stock a given system has in modules/ships etc
- ....
As I said I am exited about the next payed content and will have a look what these carriers can do
I hope we are heading towards a direction I just described or an iteration, where we are getting a new gameplay that ties everything together in the gameFly Safe O7
That's in the Q&A and the answer is no.
FC = cheese shop (monty python style).
I would have thought that a Fleet carrier was basically a personally owned mobile mini station.
To allow players to have all they have worked for with them, no matter what the game style he plays.
Regarding exploration data, if it was stored on the carrier and only cashed in at the bubble it would still work as it does now regarding getting your commander's name in the game.
I was at Beagle point when the great trip set off, I was quite happy exploring there until I realised that there were thousands of ships heading my way, all finding unexplored systems. I realised that I may have also found the same systems and would probably find more on the way back. So to get my name in the game I high tailed it back to the bubble. So if you came across systems found by CMDR Gary G
I would have thought that a Fleet carrier was basically a personally owned mobile mini station.
To allow players to have all they have worked for with them, no matter what the game style he plays.
Regarding exploration data, if it was stored on the carrier and only cashed in at the bubble it would still work as it does now regarding getting your commander's name in the game.
I was at Beagle point when the great trip set off, I was quite happy exploring there until I realised that there were thousands of ships heading my way, all finding unexplored systems. I realised that I may have also found the same systems and would probably find more on the way back. So to get my name in the game I high tailed it back to the bubble. So if you came across systems found by CMDR Gary G
That's what i thought that FD might thought for not having UC .Of course i think people should be allowed to sell discoveries in their FC. But there is a question ? Who is allowed to sell UC data ? you only that you owe the FC or everyone that has acces to your FC ? cause in the the second case its unfair for those that have invested in a Fc.Also who is going to pay you for the UC data and how data is transmitted?
Thats in the long run a good thing for PP balance, considering some powers expand via hauling. What it will mean is carriers can be used as FOBs during combat expansions.
I like this idea, but not as a function for the carrier itself. This is where the axed support ships could come back in. Though this amount of automation would require each of the support ships to cost around 2 billion itself.
Lots of DOOOOOOMMM in here lol
for the explorers that are worried about how long these take to jump, have you not thought of changing to a more advanced style?
like jump the carriers on a “north-south” trajectory and then explore on a “East- west”. Or simply use the economical route plotter to hit way more systems in-between.
exploring isn’t just about getting around the black as fast as possible. Not sure what you all are racing against
for the explorers that are worried about how long these take to jump, have you not thought of changing to a more advanced style?
like jump the carriers on a “north-south” trajectory and then explore on a “East- west”. Or simply use the economical route plotter to hit way more systems in-between.
exploring isn’t just about getting around the black as fast as possible. Not sure what you all are racing against
I will also add that Elite has always been ripe for a companion app. Now these new fleet carriers practically SCREAM for a companion app to manage the carrier while away from the game
As Fleet Carriers are player mobile base, FL should have an option to allow NPC to land and buy stuff from mine commodity market - of course for a fair prices. Fleet Carriers are online every time so it could help to gain money for upkeep and services fee.
As for exploration and mining fuel I hope it will not look like that I will have to spent whole day/week for fuel mining. In this time we can travel same or bigger distance in normal ship so FC would be useless in exploration.
I'll second that... and take it both a step forward and a step back:
I would like to see an API for fleet carrier management, so that developers can implement their own interface. That way, FDev need only implement the API, and the community can do the work of implementing whatever user interfaces the community wants.
They do make more sense for communities rather than single CMDRs:
AXI will have a rapid deployment carrier they can position right next to a thargoid conflict zone (once we get them back)
Operation Ida can use them for mass hauling commodities over greater distances.
East India Trading Company will use them to sell comoodities needed for engineer unlocks, such as Meta Alloys.
Hutton truckers... I think I don't need to go into detail here.
iMU will load one up with LTD's to be able to sell them in bulk wherever they get the best price.
Expeditions will use them as mobile base.
Hull Seals will deploy them into deep space to offer free repairs even in the most remote places.
And many more will have their use for them.
I'll prepare myself for the flames...
As a PvE player I joined Mobius, I like player interaction to a degree but early experience of gankers completely put me off Open. But after a while I saw less value in Mobius and drifted into Solo.
I see FC as potentially breathing new life into Group play of all types. Large groups like Mobius can have a very free & easy approach to FC landing with few restrictions, reasonably safe in the trust of that community. Sure loads of illegal smuggling, assinations and other stuff can and does still go on, so the feeling of danger, cause n' effect etc. is still there.
Looking forward to getting views of those in groups to see if the FC experience in Beta can really bridge for the traditional Solo players.
Still would like to see NPC docking (persistence not needed), UC available on Carrier and loads of additional co-operative gameplay developments.
As a PvE player I joined Mobius, I like player interaction to a degree but early experience of gankers completely put me off Open. But after a while I saw less value in Mobius and drifted into Solo.
I see FC as potentially breathing new life into Group play of all types. Large groups like Mobius can have a very free & easy approach to FC landing with few restrictions, reasonably safe in the trust of that community. Sure loads of illegal smuggling, assinations and other stuff can and does still go on, so the feeling of danger, cause n' effect etc. is still there.
Looking forward to getting views of those in groups to see if the FC experience in Beta can really bridge for the traditional Solo players.
Still would like to see NPC docking (persistence not needed), UC available on Carrier and loads of additional co-operative gameplay developments.
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Although I'm not one of them, I do think the LEP people should be able to get one for free... they've not had any new content in such a long time, it seems only fair.
No you shouldn’t. If you’ve had the game since before it was a game, you had heaps of time to earn
Thanks! This all sounds very exciting and I can see why you needed more time. Questions...
Q. How might an explorer fund their Fleet Carrier's upkeep costs?
A. Whilst Elite Dangerous' top traders might want to turn their Fleet Carrier into a trading post that turns a profit, we expect most Fleet Carriers to be fitted in ways that help players do what they enjoy in the game. For example, explorers who have accrued large sums of cash, they'll be able to take a Fleet Carrier and ferry it out to the remote regions of the galaxy and explore never-before seen locations. Equally, explorers could set their Fleet Carrier up as a trading post in a convenient location to turn a profit while they engage in other activities.
Q. Can I have a Universal Cartographics office on board my Fleet Carrier?
Q. Will any in-game discounts be applied when purchasing a Fleet Carrier?
A. Only Commanders with 'Kickstarter Outfitting' or with the Founder Tier (and higher) discount will receive a discount when they purchase a Fleet Carrier. Fleet Carriers cannot enter or be bought from permit-locked systems (including Shinrarta Dezhra).
Q. What about discounts offered in certain systems (not permit-locked) e.g. systems controlled by Li Yong-Rui?
Q. How many landing pads are there, and will it be possible to store ships on Fleet Carriers?
A. Fleet Carriers have 16 landing pads for the owner and fellow commanders to use. If the Fleet Carrier has the Shipyard Service, commanders will also be able to store their ships onboard (these ships do not use up any additional capacity, the Shipyard handles this for you). The landing and storage of ships acts in the same way as regular starports.
Q. Is ship storage effectively unlimited on a FC with a shipyard? Does that include other CMDRs' ships? What restriction (if any) is imposed by the number of landing pads, other than simultaneous take-offs/landings?
Q. What is the Fleet Carrier jump process?
A. Fleet Carriers and their crew need to make preparations before the vessel begins its Hyperspace Jump. The preparations will take one hour to complete, and whilst this is happening, all Commanders in the vicinity will receive several alerts throughout the countdown, warning them of the time left until the jump commences. When the Fleet Carrier arrives at its destination, there will be a one hour cooldown before it can begin preparations to jump again. We'd love to hear your feedback on these timescales during the betas!
Q. I can see no reason why preparations for the next jump couldn't take place DURING the cooldown. 2 hours/jump is too long! Please reconsider?
Q. Are Fleet Carrier names unique?
A. Fleet Carrier names are not unique across the galaxy and can be changed by the owner. However, each Fleet Carrier has a unique callsign that appears on the Navigation Panel which cannot be changed.
Q. OH NO! I had it all planned! Can I choose my callsign when I buy my carrier? (That's the 6 digit ship ID code, right?) PLEASE?!
Q. Are Fleet Carriers manually controlled from a bridge?
A. No, Fleet Carriers are not manually piloted by the player and instead, manned by a Deck Officer who helps oversee the operations and running of the Fleet Carrier crew and services.
Q. Now we REALLY need space-legs. Will there be a "Bridge view"?
Q. Can a Fleet Carrier go into Supercruise?
A. Fleet Carriers do not use Supercruise to travel, and instead use Hyperspace Jumps to navigate through the galaxy.
Q. So I guess neutron-boosting is out of the question? Can't I even move my carrier to orbit another planet in-system? The one with the juicy rings? Micro-jumps?
Q. If the market onboard can be set by the player, what happens if the player decides to sell narcotics etc. and then jumps to a system where they are illegal?
A. It is up to the Fleet Carrier owner if they would like to sell and buy goods that are illegal in that system. Although the Fleet Carrier itself will not get into trouble for selling illegal goods, any ships caught carrying illegal goods can be caught by the System Authority surrounding the Fleet Carrier
Q. Can the owner allow trade in certain illegal items, but not others (e.g. narcotics OK, but no slaves)?
Q. Can I open a Black Market on my Fleet Carrier?
A. Yes, Fleet Carriers have an additional service that allows Commanders to trade stolen goods.
Q. As above: Can specific commodities be allowed/excluded?
Q. How might an explorer fund their Fleet Carrier's upkeep costs?
A. Whilst Elite Dangerous' top traders might want to turn their Fleet Carrier into a trading post that turns a profit, we expect most Fleet Carriers to be fitted in ways that help players do what they enjoy in the game. For example, explorers who have accrued large sums of cash, they'll be able to take a Fleet Carrier and ferry it out to the remote regions of the galaxy and explore never-before seen locations. Equally, explorers could set their Fleet Carrier up as a trading post in a convenient location to turn a profit while they engage in other activities.
Q. Can I have a Universal Cartographics office on board my Fleet Carrier?
Q. Will any in-game discounts be applied when purchasing a Fleet Carrier?
A. Only Commanders with 'Kickstarter Outfitting' or with the Founder Tier (and higher) discount will receive a discount when they purchase a Fleet Carrier. Fleet Carriers cannot enter or be bought from permit-locked systems (including Shinrarta Dezhra).
Q. What about discounts offered in certain systems (not permit-locked) e.g. systems controlled by Li Yong-Rui?
Q. How many landing pads are there, and will it be possible to store ships on Fleet Carriers?
A. Fleet Carriers have 16 landing pads for the owner and fellow commanders to use. If the Fleet Carrier has the Shipyard Service, commanders will also be able to store their ships onboard (these ships do not use up any additional capacity, the Shipyard handles this for you). The landing and storage of ships acts in the same way as regular starports.
Q. Is ship storage effectively unlimited on a FC with a shipyard? Does that include other CMDRs' ships? What restriction (if any) is imposed by the number of landing pads, other than simultaneous take-offs/landings?
Q. What is the Fleet Carrier jump process?
A. Fleet Carriers and their crew need to make preparations before the vessel begins its Hyperspace Jump. The preparations will take one hour to complete, and whilst this is happening, all Commanders in the vicinity will receive several alerts throughout the countdown, warning them of the time left until the jump commences. When the Fleet Carrier arrives at its destination, there will be a one hour cooldown before it can begin preparations to jump again. We'd love to hear your feedback on these timescales during the betas!
Q. I can see no reason why preparations for the next jump couldn't take place DURING the cooldown. 2 hours/jump is too long! Please reconsider?
Q. Are Fleet Carrier names unique?
A. Fleet Carrier names are not unique across the galaxy and can be changed by the owner. However, each Fleet Carrier has a unique callsign that appears on the Navigation Panel which cannot be changed.
Q. OH NO! I had it all planned! Can I choose my callsign when I buy my carrier? (That's the 6 digit ship ID code, right?) PLEASE?!
Q. Are Fleet Carriers manually controlled from a bridge?
A. No, Fleet Carriers are not manually piloted by the player and instead, manned by a Deck Officer who helps oversee the operations and running of the Fleet Carrier crew and services.
Q. Now we REALLY need space-legs. Will there be a "Bridge view"?
Q. Can a Fleet Carrier go into Supercruise?
A. Fleet Carriers do not use Supercruise to travel, and instead use Hyperspace Jumps to navigate through the galaxy.
Q. So I guess neutron-boosting is out of the question? Can't I even move my carrier to orbit another planet in-system? The one with the juicy rings? Micro-jumps?
Q. If the market onboard can be set by the player, what happens if the player decides to sell narcotics etc. and then jumps to a system where they are illegal?
A. It is up to the Fleet Carrier owner if they would like to sell and buy goods that are illegal in that system. Although the Fleet Carrier itself will not get into trouble for selling illegal goods, any ships caught carrying illegal goods can be caught by the System Authority surrounding the Fleet Carrier
Q. Can the owner allow trade in certain illegal items, but not others (e.g. narcotics OK, but no slaves)?
Q. Can I open a Black Market on my Fleet Carrier?
A. Yes, Fleet Carriers have an additional service that allows Commanders to trade stolen goods.
Q. As above: Can specific commodities be allowed/excluded?
They get the same content as everyone else and are getting the December update for free
