[Fleet Carriers] Exploration Fixes/suggestion

[Crackensan]

OK, so, there's a significant uproar from the Exploration community (myself included) about carriers. They seem, at the moment, literally useful for miners, minor combat applications, traders aannnnndd...... that's it.

So, what do we get out of it? Well, nothing, other than a 5 billion credit sink with another 10 million + in upkeep costs that explorer's have no way of reasonably making while in "The Middle of Godsdamned Nowhere". Our gameplay loop, our preferred game play loop, is go to some unmarked place on the galaxy map, poke around, and sell our discoveries to the Universal Cartographics people for $$$$$$$.

And before you argue that we can use the carrier to make money with people trading with it, let me ask you, kind sir or m'am, who is out in the middle of nowhere visiting my carrier, and what's the worth of a Low Temp. Diamond 7k LY from the bubble? Honest answers? No one unless it's established by the Rats/Hull Seals and the credit value is close to, if not ZERO that far away from civilization, and even less if you're mapping the Abyss near Beagle Pointe

So how do we, and can we, make this something for explorer's that's a viable way to at least break even on maintenance costs? I'm sure there is, and here is how you do it!

Exploration Module
Initial Cost:50,000,000
Upkeep: 2,500,000
BENEFITS:

1. Universal Cartographics Link Up (Data credit goes to the Pilot's Federation) ***
2. Expanded Fuel Storage (to 4,000t additional)
3. Lowered Jump Cooldown (30 minute spool up, 30 minute down time)

RESTRICTIONS:

1. You can no longer sell ships and modules from the shipyard module
2. You can no longer store commodities and/or mine-able minerals (Panite, Low Temp Diamonds, Void Opals, etc)
3. Shipyard is restricted to storage of the OWNER'S Ships (up to 16), one ship of another player (up to 16) [This is a total of 32 ships stored on the carrier, 16 of the Owner's ships and 16 other player ships - I'M A BUS], repair and refuel for all players who dock with the Carrier.

This solves every problem the exploration community has with the carrier, and at the same time, restricts the module to those who want to be out in the middle of no where with a mobile base. It's a module for literally one gameplay loop and makes it 100% useless for anyone else, so it's not at all OP (I mean, imagine being able to jump that quickly with your standard carrier with all the goodies at present. That'd be OP as well with the current iteration and information at hand).

***Credits earned in this way are at an 80% of their full value - to get maximum payout you would still need to go back to the bubble to sell at a station. This just allows us crazy folks who want to stay away from the bubble to do so and keep going. It should also be noted that data sold in this way does not raise the influence of the Pilot's Federation in any of the systems it controls.

Explorer's still have to mine for fuel. We still have to scout for icey rings and mine for fuel. I will concede that part of the maintenance; but it allows us what we explorer's hoped the Fleet Carrier to be; a mobile home away from home.

 

[Mengy]

It really doesn't need to be that complicated, nor do explorers need the restrictions you have listed.


The simple solution is the best one: Just have a Stellar Cartography module available for Fleet Carriers.


There, one and done, simple. Just allow people to play how they want to. Adding SC to a carrier won't break the game nor would it be unbalanced in any way whatsoever.

 

[Crackensan]

It really doesn't need to be that complicated, nor do explorers need the restrictions you have listed.


The simple solution is the best one: Just have a Stellar Cartography module available for Fleet Carriers.


There, one and done, simple. Just allow people to play how they want to. Adding SC to a carrier won't break the game nor would it be unbalanced in any way whatsoever.

You are probably correct; but the restrictions were put in to "Think Like FDev".