Game Mechanics NEEDED Before 3.0!

[Histarium]

Below is a laundry list of concepts and game mechanics this game desperately needs before we go into a new expansion. Things I would personally, and what others have mentioned to me, like to see added in 2.4

(please vote on the poll and help me stand in protest to Frontier Developments! Its time they fixed the below things.)

-Social Hub in Stations
the ability to form wings, see who is looking for groups, or whose interested in doing content with you in station. This would include the ability to trade exploration data, post and share exploration bookmarks. Including the ability to trade goods or credits with friends. Generally A tab or area within a station that makes it easier to form a Wing instead of shouting in /say that you need a wing for the Community Goal.

-Elimination of Nav Beacons/Compromised Nav Beacons PVE Mechanics
Getting rid of Nav Becons as a whole in favor of more dynamic and engaging pve / bounty hunter combat mechanics. The creation of Live Events that broadcast on your navigation Panel much like the Nav Beacon. IE, Distress Beacons by a wing of haulers being attacked by pirates. System Security Placing a Navigation Beacon for "Combat Help Needed" Much like the Combat Zones, but once all waves of enemies are routed or destroyed, the beacon disappears for everyone in Open Play and in that system. In Example, taking Community Goal Missions and making them happen more random and spontaneous. Smaller CG like events that play out in popular systems or at random in low trafficked ones. Much like the already implemented USS's but with more frequency and less Oriented to the CMDR individually.

-Exploration Mechanics/ Buying and Selling Exploration Data to players.
Everyone has already commented on the massive lack of gameplay mechanics (not content) that Exploration needs. IE, Better scanning, and such. There isnt much I cant say that already hasnt been said. However, I would like the ability for non-explorer pilots to automatically buy exploration data that Explorers have submitted on a planet. This would allow Miners and Combat oriented Pilots the ability to see into a neighboring system that is marked as Unknown for them, For a fee (depending on if they want a detailed scan or not) they can then see into that system and not have to be bothered with exploring it themselves. This way, you are not FORCED to explore for certain PVE Missions given by Factions near Unknown Inhabited Systems.

Also, the ability to scan/ get credits from finding rare alien plants and geysers. Another CMDR mentioned its like "Low Hanging Fruit" so please Frontier, add this in.

-Better Market and Trade Tools
I think many who do trading would gladly appreciate something like a tracker of assets to see where a commodity was purchased and for how much credits. More information on the Commodities while viewing it in your Inventory would be appreciated. Also the optional graph to show your expenses over time would be helpful. I realize that having Market Data graphs for stations might not work out seeing as the computer can very easily trade with itself and some stations stay at about or equal to the value that a commodity is always bought and sold for. However, another idea would be to highlight all systems in an area, with the purchase of trade data, that sell a particular commodity. Its a tad sad, and takes me away from the immersion when I must use a third party website to find something I need.

-Archeology and Crashed Shipwrecks give Read-able Lore/Credits to Earn
I would like to see Giant ship wrecks, old world artifacts (Such as evidence of space exploration by explorers in the year 3000 and on) These things could have things like black boxes or data to scan that would give you a snipit of lore from previous years of the games universe. History. Some people like it, add more in with game Mechanics! Use USS's and Planetary Randomly Generated Content to do this. When scanned, you also get credits if sold back to a station. Perhaps an Engineer in the future for Sensor Range and other modules that likes history?


DISCLAIMER: Why isnt this in Suggestions?Because The Suggestions Thread is where Ideas and Suggestions go to die. These things above are not suggestions, but more a cry for more mechanics more depth and quality of life features within the game.

 

[Mole HD]

Interesting poll...I picked the usual suspects currently in vogue [yesnod]

Basically, I just want to find stuff connecting...something.... rather than merely imagine something is there in the 399.999 billion blank pages of a book that is ED.

 

[BostromNZ]

Do you mean nav beacons or USSs?

 

[Histarium]

Do you mean nav beacons or USSs?

Nav Beacons. USS's are what we should have instead of sitting at a Nav or Compromised Nav Beacon for bounty hunting on long stints. Its the easiest way to make money as a bounty hunter. That and Hazardous Resource Extraction Sites, but I think those should be left alone.

 

[Archvillain]

Giant shipwrecks with readable lore and loot are already in the game. The one I found was a recent ship that had gone missing and was being searched for, rather than something ancient, (though I've found a site of older lore too) but my guess is that every update now includes a few more hand-crafted mini-puzzles and persistent POIs, accumulating over time into a richer galaxy.

Market and trade tools have been incrementally improving for a long time, hopefully that won't stop, but maybe it will continue to be incremental...
I'd prefer to keep nav-beacons - they have a genuinely useful function (a way to obtain nav-data when you don't have a scanner) and work nicely thematically. FDev can add PvE mechanics without removing good features that are already working.
Social hub is a pretty major undertaking, it might have to be the flagship feature of a quarterly release. They might also be holding off on that until space-legs are in? (It seems like those features would fit each other)
I have a hunch more exploration stuff is coming, but I also have a hunch it will take years to build exploration into the depth of game we want

 

[Sasquatch_Punter]

I didn't choose any, but I think one element is crucial at this point in development: roleplaying.

That is, features that aid players in roleplaying, whether it's by expanded NPC interaction or by player-character profiles that can be displayed and accessed by other players, NPC-character profiles, ship naming, cockpit enhancements, persistent faction relations that remember past actions (ie. you'll be treated poorly according to the faction state/government if you have a history of pirating in the sector), etc...

Features that bring more human presence into the game are also crucial. Station comms were such a hit, it's hart to ignore the effect that update had on players. They should roll out some NPC voice comms to expand on that.

 

[Histarium]

Giant shipwrecks with readable lore and loot are already in the game. The one I found was a recent ship that had gone missing and was being searched for, rather than something ancient, but my guess/hope is that every update now includes a few more hand-crafted persistent POIs and mini-puzzles, accumulating over time into a richer galaxy.

Market and trade tools have been incrementally improving for a long time, hopefully that won't stop, but maybe it will continue to be incremental...
I'd prefer to keep nav-beacons - they have a genuinely useful function (a way to get nav-data when you don't have a scanner) and are nice thematically. FDev can add PvE mechanics without removing good features that are already working.
Social hub is a pretty major undertaking, it might have to be the flagship feature of a quarterly release. They might also be holding off on that until space-legs are in? (It seems like those features would fit each other)
I have a hunch more exploration stuff is coming, but I also have a hunch it will take years to build exploration into the depth of game we want

The problem with this is that those ARE handcrafted and sometimes you need to be a little bit insane to find them. "Hey guys! FDev here! We put a Derelict ruins in the game! Go find it!" Players- "Uh... any hints? theres literally 2 billion places it could be." "Fdev here again! NOPE HAVE FUN!"

Im asking for non-persistent ones that are easier to find and more abundant. Every planet having some procedurally generated ship ruins you can get credits for finding, but maybe not all of them on every planet has lore. Currently you can find things, even "System Security Forces" on planets thousands of LY from Sol, but it does absolutely nothing for you as a player to have found these things. The only thing we have currently is Crashed Nav Beacons and Crashed Probes. Also, there is not ship wrecks or POI's like this in space, or atleast, there are but most of them, to gain credits, you'll need a cargo hold, then sell salvage goods back to a station. Im asking for procedurally generated Data Nodes "Black Boxes" in ship wrecks outside, in, near, and around the bubble. There should be something to do in every system with Procedural Generation.

Its something Iv noted on my 2, and working on 3rd, trip to Colonia. Its boring, mundane, and after about 10,000 LY you start to really hate yourself because you have the same distance to go both ways. Your so far from actual gameplay mechanics other than "Honking" stars that its almost stupid to call it a game. Its less of a game and more like Google Maps 3303 in 3D with the occasional honking or scanning of an ELW or Amonia World.

 

[Scarmax]

How about none of the above.

 

[Archvillain]

The problem with this is that those ARE handcrafted and sometimes you need to be a little bit insane to find them. "Hey guys! FDev here! We put a Derelict ruins in the game! Go find it!" Players- "Uh... any hints? theres literally 2 billion places it could be." "Fdev here again! NOPE HAVE FUN!"

You want computer-generated lore?

No, handcrafted things to discover is a GOOD thing. The BEST thing! Your objection is to being the early days when there are so far only dozens of mini-mysteries and the clues are sparse. Give it some time and this should accumulate into a galaxy peppered with little nuggets and opportunities. I've already once ignored a clue that the game handed to me on a silver platter because I was too busy doing other things. I expect over time that will become more the norm and we'll have a game where we can pick and choose what we want to investigate

 

[Histarium]

You want computer-generated lore?

No, handcrafted things to discover is a GOOD thing. The BEST thing! Your objection is to being the early days when there are so far only dozens of mini-mysteries and the clues are sparse. Give it some time and this should accumulate into a galaxy peppered with little nuggets and opportunities. I've already once ignored a clue that the game handed to me on a silver platter because I was too busy doing other things. I expect over time that will become more the norm and we'll have a game where we can pick and choose what we want to investigate

Lore handcrafted, but hidden in procedurally generated black boxes. Meaning, You can find Chapter 1 of: Captain Jack The Pirates Adventures. by reading some lower ranked pirate who worked under him and crashed his ship or got blown up. AND you can find this in certain types of systems not just a single place with single coordinates. Then eventually find a persistent POI of Captain Jacks Anaconda that was destoryed or something, but each peice UP to that is procedurally generated hints scattered everywhere so its easier to find the end goal.

All Im asking for is lore that we few who are older and cant be bothered sinking 20-30 even 40 hours into a game in less than a few days to find something. I spent a good 30 hours trying to find these Ancient Alien Ruins and people found a handful during that span of time. Needless to say, my patience wavered and I gave up, to go do other more INTERESTING things. Like continue gaining Exploration Rank and Credits for an Explor-a-conda.

 

[Thetele]

-Social Hub in Stations
the ability to form wings, see who is looking for groups, or whose interested in doing content with you in station. This would include the ability to trade exploration data, post and share exploration bookmarks. Including the ability to trade goods or credits with friends. Generally A tab or area within a station that makes it easier to form a Wing instead of shouting in /say that you need a wing for the Community Goal.

I long time thought about to suggest meeting rooms to be added with 2.3. Rooms at stations could be started by any CMDR and named (room would be its own instance and not in station instance). Then players docked at station could join the room (with their avatar if they are docked at same station or as hologram if at other station). There could be rooms for 4-16 players that are circle room with chairs on edge and player who lead/speak stand in the middle, something like this:

Spoiler

Then maybe bigger rooms like for 100-200 players. It would be its own instance so no need for calculation/data for npcs or what happens around players. Just information that contain blueprint for avatar and seat number that avatar sits on+plus text chat and voip. Only simple data need to be transferred and maybe as need for this would be pretty small they could host them on dedicated server and not on p2p.

Spoiler

Simple feature so player factions could hold their meetings in game in room where they can get a lot of people at same time etc. Would be pretty epic, and simple to do

 

[Julio Montega]

Where are the options for:

- ingame hud coloration sliders
- job rework and deep mechanics
- dynamic mission generation (steal goods, generate mission to drop them for premiums)
- support for two stages triggers on joysticks
- tertiary firegroups for helm
- back to the roots combat dynamics (kill def meta)
- scanning in SC (KWS/Cargo manifest)

???
???

 

[Crimson Kaim]

Exploration content .. DEPTH. Urgently! I literally just became the PvPer I am today because exploration was so plain boring which made me abandon it and moving over to combat.

 

[LeoBartlet]

Social hubs?

If I wanted to be social I wouldnt be in solo 100% of my game time!

 

[Mengy]

I voted for exploration mechanics. Looks like I'm not alone and am in fantastic and plentiful company. Wonder why....

 

[Furinkazan]

A proper planetary scanner.
Planetary waypoints.
Planetary mining.
New SRV's.
Actual military careers.
Alliance ships.

and please, pretty please, as an Xbox CMDR, let me change HUD colour.

 

[LeoBartlet]

A proper planetary scanner.
Planetary waypoints.
Planetary mining.
New SRV's.
Actual military careers.
Alliance ships.

and please, pretty please, as an Xbox CMDR, let me change HUD colour.

All sounded reasonable until you got to Alliance ships.

Now thats crazy talk.

 

[Blackcompany]

More Exploration Mechanics. I want to be able to just go out into the Black. But we need:

-Worthwhile things to SEE out there. Planets to land on. Alien animal life. Wreckage. Explorer Caches we can supply or take from. Missions around these things.

-Scanners to find things on planets: Isolate mineral deposits. Pinpoint POI with proactive, engaging, interactive scanning.

-Collect Gas Giant and Soil samples.

-Exploration Probes: Can be Synthesized. Launching a Probe conveys all your Exploration data collected to date back to the bubble and gets you paid (with a travel delay).

-A GUARANTEE that Explorers will not get hosed with updates and be FORCED to return to the bubble in order to get new stuff every update.

Exploration needs to be interactive, engaging and fun. It needs to be something we DO, not something we WATCH.

 

[GJ51]

I'd be real happy if some day I could actually send a successful text chat within the game when I see one of my friends log on...

Gee, I guess I should be patient, like, it's only been a little over 2 years.

 

[Mordeth Kai]

Below is a laundry list of concepts and game mechanics this game desperately needs before we go into a new expansion. Things I would personally, and what others have mentioned to me, like to see added in 2.4

(please vote on the poll and help me stand in protest to Frontier Developments! Its time they fixed the below things.)

-Social Hub in Stations
the ability to form wings, see who is looking for groups, or whose interested in doing content with you in station. This would include the ability to trade exploration data, post and share exploration bookmarks. Including the ability to trade goods or credits with friends. Generally A tab or area within a station that makes it easier to form a Wing instead of shouting in /say that you need a wing for the Community Goal.

-Elimination of Nav Beacons/Compromised Nav Beacons PVE Mechanics
Getting rid of Nav Becons as a whole in favor of more dynamic and engaging pve / bounty hunter combat mechanics. The creation of Live Events that broadcast on your navigation Panel much like the Nav Beacon. IE, Distress Beacons by a wing of haulers being attacked by pirates. System Security Placing a Navigation Beacon for "Combat Help Needed" Much like the Combat Zones, but once all waves of enemies are routed or destroyed, the beacon disappears for everyone in Open Play and in that system. In Example, taking Community Goal Missions and making them happen more random and spontaneous. Smaller CG like events that play out in popular systems or at random in low trafficked ones. Much like the already implemented USS's but with more frequency and less Oriented to the CMDR individually.

-Exploration Mechanics/ Buying and Selling Exploration Data to players.
Everyone has already commented on the massive lack of gameplay mechanics (not content) that Exploration needs. IE, Better scanning, and such. There isnt much I cant say that already hasnt been said. However, I would like the ability for non-explorer pilots to automatically buy exploration data that Explorers have submitted on a planet. This would allow Miners and Combat oriented Pilots the ability to see into a neighboring system that is marked as Unknown for them, For a fee (depending on if they want a detailed scan or not) they can then see into that system and not have to be bothered with exploring it themselves. This way, you are not FORCED to explore for certain PVE Missions given by Factions near Unknown Inhabited Systems.

Also, the ability to scan/ get credits from finding rare alien plants and geysers. Another CMDR mentioned its like "Low Hanging Fruit" so please Frontier, add this in.

-Better Market and Trade Tools
I think many who do trading would gladly appreciate something like a tracker of assets to see where a commodity was purchased and for how much credits. More information on the Commodities while viewing it in your Inventory would be appreciated. Also the optional graph to show your expenses over time would be helpful. I realize that having Market Data graphs for stations might not work out seeing as the computer can very easily trade with itself and some stations stay at about or equal to the value that a commodity is always bought and sold for. However, another idea would be to highlight all systems in an area, with the purchase of trade data, that sell a particular commodity. Its a tad sad, and takes me away from the immersion when I must use a third party website to find something I need.

-Archeology and Crashed Shipwrecks give Read-able Lore/Credits to Earn
I would like to see Giant ship wrecks, old world artifacts (Such as evidence of space exploration by explorers in the year 3000 and on) These things could have things like black boxes or data to scan that would give you a snipit of lore from previous years of the games universe. History. Some people like it, add more in with game Mechanics! Use USS's and Planetary Randomly Generated Content to do this. When scanned, you also get credits if sold back to a station. Perhaps an Engineer in the future for Sensor Range and other modules that likes history?


DISCLAIMER: Why isnt this in Suggestions?Because The Suggestions Thread is where Ideas and Suggestions go to die. These things above are not suggestions, but more a cry for more mechanics more depth and quality of life features within the game.

Forgot to include "Complete re-balance of pay for all given tasks from exploration and mining to missions and combat". That tops my list of what needs attention most.