How to promote/reinvigorate smaller ship usage amongst the billionaires?

[NeilF]

So when's the last time you did any serious gameplay in a Cobra Mk3?


Ship specific missions? - So you have to deliver cargo (a passenger?) to a location in ship type X? Ideally this would be a nice new chained missions so a good number of elements all have to be done in the ship.

Ship specific conflict zones? - You have to defend/attack an area in a specific ship(s) class. If you're not in that ship class you aren't on a side (can't choose a side).

Ship specific CGs? You need to be in a specific ship(s) to contribute. eg: If the combat bonds or cargo you hand in has "touched" (ever existed in) a different class of ship, it doesn't count.

Of course stealth missions envisage back in Kickstarter days would have probably have rewarded smaller ship usage. ie: Sneaking through asteroid fields trying to go undetected, to get to a location to scan it, or take out a specific target. But stealth gameplay unfortunately never really made it...

The trick would be obviously to make what ever you have to do interesting/rewarding enough to use one of the smaller ships (again).

Any other ideas?


ps: I do wonder sometimes what ED would have worked out like if we all could only have had Cobra Mk3s which could then have been modified in different ways...

 

[TERMINATRIXXX]

Doesn't make sense, except smaller landing pads, to use this outdated ship.
It's made for lowlifes, isn't it?

 

[CMDR acutefrenzy]

So when's the last time you did any serious gameplay in a Cobra Mk3?


Ship specific missions? - So you have to deliver cargo (a passenger?) to a location in ship type X? Ideally this would be a nice new chained missions so a good number of elements all have to be done in the ship.

Ship specific conflict zones? - You have to defend/attack an area in a specific ship(s) class. If you're not in that ship class you aren't on a side (can't choose a side).

Ship specific CGs? You need to be in a specific ship(s) to contribute. eg: If the combat bonds or cargo you hand in has "touched" (ever existed in) a different class of ship, it doesn't count.

Of course stealth missions envisage back in Kickstarter days would have probably have rewarded smaller ship usage. ie: Sneaking through asteroid fields trying to go undetected, to get to a location to scan it, or take out a specific target. But stealth gameplay unfortunately never really made it...

The trick would be obviously to make what ever you have to do interesting/rewarding enough to use one of the smaller ships (again).

Any other ideas?


ps: I do wonder sometimes what ED would have worked out like if we all could only have had Cobra Mk3s which could then have been modified in different ways...

I'm not a billionaire, but my MkIII is my goto ship for pretty much anything at the moment. I prefer it for bounty hunting to my Vulture.

 

[Deadspin]

The only ship left I want is a Gunship and I won't bother with the grind for the last rank requirement until I get back to the bubble.

Aside from that, I'm ditching this space whale of an Anaconda as soon as I've regained my sanity.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

So when's the last time you did any serious gameplay in a Cobra Mk3?
…

In a Cobra Mk3? Months ago. In a DBX: yesterday. In a DBS: two days ago.

More things that require small ships would be nice, but there are a lot of things a player can do with a small ship.

Regarding your PS. It would have been a much more balanced game. The game would be definitely more fun (for me) with only small ships (not just the Cobra Mk3).

 

[Siobhan]

Just wipe everyone's save in 3.0 (assuming they can get rid of the exploits by then)

 

[GW42]

I've not visited them myself but understand some of the CQC based assets introduced in 2.2/2.3 have internal areas, which presumably limit the physical size of ships which can get in.

So any mission/gameplay requiring you to access those areas would inevitably restrict you to smaller ships.

Indeed, a physical size limitation like that could even make be designed to make it easier in the smallest ships, i.e. you could fit a cobra in (just), but a Sidewinder would have a lot more wiggle room

 

[Deleted member 110222]

Just wipe everyone's save in 3.0 (assuming they can get rid of the exploits by then)

That would be awesome. But the salt here would be biblical.

That said, actually, yes. Remove credit farms then wipe all saves.

 

[Conch]

Just wipe everyone's save in 3.0 (assuming they can get rid of the exploits by then)

sure, say it like its nothing..

 

[Siobhan]

sure, say it like its nothing..

It is nothing.

 

[CMDR L0wlander]

Being a multi-billionaire I find the title of your post a bit strange. I own but also fly all kinds of ships, from small to large, depending on my needs and what I feel like flying. I actually did fly my Cobra recently, because it's IMO the best multi-role ship for small landing pads, and nobody blocks the only medium sized pad on an outpost when you try to dock. (that is already a great reason to fly the mkIII!) It's wrong to assume that people who can afford all the big ships, will only fly the big ships. That is absolutely not the case. Not for me, nor any other "billionaire" I know

 

[Stealthie]

Said it before; I'd make it so that certain systems just flat-out don't allow larger, more powerful ships.
They could sell it with some story about how a history of war and violence has led to individuals being banned from owning powerful ships.
Which will, in itself, create some gameplay by giving people the option of taking large ships into those systems and risking being interdicted and attacked or complying with the laws in those systems.

Once you do that you create an environment where small ships are "where it's at" and people who want to go to those places will have to use small ships.
And then, of course, you have to put things IN those systems to encourage people to visit them.
Maybe have asteroid-bases that only have small platforms but mine things like the 3 Ps and perhaps even diamonds?
That'd make it worthwhile for people to build small mining/trading ships and small combat/cargo ships for piracy.

*EDIT*

FWIW, I'm currently running data delivery missions around Niu Hsing in an engineerer iEagle, just for the fun of it.
If I'm gonna be spending my time delivering people's mail, I might as well do it in a Lamborghini.

 

[Fishy]

SLF-style docking facilities with repair/rearm on CZ capships would be neat for a start. Either only for small ships or small/med, with fatties having to find their own station.

 

[NeilF]

Being a multi-billionaire I find the title of your post a bit strange. I own but also fly all kinds of ships, from small to large, depending on my needs and what I feel like flying. I actually did fly my Cobra recently, because it's IMO the best multi-role ship for small landing pads, and nobody blocks the only medium sized pad on an outpost when you try to dock. (that is already a great reason to fly the mkIII!) It's wrong to assume that people who can afford all the big ships, will only fly the big ships. That is absolutely not the case.

So you see no merit in the OP? Missions rewarding a specific ship's usage? Combat zones/scenarios to pit a specific ship type against each other?

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

Doesn't make sense, except smaller landing pads, to use this outdated ship.
It's made for lowlifes, isn't it?

This lowlife and his Cobra MkIII wishes you had a PC just to fly circles around which ever lumbering space hulk you plod around in!

 

[TERMINATRIXXX]

So you see no merit in the OP? Missions rewarding a specific ship's usage? Combat zones/scenarios to pit a specific ship type against each other?

What will happen? Most people will use those with the highest payout. Thanks for introducing another useless idea.

- - - Updated - - -

This lowlife and his Cobra MkIII wishes you had a PC just to fly circles around which ever lumbering space hulk you plod around in!

Awwww......i might come in my griefwinder. *does smiling count?

 

[CptXabaras]

So when's the last time you did any serious gameplay in a Cobra Mk3?


Ship specific missions? - So you have to deliver cargo (a passenger?) to a location in ship type X? Ideally this would be a nice new chained missions so a good number of elements all have to be done in the ship.

Ship specific conflict zones? - You have to defend/attack an area in a specific ship(s) class. If you're not in that ship class you aren't on a side (can't choose a side).

Ship specific CGs? You need to be in a specific ship(s) to contribute. eg: If the combat bonds or cargo you hand in has "touched" (ever existed in) a different class of ship, it doesn't count.

Of course stealth missions envisage back in Kickstarter days would have probably have rewarded smaller ship usage. ie: Sneaking through asteroid fields trying to go undetected, to get to a location to scan it, or take out a specific target. But stealth gameplay unfortunately never really made it...

The trick would be obviously to make what ever you have to do interesting/rewarding enough to use one of the smaller ships (again).

Any other ideas?


ps: I do wonder sometimes what ED would have worked out like if we all could only have had Cobra Mk3s which could then have been modified in different ways...

Yesterday,

I'm enjoying modding a Cobra 3 and flying it

 

[Deleted member 115407]

So when's the last time you did any serious gameplay in a Cobra Mk3?

Billionaire here. The answer is "nearly every play session". If I'm not stacking haulage missions or mining, you can generally find me buzzing around in a Viper IV (though I have nearly all of the combat-capable, small ships).

I find flying small ships plenty rewarding. Assassination missions and Bounty Hunting in my Viper are some of my favorite in-game activities. CZ's are a blast in small ships.

Oh, and I'll leave this here for reference (and to gloat )...

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...nty-Hunting)?p=5303972&viewfull=1#post5303972

 

[RandomGun]

I don't know. Perhaps. It might feel a bit forced. Changing ship is somewhat painful too (My ships are all over the bubble; I have no home.)

Maybe the mission giver could provide the ship. "Fly undercover in this tin can" or "Fly as a decoy in this known ship" or "We need to ship these 500 items, but our pilot has disappeared." And of course: "Don't steal the ship or face serious consequences."

 

[Deleted member 115407]

The only ship left I want is a Gunship and I won't bother with the grind for the last rank requirement until I get back to the bubble.

Aside from that, I'm ditching this space whale of an Anaconda as soon as I've regained my sanity.

Excellent decision.