Improving Reasons to Play, Exploration Probitted to Asp: III Areas

[Atebits]

Some friends got me into this game during the last Steam sale. I've already written some about the reasons I found this game challenging to get into, but as there is a suggestions thread I'd like to write a bit more.

The game is superbly made. I'd strongly argue for this game over Star Citizen without any hesitation. However, this game is a lot like EVE in many respects. This fact can be wonderful if you're into a spreadsheet lifestyle for your gaming experience, but desire the control of something like Valkyrie (EVE's version of joystick control). The amount of lore coming from Galnet, various official and officially supported webpages, and community pleasure in putting forth videos - as with Distant Worlds to the Unknown Artifacts - makes the game entertaining to hear about even if you aren't playing. As example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE8N96U_SXQ

All of this speaks very highly of the game. Unfortunately, while watching others play and playing myself it occurred to me and continues to occur to me, the game development has gotten ahead of itself.

Ships are largely defined by their functionality. Very little aesthetic attention defines the popularity of a ship. This is probably for the best, but utility is just as wanting as aesthetic presentation when it comes to diversity. Simply stated, "There are not enough ships."

I'm paying close attention to the ships seem in Distant Worlds and those making the large treks to such areas as Sagittarius A. What I have found is that most ships have been used, but their utilization comes with powerful constraints on the player who uses them.

Anacanda
Asp Explorer
Type-9 Heavy
Diamondback Explorer
Vulture

These are the most commonly seen ships video after video. When investigating what made these players choose this or that ship Aesthetics ranks last. Surprisingly, so does utility. What's causing such a list to emerge then?
- The Cockpit
Universally, various people like this or that cockpit more than another.

Second to this is ship response and control.
- Ship response and control
Many players seem to be choosing the ships they fly based on their preference of how their ship handles in this or that aspect of flight.

Outfitting
- Outfitting
Nothing really needs to be explained here. Players seem to put this in a strong third place for their determination of ship to fly. The more slots of outfitting a ship has the more a player is able to do as they please with this.

___________
With this information above there now comes the general problem with ships as they currently are. Player preference is going to fall down the line between: Cockpit, Ship response and control, and Outfitting. However, the game only rewards you for buying an Asp Explorer. There's no good reason for this except that:

Advanced Discovery Scanner
Detailed Surface Scanner
Standard Docking Computer

... are all placed inappropriately. These are Computerized Components.
This probably worked just fine when the game launched or as some aspect of beta design. However, it's a primitive design that doesn't allow versatility in the choosing of ships besides the Asp Explorer.

A simple fix to this would be to clump these three components into a new TAB or Category in the Outfitting menu: Hardpoints, Computer Systems, Internal, Livery.
All of the disadvantages already applied could remain exactly the same.

The advantage would be that those hard points currently occupied [at least two] between the three components - Scanner, Scanner, Docking Computer - would remain free for other utilities.

To clarify why this would be such a good idea is that it would allow a diversity of ships to exist as options for play that are currently snuffed by the components: Scanner, Scanner, and Docking Computer.
No serious advantages besides liberating more ships for a wider variety of operation would be given (no serious changes to the game as-is would come from this).

With Horizons out, there's no reason to play any other ship except Asp Explorer if you intend to do planetary landings, collected cargo, and do fuel scooping: a very large component of the game.

As the ships are currently designed preference, by design, inhibits new players from taking part in game content with equal modular loadout to those veterans of a year or more. Further, this the present design of ship outfitting ultimately eliminates most ships from the having any utility at all simply by the presence of the Asp Explorer.

Example:

Diamondback Explorer Loaded OUt
http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=70i,mpV0Wg0Wg0_g0_g,2-6Q6u7_5K6u5K8I,7Q44_w1IM2jw2UI

Asp Explorer
http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=70g,,2-7_8S7_6u6u8S8I,08c50U1IM0KU7Pc2jw2UI

The Asp Explorer is effectively its own team of explorers by several orders of magnitude compared to any other ship below or approximating it in price range. Those ships above it mostly come with comparable loadout oppositions furthering the point that the game is unreasonably favorable to players utilizing large ships despite very little utilitarian gain across scales as loadouts are currently designed.

The simple change of creating a new tab section and moving the scanners and docking computer into these without alteration of loadouts for ships as they are would improve the game.
- Note: The intention her is simply to move these the three components below into a new tab while retaining the ships' present loadout points otherwise:

Advanced Discovery Scanner
Detailed Surface Scanner
Standard Docking Computer

I believe this would improve the game as a whole by giving new players more to do without feeling as though they can't do enough while also providing a way for ALL players to enjoy a great utility and presence of the ships currently available without being punished.

Thanks for your time.









Ship Variety, Cockpit Variety or Customization, and additional Outloading Points

 

[DocLooshkin]

Hello, Atebits.

I think there's a degree of truth in what you've suggested. I can't say I've spent too much time in anything else, but IMHO, it does feel like the Cobra IV and Asp Explorer are far more playable than the other ships I've tried. I've not stuck with other ships for that reason. Other Commanders' experiences may vary, obviously.

As far as modules are concerned, I think the current setup is just what works for Frontier, in terms of balance, playability and the dev-time needed to keep it all maintained. As much as I like more simulationy elements, changing it all now might well be more trouble than it's worth.

If it was my free choice, I'd have three properly built-out and interconnected layers: an internal module space; a processing and control core; and an input/output layer. Space for each module would need to be allocated for all three layers and most (but not all) modules would use all three. The scanners, for example, would need secure, high-volume data-storage units, at least one control and analysis unit and an external emission and sensing system, all designed to continue functioning, despite being shot half to bits with bullets and lasers.

Perhaps we'll see some upgrades in this area at an appropriate time, but if not, I'm still reasonably happy.

 

[Atebits]

You're probably right: there's a lot to balance.

My main gripe with the game is just the incredibly narrow margin for personalization in any way. The Adder and every other ship up to the Asp Explorer is either single seat, lacking even just one more outload slot so we can add a planetary lander without sacrificing shields, auto-repair, or both. It's like FD really got into ships, but got ahead of themselves by just not taking into account "Multiplayer game".
Everything right now is heavily focused on the single-player aspect or player-vs-player. There's very little to do with the game encouraging cooperation. The players are doing that, but there's no encouragement for it within the game design. Possibly the Fuel-transfer thingies go that way and if Auto-repair bots can be used on others.
But essentially, the game is stuck with the mentality, "Get this ship, now deck it out, now sell it, and repeat. Forever after the ship before has no incentive to be revisited.

It's like to advance in the game is to simultaneously delete a ships. The game's great as long as you're interested in pvp, but if you're interested in seeing the world a bit the punishment is fast, hard, and steady.

I was thinking about some suggestions people had, like getting Horizons because it really brings a sense of depth and expansiveness to the game. Perhaps so, but not if the only ships that you can play for exploration are going to be the Asp Explorer or some larger thing basically a month out of sight for anyone not wholly committed to a fairly gruesome grind. A not rewarding gruesome grind.

If absolutely nothing else they ought to toss Planetary Landers into a separate category of ship component. Otherwise, again, you're just stuck with a terribly limited option for exploration ships.

It wouldn't hurt if they went back through and expanded cockpits for those ships more in the vein of exploration. The only ships that can look over their shoulder or above them at all are the Type-9 and Courier. Dimondback Explorer really ought to have the same canopy views as the Type-9 but instead it's just a blank boxy wall. It's less of an exploration of the galaxy and more of exploration into the cockpit of bread box. Thankfully the Asp, for once, can't be said to win here. The Asp puts two beautifully bright blue lights in your face. But the Asp comes with two seats. Not so with the Diamondback (the only ship of that mid-range class capable of approaching its jump range).

Anyway, it's very late and I feel like I'm rambling because it's late.

There just needs to be more fairness to the early game experience and more allowance for players not interested in killing one another to get on with the game.

 

[DHMeyer]

I don't think that Frontier will make special category, or indeed separate compartments, for the avionics / electronic systems (Docking Computer, Discovery Scanner, Surface Scanner). For sure it would be nice if after introducing one new module which takes an internal compartment (Hangar) and which logically should be taking an internal compartment, they have moved something to its own dedicated slot. My vote would be for the Docking Computer, as it's an avionics system (like Planetary Approach Suite, which has its own dedicated compartment) and is the least useful from the modules mentioned. It's a general purpose module, not a dedicated exploration or combat or trading one. This would also lower the ship's weight, but not that much and I think it wouldn't give too much of an advantage (slightly higher jump range, but not that much).

As for Discovery Scanner and Surface Scanner, those are used for exploration only and as such I wouldn't give them dedicated compartments, unless in a way of converting two smallest compartments of every ship into dedicated compartments for those. Which is a very bad idea. I'd rather have 2 more cargo racks in my trading ship and shield boosters / FSD interdictor / Kill warrant scanner etc. in my combat ship. I think the fact we have to compromise and make choices is good for the game.

Regarding Asp Explorer being a superior exploration ship... Well, it is its purpose after all. To be honest, it's not extremely well suited for other purposes, such as combat or trading and to get it to that superior exploration spaceship state you need to spend quite a lot of credits. Price of the ship itself is not too bad, but when you start getting A class modules with highest rating for it, things get really pricey. You could probably get a stock FDL or Python for an A-class outfitted Asp Explorer.

There are, however, other, much cheaper choices. If it's the versatility and internal compartments you want, Cobra MK4 has even more of them than Asp Explorer. It won't jump as far, but it can defend itself, you can fit inside everything you are going to need. You can even do mining surveys somewhere in deep space if you'd like. A perfect, cheap ship for thorough and relatively safe space exploration.
If you're going somewhere far and need the jump range, Lakon Type 6 will do the job. You can put inside everything you need for your trip, complete with SRV hangar, mining equipment, auto repair kit... And when you boost, it keeps the speed very well. Cheap ship, cheap outfitting, cheap repairs. Useless in combat, so you'll have to run if attacked, but in all honesty, you should probably run in Asp as well if you have lots of exploration data. But in general, it's a good ship for long journeys. Diamondback and Asp Explorers might be able to jump slighty further away, but not that much.

As for the ships being one seaters... This doesn't matter much now. And we don't know when we are going to be able to welcome other players as co-pilots. It may not even be this year. Cobras are two seaters. Then, more expensive, but doesn't Asp Scout have two seats? And Keelback is supposed to allow you to carry a fighter class ship with you so I guess it may hold some additional seat somewhere inside (not in the cockpit).

There are 29 ships currently available to players. Some of them make more sense, some make less. There are also gaps in the lineouts which probably will get filled with time. None of those ships is perfect and I think it's a good thing. Gives you something to aim for and also forces you to compromise. I think what would be nice to see at some point in the distant future would be highly specialised ships, the size of small outposts and not able to dock inside the stations.