Hi,
I've had this idea for awhile now, but until recently I wasn't sure how to voice it.
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Imagine A is the station you have begun at to receive a mission.
... = no path
__ = a path from one system to another
/ or \ = a jump
any letter = a station
IMPORTANT:
\ or / lead both ways
- this is because any two stations lead to one another if they are systems next to each other
- due to this a player can end up in an infinite loop; rating only just between two systems because the game doesn't plot missions towards the wider bubble
Probable Cause of This Mission-Pathing Issue:
The game started out with a much smaller Bubble. As new systems were expended into those systems were renamed with the names of Kickstarter Backers (so I'm told). This meant that the 'original bubble' isn't connecting up with the 'expansion regions'.
- thus, sort of like in an array, the pointers are leading from A to B to C. Somewhere the 'path' got cut off.
Here's my idea of a more healthy Trade Mission Network:
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....W__..........................................................................______________________B___________D.......
..../......\.................Z____________A________________/__________________C__/................................
.../........\__Y_____/.........................\J.................................\__E_____________/..\_____G...................
.V.................\__X.................................................................\I....................................\_______F........
...\.............................................................................................................................................\_H....
.../.....................................................................................................................................................
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Possibly the reason our large ships have no use is because we need to chart out where "paths" through the "linked" areas of the missions systems have become "broken". That is, the missions are no longer tying into the rest of the game. Station A leads to Station B, maybe on quite far to H, etc... but then the "path" terminates.
It's probably very hard for FD to realize where these things are since our CGs are actually creating new stations all the time complicating an already complex problem. If we could make a database of how these are all linked up we could greatly enrich the game by determining where the breaks are.
Ultimately what we would be able to do with this is create a "Long loop" such that Traders could move from Station A to Z to A without discovering themselves suddenly in a region of space that's just sending them from G to H and back to G.
I don't think there's any argument that this would vastly improve the missions. It would even make the low price of current missions more appropriate since a large ship could actually then be filled up for these long hauls. This would also have the aesthetic benefit of allowing new and old players to see more of the occupied universe of Elite Dangerous. But as I say, I think this is something we'd have to do because it is really going to be something continuously evolving.
Extension:
It might also be a good idea (if anyone knows how to do this) to try to see what Commodities could be picked up Independent of Missions. This is more of a short-term solution of creating a network of interlocking "long run" trade routes for players to experience the fullness of the game.
So far I've been mapping out just the Federal Systems, but I'd really imagine for this to work the players would want to travel both the Empire, Alliance, and Federal territories. In doing this they'd gain the benefit of Naval Ranks and Local Reputations across the whole of Elite without becoming stuck with a 'mouse on a wheel' experience such as is currently occurring.
Alright, that's it.
Thanks!
I've had this idea for awhile now, but until recently I wasn't sure how to voice it.
...............................................................................................................
..........................................______________________B___________D.......
..........A________________/__________________C__/................................
............\J.................................\__E_____________/..\_____G...................
.................................................\I....................................\_______F........
......................................................................................................\H.....
...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
Imagine A is the station you have begun at to receive a mission.
... = no path
__ = a path from one system to another
/ or \ = a jump
any letter = a station
IMPORTANT:
\ or / lead both ways
- this is because any two stations lead to one another if they are systems next to each other
- due to this a player can end up in an infinite loop; rating only just between two systems because the game doesn't plot missions towards the wider bubble
Probable Cause of This Mission-Pathing Issue:
The game started out with a much smaller Bubble. As new systems were expended into those systems were renamed with the names of Kickstarter Backers (so I'm told). This meant that the 'original bubble' isn't connecting up with the 'expansion regions'.
- thus, sort of like in an array, the pointers are leading from A to B to C. Somewhere the 'path' got cut off.
Here's my idea of a more healthy Trade Mission Network:
.........................................................................................................................................................
....W__..........................................................................______________________B___________D.......
..../......\.................Z____________A________________/__________________C__/................................
.../........\__Y_____/.........................\J.................................\__E_____________/..\_____G...................
.V.................\__X.................................................................\I....................................\_______F........
...\.............................................................................................................................................\_H....
.../.....................................................................................................................................................
../.......................................................................................................................................................
Possibly the reason our large ships have no use is because we need to chart out where "paths" through the "linked" areas of the missions systems have become "broken". That is, the missions are no longer tying into the rest of the game. Station A leads to Station B, maybe on quite far to H, etc... but then the "path" terminates.
It's probably very hard for FD to realize where these things are since our CGs are actually creating new stations all the time complicating an already complex problem. If we could make a database of how these are all linked up we could greatly enrich the game by determining where the breaks are.
Ultimately what we would be able to do with this is create a "Long loop" such that Traders could move from Station A to Z to A without discovering themselves suddenly in a region of space that's just sending them from G to H and back to G.
I don't think there's any argument that this would vastly improve the missions. It would even make the low price of current missions more appropriate since a large ship could actually then be filled up for these long hauls. This would also have the aesthetic benefit of allowing new and old players to see more of the occupied universe of Elite Dangerous. But as I say, I think this is something we'd have to do because it is really going to be something continuously evolving.
Extension:
It might also be a good idea (if anyone knows how to do this) to try to see what Commodities could be picked up Independent of Missions. This is more of a short-term solution of creating a network of interlocking "long run" trade routes for players to experience the fullness of the game.
So far I've been mapping out just the Federal Systems, but I'd really imagine for this to work the players would want to travel both the Empire, Alliance, and Federal territories. In doing this they'd gain the benefit of Naval Ranks and Local Reputations across the whole of Elite without becoming stuck with a 'mouse on a wheel' experience such as is currently occurring.
Alright, that's it.
Thanks!
Last edited:
