Keep old FSD relevant with Minijump feature

[Alaska Sædelære]

Been listening to the discussions in various channels since the change. It seems that the old FSD is pretty much obsolete because SCO drives are better in every aspect, even if the SCO feature itself didn't count. Possibly the sole exception would be the pre-engineered V1, if someone preferred to keep its specific properties. Nobody I asked said otherwise.

How about giving the old FSD a little upgrade which would keep it relevant: Minijump, i.e. the ability to jump to a secondary star within a system, provided a discovery scan and minimum distance, say 100k ls.

Having these as competing alternatives would be a tough choice even for explorers who also see great advantages in SCO already. But minijump was actually envisioned and talked about already earlier, and personally I might still choose it if it were possible. Anyhow, it would make things more interesting again, wouldn't it?

 

[Robert Maynard]

I expect that the new SCO feature was introduced, at least in part, to placate those looking for mini-jumps to a degree without actually introducing mini-jumps.

 

[Alaska Sædelære]

I expect that the new SCO feature was introduced, at least in part, to placate those looking for mini-jumps to a degree without actually introducing mini-jumps.

The thought occurred to me, yes. What I mean is two points, 1) that it's unfortunate to completely outmode an existing item which you'll still have to keep functioning forever since not all players change their builds, including but not limited to those on extended breaks from the game. And 2) that competing choices always make for an interesting game.

I don't quite see logic in thinking the developer might have reservations against introducing minijumps. Possibly they thought SCO as being even more flexible and having more useful applications, which it is. Minijump however would be faster and cheaper, but for one specific application. This is why I'd like seeing both.

 

[varonica]

The thought occurred to me, yes. What I mean is two points, 1) that it's unfortunate to completely outmode an existing item which you'll still have to keep functioning forever since not all players change their builds, including but not limited to those on extended breaks from the game. And 2) that competing choices always make for an interesting game.

I don't quite see logic in thinking the developer might have reservations against introducing minijumps. Possibly they thought SCO as being even more flexible and having more useful applications, which it is. Minijump however would be faster and cheaper, but for one specific application. This is why I'd like seeing both.

But if you upgraded the old FSD to have minijumps then that would immediately outdate all the old FSD already fitted and people would have to go and buy the new/new FSD's and engineer them all over again, or are you suggesting some sort of magic that would propagate through the aeither and upgrade the drives already installed in everyone's ships? If they were going to do that why didn't they do that with the SCO drives instead of making everyone buy them new and engineer them all over again.

 

[Yuri John]

Boring...

 

[Alaska Sædelære]

But if you upgraded the old FSD to have minijumps then that would immediately outdate all the old FSD already fitted and people would have to go and buy the new/new FSD's and engineer them all over again, or are you suggesting some sort of magic that would propagate through the aeither and upgrade the drives already installed in everyone's ships? If they were going to do that why didn't they do that with the SCO drives instead of making everyone buy them new and engineer them all over again.

I suggest the developer figure that out. I thought about which way would be best but don't have a conclusion right away. It certainly would be easiest to just add the funcionality to all existing but not sure about all possible implications. The only thing is, by the same magic all existing ones have been outmoded.

 

[Fixitman]

This is basically asking for an easy-SCO mode for the non-SCO drives.

Like everything else in this game, the SCO just needs practice. It doesn't need additional buggy code to make it easier.

 

[Alaska Sædelære]

This is basically asking for an easy-SCO mode for the non-SCO drives.

Like everything else in this game, the SCO just needs practice. It doesn't need additional buggy code to make it easier.

No, this is not how this is meant. The minijump idea is older. That the associated code would be buggy is an insinuation, anything which is introduced goes through a development process.

 

[varonica]

I suggest the developer figure that out. I thought about which way would be best but don't have a conclusion right away. It certainly would be easiest to just add the funcionality to all existing but not sure about all possible implications. The only thing is, by the same magic all existing ones have been outmoded.

What do you mean magic, the NEW SCO FSD's are being sold on the market, not magically retrofitted into your ship, and need to be engineered to compare in jump range to the current FSD's, this is nothing like your desire to have all old FSD's magically upgraded no matter where in the galaxy they are. You need to buy the SCO FSD, you need to install it in your ship, then you need to engineer it, as opposed to what in your proposal, directly magicking the new FSD's to everyone. How are these two things even comparable?

 

[Robert Maynard]

I don't quite see logic in thinking the developer might have reservations against introducing minijumps.

That they have not been introduced, for ships,in the nearly ten years since the game was launched might indicate that the developer has reservations. Noting that they did introduce in-system jumps (and direct jumping from a different system to a body other than the body of greatest mass) for Carriers, but chose not to for ships.

The minijump idea is older.

Just because an idea is older does not mean that it is "better", or that is must be implemented before other ideas (or even at all).

 

[Alaska Sædelære]

What do you mean magic, the NEW SCO FSD's are being sold on the market, not magically retrofitted into your ship, and need to be engineered to compare in jump range to the current FSD's, this is nothing like your desire to have all old FSD's magically upgraded no matter where in the galaxy they are. You need to buy the SCO FSD, you need to install it in your ship, then you need to engineer it, as opposed to what in your proposal, directly magicking the new FSD's to everyone. How are these two things even comparable?

You are twisting my words, I did not say it would be desirable. I don't know what a reasonable mode for introducing such a thing would be. I said it might be the easiest, not that it should be this way. The "magic" lies in the fact that by the decision to create a new thing in this way, another thing has automatically changed its status and is no longer a useful alternative.

That they have not been introduced, for ships,in the nearly ten years since the game was launched might indicate that the developer has reservations. Noting that they did introduce in-system jumps (and direct jumping from a different system to a body other than the body of greatest mass) for Carriers, but chose not to for ships.

Just because an idea is older does not mean that it is "better", or that is must be implemented before other ideas (or even at all).

I would be interested in the reasoning for such reservations. From the horse's mouth that is, if possible, since guessing we already do all day long. The hint to the older idea was in response to the comment above. It is not "asking for an easy-SCO mode" since something like SCO was not envisioned at the time. It was a specific function for a specific application, the one we got now is wider in scope. Whether that is also better is 100% subjective, though it is very obviously successful. I am thinking in terms of offering alternatives; an overlap to some extent is not a sole argument to throw it out the window. It would still be cheaper and therefore more accessible to players in their ealier game.

 

[aRJay]

My reservations about this are based on the fact I have not seen anything that convinces me that the SCO FSDs are ignoring their super speed enough better than standard ones to bother swapping on ships where you don't think you need the SCO.

If there was a significant enough improvement I can see why people would want an option that transformed the old style drives just to utilise all the engineering done.