Large ships docking at outposts.

[Wisewolf of Avalon]

We can all agree that any of the big three have no business showing up at an outpost and attempting to haul cargo. But the large ship not being able to land at outposts feature has stopped me from effectively playing with some of my smaller ship friends in wars. (no ability to easily pick up massacre missions or deliver combat bonds)

How about this: If within range of an outpost, ships equipped with fighters can use those fighters to dock at outposts for the purposes of collecting bonds/bounties, or delivering/accepting missions that don't require cargo.

This seems fair to me and doesn't affect the outpost economy.

 

[Alex Brentnall]

stopped me from effectively playing with some of my smaller ship friends in wars. (no ability to easily pick up massacre missions or deliver combat bonds)

This is where we differ. I see an opportunity to use an FDL or a Fed Gunship or Assault ship or Imperial Courier or whatever. Ships I enjoy flying more than the large ships but ones that usually arn't as efficient in raw dps and shield stats.

I like the restriction and being given the reason to get out of my Anaconda/Corvette/Cutter once in a while. Personally I also want small ship only docks.

 

[Bryan K]

I think there should be an external docking airlock (like what the Orbiters used to dock with the ISS) allowing you to do any information-related service, but not outfitting, shipyard, cargo transfer or repair functions for large ships.

That way you could at least turn in any non-hauling missions in a large ship without having to detour to a proper starport to get another ship.

I want a ship choice to be voluntary, not forced by the type of landing pad I'll need. It makes switching to a smaller ship feel like an undesirable chore.

 

[Jaiotu]

Problem would be solved by allowing the Anaconda to carry a Sidewinder like it says in the description.

 

[lysan]

Problem would be solved by allowing the Anaconda to carry a Sidewinder like it says in the description.

Not gonna happen, FDEV nerfed that one into the bin!

 

[Fosdyke]

Not gonna happen, FDEV nerfed that one into the bin!

Not sure about that, because SLF can be an alternative. Was said during a livestream but don't remember the exact one.

 

[Starwolfe]

We need small-pad only landings. Give me a real reason to use my Vulture or Cobra for a change.

 

[Morbad]

Many of outposts have gantries and other structures that look like they were specifically intended to service large pad vessels.

I'd like to see these activated on some outposts, and also see outposts that lack even medium pad facilities. Diversity is good.

Not sure about that, because SLF can be an alternative.

SLF's are a different class of sub-ship that lack many of the basic capabilities of all primary ships.

 

[Iskariot]

We can all agree that any of the big three have no business showing up at an outpost and attempting to haul cargo. But the large ship not being able to land at outposts feature has stopped me from effectively playing with some of my smaller ship friends in wars. (no ability to easily pick up massacre missions or deliver combat bonds)

How about this: If within range of an outpost, ships equipped with fighters can use those fighters to dock at outposts for the purposes of collecting bonds/bounties, or delivering/accepting missions that don't require cargo.

This seems fair to me and doesn't affect the outpost economy.

A while ago David Braben has mentioned the possible addition of shuttles in the future in a video interview.
This might give big ships the option to do limited deals at smaller stations.
They might take and finish missions, deliver parcels, pay off and cash in bounties, perhaps deliver passengers etc.

I would love some shuttle gameplay in the game. I think it would really add to the big ship experience.

 

[Stealthie]

I would have thought the onus should be on a player to take a suitable ship into a battle instead of suggesting that the battlefield needs to be modified to suit them.

There should be more to ED than buying a Corvette/Anaconda/Cutter and then expecting that to be the only ship you'll ever need to fly and anything the dev's do to encourage diversity should be applauded.

I'd much rather see FDev develop a way to dock ships with each other and transfer cargo and supplies in order to encourage co-op play whereby, if necessary, a large ship could be serviced by a couple of other players flying Haulers or Adders etc.

 

[Jaiotu]

I would have thought the onus should be on a player to take a suitable ship into a battle instead of suggesting that the battlefield needs to be modified to suit them.

There should be more to ED than buying a Corvette/Anaconda/Cutter and then expecting that to be the only ship you'll ever need to fly and anything the dev's do to encourage diversity should be applauded.

I'd much rather see FDev develop a way to dock ships with each other and transfer cargo and supplies in order to encourage co-op play whereby, if necessary, a large ship could be serviced by a couple of other players flying Haulers or Adders etc.

YES! I haven't seen the subject brought up recently but I'd love to see a new ship introduced to the game that could act as a Tender. In Navy terminology a "Tender" is a ship that's mission is to provide repair services to other ships.

Spoiler

 

[CMDR Harada]

I'd much rather see FDev develop a way to dock ships with each other and transfer cargo and supplies in order to encourage co-op play whereby, if necessary, a large ship could be serviced by a couple of other players flying Haulers or Adders etc.

THIS. RIGHT. HERE. ^^

Small/Medium ship installations need to be left alone.

 

[Stealthie]

YES! I haven't seen the subject brought up recently but I'd love to see a new ship introduced to the game that could act as a Tender. In Navy terminology a "Tender" is a ship that's mission is to provide repair services to other ships.

Just to expand on the idea...

In my little head I have this vision of the whole area around a platform being a battleground.
The attackers would be intent on "capturing" (somehow) the platform while the defenders would be attempting to repel the attackers.
The attack would begin several hundred Ls from the platform and gradually advance toward it.
Defenders would strike at the attackers and then retreat in SC to the platform to re-arm and repair.
There would be players in small ships waiting at the platform, carrying a "Ship to ship AFMU" and a cargo of supplies as well as players in fighters as a defence screen.
The attackers might choose to send fighters straight to the platform to impede the re-supply.
Players in large ships would arrive at the platform, small ships would dock and then use their AMFUs to repair the large ship (which would have to shut down it's systems during repair - thus making it vulnerable to fighter attack) and resupply it.
Defenders in fighters would protect the large ships and the tenders during re-supply.
After the re-supply is complete, the large ship would SC back to the main battle.

The attacking fleet would mostly be NPC ships which would travel toward the platform slowly.
If players wanted to join the attack they could SC to the platform and risk being destroyed by the platform defences and the defenders or remain with the NPC fleet.

Victory would be decided on the basis of what percentage of the attacking fleet manages to arrive at the platform.

The whole thing would be set up like some kind of "mini CG".
It'd start off with Galnet announcing that scout ships had been sighted in a system.
This'd give people time to decide if they wanted to get involved and organise themselves.
A couple of days later Galnet would announce that a scout ship had been captured and the pilot had revealed the time when the attack was due to take place so that players could turn up for it.

 

[kaivalagi]

We can all agree that any of the big three have no business showing up at an outpost and attempting to haul cargo. But the large ship not being able to land at outposts feature has stopped me from effectively playing with some of my smaller ship friends in wars. (no ability to easily pick up massacre missions or deliver combat bonds)

Do you have horizons, there are plenty of planet bases around too, that you may well be able to land on?

How about this: If within range of an outpost, ships equipped with fighters can use those fighters to dock at outposts for the purposes of collecting bonds/bounties, or delivering/accepting missions that don't require cargo.

A fighter is telepresence controlled, how would flying a fighter to an outpost resolve this? If you can telepresence to the fighter then why not to the outpost also...to pay fines/collect bounties

How about, just like interstellar contacts you can request a broker to handle these things for you there, at a price, have a contact interstellar contact through the contacts panel on the left screen maybe?

Or......1) just fly to the next system along with one of these brokers and a large pad and sort it out there... or 2) buy a hauler and use that to cash in at the outpost if you're really tight

 

[Makya]

I would have thought the onus should be on a player to take a suitable ship into a battle instead of suggesting that the battlefield needs to be modified to suit them.

There should be more to ED than buying a Corvette/Anaconda/Cutter and then expecting that to be the only ship you'll ever need to fly and anything the dev's do to encourage diversity should be applauded.

I'd much rather see FDev develop a way to dock ships with each other and transfer cargo and supplies in order to encourage co-op play whereby, if necessary, a large ship could be serviced by a couple of other players flying Haulers or Adders etc.

Pretty much this! ED is a game of choices with consequences. I disagree that outposts should be changed just because they are inconvenient to large ships. There are lots of other options.

 

[Comrade Napoleon]

We can all agree that any of the big three have no business showing up at an outpost and attempting to haul cargo. But the large ship not being able to land at outposts feature has stopped me from effectively playing with some of my smaller ship friends in wars. (no ability to easily pick up massacre missions or deliver combat bonds)

How about this: If within range of an outpost, ships equipped with fighters can use those fighters to dock at outposts for the purposes of collecting bonds/bounties, or delivering/accepting missions that don't require cargo.

This seems fair to me and doesn't affect the outpost economy.

Another thread on this thrashed through subject ?
No and no in perpetuity

Cheers Cmdrs.

Mods : close thread , duplicate of same nonsense.

 

[krylite]

i'd agree outposts as they currently are could have an external docking mechanism for the big 3. why? because the big 3 in my mind are still medium to light cruisers. I believe Frontier isn't done with more ships in ED and there should be double or triple the number of ships available including a heavy cruiser or destroyer class for Admiral and King ranks and equivalent for independent i.e. Panther Clipper and Turner class Argent. It would be nice to see a new type of external docking and outpost for the big 3 as well similar to what the X games had.

 

[PiLhEaD]

... Personally I also want small ship only docks.

We need small-pad only landings. Give me a real reason to use my Vulture or Cobra for a change.

Yes and yes!

I'd, at least, like to see missions solely for small-pad ships available at (and to) all types of stations/outposts/landings.

 

[Darius_Valkorian]

It would be really cool if Frontier introduced a shuttle hangar bay for large ships, where the shuttle has 4 tons of cargo space, can land at small landing pads on outposts and stations, transfer data, and take missions. With Odyssey on the way, it could be used to easily land near hostile outposts so you can get out, do the mission, and get back into the shuttle to fly up to your large ship; I can't really see someone going into a stealth mission flying a Corvette or a Cutter, so having a small shuttle that is about the size of a fighter to stealthily fly in would be really nice.

 

[GroG79]

It is so hard to accept the limits that are set in the game.