Let's talk about DEATH & Escape Pods

[Yodebe]

Death.... makes no sense, and yet the answer is so easy, and so cool!

Currently, if you & ship die, you re-appear instantaneously, with ship, in a station.

If you die in an SRV, you re-appear instantaneously in your ship.

If you die in an SLF, you re-appear instantaneously in your ship.

If your NPC crew dies in an SLF, they're gone - forever!

The only 'penalty' is money, which means nothing for space billionaires.

Forget 'telepresence,' the answer is quite simply, if your vessel gets destroyed, you're fired out into an...

In practical terms, it's an un-armed, flyable SLF, capable of (slow?) supercruise, and maybe one hyperspace jump.

If it was your ship that got destroyed, then off you fly to a station, or base, to claim your insured ship, or buy one, or get one sent over (shipyard permitting)

If it was an SRV, then off you fly to meet up with your ship in orbit, which can scoop you, as not all ships have SLF capability. They're already flying 'un-manned' after all.

If it was an SLF, same thing.

The added gameplay potential is awesome.

If you're 'wanted' and shot by system security, then they can attempt to scoop you & cart you off to a prison colony, which would sync nicely
with the C&P discussions. 'Attempt' to scoop you anyway, as you can dodge & dive while trying to get to SC altitude.

If you're being pirated, and fail to avoid the dreaded scoop, then you can be ransomed (percentage of current credits?)

Maybe the scooping could have a similar mechanic to interdictions?

If you're out in the black, or nowhere near a station, you can put an SOS out, on forums, if not in-game, much like the fuel rats.
The community has shown many times that it's right up for helping out fuel-less ships. I imagine saving escape pods would be just as well received.

It could even be incorporated in-game, using the new search & rescue feature, with SOS messages going out to all pilots within 'X'Ly, or the nearest 10 pilots in-game.

Escape pods can be indestructable.

And if someone doesn't want to play 'escapepods', then logging out & back in again can default you, or at least give you the option to go back to your last station, as per the current set up.

What have I missed? Any problems with this idea?


o7

 

[Roland Deschain]

I really, really like this idea!

Oon the top of my head I can think of only one issue: you have a big ship, get destroid and land your escape pod on a small outpost. What then?

And: would you have to scoop up your crew also if the slf was destroyed?

o7

 

[Powderpanic]

Careful OP.

Anything injecting depth or risk into Elite is generally frown upon within this Forum.

Unless it can be entirely avoid by being a selective option, you would be forcing people to play not their own way.

That is non consensual!

 

[Reprobator]

I really, really like this idea!

Oon the top of my head I can think of only one issue: you have a big ship, get destroid and land your escape pod on a small outpost. What then?

And: would you have to scoop up your crew also if the slf was destroyed?

o7

Well i imagine you could buy a transport ticket to get to the nearest big station

 

[Yodebe]

you have a big ship, get destroid and land your escape pod on a small outpost. What then?

Ok, Good point - not all systems have a large station, or shipyard.
So the Interstellar Factors already deal with financial transactions in-game (fines & bounties) so they should maybe also be the Insurance Agent that you go to, to instigate your insurance claim.
They're also typically (but not exclusively) in low security outposts ( https://inara.cz/galaxy-nearest/367/18/ ) , so maybe every populated system should have one, if they don't have a shipyard.
Or, maybe better, upon arriving anywhere in an escape pod, you get a variation of the re-start screen, where you can buy a stock sidewinder and go & find an interstellar factors, or a shipyard, to make your insurance claim.

And: would you have to scoop up your crew also if the slf was destroyed?

This would be a nice option, and quite difficult if you're under attack, to 'save' your awesome elite NPC crew member. More cool gameplay.

Careful OP.

Anything injecting depth or risk into Elite is generally frown upon within this Forum.

Unless it can be entirely avoid by being a selective option, you would be forcing people to play not their own way.

That is non consensual!

Last paragraph of the original post

"And if someone doesn't want to play 'escapepods', then logging out & back in again can default you, or at least give you the option to go back to your last station, as per the current set up."

 

[Yodebe]

Well i imagine you could buy a transport ticket to get to the nearest big station

I like this idea, but as the game stands, you are your ship, & I'm not sure FDev want players being passengers, although I think that would be a much better use of multi-crew than the current telepresence idea.

I've always preferred the idea of actually having to physically go to the same location to become multi-crew, but that's another story.

 

[Yodebe]

Other elements to this could include every, or nearly every ship you kill resulting in at least one escape pod for you to try & catch, if you want to.
Missions could then include 'capture alive' missions.
Also, occupants of rescued escape pods could be either released, handed in to the authorities, or sold as slaves.

 

[Maymo]

I like this idea, but as the game stands, you are your ship, & I'm not sure FDev want players being passengers, although I think that would be a much better use of multi-crew than the current telepresence idea.

I've always preferred the idea of actually having to physically go to the same location to become multi-crew, but that's another story.

Crew members enjoy one of the most lucrative careers in the game! I want the option of joining the crew lounge and offering my services to npc’s. Get paid based on my combat rank...

 

[Shadowdancer]

People complain: "OMG supercruise is so slow and it takes forever to get anywhere."

This suggestion: "When you die, you'll be a long way from anywhere and can't do squat, it'll be awesome!"

While I had modest sympathy for the former before distance from arrival was added to mission descriptions, I have none for the latter. It's effectively keeping you from playing the game for no good reason but a bit of "immersion", which is a term I have grown a distinct dislike for.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

So when I die at Beagle Point, how exactly is my 'one hyperspace jump' escape pod supposed to get me to a station?

 

[Yodebe]

People complain: "OMG supercruise is so slow and it takes forever to get anywhere."

This suggestion: "When you die, you'll be a long way from anywhere and can't do squat, it'll be awesome!"

While I had modest sympathy for the former before distance from arrival was added to mission descriptions, I have none for the latter. It's effectively keeping you from playing the game for no good reason but a bit of "immersion", which is a term I have grown a distinct dislike for.

Sorry, I don't get your point.
Mine was basically that on 'death' instead of miraculously re-appearing instantaneously at your last station visited, with no sanction but for a bit of cash, you can instead super-cruise your escape pod to the nearest shipyard / interstellar factors to get a ship / make your insurance claim, with a fair bit of gameplay in the middle.

For players that just want to get on with pew pew, the escape pod bypass (log out & in) clause is there, so no change to their game.

 

[Yodebe]

So when I die at Beagle Point, how exactly is my 'one hyperspace jump' escape pod supposed to get me to a station?

Currently, if your ship gets destroyed at beagle point, which is presumably something fairly easy to avoid, you get re-spawned back at the last station you visited, which could be MONTHS of lost exploration data, and a right PITA.

With Escape Pods, you put out an SOS call, & get rescued in much the same way as the Fuel Rats are more than happy to make ridiculous trips to re-fuel people (despite the fact you could just auto-destruct, & re-spawn). Then you get taken (multicrew?) to the nearest station to claim your insurance ship, maybe KEEPING all your explorer data in the process. (bonus )
OR you log out & in, to re-spawn as per the current set up.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Currently, if your ship gets destroyed at beagle point, which is presumably something fairly easy to avoid, you get re-spawned back at the last station you visited, which could be MONTHS of lost exploration data, and a right PITA.

With Escape Pods, you put out an SOS call, & get rescued in much the same way as the Fuel Rats are more than happy to make ridiculous trips to re-fuel people (despite the fact you could just auto-destruct, & re-spawn). Then you get taken (multicrew?) to the nearest station to claim your insurance ship, maybe KEEPING all your explorer data in the process. (bonus )
OR you log out & in, to re-spawn as per the current set up.

So I wait around, hoping someone bothers to rescue me, then wait around for them to fly me back to the Bubble so I can get a replacement ship - which could take weeks of real time.
Always assuming that they don't just pick me up in their alt account and fly around with my escape pod in their cargo hold for the next six months.
But during that time I can't log out - because if I do, then I re-spawn as per the current setup?

I think your idea needs a bit more work - though kudos for at least designing it to be optional

 

[Yodebe]

So I wait around, hoping someone bothers to rescue me, then wait around for them to fly me back to the Bubble so I can get a replacement ship - which could take weeks of real time.
Always assuming that they don't just pick me up in their alt account and fly around with my escape pod in their cargo hold for the next six months.
But during that time I can't log out - because if I do, then I re-spawn as per the current setup?

I think your idea needs a bit more work - though kudos for at least designing it to be optional

Judging by the enthusiasm with which the community 'saves' cmdrs that have run out of fuel, I reckon that non-npc search & rescue would be just as popular.
Most 'death's' presumably happen in, or very near populated systems, so dropping someone off somewhere shouldn't be too much of a problem.
As for griefers flying around with you in their hold, the saved pilot can log out & re-spawn at any time, if necessary, so not an issue.
Sure it needs work, but I've no idea about the practicalities, like 'can SRV mode switch straight to escape pod mode?' and I've no idea what's being decided about the new C&P systems, but it's already been mentioned by Fdev about 'wanted' cmdrs potentially being taken to prison colonies.
Basically, there seems to be a lot of loose ends, & this could tie up a lot of them, and add all sorts of mission possibilities.

o7

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Judging by the enthusiasm with which the community 'saves' cmdrs that have run out of fuel, I reckon that non-npc search & rescue would be just as popular.
Most 'death's' presumably happen in, or very near populated systems, so dropping someone off somewhere shouldn't be too much of a problem.
As for griefers flying around with you in their hold, the saved pilot can log out & re-spawn at any time, if necessary, so not an issue.
Sure it needs work, but I've no idea about the practicalities, like 'can SRV mode switch straight to escape pod mode?' and I've no idea what's being decided about the new C&P systems, but it's already been mentioned by Fdev about 'wanted' cmdrs potentially being taken to prison colonies.
Basically, there seems to be a lot of loose ends, & this could tie up a lot of them, and add all sorts of mission possibilities.

o7

You might be right about the 'Fuel Rat' equivalent, but I feel I should point at that the involvement of the Fuel Rats ends when they've fueled you up - taking you back to the Bubble essentially doubles that involvement and it's more dead (excuse the pun) time for the Cmdr being rescued.

Again, you might be right about most deaths occurring near the Bubble, but the mechanism still needs to work (in my opinion) anywhere in the Galaxy.

On balance, it's not a feature I'd take advantage of and whilst I don't object to it being implemented, I'd prefer FDev to spend their development time on other areas first - it's not like there aren't other ways for them to add to the gameplay