Mechanism for increasing passenger happiness

[[VR] Marrs]

Currently once a passenger has become unhappy with you there doesn't seem to be a way of trying to placate them. If you continue to make them angry eventually the mission will fail.

My idea is that occasionally when a passenger becomes unhappy they give you the option to negate the effect. An example would be a passenger that doesn't like hull damage. If they become unhappy because you crashed into another ship they could say something like 'This is unacceptable. I need some liquor to steady my nerves.' In that case sourcing the required liquor would put their happiness level back to what it was before the crash. Another example could be that a secretive passenger who is scanned asks you to visit an extra beacon or something 'to make the journey worth their while'.

Once a passenger reaches the penultimate level of unhappiness before the mission fails, they should demand a price reduction. My thinking is that this could be anything between 10 and 75% off the reward (decided by dice roll). If you accept the price reduction their happiness would increase meaning you have more chance of completing the mission but with a reduced reward. I'm not sure if the happiness should return to the maximum level or if there should be a sliding scale where the increase is proportionate to the amount of reduction e.g a 75% reduction would return the passenger to max happiness but a 10% reduction would only go back one level.

You can choose not to accept the reduction in which case you will receive the full reward upon completion but you run the risk of the mission failing and getting nothing. This 'reset' should only be offered once, so if you still anger them after accepting the reduction then you won't be offered any more chances to placate them.

I believe this idea would remove some of the frustration with long-distance data collecting missions where you may return after 12 hours jumping and get attacked and end up failing the mission and not being able to do anything to remedy the situation. It also adds a bit more interaction with the passenger and gives more choice and therefore gameplay to the player who has to weigh up the risk/reward balance of the mission

 

[Marc_Hicks]

Currently once a passenger has become unhappy with you there doesn't seem to be a way of trying to placate them. If you continue to make them angry eventually the mission will fail.

My idea is that occasionally when a passenger becomes unhappy they give you the option to negate the effect. An example would be a passenger that doesn't like hull damage. If they become unhappy because you crashed into another ship they could say something like 'This is unacceptable. I need some liquor to steady my nerves.' In that case sourcing the required liquor would put their happiness level back to what it was before the crash. Another example could be that a secretive passenger who is scanned asks you to visit an extra beacon or something 'to make the journey worth their while'.

Once a passenger reaches the penultimate level of unhappiness before the mission fails, they should demand a price reduction. My thinking is that this could be anything between 10 and 75% off the reward (decided by dice roll). If you accept the price reduction their happiness would increase meaning you have more chance of completing the mission but with a reduced reward. I'm not sure if the happiness should return to the maximum level or if there should be a sliding scale where the increase is proportionate to the amount of reduction e.g a 75% reduction would return the passenger to max happiness but a 10% reduction would only go back one level.

You can choose not to accept the reduction in which case you will receive the full reward upon completion but you run the risk of the mission failing and getting nothing. This 'reset' should only be offered once, so if you still anger them after accepting the reduction then you won't be offered any more chances to placate them.

I believe this idea would remove some of the frustration with long-distance data collecting missions where you may return after 12 hours jumping and get attacked and end up failing the mission and not being able to do anything to remedy the situation. It also adds a bit more interaction with the passenger and gives more choice and therefore gameplay to the player who has to weigh up the risk/reward balance of the mission

Good idea, & similar to my own. I'd go even further. Have passengers begin at Satisfied, then give the players a chance to lift that satisfaction up to Happy, very happy or even Ecstatic, with a bonus resulting.

Increasing happiness should tie in with the characteristics of the passenger. A criminal might become more happy if you perform illegal acts on their behalf, danger averse passengers can be made happier if you plot a route entirely through Hi Security Systems, & if you are able to escape an interdiction with no damage.

Secretive Passengers can be made happier if you stick to low population/low security systems, & if you successfully evade a scan before it can complete.

Time Sensitive Passengers will be made happier if you arrive at their destination system within a certain percentage of the alloted time.

Laid back passengers will be made happier if you take your time within each system on your route, if you take a more scenic route and/or if you take time out to visit tourist beacons along the way.

Then you'd have wrinkle triggers if passenger satisfaction falls below satisfied, with completion of that wrinkle pushing satisfaction back up again. This would be in addition to any wrinkles that might normally occur as a result of a normal passenger contract.

So yes, a more interactive satisfaction system would be both a great QoL addition, but also make passenger missions more immersive.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

Oh &, as an addendum, it would be cool if bulk passengers had a bit more "character" to them. Not as detailed as VIP's, but maybe a single defining characteristic that sets them apart. So some tourists might be demanding, but others might be time sensitive. Those business people might be secretive, or they might be danger averse. As with VIP's, these characteristics could tie into satisfaction for bulk passengers.

 

[Lestat]

I looking at this as a good idea. But make it hard to raise the passengers happiness. We can't have a Band Aid. I don't like the idea buy this and you win idea. I think the pressure should be on us the Pilots.

1 I like the idea cut into credit earn if players messes up.

2 Cut in travel time. This forces the player go oh man I need to finish this or I lose it all.

 

[[VR] Marrs]

I looking at this as a good idea. But make it hard to raise the passengers happiness. We can't have a Band Aid. I don't like the idea buy this and you win idea. I think the pressure should be on us the Pilots.

1 I like the idea cut into credit earn if players messes up.

2 Cut in travel time. This forces the player go oh man I need to finish this or I lose it all.

Yeah, it would need to be balanced - something like liquor isn't that easy to get hold of though so it might mean going quite far out of your way - you may decide to risk it instead. It would only raise the happiness by one level not all the way and I don't think these offers should always happen - maybe 20% of the time? Would need to be beta tested to see what works best.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

I looking at this as a good idea. But make it hard to raise the passengers happiness. We can't have a Band Aid. I don't like the idea buy this and you win idea. I think the pressure should be on us the Pilots.

1 I like the idea cut into credit earn if players messes up.

2 Cut in travel time. This forces the player go oh man I need to finish this or I lose it all.

Perhaps if you make the "wrinkles" something difficult to achieve-like a Rare Item or a potentially hazardous and/or time consuming side mission.

Either way, I do think passenger missions could benefit from having a more dynamic & interactive satisfaction system, & one with much more granular system of penalties & rewards.

As I see it, passengers would start Satisfied, then drop down to Unhappy (maybe -10% to either cash or reputation reward) Very Unhappy ( -25% to both cash or reputation reward), Miserable (-50% cut to reward, & trip will be cut short-you have x minutes to get me to <facility name> or else no pay), Furious (no pay & will eject as soon as safe to do so).

On the positive side of the ledger you might have Happy, Very Happy, Joyful & Ecstatic, with each level providing a positive bonus to rewards.

Something similar could apply-to a lesser extent-for bulk passengers.

 

[maudibe]

Just flood the passenger compartment with acid

 

[Marc_Hicks]

Actually, another option to increase passenger satisfaction might be to bump them up to a better cabin class. So say your business class passenger is currently unhappy. Bumping them up to First Class will boost them back to Satisfied.

 

[Choopy fool]

Currently once a passenger has become unhappy with you there doesn't seem to be a way of trying to placate them. If you continue to make them angry eventually the mission will fail.

My idea is that occasionally when a passenger becomes unhappy they give you the option to negate the effect. An example would be a passenger that doesn't like hull damage. If they become unhappy because you crashed into another ship they could say something like 'This is unacceptable. I need some liquor to steady my nerves.' In that case sourcing the required liquor would put their happiness level back to what it was before the crash. Another example could be that a secretive passenger who is scanned asks you to visit an extra beacon or something 'to make the journey worth their while'.

Once a passenger reaches the penultimate level of unhappiness before the mission fails, they should demand a price reduction. My thinking is that this could be anything between 10 and 75% off the reward (decided by dice roll). If you accept the price reduction their happiness would increase meaning you have more chance of completing the mission but with a reduced reward. I'm not sure if the happiness should return to the maximum level or if there should be a sliding scale where the increase is proportionate to the amount of reduction e.g a 75% reduction would return the passenger to max happiness but a 10% reduction would only go back one level.

You can choose not to accept the reduction in which case you will receive the full reward upon completion but you run the risk of the mission failing and getting nothing. This 'reset' should only be offered once, so if you still anger them after accepting the reduction then you won't be offered any more chances to placate them.

I believe this idea would remove some of the frustration with long-distance data collecting missions where you may return after 12 hours jumping and get attacked and end up failing the mission and not being able to do anything to remedy the situation. It also adds a bit more interaction with the passenger and gives more choice and therefore gameplay to the player who has to weigh up the risk/reward balance of the mission

I know im off topic here not sure how to operate this site and my cell screen is so small but im in the stopover system in a cobra 111 flew 52ly cause a post said a luxury cabin would fit and theres no cabins any ide where i should go from here?

 

[Snarfbuckle]

I think passengers should have "needs"

Needs are required cargo to have in storage during the voyage for consumption and usage.

- The more passengers the more required cargo to ensure everyone are happy.

Typical cargo

- Luxury goods
- Fresh foodstuffs
- Recreational drugs
- Coffe, Tea, etc.
- Alcoholics

And any passenger demanding a few tonnes of battleweapons, landmines or kitchen appliances get's ejected for endangering the ship or insulting the ship chef.