I am a bit disappointed that colonization of space is limited to 10 LY around existing colonies, but I understand why that is so. Devs don't want space population to be so fragmented that you hardly find others (or NPC spawning in populated zones) and feel lonely. It also presses more into Power Gameplay to be in a condensed bubble.
However, here I propose a way to colonize distant places by setting up a COLONY SHIP, which is so costly that most players won't afford it anyway unless they are rich veterans and into expansion.
I think of it as a new type of 'player fleet carrier', similar size and with many functions a regular FC has. The main difference is:
A colony ship has to be supplied not only with colonists you offer a new life as pioneers somewhere in space, with their equipment and sustainance; but with tritium fuel which determines how far the vessel can travel (FC like doing jumps of 500 LY). If you took small ships with you, fine, you can try to mine tritium on voyage to replete the tank, but the limitation in lifetime remains. As long as you still have fuel, you can search in a corner of the Milky Way for a suitable place to stay. If you don't find the final place in time, the expedition fails. Also, when you do things which don't fit with the original intention, your colonists may revolt against you. After all, they put their fate into your hands.
It is of course advisable to have scouted the area before and to know where you are heading exactly.
Upon arrival and your decision the colony ship will be dismantled and used up for a couple of choices of what you want it to become - an outpost size station in the system, or a surface colony on a celestial body. The decision can be made only once and you will have to live with it.
More strategic decision could be implemented here by mattering what machinery you loaded on your colony ship (different machinery as we have as trading items in game). If it is a hot world without atmosphere, you need the proper technology to deal with it and enable life under such conditions. And the machinery is different to, say, an ultra freezing planet at the outer edge of a system. So you are trying to accomodate as good as possible, or face disaster.
When you succeed, you will have your own little realm somewhere, and it does not end with that. Gameplay could further evolve around caring about your colony, supplying them with goods you transport from the original bubble, bringing back to the bubble mined materials or agriculture products, etc, bring forth more colonists to your realm to grow, etc. Probably continuing with expanding to adjacent systems from there if all goes well.
Otherwise, when your colonization attempt failed, the former colony ship stays as a wreck, or the abandoned outpost or surface installation remains as deserted ruins, to become a tourist attraction to future ED players and their rich tourists wanting to sightsee the place where the drama unfolded ...
However, here I propose a way to colonize distant places by setting up a COLONY SHIP, which is so costly that most players won't afford it anyway unless they are rich veterans and into expansion.
I think of it as a new type of 'player fleet carrier', similar size and with many functions a regular FC has. The main difference is:
- it has a clear destination and a one time use. It does not return.
- it takes colonists with it and ressources to build up either an outpost or a surface installation at a place you determine
- it has a expiring timer so it will have to be used wisely. Perhaps a month of time until it will become a space wreck if not used to colonize as intended
- it can descend to a planet surface (when you intend to build a surface installation) once, but not climb up from there again
A colony ship has to be supplied not only with colonists you offer a new life as pioneers somewhere in space, with their equipment and sustainance; but with tritium fuel which determines how far the vessel can travel (FC like doing jumps of 500 LY). If you took small ships with you, fine, you can try to mine tritium on voyage to replete the tank, but the limitation in lifetime remains. As long as you still have fuel, you can search in a corner of the Milky Way for a suitable place to stay. If you don't find the final place in time, the expedition fails. Also, when you do things which don't fit with the original intention, your colonists may revolt against you. After all, they put their fate into your hands.
It is of course advisable to have scouted the area before and to know where you are heading exactly.
Upon arrival and your decision the colony ship will be dismantled and used up for a couple of choices of what you want it to become - an outpost size station in the system, or a surface colony on a celestial body. The decision can be made only once and you will have to live with it.
More strategic decision could be implemented here by mattering what machinery you loaded on your colony ship (different machinery as we have as trading items in game). If it is a hot world without atmosphere, you need the proper technology to deal with it and enable life under such conditions. And the machinery is different to, say, an ultra freezing planet at the outer edge of a system. So you are trying to accomodate as good as possible, or face disaster.
When you succeed, you will have your own little realm somewhere, and it does not end with that. Gameplay could further evolve around caring about your colony, supplying them with goods you transport from the original bubble, bringing back to the bubble mined materials or agriculture products, etc, bring forth more colonists to your realm to grow, etc. Probably continuing with expanding to adjacent systems from there if all goes well.
Otherwise, when your colonization attempt failed, the former colony ship stays as a wreck, or the abandoned outpost or surface installation remains as deserted ruins, to become a tourist attraction to future ED players and their rich tourists wanting to sightsee the place where the drama unfolded ...
