Passenger Modules & Missions

[Alien]

The fact that this is David Brabens project and that he and FD apparently stuck very closely to the roots of the Elite series when it comes to other mechanics (mail slot in stations, trading etc.) lets me hope we get some similar passenger mechanic in ED, too.

Yes, this is Frontier Developments making the game, and it's under the direction of David Braben, that for me is about as far as the Elite name goes. Elite Dangerous to me is like the saying "A wolf in sheep's clothing", it is masquerading as an Elite game, and has iconic things like dodecahedron stations, rectangular, rotating slot to dock through, ships from previous games ... but for me, it just doesn't "feel" like an Elite game yet. Maybe after Frontier add some actual content, it might start to be an Elite game, but right now, I'm just not seeing it.

 

[Elgered]

It is still missing a lot. That's what I wanted to say earlier. But to me, it feels like elite, missing the beloved features.

 

[kapparomeo]

I understand why the developers are focusing on Powerplay at the moment - Elite: Dangerous really does need an endgame. When you hit the level cap in World of Warcraft you go raiding, but any browsing of the forums will drown you under mountains of threads complaining about players having nothing to do once they've bought their Anaconda. While I'd certainly like passenger missions to be implemented - it's why I started this thread after all - I accept that it isn't the highest priority at the moment.

Moving back to the topic of passenger missions, and thinking about mid-mission sidequests, one type of mission where they would be appropriate is prisoner transport. You can install a special cabin module, a Brig, which has secure holding cells for prisoners and a basic berth for a couple of wardens. This enables you to take prisoner transport missions, whether it be getting a bounty hunter and his captured quarry back from an outpost to a Federation centre in a different ship to the bounty hunter's own (so the mark's friends will be tracking the wrong craft) or Imperial Knights discreetly putting away a political dissident. During the mission you can be interdicted and challenged by the prisoner's allies to let him go - at which point you can either do so or haggle with the escorting warden for extra hazard pay to continue on the original mission. Even if giving up the prisoner sounds like an easy time though, there's still a risk you have to judge because the pirates may still choose to kill you anyway even if you do give him up to clear up any witnesses...

 

[Elgered]

the radio just played "... dream on..."

Well lots of us players have great visions, where the game can go. And one thing about that is, that most of that visions (at least the ones here on the official forum) are compatible. That's great.

Now it would be great if FD would read it and realize at least some of the great ideas.

 

[Alien]

I understand why the developers are focusing on Powerplay at the moment - Elite: Dangerous really does need an endgame.

Sorry, I stopped reading right there.

ANYONE who says "Elite needs an endgame" does not understand the Elite series AT ALL.

Just my opinion.

 

[withnail]

Sorry, I stopped reading right there.

ANYONE who says "Elite needs an endgame" does not understand the Elite series AT ALL.

Just my opinion.

It's not just your opinion!

 

[Han Brannigan]

-Transport missions should as a rule avoid combat. However, if you're attacked or interdicted and you escape from or destroy your attacker you can earn a big bonus from grateful passengers happy that their hero pilot has rescued them from peril. However, if you initiate hostilities on another ship then conversely you suffer big fines as passengers are outraged that you've put them in harm's way.

Imagine setting up said occurrence with a buddy of yours ;-)

Very good points made in your OP. Have some rep my good man.

- - - Updated - - -

-While Passenger Cabins are as a rule expensive modules, there's one exception, the Scow Berth. This is rancid, barely-liveable stuff, more just stuffing a camp-bed between cargo containers, but it is cheap. The only transport missions you can take with this type of Cabin are from the desperate - refugees, criminal drug mules and the like - and they count as Illegal Cargo if you're scanned by the security services.

I'd imagine them as barely outfitted transport boxes - like in rl coffin hotels.

 

[Arubeto]

Sorry, I stopped reading right there.

ANYONE who says "Elite needs an endgame" does not understand the Elite series AT ALL.

Just my opinion.

I agree.

 

[cpy]

Thats exactly how it was done in previous elite.

The fun was taking a some character that for what ever reason wanted dead by someone else, and the extra heat it generated on your journey to get them there safely.

View attachment 36903

That moment when one npc interaction in old elite had more options than whole Elite Dangerous have in the whole game!
New games take so much time to develop... i'm very impatient.

 

[kapparomeo]

Picking up on a post made earlier on in the thread:

How about scientific passanger missions. Take scientist near certain star, black hole, nebula etc. Detailed surface scanner must be on board.

This sounds similar to the Tourist missions - you have to scan a planet again for it to be counted as a sight on the route for your final pay, except instead of hearing your scanner beep the sound effect is a series of "oohs" "aahhs" and camera shutters clicking.

Or combat/adrenaline freak missions. Take passanger to bounty hunting. Bonus from close calls, destroyed canopy for example.

This seems good fun! I can imagine in the combat-heavy Elite universe there's a group of XTREEM sports fans and adrenalin junkies who love the rollercoaster ride of tagging along for scrapes with danger. This seems a novel way to make the grind of conflict zones a bit more exciting as you deliberately expose your ship to damage in order to get a bigger bonus from your passengers, trying to balance it against the risk of really doing big harm to your vessel.

Extortion/pirating missions. With passanger find certain NPC ship, interdict, take its shield down and let your passanger do the talking to make target drop a black box.

This one seems a bit redundant if I'm honest, no reason why you can't do it yourself.

Funeral mission. Take cargo near the sun and drop it in right direction. Fly slow and gently.

This however is another idea that I like a lot. I think one of the strengths of passenger missions is compelling you to fly in a certain way - don't just aim at the target point and open up the throttle, but demand more skill in your flying to satisfy particular criteria. It's a good way to make the experience of travel between the target points fresh.

 

[kapparomeo]

Another theme for a community goal: Gold Rush. Some peculiar gravitational fluctuations have squashed and stretched a planet and badly damaged its crust, transforming it into a volcano world spewing up uncounted millions of tons of magma laden with valuable metals and minerals. The planet-bound nature of the event means that it doesn't have an effect on actual players for mining purposes, however there are many prospectors and miners from sectors all around who are eager to grab a piece of the action on the land. Several outposts have been hastily towed into position around the world and you can ferry passengers from stations all across human space to there - the need to get these and stake a claim quickly means that many want to get in ahead of the main passenger liners and before the big corporations can get their infrastructure all in place, so they're willing to pay top dollar for fast transport. A few months later you can introduce another Community Goal as war breaks out between an alliance of small prospectors and the bigger mining companies, which side will you back?

 

[Elgered]

Now we know, passenger transport doesn't come with Powerplay. So we have more time to be part of the development.

 

[Elgered]

I don't want our passengers to be forgotten and buried in the forums, so I "push" this thread again.

I don't think Passenger Transport needs an own elite ranking. It would be fine with trading (when you see trading as economy).

Persistent NPCs would be really nice, but if they are not in from the beginning, it would be ok. Hauling passengers in passenger cabins would be a beginning. As already stated earlier, in my opinion it would be better to start it and finish it later, than not starting it at all!

Passenger Cabins shouldn't be available to all ships in the same quality (e.g. the best could be size 6 and only fit the bigger ships).
That would allow a Cobra to be used as a taxi, and an Orca to be used as a interstellar liner. I imagine a co-pilot's seat as the smallest cabin and a Condas or Clippers Panorama-Lounge the largest, in between there may be size 3,4 and 5 cabins,... I would prefer a slightly different system than originally intended.
e.g.
On small ships (size 2): only one person / guest
Compartment size 2: additional Life-Support for the Co-Pilots seat and locked controls (Taxi) (no ammo)
Compartment size 3: Either for a group of 5 passengers or one business class Cabin for two passengers with bed, shower, toilet and window. (1Cr. per LY upkeep, ammo)
Compartment size 4: Either 10 passengers simple and plain or 2 business class Cabins (10 Cr. / Ly upkeep, when used)
Compartment size 5: For either 20 passengers, four business class Cabins or two VIP Cabins (50 Cr. / Ly Upkeep when used)
Compartment size 6: The Luxury Cabin for up to 3 Guests in absolute Luxury, Whirlpool, Library, service personal,... Cannot be fitted to T7/T9

There could be random passengers as well as Power/Faction Clients. The ones associated with factions or powers could share their standings and offer missions based on the standing / reputation. Random missions would give some realism. There are not only Powers out there.

Mission types:
Weddings & funerals (intra-stellar, no jump)
One hour in Space (have a nerdy boy sit on co pilots seat and show him your work, something like rent a Ferrari for a weekend)
Travel A (Bring me/us to station XY)
Travel B (Bring me/us to station XY, pick me up and bring me back)
Travel C (e.g. show us 5 neutron stars and a red giant within 3 hours)
Business Travel A (Bring me/us and our Cargo to station XY)
Business Travel B (Deliver Documents and Pick up Mr./Mrs. XY at Starport XY and bring them home)
Business Travel C (Bring our delegation to XY and pick them up after the conference)
Criminal A (pick up our contact after the heist and bring him to outpost xy - there could be a cargo mission as well)
Criminal B (Our contact is stranded in fed space, bring him to the empire)
Criminal C (Contact is wanted for market manipulation on the last CG in XY. Meet our T9 at the "seeking weapons" point in xy and bring him to safety)
...

Mission alternatives:
Travel becomes criminal, additional cargo missions, escort or kill missions,...
Not all missions need to have a time-limit



...

 

[sutex]

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