Pilot Ejection Table - For those who want some risk in their game!

[mossfoot]

Updated to take into account that rescue from a Black Hole or Neutron Star is impossible (instant death, even Nat 20 can't save you). These are mega dangerous due to high gravity and the proximity you need to be to them to get destroyed in the first place due to their (relatively) small size. Might add a bit more tension to deep space explorers

 

[Midgardsormr]

Were you aware that there's a Traveller web-based show in the works? Spinward Traveller. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/d20e/spinward-traveller-tv-pilot

Yeah, I was aware of it. I haven't been keeping track of it though. Color me skeptical. Or maybe just a little jaded by the entire Traveller5 mishegas. I haven't poked my head into those forums in more than a year, I think.

 

[Troozers]

I think the single most depressing thing I've come across in this thread is the number of references of people "digging up" their old dice. So many messages where I can't help but picture dice and books gathering dust in a closet, alone and unloved... Daymn, I'd have thought there'd be SOME current roleplayers in the Elite forums! I still sling dice every couple weeks

I would have to do the same and become an amateur archaeologist to find my old RPG books and dice. Their burried somewhere up in the loft along with my Gamesworkshop stuff from the 90's.

 

[Anton_]

Bit too close to Seppuku for me.

 

[mossfoot]

Bit too close to Seppuku for me.

Obviously it's not for everyone, but you'd be surprised how many people loose the sense of danger in the game because they know they will always eject safely and always get their ship back (insurance permitting).

Heck, I had a guy today tell me that he always self destructs rather than letting pirates take his loot or blow up his ship.

When you've become THAT blasé about something, there's something wrong.

 

[KellyR]

Not too sure an "Iron Man" mode is a good thing, but then I'm not too sure it's not a good idea, either. Anyhoo, this is interesting. I might be able to code an app that would do this. I love writing programs and this sounds interesting. But I'm afraid it would require a fairly large UI, given the number of options. I'll take a look at it and see what I can come up with.

 

[DaHunn]

nice idea. something like this should be implemented.

 

[mossfoot]

nice idea. something like this should be implemented.

I'd be all for that, but not everyone would. Probably better to keep it separate and on the honor system for those who enjoy it.

Kelly- that would be awesome if you could. Me, I like rolling the dice, but as you can see here, not everyone has dice.

As for its merits, that's really up to the individual. I just lose any sense of thrill if death has no consequence, which is more or less how it is now. But going strictly dead is dead isn't good either.

 

[Arkhanist]

This is pretty awesome. I do think it's based on a faulty premise though - that pilots can survive the destruction of the ship at all, and it'd be worth the cost of rescue even if they did.

Think about it - you don't start over with your shiny new ship in the last inhabited system you passed through. Not even your current system if you fly into the wall of a space station on docking approach. No, it's always the last station you successfully docked at, and it's pretty much instant. Even if it's 500 ly away and you crashed into a star that far from human space. Clearly not some sort of emergency inter-system warphole teleport, because it would completely obsolete space-trucking for anything more valuable than bio-waste.

No, we're all clones. It's the only explanation that fits. Once your ship goes up? The backup they took of your mind^[1] that was uploaded to the station computers when you were last docked - that's put into a new clone body, paid for as part of the ship insurance (or a starter loaner, same as the sidewinder). That's why it's so quick for you to end up back in that seat - you don't remember being rescued, because you weren't.

Think about it - murdering a pilot for a parking infringement? That's insane. But if you know the pilot is basically part of the equipment and will be getting a new clone right after, then it's just both a monetary penalty and a fast way of keeping junk haulers off your prime real estate. I reckon everyone knows, except us. They don't even bother to hide it very well...

[1] what else did you think those buibs on the back of your pilot chair were for?

 

[mossfoot]

Heh. Always a cute theory, but the whole ejection thing is well established... The time it takes and location of reload are issues with the game mechanics rather than the lore. Personally I'd love to see a brief 2 - 5 minute timeout on ejection, to at least symbolically represent the time to be rescued and returned to station. By that point you could probably use a break anyway.

However I rather like my own humorous take on the effects of a nearly foolproof ejection system... It's in my fiction if you feel like clicking on my license below

 

[waimser]

Damn, I really wish I had come across this thread sooner. I would have absolutely used this if Id done so from day 1.
As ist is, I feel like I have commited too much to the game to start now. Since the announcement of the new ships, I grinded a heap of trading to make sure I can afford them. Something I am certain I would not have done if I had been playing by rules like this.

Im still tempted to go for it though. Space is supposed to be dangerous after all. I missed out on the popularity of permadeath runs in DDO, so maybe this game is where I can make up for it.
I might have to think on this for a while. Maybe after I have had the chance to try out the new ships, which is what I have worked towards.

Meanwhile, FD if you could have a big server death or something to force my hand, thatd be great.

EDIT, Just had an Idea for a modifier.
If you are flying in a wing with one of your wing mates in system with you. Should be a decent modifier, and a great incentive to fly in a wing.

 

[mossfoot]

Damn, I really wish I had come across this thread sooner. I would have absolutely used this if Id done so from day 1.
As ist is, I feel like I have commited too much to the game to start now. Since the announcement of the new ships, I grinded a heap of trading to make sure I can afford them. Something I am certain I would not have done if I had been playing by rules like this.

Im still tempted to go for it though. Space is supposed to be dangerous after all. I missed out on the popularity of permadeath runs in DDO, so maybe this game is where I can make up for it.
I might have to think on this for a while. Maybe after I have had the chance to try out the new ships, which is what I have worked towards.

Meanwhile, FD if you could have a big server death or something to force my hand, thatd be great.

Go on, do it... You know you want to...

Just treat all previous deaths as luck and use the chart from now on. I guarantee you'll think twice before taking stupid risks I've wiped my save once so far. With luck... Never again

 

[Lestat]

If I die. I just wipe my save. It TRUE IRON mode.

 

[KellyR]

I'd be all for that, but not everyone would. Probably better to keep it separate and on the honor system for those who enjoy it.

Kelly- that would be awesome if you could. Me, I like rolling the dice, but as you can see here, not everyone has dice.

As for its merits, that's really up to the individual. I just lose any sense of thrill if death has no consequence, which is more or less how it is now. But going strictly dead is dead isn't good either.

UI's done. None of the actual coding except for the conflict non-conflict zone being greyed out depending on what option you choose. Here's the picture I took of the UI.

The Conflict Zone and Non-Conflict Zone boxes will enable and disable depending on what option you check in the "Conflict Zone?" box. There are also tool tips for certain items such as miners present, Inside a Big 3 capital system, and others where there's some doubt. Like what if you die while scraping the slot? Tool tips on Inside Station tells you to tick this option if destruction occurred while scraping the slot and you were exiting. Same with outside a station in visual range. If destruction occurred while scraping the slot tick this if you were entering.

Probably take a week or so for the coding, but I might get it done sooner. Also not sure if I should leave the reset button in or not. Also going to add "Best guess -" (without the quotes) to the end of the Conflict Zone Group box. Not the Yes/No one, but the one that asks for high or low intensity zones.

Cheers

 

[mossfoot]

If I die. I just wipe my save. It TRUE IRON mode.

To each their own, but at least in other versions of Elite you could buy an escape pod to eject manually. Since you can't (and even iron man players allowed them because it was up to you to remember to eject), I still consider this a workable compromise.

 

[KellyR]

I'd like to know if you guys think I should keep the reset button that will uncheck everything.

I'd also like to know what you think if the UI. Did I miss anything or make any mistakes. I can't see any, but the original concept wasn't mine, so I could very well missed something. I'd like to know if you guys think I should keep the reset button that will uncheck everything.

I'd also like to know what you think if the UI. Did I miss anything or make any mistakes. I can't see any, but the original concept wasn't mine, so I could very well missed something. Also, should I require the .net application framework 4.0 or higher to be installed on the machine running the app? It will work either way but it's prettier and looks more advanced using the application framework.

Cheers.

 

[Ricktoberfest]

I'd like to know if you guys think I should keep the reset button that will uncheck everything.

I'd also like to know what you think if the UI. Did I miss anything or make any mistakes. I can't see any, but the original concept wasn't mine, so I could very well missed something. I'd like to know if you guys think I should keep the reset button that will uncheck everything.

I'd also like to know what you think if the UI. Did I miss anything or make any mistakes. I can't see any, but the original concept wasn't mine, so I could very well missed something. Also, should I require the .net application framework 4.0 or higher to be installed on the machine running the app? It will work either way but it's prettier and looks more advanced using the application framework.

Cheers.

Don't use dot net so other OS can use it. I'm thinking this would make a great iPhone/mobile app

 

[mossfoot]

Don't use dot net so other OS can use it. I'm thinking this would make a great iPhone/mobile app

Wouldn't it work better if it was online as a simple browser-based thing? Then any computer/tablet/phone could use it

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

One thing I noticed- under Destruction Circumstances there is this option missing

Stranded in Space with Other Ships in System

Other than that I think you got everything.

 

[KellyR]

Don't use dot net so other OS can use it. I'm thinking this would make a great iPhone/mobile app

I'm sorry. This is targeted for the Windows OS. The reason being is, it is being written in Visual Basic 10. Visual C and it's variants and C# make my head hurt with all the { and } characters that are required and assignment and comparison operators being different. = should be equals whether it's "A = 3" or "if A = 6"; but it don't work that way with the so called "big boys"; ie the C languages.

And Visual Basic 10 can do almost everything the C languages can do. Except target another OS, but you'd have to develop that version on the OS you are targeting it for. Not an option in my case. And Of course there's no Mobile support in Visual Basic 10. But I code desktop apps. I'll let someone else worry about the mobile and cross platform apps; Someone with more proficiency and aptitude than I have. My philosophy is find what you're best at and then do it. Let someone else who really knows how to do the things you aren't so good at worry about them. They'll likely do those things better than you anyway.

 

[KellyR]

Wouldn't it work better if it was online as a simple browser-based thing? Then any computer/tablet/phone could use it

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

One thing I noticed- under Destruction Circumstances there is this option missing

Stranded in Space with Other Ships in System

Other than that I think you got everything.

Fixed the Stranded in Space with Other Ships in System. Don't know how I missed that.

I'm not the best at browser programming. I'll look into it, but I want to get the coding down first. The browser version may come at a later time.