Planetary dropoff

[WreckRoot]

When using the Frontline Solutions shuttle to deploy to a conflict zone, we get to do the cool as hell airborne dropoff maneuver. That is AWESOME.

Can we please get the option to do that normally?

Like, you can implement it tomorrow with just a few hours of work, as follows:

• add a new module called "Dropoff Hangar" to Optional Internals. Make it mutually exclusive with SRV hangar and have it look on any ship exactly like it looks on the Frontline Solutions' Vultures.
  • NOTE: It would be nice if it didn't have to be like that and if players could jump off the ramps that are visible on every ship when landed, but given Frontier reported 20 million pounds of loss in 2022, I'm suggesting a low-effort solution here that repurposes the existing, well developed mechanism in Frontline Solutions shuttles, in which the dropoff hangar is using the spot taken normally by the SRV hangar. This ensures no new problems are introduced.
  • If implementing the procedure below would prove itself problematic with big ships, the Dropoff Hangar could be made mountable only on small ships, or small and medium ships, or even some very narrow selection of ships - just like the SLF Hangars are only mountable on some ships as well. Hell, you could even make it mountable only on Vultures so that you have literally zero work to do lol!
• if you're flying a ship with a Dropoff Hangar mounted:
  • remove the SRV deploy panel tab
  • copy-paste the Disembark tab, name the copy "Drop Off", change the icon to a parachute
  • leave the "Loadouts" button as is
  • change the "Disembark" button name to "Drop off"
    • make the drop-off button enable if the ship is stationary at ~20 meter altitude.
    • Recall that when you're in SRV and want to board the ship, but the SRV is too far from the hangar of your landed ship, the "Board" button is disabled and has "move to ship" tooltip.
      You can reuse this mechanism on the "Drop off" button, e.g. to make it show
      • "Ship in motion" when the ship is not in a stationary hover over the ground
      • "Too high" when the ship is too high for a safe dropoff
      • "Terrain" when there are surrounding obstacles. Recall that after you use "Dismiss ship" when on foot/ in srv, the ship takes off, points up, boosts and enters supercruise. After you use "Drop off", the ship would perform the exact same steps (from the "points up" step). If there is terrain too close, the button can be disabled.
• when the conditions are correct (ship immobile over the surface at the right altitude over an on-foot landable planet with no terrain too close for a safe automatic departure of the ship) and "Drop off" button is used, the entire sequence from the conflict zone deployment is played out:
  • the player loses control of the ship, stands up, screen fades to black (exactly like in the conflict zone dropoff sequence)
  • player appears in the Dropoff Hangar (exactly like in the conflict zone dropoff sequence, with the hangar looking exactly the same as well)
  • player gets dropped off (exactly like in the conflict zone dropoff sequence)
  • the ship takes off (exactly like in the conflict zone dropoff sequence) and is considered "Dismissed", i.e. after it completes its departure into supercruise you can "Recall ship" later.

You have all the pieces already in place, this literally shouldn't require more than a few hours to implement, you have all the assets and all the logic and everything else already developed and ready to be reused.

So... Please?

 

[Factabulous]

Like, you can implement it tomorrow with just a few hours of work

 

[WreckRoot]

View attachment 370325

Do you have any reason to believe that they wouldn't be able to?
If they limit the Dropoff Hangar to Vultures only (for now at least), then they literally have EVERYTHING in place already, all the assets, all the mechanisms, the entire animation and logic. The only difference between you dropping off your own ship and you dropping off a Frontline Solutions ship would be that the ship has your skin on it; that's it. Everything else exactly the same. They can even reuse the logic that checks if the ground beneath the ship is good for landing to determine if it's a good place for a dropoff - it would be a little restrictive but at least it solves the problem of terrain validation immediately.

There's literally nothing to develop here, just copy-paste + release.

 

[Schmack]

There's the issue with the ship flying itself without a dismiss option. When you disembark you are landed. When you dismiss the ship some magical autopilot you haven't even installed takes the helm.

It's probably a feature I would use from time to time just to avoid needing to land, but I don't know how much it adds to the game play. For example, I'd like to drop right on top of the command center, but I cannot land a ship there so I'd have to be dropped somewhere a ship can land that's probably not on the pad. With the shuttle, I accept they are ferrying me in to a conflict zone where the battle won't begin before I arrive (magically). If I could just drop into a threat level 2 crash site I could be killed before I even touch down. I'd need to deploy with shields up.

Then you have the issue of high G planets where your boost is worthless. Would you die during the drop?

Also, sure they can change the game in few hours but the amount of documentation, approval and testing required (never even mind return on time investment) would mean, even if they liked the idea, it might make it into the next major update after 17.

I do like the idea of bailing though, dropping in unannounced from the sky and wreaking havoc without needing to putz around with landing.

 

[dm06]

There's literally nothing to develop here, just copy-paste + release.

And yet there's a chance that after such update npc-crew will become silent in slf... or thargoid swarm will stop attacking... or even insert-other-completely-not-related-but-broken-feature-here.

 

[WreckRoot]

There's the issue with the ship flying itself without a dismiss option. When you disembark you are landed. When you dismiss the ship some magical autopilot you haven't even installed takes the helm.

?????????????? What are you talking about, you can already dismiss your ship at any time when you're on the ground and recall it. You could ever since SRVs in Horizon.

It's probably a feature I would use from time to time just to avoid needing to land, but I don't know how much it adds to the game play. For example, I'd like to drop right on top of the command center, but I cannot land a ship there so I'd have to be dropped somewhere a ship can land that's probably not on the pad. With the shuttle, I accept they are ferrying me in to a conflict zone where the battle won't begin before I arrive (magically). If I could just drop into a threat level 2 crash site I could be killed before I even touch down. I'd need to deploy with shields up.

Then you have the issue of high G planets where your boost is worthless. Would you die during the drop?

I definitely would use this mechanic for quick dropoffs next to settlements I intend to raid, particularly if I expect I might trigger the alarm (which would make NPCs target my ship if it was landed nearby). If your ship is well shielded to sustain ~15 seconds of fire, you could even get yourself dropped next to an already hostile settlement (e.g. if it's an Exterminate mission and the settlement is tipped off) - currently you have to park your ship a kilometer away and drive up in SRV or run for a minute or two. I think it would be a really cool addition to the game, but even if it isn't particularly impactful, it should at least be considered for the ease of implementation (I mean, it's already in the freakin' game!).

I don't necessarily understand what your issue is with dropping in settlements.

• You would be able to drop wherever you could land (for ease of implementation as the "suitable terrain" detection mechanism is already in the game), which means that you could drop yourself on the "open field" right next to any building that has some open field next to it. Tresspass zone warning takes a while to fine you so you could have your ship off the scene before fines are applied, meaning you can drop yourself super close if you're good at it. Worst case scenario you approach the closest terminal and pay the fine.
• You can already turn your shields on/off as you descend during dropoff (IIRC) so that's not a problem. Or you could always drop with shields ON by default, as it happens in Conflict Zones.
• If you drop yourself in the middle of a pack of 6 scavengers, then you're just as much of an idiot as you would be if you tried to land there and got rekt lol. I can't see why it's a problem of this mechanic that you would be punished for doing dumb stuff. Scavengers appear when you're about 1km away from the POI, so you would see if there's a welcome party waiting for you or not.
• For high-G planets I would just look how that works when there's a conflict zone on a high-G planet. Do you die immediately on arrival on a high-G world Conflict Zone? If not, then for the same reason you wouldn't die when dropped off with this mechanism. Take note that you already can't disembark on very high-G worlds, and if you can't disembark there, then you wouldn't be able to drop-off there as well.

Also, sure they can change the game in few hours but the amount of documentation, approval and testing required (never even mind return on time investment) would mean, even if they liked the idea, it might make it into the next major update after 17.

Point taken.

I do like the idea of bailing though, dropping in unannounced from the sky and wreaking havoc without needing to putz around with landing.

I would use it most often when I have an "Exterminate" mission and the settlement is tipped off, i.e. immediately hostile. In such a situation you have to land a large distance away (unless your ship has godlike shields) and deploy in SRV. It would be so cool to just drop your ass off, guns blazing, right next to the settlement.

And yet there's a chance that after such update npc-crew will become silent in slf... or thargoid swarm will stop attacking... or even insert-other-completely-not-related-but-broken-feature-here.

LOL true, it's FDev after all xD. That's why my suggestion is so detailed

 

[Fixitman]

Like, you can implement it tomorrow with just a few hours of work

Never state an assumption as if it were a fact. None of us know how long anything will take. This isn't an open-source project after all.

Good suggestion otherwise

 

[Hellrider]

I want to say, that patch which added something for planetary surfaces (matrix sites) changed npc wingmates into passive credit bags, which instead attack at once, whole wing are aggressive AFTER death of one of them.
And even here- not always.
Yes, I would like to see this drops just to avoid landings, but no. It isn't "easy copy paste".

 

[Fizzatron]

A hover option for boarding/dismbarking would be pretty neat overall. +1 from me.

 

[thistle]

View attachment 370325

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

 

[Jmanis]

Do you have any reason to believe that they wouldn't be able to?
If they limit the Dropoff Hangar to Vultures only (for now at least), then they literally have EVERYTHING in place already, all the assets, all the mechanisms, the entire animation and logic. The only difference between you dropping off your own ship and you dropping off a Frontline Solutions ship would be that the ship has your skin on it; that's it. Everything else exactly the same. They can even reuse the logic that checks if the ground beneath the ship is good for landing to determine if it's a good place for a dropoff - it would be a little restrictive but at least it solves the problem of terrain validation immediately.

There's literally nothing to develop here, just copy-paste + release.

Ooooh boy....

Like others have said, good idea. But hours of effort?

I mean, I would love to describe the entire software development process for a company like FD from go to woe... but that would take hours of effort...

 

[WreckRoot]

Ok great, so let's say it will take more than a few hours to just copy paste the thing they already have in there.
I will flip that around - find me a suggestion on this forum that would take LESS effort.

 

[thistle]

Ok great, so let's say it will take more than a few hours to just copy paste the thing they already have in there.
I will flip that around - find me a suggestion on this forum that would take LESS effort.

Here's the thing.

How many llines of text did it take you just to DESCRIBE your idea, in the most succinct way possible? 20, 30?

And each of those lines would involve how much logic and planning, never mind code?

And you think it would take a few hours?

To do what?

It would take a few hours just to consider the scope of changes that might be required. Seriously.

 

[thistle]

No, scrap that, it would be a job you'd ask someone to investigate over a period, not a few hours.

Scope, not design, or code.

 

[WreckRoot]

Here's the thing.

How many llines of text did it take you just to DESCRIBE your idea, in the most succinct way possible? 20, 30?

And each of those lines would involve how much logic and planning, never mind code?

And you think it would take a few hours?

To do what?

It would take a few hours just to consider the scope of changes that might be required. Seriously.

As an actual software developer, I find your comment laughable. Succinct? ROFL. My description contained literal description of how to implement the feature, step by step. I named every animation, asset and logic required. If the backend of the game has any sensible structure to it, the devs should be able to take my notes, copy-paste them into a ticket on their board and just go line by line with implementation.
If I ever, just bloody once, received a feature request this detailed, with every step of implementation clearly described with a direct reference to what asset or logic should be reused at every point and from where it should be taken, I would immediately go to the manager of that employee and demand they get a raise.

Succinct. LOL. You know what would be succinct? "let us drop off on planet surface like in conflict zones!". THAT would be "succinct".

 

[thistle]

As an actual software developer, I find your comment laughable. Succinct? ROFL. My description contained literal description of how to implement the feature, step by step. I named every animation, asset and logic required. If the backend of the game has any sensible structure to it, the devs should be able to take my notes, copy-paste them into a ticket on their board and just go line by line with implementation.
If I ever, just bloody once, received a feature request this detailed, with every step of implementation clearly described with a direct reference to what asset or logic should be reused at every point and from where it should be taken, I would immediately go to the manager of that employee and demand they get a raise.

Succinct. LOL. You know what would be succinct? "let us drop off on planet surface like in conflict zones!". THAT would be "succinct".

An actual software developer would shudder at the idea a list of bullet points in any way translated to "a few hours work".

Did you seriously just type "every step of implementation"?

 

[thistle]

 

[Jmanis]

As an actual software developer, I find your comment laughable. Succinct? ROFL. My description contained literal description of how to implement the feature, step by step. I named every animation, asset and logic required. If the backend of the game has any sensible structure to it, the devs should be able to take my notes, copy-paste them into a ticket on their board and just go line by line with implementation.
If I ever, just bloody once, received a feature request this detailed, with every step of implementation clearly described with a direct reference to what asset or logic should be reused at every point and from where it should be taken, I would immediately go to the manager of that employee and demand they get a raise.

Succinct. LOL. You know what would be succinct? "let us drop off on planet surface like in conflict zones!". THAT would be "succinct".

You're a software dev hey? Explains the level of assumption making. I think you're grossly under- estimating a whole host of factors here. Context matters, and you simply don't have that.

But hey, you made the appeal to authority, so, even just a simple "i disagree" is going to come off as attacking the gourd you've slapped on the table here. If i didn't say i was a dev, you'd disagree on basis of not having experience, and if i said i was, you'd likely just say I'm wrong, like you're already doing with others.

So, yeah. Like i was saying, good suggestion, absolutely not 'a couple hours work' though.

 

[WreckRoot]

An actual software developer would shudder at the idea a list of bullet points in any way translated to "a few hours work".

Did you seriously just type "every step of implementation"?

An actual software developer shudders at your faked understanding of software development.

The only reason why implementation of this could prove to take longer is if:
1. Their codebase is a patchwork of antipatterns and hardcoded mess with zero structure and reusability, an open violation of all programming paradigms. For example, if creating a new tab in the bottom panel that is a direct copy paste of an existing one is in any way harder than replicating a couple of assets and maybe a database row, then it's not done well.
2. Their change management is infested with government-entity-level beaurocracy
3. They write unit tests for literally everything (given amount of bugs in the game, I find this unlikely)
4. The developer is tasked with documentation (which is not part of the implementation of the code itself)

I'm giving them the courtesy of presuming it ain't so bad.

Software development really doesn't get any easier than "copy this here, change label", which is what my entire list is on every step. I wish I had more tickers like those and fewer "I want a tool that does X, but I have no idea how this could work, figure it out" ones. The only unobvious parts here are designing the icons for the module to be displayed in outfitting menu and creating the parachute icon for the bottom panel tab. That's probably a few hours of some designer's work, but the developer doesn't care, developer insert mock icons and moves on with the implementation, which is the part I am concerned with.

You're a software dev hey? Explains the level of assumption making. I think you're grossly under- estimating a whole host of factors here. Context matters, and you simply don't have that.

But hey, you made the appeal to authority, so, even just a simple "i disagree" is going to come off as attacking the gourd you've slapped on the table here. If i didn't say i was a dev, you'd disagree on basis of not having experience, and if i said i was, you'd likely just say I'm wrong, like you're already doing with others.

So, yeah. Like i was saying, good suggestion, absolutely not 'a couple hours work' though.

Not an appeal to authority, but to expertise. If you want to convince me I'm wrong, explain to me exactly how difficult it could possibly be to copy-paste a tab, add a new item functionally identical to another to a menu in outfitting, or replaying an existing animation verbatim on an identical ship with a different skin. Whenever I get tasks like that, it's literally just: lol, git checkout develop, git pull, git checkout -b, open project, ctrl+c, ctrl+v, change ID, change icon to mock until designer delivers, change label, go get coffee, return to desk, git commit -m "lol ez", git push, make pull request on github, check off task, go to next.

By all means explain to me how this can be significantly more difficult, I'm all ears. I honestly can't imagine an easier task in any technology I had worked with, assuming minimal code hygiene.

 

[Schmack]

?????????????? What are you talking about, you can already dismiss your ship at any time when you're on the ground and recall it. You could ever since SRVs in Horizon.

That's what I said. When you are on the ground. Jumping from a flying ship would also require "Jesus take the wheel" programming.

I definitely would use this mechanic for quick dropoffs next to settlements I intend to raid, particularly if I expect I might trigger the alarm (which would make NPCs target my ship if it was landed nearby). If your ship is well shielded to sustain ~15 seconds of fire, you could even get yourself dropped next to an already hostile settlement (e.g. if it's an Exterminate mission and the settlement is tipped off) - currently you have to park your ship a kilometer away and drive up in SRV or run for a minute or two. I think it would be a really cool addition to the game, but even if it isn't particularly impactful, it should at least be considered for the ease of implementation (I mean, it's already in the freakin' game!).

It's in the game sort of. I don't think it's as simple as you make it out to be. It'd be a cool addition, sure. I don't know if I would put it atop the "please do this next" list though.

I don't necessarily understand what your issue is with dropping in settlements.

• You would be able to drop wherever you could land (for ease of implementation as the "suitable terrain" detection mechanism is already in the game), which means that you could drop yourself on the "open field" right next to any building that has some open field next to it. Tresspass zone warning takes a while to fine you so you could have your ship off the scene before fines are applied, meaning you can drop yourself super close if you're good at it. Worst case scenario you approach the closest terminal and pay the fine.
• You can already turn your shields on/off as you descend during dropoff (IIRC) so that's not a problem. Or you could always drop with shields ON by default, as it happens in Conflict Zones.
• If you drop yourself in the middle of a pack of 6 scavengers, then you're just as much of an idiot as you would be if you tried to land there and got rekt lol. I can't see why it's a problem of this mechanic that you would be punished for doing dumb stuff. Scavengers appear when you're about 1km away from the POI, so you would see if there's a welcome party waiting for you or not.
• For high-G planets I would just look how that works when there's a conflict zone on a high-G planet. Do you die immediately on arrival on a high-G world Conflict Zone? If not, then for the same reason you wouldn't die when dropped off with this mechanism. Take note that you already can't disembark on very high-G worlds, and if you can't disembark there, then you wouldn't be able to drop-off there as well.

I don't have an issue with dropping into settlements. I just don't think it's the same as dropping into a scripted instance, unless you're on a mission in which case it would be rather scripted. You could go a step further and say "drop me with my SRV" then you come barreling out of the ship.

Point taken.

I would use it most often when I have an "Exterminate" mission and the settlement is tipped off, i.e. immediately hostile. In such a situation you have to land a large distance away (unless your ship has godlike shields) and deploy in SRV. It would be so cool to just drop your ass off, guns blazing, right next to the settlement.

LOL true, it's FDev after all xD. That's why my suggestion is so detailed

I'd use it after I have found the target with my contacts list (make believe here). I'd drop right on top of their head.