First and foremost the do the Mods want to merge all three of these threads, while there is some similarities in both the idea and content. In each individual thread there are interesting comments. I tend to think any of these threads got any legs not because they didnt have legs as an idea but got pushed off the radar, because of some of the forum war meta game...
Any how back to the thought of SAR in the Elite universe...
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88163&highlight=USAF
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4120
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=87549
Hopefully not TL;DR
Any how back to the thought of SAR in the Elite universe...
Hello my fellow Commanders!
I have a wonderful idea I have been kicking around for quite a bit. It has to do with the ability to actually custom make your own tanker for a multitude of jobs!!!!
A little background on myself. I was in the USAF as a KC-10 Boom Operator. What my job entailed was pretty fun. I got to fly the boom around, establish radio comms with the receiver aircraft, initiate procedures for the receiver to practically dock with our tanker. Also I was in charge of cargo loading and offloading, as well as passenger services (I got to give the flight attendant safety briefing every flight we had PAX)
What I would like to request; which hopefully is implemented, (I will help you FD and admins as much as possible with this if it is moved forward.) is the ability to allow any larger ship past a viper (Lakon type 6 would be an ideal multi-role tanker) to add more fuel tanks to internal compartments. As well as equip a "boom" type module to an internal compartment, when activated, extends a refueling boom to allow any ship in game (which would require recepticals to be added in a location on each ship model) to be able to transfer fuel from tanker to receiver spacecraft.
The actual mechanics would be similar to cargo scooping, with the receiver spacecraft able to align with the tankers boom, and slowly approach refueling position. When a contact is established, the tanker pilot just has to activate the internal, and fuel is discharged from tanker spacecraft to receiver spacecraft after the receiver accepts the transfer of fuel. To initiate a disconnect, a bind would be included which allows either the tanker or receiver to disconnect. If a receiver or tanker moves dramatically and breaks a limit (spot where the boom would structurally fail); the boom would automatically disconnect and retract, preventing damage to the boom.
Another vital aspect of this request would be to allow commanders to charge NPCs or CMDRs a fee for providing a service to them. The amount of fuel distributed should be 0%, 50%, 100% or 200% more expensive than refueling with a starport (mechanic should be adjustable, so commanders can set their own margins from 0%-500% or greater). This will give a commander the ability to actually profit from a life of space booming. Using a fuel scoop then distributing fuel to others may actually be a profitable venture if implemented correctly. Although, receiver spacecrafts can see the margin before accepting incoming fuel. An accept fuel and confirm button would work well, just like when one would dock in a spaceport.
A KC-10 is a modified DC-10. It can haul cargo and it can haul passengers; but, its primary mission is to provide assistance to aircraft who needs fuel. This to me seems like a vital technology which would only evolve from the 1920's to the 3300's.
Different tanker occupations which a tanker pilot in elite may pursue.
- Ability to tag along on player expeditions; topping up with fuel and providing fuel to others who would no longer need a fuel scoop; in turn a commander can add another internal instead of the scoop.
- Respond to in-system distress signals to provide support for NPC's (Procedural Generated Distress Signals) or other CMDRs who are in dire need of fuel. (NO MORE SELF-DESTRUCTING!!!)
- Set up shop in a fringe system, providing fuel to wayward travelers heading out to unknown space.
- A player to player contract system which allows other players to contract tankers to follow them into the depths of space. Although; if Player A who requests a tanker kills Player B in the tanker during the adventure, a system will show player A can not be trusted. This will not allow multiple abuses of the contract system as tankers will not voyage with an untrusted player. If the tanker is being bad, the same goes with them! Tanker contracts is just the beginning!
- Implement missions so a tanker pilot can contract himself out to Federation, Empire or Alliance military forces. Providing much needed fuel for moving fleets.
- Tanker missions for pirate factions. These should be much more lucrative, but considered illegal by the main power players.
- [THIS SPOT AND BELOW ARE FOR COMMUNITY SUGGESTIONS]
For now, this is what I have, I really hope this thread receives lots of feedback as I believe this is a serious subject which absolutely NEEDS to be implemented. I wouldn't mind paying 20 dollars for a DLC as this seems it would require hundreds of hours of man hours to put into practice.
Thank you for your time Commanders,
-LW
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88163&highlight=USAF
one thing that always stood out for me playing the original Elite was the fact the i had to pay for or scoop hyperspace fuel and had a limited range while at the same time i could burn my way round the system for hours at full throttle without ever having to worry about fuel for my thrusters or getting back to the station before i ran out of gas
this never seamed reasonable to me as not having any form of gas tank just did not add up and it was a shame as all it needed was a credible back story for it to be real.
this issue may of already been addressed in FE or FFE, never played so don't know
to prevent this breaking immersion in the new game my solution is 'Thrust Mass' or 'reaction mass' and this is how it would work:
as your ship travels through space the thrusters facing your direction of travel act as mini fuel scoops (one would presume the breaking thrusters).
these mini fuel scoops collect interstellar dust and gasses that are stored in a buffer tank and converted to thrust by your engines as required. I propose it be impossible for this to run out as an increase in speed and use of mass would also correspond to an increased intake of it.
because this intake would be in permanent on position during combat to ensure you didn't run out it brings the possibility in of having to dump some of this mass if the tank should become too full, this would be an automatic safety feature and beyond users control.
this is in line with whats been said about ships becoming more visible during extended combat and can play a part in that feature of game play contributing to your visibility - perhaps the large concentration of mass you release forms a halo around your shields making you show up like a small moon on radar for a short time before it dissipates
in this way thruster fuel is explained without the need to pop back to the station every five mins and nothing need be added to the models of ships to account for this extra feature, maybe a bit on the heads up to show how full the tank is and a key to enable a manual purge/toggle collection off for stealth when your waiting in ambush but that's all
let the comments commence
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4120
Being able to claim salvage, i.e. some none illegal cargo dropped, that is not a result your ships actions i.e "interdicting", a ship, and sticking to the current commodity legality of each systems having differing prohibited items. Then the original owner gets a bulletin board message to get 10% of the sale value or pay a bounty for its return. "I understand that it may be that the current database of players and there actions, may be to unwieldy to handle this given the scale of the sandbox size multiple servers" would be a nice feature.
Perhaps also some recoverable i.e "none illegal" cargo also could just be randomly generated by the procedural system? I dont know enough about the "Cobra Engine" But it would certainly give those who chase some "USS's" a chance to then recover and trade some recovered cargo, legally without having to generate a "story". I am sure that I am not alone in wishing to have and maintain a clean status as a play style.
Another potential expansion to the sandbox would to fly recovery, the Lakon Type 9 is a ship that could suit that mode. As "FSD lore does not lend itself to have towing hitchs" the Type 9 could have some kind of hard-point coupling, that means you clamp on the the recover ship therefore able too "FSD" as a unified mass, so fitting a module that could have a option to being able to recover, refuel or repair in effect "towing" players that request recovery due to damage, for a set fee to the nearest station with repair refuelling availability...
Again it, it may be a case of game engine / player server database, limitations practicality that may prove problematic but i would like the Devs to consider these ideas...
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=87549
Hopefully not TL;DR
