Shouldn't the various powers have a bigger military presense?

[peteuplink]

I was watching Star Wars again today and it got me thinking about Elite Dangerous. In Star Wars the Galactic Empire seems to have a very big fleet and is very visible. Star Destroyers here and there, TIE Fighters on patrol. I was wondering if the major powers military might in ED should be more visible?

We see the occasional capital ship, checkpoints, and I occasionally get stopped for a random check by Federal Navy or System Security, but we don't see any fleets.

 

[Flavourless]

Yes.
Both Federation, Empire and Alliance should have massive military might, and should be using the fleets to keep these powers in line.
That they are not is hugely immersion breaking. (For me obviously)

 

[Dbrn47]

Yes.
Both Federation, Empire and Alliance should have massive military might, and should be using the fleets to keep these powers in line.
That they are not is hugely immersion breaking. (For me obviously)

Fleets are generally sent to combat zones or double as system authority. It's a big universe and there's generally no reason for them to congregate in one place. Plus, the game works on instances and varying spawns, of course you aren't going to see an Empire Death Ball just hanging around.

Maybe it'd be cool, maybe it'd be immersive, but who needs all that.

 

[xaisis]

Yes indeed.
But i guess that also explains why a few vipers can defend a station. as there is no fleets -.-

What i would love to see is fleet movements and engagements, not just those static events we see now with some mixed up ships flying around shooting at each other.
But fleets engaging each other and using strategy, formations and so on.

 

[peteuplink]

It's a big universe and there's generally no reason for them to congregate in one place.

It is a big galaxy, but Federation space (for example) is quite small in comparison. I Hudson has 477 exploited systems and 35 controlled, Winters has 290 exploited systems and 29 controlled, that's only 1,308 star systems in all, but if you went to all of them you'd probably see one or two capital ships and that's all.

Obviously the fleets would move about, so they wouldn't congregate in one place, but they would have staging areas, support vessels, regular patrol routes along borders and contested areas, and space docks. Space docks are the biggest mystery, because where do the capital ship go to? They're too big to fit into the normal stations and they don't look very well designed for landing on planets.

 

[Dbrn47]

It is a big galaxy, but Federation space (for example) is quite small in comparison. I Hudson has 477 exploited systems and 35 controlled, Winters has 290 exploited systems and 29 controlled, that's only 1,308 star systems in all, but if you went to all of them you'd probably see one or two capital ships and that's all.

Obviously the fleets would move about, so they wouldn't congregate in one place, but they would have staging areas, support vessels, regular patrol routes along borders and contested areas, and space docks. Space docks are the biggest mystery, because where do the capital ship go to? They're too big to fit into the normal stations and they don't look very well designed for landing on planets.

The Federation is much bigger than what Winters and Hudson has. Any rate, I don't actually disagree with you, just doesn't seem the game would support this sort of thing, at least not yet. We do need populated space to feel more alive, that's for sure.

 

[knowles2]

Hope the engine gets upgraded to add such features in the future.

 

[Iskariot]

I have seen multiple capital ships in certain core systems. So there is a military presence in select locations.

What the game needs is more types of npc-only military vessels. I would like to see destroyers, battleships, frigates etc.
I also would like to see these vessels in sensible fleets. Large carriers protected by destroyers and cruisers for example.

I love the way the X-Wing and Tie-fighter games handled this. It felt very military and realistic in a scifi context.
These games featured lots of different types of non-player war ships. This contributed immensely to realism and immersion.
ED is currently undernourished in this department.

And I want to see them near stations too, patrolling in normal space.

To make ED's universe feel more real and give it more visual depth we need true military installations/bases. Military shipyards. Large docks for capital ships, etc. etc.

There should also be a difference in design between Imperial stations and Federal stations. Currently even the core systems of different factions all look the same. They have no faction identity.

 

[Dbrn47]

Found this in a Strong Signal Source. 8 ships total.

1 Type 9 in a wing with 3 Anacondas

Spoiler

1 Federal Dropship in a wing with 3 Vultures.

Spoiler

There are things to see, just not as obvious as you may prefer.

 

[Fire70]

I have seen multiple capital ships in certain core systems. So there is a military presence in select locations.

What the game needs is more types of npc-only military vessels. I would like to see destroyers, battleships, frigates etc.
I also would like to see these vessels in sensible fleets. Large carriers protected by destroyers and cruisers for example.

I love the way the X-Wing and Tie-fighter games handled this. It felt very military and realistic in a scifi context.
These games featured lots of different types of non-player war ships. This contributed immensely to realism and immersion.
ED is currently undernourished in this department.

And I want to see them near stations too, patrolling in normal space.

To make ED's universe feel more real and give it more visual depth we need true military installations/bases. Military shipyards. Large docks for capital ships, etc. etc.

There should also be a difference in design between Imperial stations and Federal stations. Currently even the core systems of different factions all look the same. They have no faction identity.

Yes more variety = more immersion. There is much lacking in this game..

Big problem is that there are these huge fleets around but give it is peer to peer you never seen them ..

 

[Morbad]

if you went to all of them you'd probably see one or two capital ships and that's all.

You'd see quite a few more than this.

Sol has two capital ships itself, several other systems have at least one, and they occasionally crop up in CZs.

I could probably find half a dozen within 20ly of Sol.