Solution for slow FC exploration

[Quantis Trap]

I originally thought as many do that the hour jump and hour cool down times are too much, but cutting those a lot may cause other potential problems and exploits.

I have another proposal which might help while not causing any problems.

What if FDev were to implement a faster multiple jump algorithm?

Simplest Algorithm Example:
What if there was the normal two hours of wait time on the first jump, then subsequent jumps executed within the cool down period could be much less. These sequential jumps would be cut down to as little as 10 minutes on either side with good timing by the captain. This would cut sequential layovers to as little as 20 minutes on each jump.

This algorithm, if done correctly, could become a Fleet Carrier jump optimization mini-game and we all know how Frontier like their mini-games.

Lore could easily be constructed to support this:

1. It could be said that Tritium drives not only need a cool down, but they need a warm up, so on multi jump routes it's more efficient to keep them purring.
2. The crew is already at stations. If you keep them there everything moves faster.

If Frontier did something like this, I think it would give explorers a tools without giving others an exploit or disrupting other mechanics.

* And even though it's unrelated, while you're at it Frontier, give explorers a way to sell cartographic data out in the black.

What do you think?

 

[Quantis Trap]

No one?

 

[Viscera]

My thought...

Scrap the warm up. If you really have to have a delay, make it one minute, with a countdown.

Keep the cooldown. Why? Sounds like something that should happen. Maybe shorten to 15 minutes.

This would kind of bring it to a similar "feel" to capital ships in cz then which it appears use the same jump technology.

 

[Cervantes01]

Carriers only have fuel for 2 jumps.

 

[Quantis Trap]

Carriers only have fuel for 2 jumps.

Not true. Yes, around two jumps per 1k tons, but couple that with the reported feature that you can stockpile fuel in the 25k tons storage and you might have as many as 50 jumps in a row. That would make it to Colonia.

 

[Muetdhiver]

An other way could be simply :

1) no warm up.
2) after the jumps, add 10% heat to the jump drive.
3) heat goes down 10%/h
4) at 100% heat the drive goes on emergency shutdown and takes 12h to cool down and reboot.

That way the max range is 5000 lyr/day. If you have a full day you can reach 10000 lyr/day, but then still face about 12h of cool down.

And with all of this the FC is still slower than an exploration ship while being convenient to use. You still have to plan for fuel, but it would mean that an expedition could get it to a waypoint in a decent time for it to be refilled by a team while the slower members catch up.

 

[Oldviboy]

I originally thought as many do that the hour jump and hour cool down times are too much, but cutting those a lot may cause other potential problems and exploits.

I have another proposal which might help while not causing any problems.

What if FDev were to implement a faster multiple jump algorithm?

Simplest Algorithm Example:
What if there was the normal two hours of wait time on the first jump, then subsequent jumps executed within the cool down period could be much less. These sequential jumps would be cut down to as little as 10 minutes on either side with good timing by the captain. This would cut sequential layovers to as little as 20 minutes on each jump.

This algorithm, if done correctly, could become a Fleet Carrier jump optimization mini-game and we all know how Frontier like their mini-games.

Lore could easily be constructed to support this:

1. It could be said that Tritium drives not only need a cool down, but they need a warm up, so on multi jump routes it's more efficient to keep them purring.
2. The crew is already at stations. If you keep them there everything moves faster.

If Frontier did something like this, I think it would give explorers a tools without giving others an exploit or disrupting other mechanics.

* And even though it's unrelated, while you're at it Frontier, give explorers a way to sell cartographic data out in the black.

What do you think?

I like the idea a bit, but I see work behind it, and knowing the frontier they won't bother too much .... I prefer that they shorten that time ,

for the love of the little free time.

 

[EUS]

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threa...eet-carrier-please.540547/page-2#post-8369083

 

[Old Duck]

My solution to slow exploration is to "pull" the carrier behind me rather than ride it. In that, carriers do not explore, they carry. We'll still be exploring in our exploration ships. So I'll set out and look for an interesting spot within 500 LY of my current staging system, and when I find it, I'll request the carrier to jump there. Then I'll scan all the surrounding systems while I wait for it. This way I'm busy exploring during the carrier's FSD (or whatever it's called) cooldown and spin-up. Thus no wasted time!

Note - I don't rim surf, so I don't need a 500 LY jump range to explore, unless I see something incredibly interesting that I cannot get to otherwise.

 

[photomankc]

Not true. Yes, around two jumps per 1k tons, but couple that with the reported feature that you can stockpile fuel in the 25k tons storage and you might have as many as 50 jumps in a row. That would make it to Colonia.

But I think the 'fuel tank' is 1000T so you have to do something to go from cargo to tank I imagine. Will be interesting to find out tomorrow.

 

[photomankc]

I don't think the warm-up is going away. They want people to get notice of the impending jump that may be interested. I say I should have control over that, but I still doubt it goes away. It would be more livable at 30/30mins for sure.

 

[MadDogMurdock]

The warm up is necessary for everyone to get on board or to get off, although I’m not sure how anyone is going to know when the FC will jump unless they’re already there.
The cooldown, not so much.

 

[Mengy]

I don't care about the jump times or warm ups or any of that, I could live with it as is.

What I can't live with is no UC. Without it I 1) can't earn money to pay the upkeep while out in space, and 2) have no use at all for a carrier in the first place.

If they added UC to it I'd be content with everything else just as it is, but without UC I'll never bother to buy one, or even land at one really.

 

[Sysmon]

Could increase it to a 24 hours spin-up/cooldown.

S

 

[Mengy]

Could increase it to a 24 hours spin-up/cooldown.

S

 

[Red Anders]

First time I've seen Dav without his white coat

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

... Stack the cooldown and spin up so it would just be like ship transfer for 2 hours.

Dumb but less painful.

 

[Wrecked]

I have a better idea, just get rid of the dumb mechanic and allow us to jump the ship we paid 5 billion for whenever we want. The spool up and cool down mechanic is stupid. If you’ve ground your life away to get to 5 billion or more credits, you deserve to go around the galaxy putting your name on new areas. Oh and don’t worry, even if we could insta-jump to any star in the galaxy, we won’t run out of systems to explore... there are 400 billion of them.

And before anyone just says “this idea is stupid, it would ruin the game!!!” Explain how. Just saying it will ruin the game doesn’t mean it will ruin the game. No one ever has a good reason. The typical response is “space is big” or “if you don’t like flying spaceships, this isn’t the game for you”, or the best one, “why don’t they just install an ‘I win’ button”. I’ve yet to see an actual good reason to waste everyone’s time on travel .

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

I have a better idea, just get rid of the dumb mechanic and allow us to jump the ship we paid 5 billion for whenever we want. The spool up and cool down mechanic is stupid. If you’ve ground your life away to get to 5 billion or more credits, you deserve to go around the galaxy putting your name on new areas. Oh and don’t worry, even if we could insta-jump to any star in the galaxy, we won’t run out of systems to explore... there are 400 billion of them.

And before anyone just says “this idea is stupid, it would ruin the game!!!” Explain how. Just saying it will ruin the game doesn’t mean it will ruin the game. No one ever has a good reason. The typical response is “space is big” or “if you don’t like flying spaceships, this isn’t the game for you”, or the best one, “why don’t they just install an ‘I win’ button”. I’ve yet to see an actual good reason to waste everyone’s time on travel .

Your idea isn't stupid at all it will take 4-8 hours to refuel.

 

[[VR] Dr Gentech]

OP what potential issues and exploits are you envisioning could be caused by lowered cooldowns/warmups?