Off the Wall Idea (been thinking on this lately, glad to see someone else is too!):
Commander's Carrier
200ly range, additives enable up to 250 or 300ly
Docks 2 large, 2 medium, 2 small ships
Outfitted with six small turrets
150 speed, terrible turn
Allows repair, refuel, restock
500t Cargo
10,000 Material Storage
10,000 Data Storage
25 Module Slots for Storage
What it can't do:
Dock - it's an Extra-Large Ship.
Fuel Scoop - Too heavy, can't escape star gravity wells
Land on Planets - Too Heavy, will plummet to oblivion if it enters atmosphere
Other notables as a result of these features and drawbacks:
1) Repair and Restock uses materials which must be provided on the carrier. As the carrier cannot dock, it must be maintained by the commander to fulfill its role
2) The Carrier has a primary and secondary fuel tank. The secondary refuels docked ship, can siphon fuel from primary, and primary can siphon from secondary. Primary tank can also siphon from docked ships.
3) Fuel Limpets can be used to refuel the carrier, or direct siphon with docked ships.
4) The carrier cannot be outfitted or modified as it can't dock. 'What you see is what you get'. It is intended as an operational asset for commanders, not an actual ship.
5) The ship is pilotable, not multicrew. It can enter supercruise and drop into normal space. If it gets within 10km of a station, it will warn it then respond aggressively due to traffic concerns or threat of massive collision. (Keeps folks using it to block toaster racks honestly).
6) Upon launching a docked ship, carrier behaves like ship when launching SRV on surface: departing its normal space, or dismissing it, will cause the ship to depart and cease to be a targetable asset. Carrier can be summoned to normal space only. The carrier can be destroyed.
7) Thanks to proprietary hangar design, destruction of a commander's carrier only causes loss of the onboard materials and the ship itself. Insurance is based on existing algorithm, which is based on whatever the ship ends up costing. Ships that were docked are automatically salvaged and shipped to last station docked at, and will need to be redocked to the new carrier if so desired.
This was actually part of a much large idea I had for unlockables as they relate to the pilot federation ranks (this was the 'ultimate' with all three elite ranks). Someday I may post that. With the 2018 squad capitals coming, it's important such a ship doesn't replace or take away from the capital. So it isn't something you 'work' or engineer. It really is an operational asset.
For localized pilots, this allows a commander to easily repair and restock in the system they are working, notably combat pilots.
For miners and traders, the ship offers a means to transport large quantities of goods...but at a very slow pace (you'd have to undock a Type-9 as an example, then dock with a station...rinse, repeat for other ships). It's not meant to be 'the perfect' hauler - it's not a commodity hauler, it's a ship hauler.
For explorers, it offers a robust platform for deep-space excursions - but it requires effort to keep it running and jumping. The huge jump range is nice, but very time consuming as you have to undock, fuel scoop the nearest fuel star, and then redock...several times...to be able to make the maximum jump again. This is important: it isn't meant to get you around quicker - it's meant to assist you when you get there.
Module storage currently isn't possible, but would be necessary for a ship like this. This allows a commander to use their carrier as a 'mobile armory' of sorts. Keep in mind, missions still come from stations - but outfitting options could be radically increased with a mobile armory such as this.
The most important factor is that the carrier is not a necessary tool for success. Explorers constantly traveling wouldn't necessarily want or use this, nor would combatants based out of a station in system. The carrier merely opens up more flexible options for pursuing your playstyle in ED.
