[Suggestion] Make Distress call ships far less indestructible

[Marc_Hicks]

As the title says, I seriously hope we see a bit more refinement of the Distress Call missions. At the moment it seriously feels like my efforts make absolutely no difference to whether the ship I'm helping actually survives.

I don't mind if the ship is much more resistant to damage than most normal ships of its type, but there should definitely be a sense that the distressed vessel is in genuine danger of being destroyed if you don't hurry up & destroy the pirates attacking it. Also, as a further refinement, it might be nice to see multiple ships under attack by pirates, especially in the "wave" style missions.

CMDR Marcus Hicks.

 

[DragoonKnight]

In that case they need to completely redo the distress calls with pirates. It is currently quite ridiculous where you have 4 pirates attacking a single DBE, the next wave is 8 pirates, and then you have to do battle with an Anaconda while being attacked by 2 Vultures. I have yet to come out of one of these encounters without taking some hull damage.
If that DBE was not invulnerable then this would be FISSION MAILED every time you try to respond to a distress call.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

In that case they need to completely redo the distress calls with pirates. It is currently quite ridiculous where you have 4 pirates attacking a single DBE, the next wave is 8 pirates, and then you have to do battle with an Anaconda while being attacked by 2 Vultures. I have yet to come out of one of these encounters without taking some hull damage.
If that DBE was not invulnerable then this would be FISSION MAILED every time you try to respond to a distress call.

As I said, I am fine with the distressed ships being more resistant than normal-as a certain "willing suspension of disbelief" is entirely do-able ;-). I just don't want them being entirely indestructible. I also have said that in wave attacks, I would rather see a situation where you have multiple ships in distress-with the need to save only one.

It would also be great if succeeding at these missions could occasionally lead to a new mission, given by the thankful pilot(s). Heck, even if your rescue mission fails, it would be great if you could sometimes scoop something from the debris (like a black box or trade data or cargo etc) & have that trigger a new mission for you. Also, the number & composition of the pirate wave scenario also needs more variability IMHO.

 

[Magic Man]

The whole distress call thing is very arcadey as it is. What's wrong with it just being a distress call? I.e. a ship in trouble, I jump in, take the random number of offenders/rank out and that's it?

Why does there need to be the ridiculousness of wave after wave at all? - leave the waves of ranked enemies to an option in CQC.

I don't bother with them now because of that reason. I want a rescue situation not a staged arcade intermission.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

The whole distress call thing is very arcadey as it is. What's wrong with it just being a distress call? I.e. a ship in trouble, I jump in, take the random number of offenders/rank out and that's it?

Why does there need to be the ridiculousness of wave after wave at all? - leave the waves of ranked enemies to an option in CQC.

I don't bother with them now because of that reason. I want a rescue situation not a staged arcade intermission.

Not all Distress calls are waves of foes. Some are just as you mentioned-drop in, kill of the pirates already there, & you're done. Other times you drop in, kill all the pirates already there, then help refuel the distressed ship. Other times you drop in, kill the pirates, only to find the ship already destroyed (with an option to scoop stuff sometimes). Other times you drop in & there is nothing but wreckage....however, within the wave subclass, I do want more variability.

 

[Daynen]

I ignore distress calls because I know they will be one of three things: a ship that needs fuel (and I don't run fuel limpets,) a ship that's under attack (which gets silly for the reasons above) or a trap.

There is nothing in any of those possibilities that makes me want to stop for it. If we had modules to actively repair crippled ships--if there even WERE crippled ships--or if there were any other way that scenario could play out, then it'd be a different story.