Having tried out Elite: Dangerous' coop capabilities for the first time this week with my brother, we both found the experience, while still fun, to be quite lacking. Also, I have read up on various threads here on the topic of coop, but felt that my points would not completely fit into any single one of them, and I didn't want to split up my suggestions or derail another thread.
Ok, now first of all, let's look at what works: I do love the in game VoIP, as it feels like radio rather than in game voice coms, so it's quite immersive. Also, I do like that there is some skill, coordination and communication involved in finding each other and staying together. So I definately do NOT propose slaved FSD/jumping, as the race for the proper FSD wake is quite fun in itself.
Still, playing cooperatively adds a ton of hassle and without any (but the social) reward. In fact, it actually is a hinderance that diminishes credit income, rather than make things easier. To solve this, I have following suggestions that would not really alter the way ED works atm, but would still promote cooperation:
And lastly, I would love to see multi-player missions that would allow for proper multi role cooperation, like transports, escorts, scouting etc, interconnected. But that, I guess, would be a rather huge effort...
Ok, now first of all, let's look at what works: I do love the in game VoIP, as it feels like radio rather than in game voice coms, so it's quite immersive. Also, I do like that there is some skill, coordination and communication involved in finding each other and staying together. So I definately do NOT propose slaved FSD/jumping, as the race for the proper FSD wake is quite fun in itself.
Still, playing cooperatively adds a ton of hassle and without any (but the social) reward. In fact, it actually is a hinderance that diminishes credit income, rather than make things easier. To solve this, I have following suggestions that would not really alter the way ED works atm, but would still promote cooperation:
- Make friends visible on the radar by color. Friends should be green like freindly NPCs (possibly flahsing red/green when hostile in game). Also, FSDs of friends could be marked, but they don't have to be neccessarily.
- Bounty sharing: all players, no matter if friends or not, who cause damage on a target should get a part of the bounty in proportion to the damage they dealt, as opposed to just the player with the killing blow getting anything.
- Mission sharing: option to share missions with friends in the sector and other players currently docked att the same station, so kills or the cargo hold space or delivered goods etc. of each individual participating player count towards completion. Payout could either be equally divided amongst the participating players, proportionally according to how much each player contributed, or be set up with percentages per player by the player accepting the mission initially (or all three of them). Of course, when more players share a mission, the jump range of the player with the least one should be used to determine availability. Invited players should have to actively accept the missions/payout rules.
- Destination sharing: rather than slaving of drives, players should be bale to share FSD/Jump destinations and routes via the communications or contacts menu. Invited players should have to actively accept the destinations. This should include USS.
- Squadron-functionality: allow people to form squads over the communication menu or contacts tab. That would automatically share missions, destinations, cause the members to have another, different colour on the radar (possibly blue), definately mark FSDs of squadron members, and share bounties among members equally as opposed to proportionally (to allow for tactics like baiting or distractions with equal payouts for members who do not deal the bulk of the damage).
And lastly, I would love to see multi-player missions that would allow for proper multi role cooperation, like transports, escorts, scouting etc, interconnected. But that, I guess, would be a rather huge effort...
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