Suit power ups (temporary) "GEARS" from Exo Biology harvesting/crafting

[Master Kroz]

Suit power ups from Exo Biology harvesting/crafting
I find having a ranking for Exo Biology pointless, just getting a thumbs up and my record says yay I've found this many now I'm Elite and I got some cash too.
What if doing Exo Biology gave us an edge in exploration and combat on foot just like the ships can craft upgrades from materials.
Idea:
1. Buy Gene-bio formulas from scientists you rescue
2. Go get samples of plant type A and B as per formula
3. Install module to ship... crafting bench... some ships could have as standard module
4. using bio extracts craft into "Geno Enhanced Active Resource Serum" G E A R S (aka potion/power up/augment). This crafting could be a little mini game to add the right amounts and hey maybe you could get achievements for being a chemist, would be cool if there was some grounding in real life elements how they react to each other. Rather not have an RNG that says success or not. Finally you could have different strengths of your GEARS depending on how well the mini game went or your experience in crafting them.
5. Equip your suit with your GEARS : Suits have a "slot" or number of slots depending on what the type, so maybe dominator has 1 and the less protected suits have 3 "slots". Can only be equipped in station or your ship. So you're preparing for your mission/activity
6. In field of operation, activate your GEARS when you chose, the GEARS is injected into you giving you a bio enhancement some suggestions, times may vary depending on strength of GEARS you crafted:
a. Adrenaline rush - lets you take 100% damage or 30seconds
b. Heart stimulations - lets you run faster for 1 minute
c. Blood warming - lets you survive in cold temperatures for 5 minutes (thinking when your suits loses power, lets you get back to your ship)
d. Heat vision - lets you see heat signatures for easy aiming for 30seonds
e. Bio life detector - helps you find plenty life A really easy through seeing trails or highlighting certain plants that have high density to get better samples... maybe 20mins for that one
obviously many applications not just combat I'm sure the community can come up with some good ones.

Side application you could create cures for diseases and deliver them to places that need healing or worse make a crazy virius that could wipe out a settlement, so you could be a space doctor or a space veil scientist...?

So besides the obvious that we'd have "power ups" why implement this: my guess is EXO biology will die out like CQC did.... unless there's something behind that rank grind worth it.
1. By implementing this combat becomes more interesting and you'll have players engaging in exo biology that wouldn't normally.
2. Makes more Exo biology interesting
3. makes anything you do on foot more interesting like exploring
4. extends game play
5. adds a new element to Elite but is all in the sphere of space legs (Odyssey) so if you're still on horizons you won't be missing anything
6. adds some realism about the extracts you are gathering, it's not just extract 1 ... "now it's the woo plant grade 10 that will give me great health recovery if I get that..." you'll get use to how the plants look and try and hunt them down.



Alternative suggestion - instead of crafting each GEAR and having to harvest more to get more Serum just do it once and have it as a permanent augmentation to your suit that has a long recharge time... personally I don't like that less realistic but would eliminate grind. I mean you don't have a permanent coffee augmentation in your work shirt.... you buy the coffee mix with water and whatever else and then consume so for a short period the caffeine stimulates you. Buuuttttt it's extra work and it's a game after all

 

[Para Handy]

I don't like this at all. It is bad enough having power-ups in the arcade game that is CQC. At least you are suggesting people have to conduct an activity to make them available I suppose.

 

[varonica]

What if doing Exo Biology gave us an edge in exploration and combat on foot

Why in any universe would collecting plant samples give you combat bonuses? I don't have a problem with collecting samples giving you an edge in, say, collecting plant samples, but combat? How does that make any sense at all?

So, no, I think that just about covers it!

 

[Master Kroz]

What universe .... Far cry, the Witcher, skyrim... Those awarding game universes.....

 

[Lugh]

please don't make me do something I don't want to do in order to stay competitive in areas I do want to play.

 

[CMDR Rabbit]

please don't make me do something I don't want to do in order to stay competitive in areas I do want to play.

i like the basic idea of being able to do something with bio stuffs, but i don't particularly like the 'magic potion' approach and even less so for combat buffing.

i can see a couple of alternate options though, i like the idea mixing with existing raw and possibly manufactured mats, and would could harvesting actual material from the bio forms and not just genetic samples.

keep the existing sell for credits as an option, but dump the galaxy wide Vista Genomics in favor of a controlling faction/power/superpower representative, not the assets, just the flavor. Optional, sell to some of the new Odyssey facilities that are bio/science/agricultural in focus.

• Could doing so have a BGS interaction such as reducing likelyhood of famine or epidemic states ?

visit one of the bio/science focussed settlements (a super 'nice to have', if this could be expanded to the existing orbital POI research sites). Use the lab facilities (possible analysis, combination minigame) to generate synthesis that can be used in-ship recipes for things like:

• suit expendables, ie. charge packs and health kits, maybe grenades? (mixed recipes of bio and raw mats or sumthing)
• thruster boost booster ,
• a short supercruise acceleration boost
• if harvesting (in addition not replacing sampling) is implemented, possibly synthesizing mats into commodities like foods, narcotics or medicines?

i also like the idea of being able to use the pretense of using the bio mats at a lab site to complete a 'Steal A Thing/Place A Thing' mission from that lab that provides an optional, different way of getting authorization for the facility. Think more, con artist than ninja/cat-burglar.

All of this combined, i feel anyway, promotes player agency through more meaningful choice of what to do with the assets once you've got them and why to bother in the first place.

Adds reasons to visit some of the new settlements beyond Kill Someone or Steal A Thing/Place A Thing.

Integrates different game loops and paths for more player options.

Provides what i see as a 'middle of the road' solution to the endless 'make supercruise faster/add in system jump points vs PVP/Piracy options)

 

[m0rl0ck]

No.
No alchemy.

 

[Master Kroz]

So seems like combat power ups are a bad idea, I don't think it will be as bad as everyone thinks as we have this already with ship weapon upgrades like weapon damage increases from mining materials and the long grind for engineering your ships to give massive advantages in ship combat.
But it's FPS and we want people to enjoy that soperhaps to get the game play maybe this should be passive abilities to help with exploring or further eco biology / related missions I do appreciate the feedback.
I'm a bit sad I was really excited this would be well received, guess I'll get back in my box.
o7 CMDRs fly safe

 

[varonica]

What universe .... Far cry, the Witcher, skyrim... Those awarding game universes.....

I don't count those as universes because they aren't, they're magic realms and so don't follow rules that should apply to an actual universe. They're fine in themselves, but you can use magic to do anything you want, but an actual universe requires consistent rules, behaviour and logical results.

 

[Lugh]

So seems like combat power ups are a bad idea, I don't think it will be as bad as everyone thinks as we have this already with ship weapon upgrades like weapon damage increases from mining materials and the long grind for engineering your ships to give massive advantages in ship combat.
But it's FPS and we want people to enjoy that soperhaps to get the game play maybe this should be passive abilities to help with exploring or further eco biology / related missions I do appreciate the feedback.
I'm a bit sad I was really excited this would be well received, guess I'll get back in my box.
o7 CMDRs fly safe

Yeah... engineering went over so well and is beloved by the community.

 

[Master Kroz]

I don't count those as universes because they aren't, they're magic realms and so don't follow rules that should apply to an actual universe. They're fine in themselves, but you can use magic to do anything you want, but an actual universe requires consistent rules, behaviour and logical results.

Consistency can still exist I'm not following?
I don't think alchemy is magical, that's how we live today, get sick take a magical potion of antibiotics, need to get energised take your pick of caffeine supplements, that's grounded in real life if that's what your point is, both start with plants/organic manipulation

 

[Master Kroz]

Consistency can still exist I'm not following?
I don't think alchemy/chemistry is magical, that's how we live today, get sick take a magical potion of antibiotics, need to get energised take your pick of caffeine supplements, that's grounded in real life if that's what your point is, both start with plants/organic manipulation

 

[CMDR Larmakosa]

So seems like combat power ups are a bad idea, I don't think it will be as bad as everyone thinks as we have this already with ship weapon upgrades like weapon damage increases from mining materials and the long grind for engineering your ships to give massive advantages in ship combat.
But it's FPS and we want people to enjoy that soperhaps to get the game play maybe this should be passive abilities to help with exploring or further eco biology / related missions I do appreciate the feedback.
I'm a bit sad I was really excited this would be well received, guess I'll get back in my box.
o7 CMDRs fly safe

Don't let it get to you. People tends to be very lazy with their social skills on internet. They give away opinions in a brutal, probably honest, but unconstructive way.

I agree with some aspects of what you said (the new elite ranks, closed loops like harvesting things that make you better at harvesting things). Also, I remember Power Ups being fun in pure deathmatch games, in closed arenas, with everyone starting the same way and having the same chances of getting any of the weapons and powerups, like Unreal Tournament.

Now in an open world like Elite Dangerous, it will not feel the same.

Some guys will pop in battles with some advantages you can't have because you didn't devote any of your time to an aspect of the game you don't especially enjoy (harvesting stuffs). That means an aspect of the game you don't like but managed to avoid would ruin another aspect of the game you enjoy.

It's actually already a bit of a problem with PvP and engineering. You can't really expect to have a decent pvp ship if you haven't done the grind for mats,which takes time and which is commodity a lot of us doesn't have a lot of.

 

[Master Kroz]

Thanks mate I needed that. Yeah you have some good points. Ironically it's the harvesting stuff I don't like either haha hence the wanting it to have more value. I like the idea of finding something new too but that's probably going to be another suggestion. Thanks for your thoughts

 

[Master Kroz]

Suit power ups from Exo Biology harvesting/crafting
I find having a ranking for Exo Biology pointless, just getting a thumbs up and my record says yay I've found this many now I'm Elite and I got some cash too.
What if doing Exo Biology gave us an edge in exploration and combat on foot just like the ships can craft upgrades from materials.
Idea:
1. Buy Gene-bio formulas from scientists you rescue
2. Go get samples of plant type A and B as per formula
3. Install module to ship... crafting bench... some ships could have as standard module
4. using bio extracts craft into "Geno Enhanced Active Resource Serum" G E A R S (aka potion/power up/augment). This crafting could be a little mini game to add the right amounts and hey maybe you could get achievements for being a chemist, would be cool if there was some grounding in real life elements how they react to each other. Rather not have an RNG that says success or not. Finally you could have different strengths of your GEARS depending on how well the mini game went or your experience in crafting them.
5. Equip your suit with your GEARS : Suits have a "slot" or number of slots depending on what the type, so maybe dominator has 1 and the less protected suits have 3 "slots". Can only be equipped in station or your ship. So you're preparing for your mission/activity
6. In field of operation, activate your GEARS when you chose, the GEARS is injected into you giving you a bio enhancement some suggestions, times may vary depending on strength of GEARS you crafted:
a. Adrenaline rush - lets you take 100% damage or 30seconds
b. Heart stimulations - lets you run faster for 1 minute
c. Blood warming - lets you survive in cold temperatures for 5 minutes (thinking when your suits loses power, lets you get back to your ship)
d. Heat vision - lets you see heat signatures for easy aiming for 30seonds
e. Bio life detector - helps you find plenty life A really easy through seeing trails or highlighting certain plants that have high density to get better samples... maybe 20mins for that one
obviously many applications not just combat I'm sure the community can come up with some good ones.

Side application you could create cures for diseases and deliver them to places that need healing or worse make a crazy virius that could wipe out a settlement, so you could be a space doctor or a space veil scientist...?

So besides the obvious that we'd have "power ups" why implement this: my guess is EXO biology will die out like CQC did.... unless there's something behind that rank grind worth it.
1. By implementing this combat becomes more interesting and you'll have players engaging in exo biology that wouldn't normally.
2. Makes more Exo biology interesting
3. makes anything you do on foot more interesting like exploring
4. extends game play
5. adds a new element to Elite but is all in the sphere of space legs (Odyssey) so if you're still on horizons you won't be missing anything
6. adds some realism about the extracts you are gathering, it's not just extract 1 ... "now it's the woo plant grade 10 that will give me great health recovery if I get that..." you'll get use to how the plants look and try and hunt them down.



Alternative suggestion - instead of crafting each GEAR and having to harvest more to get more Serum just do it once and have it as a permanent augmentation to your suit that has a long recharge time... personally I don't like that less realistic but would eliminate grind. I mean you don't have a permanent coffee augmentation in your work shirt.... you buy the coffee mix with water and whatever else and then consume so for a short period the caffeine stimulates you. Buuuttttt it's extra work and it's a game after all

Appreciate the constructive advice/suggestions o7 cmdr

 

[Hydrino]

i like the basic idea of being able to do something with bio stuffs, but i don't particularly like the 'magic potion' approach and even less so for combat buffing.

i can see a couple of alternate options though, i like the idea mixing with existing raw and possibly manufactured mats, and would could harvesting actual material from the bio forms and not just genetic samples.

keep the existing sell for credits as an option, but dump the galaxy wide Vista Genomics in favor of a controlling faction/power/superpower representative, not the assets, just the flavor. Optional, sell to some of the new Odyssey facilities that are bio/science/agricultural in focus.

• Could doing so have a BGS interaction such as reducing likelyhood of famine or epidemic states ?

visit one of the bio/science focussed settlements (a super 'nice to have', if this could be expanded to the existing orbital POI research sites). Use the lab facilities (possible analysis, combination minigame) to generate synthesis that can be used in-ship recipes for things like:

• suit expendables, ie. charge packs and health kits, maybe grenades? (mixed recipes of bio and raw mats or sumthing)
• thruster boost booster ,
• a short supercruise acceleration boost
• if harvesting (in addition not replacing sampling) is implemented, possibly synthesizing mats into commodities like foods, narcotics or medicines?

i also like the idea of being able to use the pretense of using the bio mats at a lab site to complete a 'Steal A Thing/Place A Thing' mission from that lab that provides an optional, different way of getting authorization for the facility. Think more, con artist than ninja/cat-burglar.

All of this combined, i feel anyway, promotes player agency through more meaningful choice of what to do with the assets once you've got them and why to bother in the first place.

Adds reasons to visit some of the new settlements beyond Kill Someone or Steal A Thing/Place A Thing.

Integrates different game loops and paths for more player options.

Provides what i see as a 'middle of the road' solution to the endless 'make supercruise faster/add in system jump points vs PVP/Piracy options)

Like current synthesis for ships, we could refresh batteries, oxygen supply, jet pack fuel.
And why not use the same UI interface to do it instead of the weird new UI?
+1

 

[CMDR Larmakosa]

Side application you could create cures for diseases and deliver them to places that need healing or worse make a crazy virius that could wipe out a settlement, so you could be a space doctor or a space veil scientist...?

I like the scenario, and I can see that as chained missions : collect a certain type of plant, bring it to a certain science facilities (ED has a bunch of nice buildings in space with no purpose, this could make them useful). Chained later with a mission sent to you by message, where you would have to pickup the resulting product ("hi Cmdr, remember when you brought some Leucanthemum vulgare to Boulder Genetics ? Well they managed to synthesize this or that and we would like you to make the people at Jenkins outpost benefit from its side effects")
You then would have to go infuse it in the air conditionner of a certain building at a certain outpost, either to cure or to sedate... Or kill for the most evil missions. Sedating could lead to another message in which you would be kindly asked take advantage of the situation to get download some data, steal some prototypes, kidnap some scientist, etc.

Alternative suggestion - instead of crafting each GEAR and having to harvest more to get more Serum just do it once and have it as a permanent augmentation to your suit that has a long recharge time... personally I don't like that less realistic but would eliminate grind. I mean you don't have a permanent coffee augmentation in your work shirt.... you buy the coffee mix with water and whatever else and then consume so for a short period the caffeine stimulates you. Buuuttttt it's extra work and it's a game after all

This makes me think it boils down to the idea that materials, resources we harvest tend to hint at some kind of industry gameplay, not necessarily like there is in Eve Online, which is probably over the top for ED. But we feel it should have a more natural use, unlike synthesis or as the sole type of payment for engineer's work. The current limitations are very unnatural; like how come I can't sell lead, polonium or "improvised components"? I'd feel more at home with the idea of being able to bring some to engineers to help their workshop, gain a better reputation with them, and get some discounts on a certain types of work I might ask them.

In Eve, you can sell ressources and buy end products, OR you can manufacture end products using the resources (provided your character also learned the corresponding skills, as it is an mmoRPG). It's a great and simple mechanic, but difficult to apply to ED.