The little guys

[Ratrees]

Hey all, playing a while (PS4), but just joined forum to ask this.

Recently bought my first python after a 220m exploration in a 28ly aspx. Now that I’m flying the python around, I’m obviously loving it, but it occurred to me that imho, the majority of commanders flying the bubble who are in for the long haul are naturally progressed to the bigger ships. We want bigger profits, bigger jump ranges, bigger lasers etc.

Could it be an idea to introduce stations/settlements etc that only had small landing pads to cater to the little guys alone. Different mission types, speed over size etc...

Just floating the idea, interested to hear thoughts!

RatRees. Out.

 

[Quantis Trap]

Small ship only stations have been suggested several times in the past and just recently in fact.

It is true that the progression it to bigger ships, but recently the trend has been back down to medium ships given all the new medium ships.

Even though I've unlocked and flown every ship in the game, I find myself flying medium ships most.

 

[Oopsie Daisy]

If you were a station commander, would you want to limit resupply and trade to just small ships?

 

[c00ky1970]

Yes,

missions that hat require small ships would add to the game.

on the flip side I have played since PC launch and although have finally got a Corvette I still prefer flying a Python, Krait or Vulture.

 

[Ratrees]

If you were a station commander, would you want to limit resupply and trade to just small ships?

Absolutely not, but I’d have to start my fledgling station empire somewhere, eh.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

I think FD dropped the ball on this when they added dockable megaships. Small pad only megaships make sense.

 

[znôrt]

Just floating the idea, interested to hear thoughts!

as said, this is a great idea and has been brought up many (many!) times. afaik frontier hasn't commented on it.

that said, small ships fly a long way anyway! i don't fly anything bigger than a keelback or krait except the occasional and relaxing mining trip in the conda.

 

[Archvillain]

I think FD dropped the ball on this when they added dockable megaships. Small pad only megaships make sense.

Agreed. But there will be new things added in the future, so hopefully at some point they run with it!

 

[terridoney]

I'd rather they work on what they promised us, atmospheric landings. There are already places small and medium ships can land that large ships can't.

 

[WR3ND]

I mostly prefer using small ships for their handling. I think they can work fairly well in the game as it is for more niche play styles and/or dialed in roles, but then I generally prefer going exploring in a hybrid combat Vulture, so take this with a grain or two of salt or sugar as you might prefer.

 

[Galaxias]

If you were a station commander, would you want to limit resupply and trade to just small ships?

Depends on where you are, and a multitude of other variables. Plus game mechanics, which tend to replace logic.

 

[Kaocraft]

Tiny stations and tiny landing pads are a little hokey but it could work if done well. What if it were primarily pirate/specops type "secret" bases with specialized missions and trade boards?
I would also/instead like to see some environments ala megaships and cqc structures which have smaller passages and ducts leading into their interiors, which you simply can't fit the larger ships into.

What if we could loot the interiors of megaships by flying through a maze of tunnels with timed obstacles, traps, tiny NPC automated defenses, etc? What if we had a massive Thargoid mothership which had to be flown into, "shoot the core," and then race to escape before it explodes? What if there were underground networks of mine shafts, vaults, secret labs, etc, on certain planets with caches of valuable (as in millions not hundreds/thousands/ton) cargo inside? How about a new guardian site like that?

And then what if there were missions to infiltrate these places which you could pick up at the aforementioned small-pad-only stations? What if you could dock at Eagle Eye? What if you could infiltrate/raid Eagle Eye?

 

[Vash627]

I'd rather they work on what they promised us, atmospheric landings. There are already places small and medium ships can land that large ships can't.

Exactly. Outposts exist, large ships can't go there. It's a non-issue. It's not like there are large ship only stations, or medium ship only stations.

 

[Tifu]

If you were a station commander, would you want to limit resupply and trade to just small ships?

Yes, specially if the large ships have about as much firepower as the station I'm commanding

These visits don't happen in a vacuum, pretty sure some Imperial or Federation captains have the tendency to push their way around and the larger the ship the more they do.

 

[WR3ND]

Exactly. Outposts exist, large ships can't go there. It's a non-issue. It's not like there are large ship only stations, or medium ship only stations.

Well, considering there are places where large ships can't dock, having places where medium ships can't dock either but small ships can makes... some sort of sense in that context. Not saying that it's something that should be implemented though, and I'm not really up to thinking of scenarios where it might make more sense gameplay-wise right now anyway.

Seems more like a solution looking for a problem.

Cheers.

 

[Tarman]

Exactly. Outposts exist, large ships can't go there. It's a non-issue. It's not like there are large ship only stations, or medium ship only stations.

Then maybe we should include those too.

Once again the "idea suffocates in a vacuum" effect claims the life of another nifty idea. Elite concepts frequently need buddies to make them more viable across the game. More specialized stations for a larger selection of ship and role subsets would, with sufficient numbers and requirements, create more chance to work viable niches created by the traffic for said specialized station.

Mining stations that you need a refinery onboard to access, with more specialized mining considerations available. Small-only rares circuits. Bulk trading depots that only take ships with Xt of cargo space. The aforementioned tiny pirate bases, which could hold a swarm of small ships and maybe a few mediums, but not take a Cutter. This is a simple concept with tons of iteration that could add a lot of depth and viability to a goodly number of ships and careers beyond what we have currently.

 

[Commander Biscuit]

I'd like to see small ships get more play, too. Would be nice when(if) those larger class ships make it to game, you can launch small ships from them in the same way as SLFs. Use those to access planets you can't really land on, or access stations you can't dock at, do missions that require some agility.

 

[fu9ar]

More variation on the stations will be good, but it is also probably already in various stages of development.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Exactly. Outposts exist, large ships can't go there. It's a non-issue. It's not like there are large ship only stations, or medium ship only stations.

Good job of completely missing the point.

The only reason to use a Python instead of a Cutter is that it can do missions to and from outposts. There is currently no in-game reason to use the small ships.

 

[Speedy O]

I see no reason for smaller population systems not to be small pad only.

I think that the bubble could do with a bit more variety and that us players could do with a few more gameplay questions to come up with answers for...