The recent slaver FC and lack of counterplay

[Cheese Helmet]

The slaver Fleet carriers are the most interesting thing to happen in Elite since the very first Thargoid hyper diction. But it brings a huge problem (from my perspective, I know this is gonna get some furrowed brows) to the front of the discussion.

There is no counterplay to this. This is amazing emergent content. Some enterprising commanders used game mechanics and some wits and created a interesting narrative. It's garnered lots of attention, interest and even inspired others to engage to try to "save" the players that are "captured."

But as soon as you get that inspiration, it hits you. You can't actually play against this group. Sure you can make them eat a rebuy or two. But you can't actually disrupt their infrastructure they've created. Fleet carriers are just floating stations, impervious, uncaring, station map markers you move around with a cool jump animation.

I know what I'm implying is the anti-thesis of the solo player mantra, but IF players could truly impact the game and each other, these types of emergent story lines and content would have much more than intrigue, they would be followed by a surge of players returning to join the fray.

But there is no fray.

 

[Factabulous]

Uh huh

Rescue of pilots abducted by Fleet Carriers by nasty people

Hey all :) This is commander Imo from the Children of Imo group writing. We are a helping group for new pilots and would like to start a rescue operation to bring back the pilots stranded near HR 6828 home into the bubble. Let's organise this in this thread. (y) Greetings, Imo

forums.frontier.co.uk

(among others)

 

[Rubbernuke]

I think the gist is that there is nothing to deny or force a FC to leave. You can gatecrash almost anywhere and stay there as much as you like, parking spaces permitting.

 

[Cheese Helmet]

Uh huh

Rescue of pilots abducted by Fleet Carriers by nasty people

Hey all :) This is commander Imo from the Children of Imo group writing. We are a helping group for new pilots and would like to start a rescue operation to bring back the pilots stranded near HR 6828 home into the bubble. Let's organise this in this thread. (y) Greetings, Imo

forums.frontier.co.uk

(among others)

Yeah I've seen this. But "hey guys land on my FC and we'll go" is the epitome of anti climatic. You're not fighting back either. You're just taxiing. You cant make the FC retreat back to a dock or anything. They just persist. The players keep doing their thing. The story thread just grows old. It doesn't grow or get resolved.

 

[Rat Catcher]

I think the gist is that there is nothing to deny or force a FC to leave. You can gatecrash almost anywhere and stay there as much as you like, parking spaces permitting.

Indeed, pew-pew until out of systnhesis reloads and the Weapons capacitor has melted, nothing, nada!

Of course, they were created as invulnerable to protect persistent assets from persistent donkeys...

 

[ethelred]

FC's being indestructible is lame.

It shouldn't be easy, but they should be. Or at least damaged so badly they have to jump out.

How that's incorporated across 3 modes I'll leave up to you.

 

[GloatingSwine]

If their fleet carriers are set to allow anyone to dock and drop off cargo in order to fleece their miners the answer is obvious.

A squadron of Type 9s and Cutters go and fill their holds with poop.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Indeed, pew-pew until out of systnhesis reloads and the Weapons capacitor has melted, nothing, nada!

Of course, they were created as invulnerable to protect persistent assets from persistent donkeys...

It could be something indirect though that triggers a retreat, so while the carrier is invulnerable its parking spot is revoked say.

 

[Robert Maynard]

If their fleet carriers are set to allow anyone to dock and drop off cargo in order to fleece their miners the answer is obvious.

A squadron of Type 9s and Cutters go and fill their holds with poop.

Ah - but they'll only have buy orders for particular mined commodities - no non-consensual filling of the hold with biowaste permitted.

 

[ethelred]

If their fleet carriers are set to allow anyone to dock and drop off cargo in order to fleece their miners the answer is obvious.

A squadron of Type 9s and Cutters go and fill their holds with poop.

That's interesting actually. Do they hold a set amount?

You could quite easily fill them up with rubbish if so.

Probably a bit on the trolly side, but y'know.

Edit :- Robert has answered above.

 

[Robert Maynard]

FC's being indestructible is lame.

It shouldn't be easy, but they should be. Or at least damaged so badly they have to jump out.

How that's incorporated across 3 modes I'll leave up to you.

Let the owner select which game mode(s?) the Carrier appears in - and it can only be attacked in selected modes

 

[ethelred]

Let the owner select which game mode(s?) the Carrier appears in - and it can only be attacked in selected modes

That's an elegant solution!

 

[Rubbernuke]

That's interesting actually. Do they hold a set amount?

You could quite easily fill them up with rubbish if so.

Probably a bit on the trolly side, but y'know.

Well, think of the ignition hazard with all that methane. One stray spark and its green explosion livery

 

[Robert Maynard]

That's an elegant solution!

It'd probably need to be refined to only appear in single named Private Group if Private Group was selected - otherwise those who enjoy destroying others' stuff for "reasons" would be able to attack it in any Private Group.

It'd be simpler to make the Carrier only able to be attacked if the owner had elected to have it visible in Open, and retain invulnerability to attack in Solo and Private Groups.

 

[Diostar50]

The slaver Fleet carriers are the most interesting thing to happen in Elite since the very first Thargoid hyper diction.

Hmmm.
The Birth of Colonia
The Gnosis Event
The Salomie Event
Distant Worlds 2
The launch of the DSSA

All events that were much much more interesting than a carrier griefing, and all led to more far reaching emergent gameplay.

This carrier slaver thing is interesting, but its been over hyped as there's little all else happening in elite these days from the community, sadly. Its not even in the same league as events that went before it.

 

[Rat Catcher]

It could be something indirect though that triggers a retreat, so while the carrier is invulnerable its parking spot is revoked say.

Nothing wrong with that idea, particularly as a means to get some 'reluctant' FC's to move on.
Naturally the counter would be that things like the DSSS(?) couldn't exist if they were forced to move on after period X - and the mining 'support' FC's around popular resources would have the same issue.

I don't have a 'sensible' solution to offer, but we all know what, if a FC could be 'influenced' by other players actions, would occur as the system would be 'abused' for "Stuff & Giggles" by some.

 

[Cheese Helmet]

Hmmm.
The Birth of Colonia
The Gnosis Event
The Salomie Event
Distant Worlds 2
The launch of the DSSA

All events that were much much more interesting than a carrier griefing, and all led to more far reaching emergent gameplay.

This carrier slaver thing is interesting, but its been over hyped as there's little all else happening in elite these days from the community, sadly. Its not even in the same league as events that went before it.

I disagree but my lense I view the game from is one of a combat pilot/pvper, so what's interesting and exciting to each of us will differ of course.

Colonias birth was cool but like so much else, we can't grow it anymore on our own.

Gnosis was an epic letdown lol

Salomie was cool but that was pre thargoids iirc

And distant world's is just cool group jumping gifs and clips. Cool but not ground breaking.

 

[Bigmaec]

I knew this would turn into a "make fleet carriers destructible" thread sooner or later.

No. As long as modes exist, destructable fleet carriers are a surefire way to grief others.

Nope.

 

[Rock-Hermit]

And distant world's is just cool group jumping gifs and clips. Cool but not ground breaking.

LOL you're kidding right?

It was the largest event in Elite history, and possibly the largest community event in gaming history, even had the Guiness Book of World records considering it. It also featured in the New Scientist magazine. Astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted about it, as did Buzz Aldrin tweeted about DW1. Tell me another event in Elite that's come close to that kind of high profile. 15,000 players took part. It lead to the building of the Explorers Anchorage and had the largest ever community goal taking place 23,000 light years from the bubble.

Yeah righto. gifs and clips

You must be new to the game.

 

[Cheese Helmet]

LOL you're kidding right?

It was the largest event in Elite history, and possibly the largest community event in gaming history, even had the Guiness Book of World records considering it. It also featured in the New Scientist magazine. Astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted about it, as did Buzz Aldrin tweeted about DW1. Tell me another event in Elite that's come close to that kind of high profile. 15,000 players took part. It lead to the building of the Explorers Anchorage and had the largest ever community goal taking place 23,000 light years from the bubble.

Yeah righto. gifs and clips

You must be new to the game.

Not new, been here for years. Just not an explorer. So to me, distant world's is just clips and gifs of frame shift drives launching in groups. There's not even anything out there to find. You've seen one procedurally generated star, you've seen them all.

Not saying you shouldn't enjoy it or think it's cool, I just don't find it interesting.