Although that i am a new (PS4) Player i can imagine that many players have multiple ships gathering dust and lots of cash to burn.
Would it not be nice to have some way to earn some extra money with these ships and invest that cash ?
Concept: Trade Route buying
Requirements: surplus ship and Cr
How does it work:
Step 1: selecting a trade route
Based on the location of your surplus ship, you can consult the commodities market of all systems within the max empty jump range of the ship.
Out of this list of systems you select the following items:
1. start system and station + materials to buy and deliver at end system/station
2. End system and station + materials to buy and deliver at start system/station
Distance between start and end system can either be determined by the min or max jump range of the fully loaded ship
Step 2: determin the number of runs
The maximum of days you can buy and run a trade route would be seven days or untill the weekly server reset. This can not be determined by a player.
However the player can determin the number of runs per day.
A run is considered traveling from start station to end station and back. The maximum number of runs per day would be 4 (every 6 hours)
Step 3: Hiring AI pilot and setting rebuy count
Since the player won't be flying he must hire a pilot from the crew lounge. At the same time the player must determin how many rebuys he wants to do in case the ship is destroyed (the minimum would be 1)
Step 4: Depositing funds
Before the player can launch the trade route, he must deposit upfront an amount of Cr. which will cover following costs:
A. Cost of hiring AI pilot
B. Total value of rebuy count
C. full purchase value of all trade runs
D: Ship Transit if the start system/station is not the one where the ship currently is docked
Step 5: launching the trade run
Once the funds have been deposited, the trade run can be launched. However the player has no control on when the trade run actually starts each day. This is done randomly server side.
Step 6: Risk/Reward
Obviously there must be some risk for the player to invest his money in such a trade route. This comes in the form of interception of cargo either by human or AI pilots.
The more runs a player selects the higher the chance of the route being intercepted. Similar trade value of materials affect the risk of being intercepted.
The interception chance manifest itself in two ways: either the run is intercepted by AI and combination of the Cargo pilot AI and the interceptors AI determin whether the cargo is successfully intercepted.
Human players will also see the cargo route and when scanning the cargo ship, they will get a notification that this is an AI pilot working on behalf of a human player. In this case it's the human players skill which will determin the outcome of the interception.
If ships is successfully intercepted, the entire value of the cargo for that run is lost to the player (remember a run is a round trip, so even if you dropped of the first load and are on the return trip, the entire value will be considered lost).
This is where the number of rebuy's kick in. Each time the cargo ship is destroyed, the rebuy amount is deducted and a new ship awaits for the next scheduled run. If all rebuys are consumed, the remaining runs on the route are automatically canceled. This will guarantee that the player won't lose his ship.
Powerplay can also play a role in this concept. If you pledged to a power, your ship can not be intercepted by other human players pledged to the same power. If the entire trade route is within control of the pledged power, the chance of interception by AI pilots is also reduced. Furhtermore, depending how long you have been pledged to a power, might increase the odds of friendly power AI appearing to your aid when your ship is intercepted by human players. Neutral players obviously don't get this luxury
Step 6: Payout
At the end of the week the player receives his reward(s):
a. for every successful run, the initial buy in amount and profit minus the % fee of the AI Pilot
b. the value of every unused rebuy
In the best scenario, a player receives the value of all his runs and all his rebuys. in a good scenario, the player receives the value of all success full runs and whathever remains of the rebuys. Worst case scenario the player does not receive any value for his runs and loses money on the ai pilot and the rebuys.
But at least the player had the opportunity to invest his money.
what are your thoughts?
Would it not be nice to have some way to earn some extra money with these ships and invest that cash ?
Concept: Trade Route buying
Requirements: surplus ship and Cr
How does it work:
Step 1: selecting a trade route
Based on the location of your surplus ship, you can consult the commodities market of all systems within the max empty jump range of the ship.
Out of this list of systems you select the following items:
1. start system and station + materials to buy and deliver at end system/station
2. End system and station + materials to buy and deliver at start system/station
Distance between start and end system can either be determined by the min or max jump range of the fully loaded ship
Step 2: determin the number of runs
The maximum of days you can buy and run a trade route would be seven days or untill the weekly server reset. This can not be determined by a player.
However the player can determin the number of runs per day.
A run is considered traveling from start station to end station and back. The maximum number of runs per day would be 4 (every 6 hours)
Step 3: Hiring AI pilot and setting rebuy count
Since the player won't be flying he must hire a pilot from the crew lounge. At the same time the player must determin how many rebuys he wants to do in case the ship is destroyed (the minimum would be 1)
Step 4: Depositing funds
Before the player can launch the trade route, he must deposit upfront an amount of Cr. which will cover following costs:
A. Cost of hiring AI pilot
B. Total value of rebuy count
C. full purchase value of all trade runs
D: Ship Transit if the start system/station is not the one where the ship currently is docked
Step 5: launching the trade run
Once the funds have been deposited, the trade run can be launched. However the player has no control on when the trade run actually starts each day. This is done randomly server side.
Step 6: Risk/Reward
Obviously there must be some risk for the player to invest his money in such a trade route. This comes in the form of interception of cargo either by human or AI pilots.
The more runs a player selects the higher the chance of the route being intercepted. Similar trade value of materials affect the risk of being intercepted.
The interception chance manifest itself in two ways: either the run is intercepted by AI and combination of the Cargo pilot AI and the interceptors AI determin whether the cargo is successfully intercepted.
Human players will also see the cargo route and when scanning the cargo ship, they will get a notification that this is an AI pilot working on behalf of a human player. In this case it's the human players skill which will determin the outcome of the interception.
If ships is successfully intercepted, the entire value of the cargo for that run is lost to the player (remember a run is a round trip, so even if you dropped of the first load and are on the return trip, the entire value will be considered lost).
This is where the number of rebuy's kick in. Each time the cargo ship is destroyed, the rebuy amount is deducted and a new ship awaits for the next scheduled run. If all rebuys are consumed, the remaining runs on the route are automatically canceled. This will guarantee that the player won't lose his ship.
Powerplay can also play a role in this concept. If you pledged to a power, your ship can not be intercepted by other human players pledged to the same power. If the entire trade route is within control of the pledged power, the chance of interception by AI pilots is also reduced. Furhtermore, depending how long you have been pledged to a power, might increase the odds of friendly power AI appearing to your aid when your ship is intercepted by human players. Neutral players obviously don't get this luxury
Step 6: Payout
At the end of the week the player receives his reward(s):
a. for every successful run, the initial buy in amount and profit minus the % fee of the AI Pilot
b. the value of every unused rebuy
In the best scenario, a player receives the value of all his runs and all his rebuys. in a good scenario, the player receives the value of all success full runs and whathever remains of the rebuys. Worst case scenario the player does not receive any value for his runs and loses money on the ai pilot and the rebuys.
But at least the player had the opportunity to invest his money.
what are your thoughts?
