Elite Dangerous is more a toybox than a sandbox. I'm not talking about "building" stuff like Minecraft, but more like being part of a living, breathing world, that you can alter somehow (like The Sims). Influence is a great way to alter the world (you can make some meaningful changes on it) but it's very limited. In general, the interactions you can make in the world are very limited and that's, in fact, because there's so little to interact with, in the first place.
I don't mean big, huge things, that can change planets from their orbits, destroy stations or things like that, but small changes, small interactions. And it's not about "USS", but things that can be seen from supercruise, the player will know what they are about, and will give him the choice to do something, to interact. It will "liven up" the galaxy.
* A big alien ship/small wandering planet, goes from system to system, affecting it in different ways. Perhaps buying things like the "seeking goods" guys. "I saw the ship on x system! Where is it now? Anyone has seen it?".
* Alien technology found on far, far away systems that can be sold on stations or give small boosts (like improving LY range for some distance in jumps, improving shields, give it a small regeneration property to armor (due to nanobots or metal regenerative space algae) that will interrupt wear and tear), etc.
* A group of pirates going through supercruise don't even try to hide themselves and you see them as "red" in your HUD, several hundred LYs away. You may want to run from them, face them, try to squeeze between them and the police (who will engage them and you can join them in a small war zone, if you wish), etc (players have the option to "do" something about a threat beforehand, not like in interdictions where it's just a reaction game you're forced into).
* A nav beacon was set in a small asteroid field that is moving through the system, it's a danger to everybody and you may be able to destroy it (Asteroids on Steroids).
* (On the most suggested list) A big alien ship is going through the system and, once engaged, will throw dozens of small, unshielded ships, that are easily destroyed. Some people like Diablo on their Elite
.
* A comet is passing through the system and you may chase it and mine it for some rare minerals (like rare trade goods, but for miners).
* Uncle Bob asks you to help him get to x station and you "haul" him to it and you get a big discount on vegetables. Dozens on variations on this "I need your help".
* A space container with some unspecified like form inside that, when put in a cargo with some other one (edible or an unwanted one like bauxite) it will grow and become an expensive animal (like growing a plant or... er... ok, Pokemon). Some people could be "space farmers" and have animals and/or crops inside their hulls (perhaps with a special module), all of them with special treatments and materials needed.
* Inexpensive cargo is suddenly wanted (and well paid) in a system (like Bauxite, again).
* A "space storm" (a big magnetic rock, probably) that can alter systems function (or damage them) and have to be avoided.
* A random appearing wormhole that will port you to a random location from where you are (the size of it tells about how many LYs away).
Thousands of etc. Things that "could happen" in space and that affect everybody (like the storm affecting PC and NPC) or the comet being chased by NPC or uncle Bob leaving with an NPC or being killed by a pirate, etc. All at the same time. NPCs that DO react to what's happening around them.
I don't mean big, huge things, that can change planets from their orbits, destroy stations or things like that, but small changes, small interactions. And it's not about "USS", but things that can be seen from supercruise, the player will know what they are about, and will give him the choice to do something, to interact. It will "liven up" the galaxy.
* A big alien ship/small wandering planet, goes from system to system, affecting it in different ways. Perhaps buying things like the "seeking goods" guys. "I saw the ship on x system! Where is it now? Anyone has seen it?".
* Alien technology found on far, far away systems that can be sold on stations or give small boosts (like improving LY range for some distance in jumps, improving shields, give it a small regeneration property to armor (due to nanobots or metal regenerative space algae) that will interrupt wear and tear), etc.
* A group of pirates going through supercruise don't even try to hide themselves and you see them as "red" in your HUD, several hundred LYs away. You may want to run from them, face them, try to squeeze between them and the police (who will engage them and you can join them in a small war zone, if you wish), etc (players have the option to "do" something about a threat beforehand, not like in interdictions where it's just a reaction game you're forced into).
* A nav beacon was set in a small asteroid field that is moving through the system, it's a danger to everybody and you may be able to destroy it (Asteroids on Steroids).
* (On the most suggested list) A big alien ship is going through the system and, once engaged, will throw dozens of small, unshielded ships, that are easily destroyed. Some people like Diablo on their Elite
.* A comet is passing through the system and you may chase it and mine it for some rare minerals (like rare trade goods, but for miners).
* Uncle Bob asks you to help him get to x station and you "haul" him to it and you get a big discount on vegetables. Dozens on variations on this "I need your help".
* A space container with some unspecified like form inside that, when put in a cargo with some other one (edible or an unwanted one like bauxite) it will grow and become an expensive animal (like growing a plant or... er... ok, Pokemon). Some people could be "space farmers" and have animals and/or crops inside their hulls (perhaps with a special module), all of them with special treatments and materials needed.
* Inexpensive cargo is suddenly wanted (and well paid) in a system (like Bauxite, again).
* A "space storm" (a big magnetic rock, probably
) that can alter systems function (or damage them) and have to be avoided.* A random appearing wormhole that will port you to a random location from where you are (the size of it tells about how many LYs away).
Thousands of etc. Things that "could happen" in space and that affect everybody (like the storm affecting PC and NPC) or the comet being chased by NPC or uncle Bob leaving with an NPC or being killed by a pirate, etc. All at the same time. NPCs that DO react to what's happening around them.
