Use your simulated training mission mechanics and have standalone unlockable story missions

[Rubbernuke]

Like it says, have unlockable / discoverable missions that are like the training missions (i.e. fully voice acted).

You might get a message, you are told to go to station x and off you go. It would allow you to be given specific loadouts, situations, full voice acting in a focussed narrative. These missions when won might then unlock something in the main game.

These missions could be small scale arenas like CQC areas using the more detailed sensor mechanics, with stealth, outright combat, maybe even a staged fight club CQC (that if won unlocks someone).

It would allow a larger variety of missions, styles and gameplay using whats in game now without having to redesign the main game. Plus, you could make missions that are chained in some way, sort of like the small scale campaign that the alpha had (with Mastopolos Mining), and / or an extra to purchase like a mini DLC maybe. It would be an ideal vehicle for new characters and lore too.

Some ideas:

Test fly a wildly engineered (beyond even G5) ship as a test pilot

Sneaking mission to scan / steal data

Illegal CQC style fight club

Mob ambush

Sneak about a Thargoid infested zone and recover an artifact

Sabotage (sneak and destroy, and get out)

Powerplay related missions (like loyalty tests)

 

[Lestat]

I would think Mission by Rank would be good. Now trying out engineered ships. No. But maybe have one that helps set up for one of the Engineered modules.

 

[Ezren]

I made a similar suggestion some time ago... years maybe? About just having narrative storylines that carry along for players. Single-player missions that flesh out the world a bit, that can be taken on at the player's leisure.

It was a bit directed, taking players from Fed to Imp to Alliance space, I think chasing down a mercenary or spy? Vague recollection. If I was going over it again, I'd want it to guide the pilot along to see the Superpowers and interact with them a little to kind of get an idea of things. I think it ended with some vague cliffhanger about the Dark Wheel.

Anyway, a plotline would be good, but looking back compared to now I think it would be... difficult to maintain. It would have to be outside the continuing narrative that unfolds bit by bit in the universe; before, hinting at Thargoids would have been ominous, but now it's pretty much "duh".

Easiest way to accomplish this would, I think, be to have the story revolve around another character (so these actions, personality and choices aren't being stamped on our own CMDR) as they seek some objective. Chasing a pirate? No, but yes: chasing a pirate to find where he sold a shipment of slaves that this character is tracking down, to rescue their family member. Chasing illegal slave trade in Fed space, to the legal Imperial Slaves, to finally tracking them toward Alliance space.

So I agree, but conditionally, and also there would have to be a narrative thread that's irrelevant but also interesting.