Mobile POBs

[Harcourt Fenton Mudd]

So, I was talking on discord and some of the guys insisted I post an idea I had here:


Mobile POBs.

Add an 'expanded docking module' item as the core component, which links to a POB interior module when docked.

During testing, limit the total number in use.


Based on ID faction, ship type, and what the admins allow for a SRP, the mobile POB can select mobile versions of some POB upgrade modules, with the size of the ship determining how many modules or how efficient they are.

Activating the modules immobilized the ship, and takes time, but can be used to produce things where needed.

Excess supplies, after shutting down operation, go into ships cargo or are lost.

The exact recipes of course would need balance, but this would require more than one player to really operate properly and could help with supporting player activity levels .

[Deity]

That's actually a really interesting idea — kind of like turning certain ships into mobile mini-factories or field bases. I especially like the part where module activation immobilizes the ship, adds a strategic trade-off. It makes sense for supply lines, forward bases during events, or for factions that operate far from major hubs.

A few thoughts/questions:

Would these modules require fuel or resources to stay active, kind of like existing POBs?

How would the docking mechanic work if more than one player wants to access the same mobile POB?

Could this open the door for ambush scenarios, where immobilized ships are high-value targets?

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Captain Echo
“Flying free between the stars. No flag, no chains.”

Independent | Smuggler | Explorer

[Shulsky]

I don't love the idea. It's interesting, but I can see problems.

POBs are vulnerable because of how stationary and permeant they are as far as location; if the owner logs off, they still are there. I don't see any mechanic which would remove the ability for the Mobile POB ship to immediately begin logging off in space the moment a potentially hostile player enters the system, with the two minute vulnerability period being negated by the fact that you could station your Mobile POB ship in a really, really odd place or that the field you're in kills sensors, sucks to navigate, what have you. Since this would be logging before a player encounter initiates, it would technically not be against the rules, though could prompt a rule change with its introduction.

This could also require range restrictions on how close to an NPC station, Trade Lane, or jump point, since I can see players using those things as extra firepower, cover, what have you to dissuade attacks.

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Operation Have Sea

[Lusitano]

interesting but ... some issues! first how to control the mobile pob? like a ship? second ... what happens when the pilot logs off? the mobile pob stays in place? also what happens if there is on move and it is attacked by hostiles? can they do it? and what happens if they succed the attack? can that pob dock on npc stations? can it park near a npc station or mining field? and all this without the main question ... is it possible to do that?

[Sand-Viper]

Hi! It me - Sleepy-Viper (One of the guys who insisted that Harcourt post this AWESOME idea on the forum).

I'm gonna help contribute to this by fleshing out the idea.


Picture this: You're flying a Dunlin, Bustard, or a Liner, equipped with an 'Expanded Docking Module' that Harcourt has mentioned above.

This Expanded Docking Module (Let's call it the E.D.M.) is linked to a special POB with crafting capability, and an exotic weapons forge, and you want to advertise that you're a... Let's go with a Daumann Constructions gun smithy.

In order to run this establishment though, you're gonna need some help. At minimum, you're gonna need a friend to log in and help stuff your hold with crafting materials, since you won't be able to transfer cargo from your own hold onto the E.D.M - You HAVE to get someone else to dock with you to do it.

Now, let's say you wanna craft a pair of HOWLER codes, and you've gotten a buddy to help you pack the materials onto your ship via the E.D.M.

Well, a few things need to happen.

• One: You need to be stopped/slowed to less than 10m/s, just like when someone is docking with you.
  
  
• Two: You need to bring your E.D.M. ship to a designated "crafting forge zone." Perhaps a star's corona, or designated shipyard-like frameworks. This prevents us from simply avoiding player interaction during crafting by say.. Flying 200k off-plane, or within a sensor dampening cloud, and going afk. It also creates zones where other players know WHERE to look for potential encounters with E.D.M. Crafting Ship Players.
  
  
• Three: You need to sit there, practically stationary, for the entire crafting process. Moving will pause the timer, and won't resume until you stop again, or is re-initiated by another E.D.M. PoB command input by your buddy docked with you (I like the latter better, as it incentivizes your helper to stay logged in.)
  

This opens up potential for traveling crafting merchant RP.
It would also allow groups who don't want to upkeep a standard PoB a way to engage with the crafting system.

Not only that, but if you've got to sit completely still within a designated "crafting zone," then you're going to want other players around for:

• A: Protection from pirates, or hostile factions that might want to prevent you from crafting these guns that might be used later to shoot them.
  
• B: Company to pass the time.
  

Imagine how many players this would encourage to log into the game!

Especially if this whole alternative method for crafting items aboard an E.D.M. equipped ship gave you a significant material discount on crafting materials needed (Like, 20% less, to incentivize using a system that requires the player to be online for 100% of the crafting process, vs PoB forges allowing you to log out the moment you start crafting).

You'd have:

• Your E.D.M. Ship player,
  
• E.D.M. command typist player,
  
• Allied/Hired Protection/Scout ship players,
  
• Potential customer players,
  
• Pirates seeing sitting-duck prey $_$
  
• Hostile faction players hunting you down!
  

I believe one of the ideas that was tossed around on the Discord is for the initial testing of this system to be limited to a select few SRPs, in order to test the waters and see how positive or negative this could be for the server environment.

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[Shulsky]

• Two: You need to bring your E.D.M. ship to a designated "crafting forge zone." Perhaps a star's corona, or designated shipyard-like frameworks. This prevents us from simply avoiding player interaction during crafting by say.. Flying 200k off-plane, or within a sensor dampening cloud, and going afk. It also creates zones where other players know WHERE to look for potential encounters with E.D.M. Crafting Ship Players.
  

There are some stars in systems that are way, way off the beaten path, and making a "zone" specifically for every single system is more or less not going to happen I think with the current development timelines we see from the devs. They are only human, and unpaid, after all.

Also I'm curious about the "Going AFK" part because by and large, after initiating the crafting, you'll just be...sitting there. Sitting there and talking, maybe, but just sitting there.

Designated shipyard-like frameworks, maybe, but then you've limited the "mobile" idea to a "small number of locales" idea with extra steps of logging on and off and less space to store things. At that point, it's probably easier to make a POB.

It would also allow groups who don't want to upkeep a standard PoB a way to engage with the crafting system.

We already have ways for that. It'd be buying finished goods, providing raw materials that are hard to source, and engaging in communications to do contracts for the above or request permission to dock or request specific items.

You'd have:

• Your E.D.M. Ship player,
  
• E.D.M. command typist player,
  
• Allied/Hired Protection/Scout ship players,
  
• Potential customer players,
  
• Pirates seeing sitting-duck prey $_$
  
• Hostile faction players hunting you down!
  

I don't think you'd need hired protection or scouts, and considering the "Potential Customer Players" are literally just the players who already buy from POBs, that doesn't increase how many log. Pirates, maybe, but I still think there are a lot of locations even considering stars as "zones" which would be so out of the way that it's just not practicable to get there in the two minute timeframe. Hostile faction players is the same group as pirates, because they're just people trying to intercept you, and considering the IDs which allow for essential neutrality (Zoner, Freelancer, things of that nature) but still have ships this could be applicable to, may not even actually exist.

Honestly, it's an interesting idea but I see so, so many holes and issues.

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Operation Have Sea

[Harcourt Fenton Mudd]

I don't love the idea. It's interesting, but I can see problems.

Oh yeah, probably best to make it a SRP only thing at first, be very strict with it, and only allow more basic production while fleshing out how to implement it in a more widespread fashion.

For people logging, maybe just increase the persistence time it just sits there after log

In my case, with Freeport.13, I'd go with the greenhouse . modules and allow it to be fed water to produce food rations or synth paste and a basic scrap smelter ability to recycle materials, since inRP both make sense.

The tick rate would need testing and tweaking, you'd want it to be enough to be able to roll up somewhere and be useful, but slow enough it isn't just instant supplying everything in sight.

[Shulsky]

Oh yeah, probably best to make it a SRP only thing at first, be very strict with it, and only allow more basic production while fleshing out how to implement it in a more widespread fashion.

For people logging, maybe just increase the persistence time it just sits there after log

In my case, with Freeport.13, I'd go with the greenhouse . modules and allow it to be fed water to produce food rations or synth paste and a basic scrap smelter ability to recycle materials, since inRP both make sense.

The tick rate would need testing and tweaking, you'd want it to be enough to be able to roll up somewhere and be useful, but slow enough it isn't just instant supplying everything in sight.

Increasing the persistence time could be an interesting fix to that, though I have no idea how intensive that might be to code and push through.

And yeah, honestly it'd all require a lot of tweaking and figuring out.

The idea does add a good bit more flavor to the overall supply and manufacturing method. If the devs made it, would certainly be an addition at least equal to that of the POB update.

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Operation Have Sea

[jammi]

I'm not sure this is going to work the way you want when most recipes are currently configured to run for a span of hours, rather than minutes. Effectively requiring afk idling as a game mechanic seems like an exceptionally poor set of incentives to build into the fabric of the mechanics.

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[Harcourt Fenton Mudd]

I'm not sure this is going to work the way you want when most recipes are currently configured to run for a span of hours, rather than minutes. Effectively requiring afk idling as a game mechanic seems like an exceptionally poor set of incentives to build into the fabric of the mechanics.

That's when you break out a calculator and reduce the time as well as input/output.

And it could be set to require the player manually start each cycle to reduce idling.

Besides, RP as a mobile base allready involves a fair amount of sitting in one place, this is just giving people roleplay options that don't involve /1 /2 and hoping your presets don't get you banned for a month.

I mean, if you had any other idea of mechanics that could be applied Id be happy to hear them.