Carriers, docking modules and the pop density problem ideas

[Lythrilux]

At one point Docking Modules were going to allow ships to type a command to instantaneously spawn to them from anywhere (the ship with the DMs would have to approve the request still). Not sure why that never went anywhere. I think at that point, Drones were looked into instead.

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[Binski]

I'd prefer carriers remain carriers. Having DM's working and as best as possible is welcomed though. Back in the day a ship with a DM did serve as a spawn point. Unless you hit the /jettisonall command, the last ship docked would still pop out in your bay if they logged in while you were online. Otherwise they'd undock from the last base the carrier ship docked at.

DM's and Carriers are fine when all working properly. I know this should go in the unpopular opinions thread...but I still think that some limited multiboxing should be allowed when it comes to carriers or transports serving as carrier ships (or mule ships).

That way you could fly your carrier as a mother ship and fly a snub or freighter (if freighters could also dock using DM's which they should, but can still jump with a jumping carrier). You could then leave your mobile base ship somewhere while using the smaller ships to fight/mine/explore, able to return to your own carrier. I only suggest since player population isn't so high anymore.

That really, really, really can fixed by opening things up here and reversing a ton of rules that have been actually choking this place for years, adding some new faction abilities that allow for real long term goals, and announcing a revamp of the mod.

To me it is a total misperception that allowing jump trading does anything bad to the mod, nor does it deny significant piracy opportunities. There is just so much not happening because of fear of 'this or that'. Open it all up and see what happens. A lot of life will come back, if its not too late. We should be encouraging people to work to earn fleets of transports, carriers, DM's, JD's, etc, to come and have some fun. I should be able to offer jumps to transports, fly my own freighter or snub at the same time. If people want to build bases way out in the middle of nowhere, so what? We should go back to allowing a ton of things again and take our chances on things just working out, and people being able to figure out ways around problems IN GAME. No need to manipulate the game to force people to factions. If a faction is not so appealing, the problem is usually the lack of opportunities, reason, or purpose.

People spent so many years getting things outlawed that they reduced jobs and opportunities every time to make their own preferred roles easier. Year in year out, how many need to go by before people realize it was bad policy that killed popilation here, not the age of the game. Many events in recent years proved that many people still can get online when they really want to, when they have a good reason. This place has been on spin cycle for too many years!

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[Thunderer]

I imagine being able to spawn them and actually controlling them, keeping them with the carrier and recalling them would be the issue more than anything, probably too resource intensive, and the games engine just cant handle it, upgrading the engine would be too time consuming for little benefit

Admins already did this at events. They could spawn an NPC swarm and then tell it what player to attack. Carrier drones could do the same thing, but allegedly a carrier drone swarm would cause the server to crash... and an NPC swarm wouldn't?

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[Firewolfy]

Could the docking mods have more utility? perhaps. but as most have said, does the server population afford doing so? not sure about that and up to dev's opinions. If it were up to me though, i think that docking mods should be deleted from all non-battleships at least and maybe even all non-carrier class ships. this would give carriers a much more unique position in the galaxy instead of just being another BS with more docking mod slots.

[Skorak]

Could the docking mods have more utility? perhaps. but as most have said, does the server population afford doing so? not sure about that and up to dev's opinions. If it were up to me though, i think that docking mods should be deleted from all non-battleships at least and maybe even all non-carrier class ships. this would give carriers a much more unique position in the galaxy instead of just being another BS with more docking mod slots.

No thanks. The only request I have for it is to be able to log out on it. That'd give it so much utility that it'd have a use. But as Darkwind said, that's been submitted.

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[LuckyOne]

@Lythrilux thanks for the info. Do you perhaps know why the devs went the NPC route on an RP focused server ? I mean RP-in using NPCs as dumb as Freelancer's is really somewhat limited.

@Binski your take is interesting, but multiboxing would just promote more single-player like gameplay. Spawn point carriers or beam to carriers would promote teamwork (alright they could actually worsen "ganking" but only until every lawful suddenly realizes those useless caps that like to idle around various lawful bases can be used as convenient teleport portals to where the action currently is). Or the Bustard could be used as a cool mobile base of operations for escorts.

I feel this could actually impact the "perceived" server pop to be much higher than it currently is. Just needs to have a right price so it's harder to abuse.

I wouldn't go for deletion of docking modules but a split to the Heavy ones that can act as snub beacons and regular ones that stay as they are I feel could work.