(10-24-2013, 08:44 AM)Thexare Wrote: Gallic armor upgrades. A clone of the standard armor upgrades statistically, but at ridiculously low prices, and only usable on Gallic craft.
This, combined with an across-the-board price reduction on Gallic ships and equipment, will mean you can fully arm a GRN, Council, UC, Maquis, etc. fighter for less than one trade run. Bombers? Also cheaper. Caps? Yeah, maybe lower the cost on the GBs and possibly cruisers - that's up to the devs, I don't care either way.
I figure, make the total price of a fighter, armor included, about 1.2mil. Bombers, maybe 4-6mil. Compare that to Sirian fighters in the 15-20m range, bombers around 30mil. The ridiculously low prices may be a better motive for people to start there, as it'll take almost nothing to set them up.
Fact is, it makes sense for almost everyone to hate Gallia. Twisting existing factions into supporting them would be... unpleasant. I recall there being considerable displeasure from the Junkers about that.
Instead, make it easier for GRN to scramble sheer numbers. After all, if it's so cheap a freighter can pay it, why not slap together a GRN Lynx?
Kazinsal informs me that keeping these armor upgrades off Sirian ships is possible, and if nothing else it could be hooked into technerf.
Instead of this why not just move the centre of the starting system from Pennsylvania to a Gallic core system.
So without restarts the default start system for all new players will be Gallia, say Burgundy or something. This will up the generic population in gallia as more newbies that start there given its a new house are likely to evolve within that house as they may be taken by said house and the new ships, tech / traderoutes that gallia has to offer.
Its simple logic really to think that if the default house for all new players is within a Vanilla House (i.e. Pennsylvania in Liberty) then what real impetus is there to go to gallia and lay down roots there? As its so far and you have developed around trade and interaction with players in the Vanilla Houses ie Liberty, Bretonia etc.
You will thus more likely join factions based in these houses as opposed to say a faction based in gallia.
In Freelancer the simple theory applies, Activity breeds Activity. If gallia is busy with traffic from new players as Penn generates now in Liberty then even resident Gallic factions are also more likely to become more active in their own house rather than Leeds being the primary theater of gallic activity.
So yeh make Burgundy / other Gallic system the new Pennsylvania and the rest will be history as they say.
In relation to the OP's point I dont think special price concessions on gallic ships is the way to attract people to gallia as all they will do is buy them and then head to Leeds for LolGankFests. Resulting in Gallia remaining deserted which defeats the original aim of it.
