The future of the barge?

[Miranda]

jumping is the real problem with them and should be the priority fix

Once that's fixed just make it really slow. It's already completely vulnerable to piracy. I'd really like to see tradelanes refuse them due to size ("unable to accomodate ships of your size"), and remove the cruise engine. Then give them normal speed.

I'd like to see 6 implemented somehow but that's too punitive with the massive drifting and no cruise engine

Its already nearly impossible to get a barge into a lane, even with a /stuck macro. The .85 barge could get in lanes, but the .86 barge I've only seen do it once, and it took a long time.

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[Marburg]

one thing to remeber if you make the barge undockable you will also need to make it where it cant be pirated as much.. maybe taking several battleships to kill it.. it was designed by info card as a mobile deep base a stand alone factory.. lets make it that give it /shop and docking.. base shields and armor that require resources but jump capable also.. it will have to rely on others to be "feed" loaded and unloaded -- but it also needs controll for docking liek the /base controls
I said this already once..

To clarify, if it was possible for the thing to run out of gas, then it's a different ballgame. It would be logical allow it to dock only where fuel is sold & to buff it to withstand attacks while stuck in space, but still vulnerable enough to make for a tempting target for pirate bands. For people that wanna carry cargo that isn't sold where the fuel is, & also deliver to stations w/o mooring ports, they would need to rely on outside support from others. Is that a little clearer?:unsure:

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[Duvelske]

well.. my view..

The barge is a ship. and eating commodity's isn't the answer as in my view with the coding you can cheat that. because you not online.. it doesnt eat a thing. And if you are it eats. but when you arent online you have no one who can dock. so for this i would totally not seeing this happen. Its easy to abuse. and has also too many downfalls. As the Player Base is mostly for this use.

I would say for the options:
4) Remove its cruise engine (jumping and very slow normal engines only)
Sorry miranda.. have to say also NO own jumping device. as Jumping is used to RP with the barge. Otherwise you could use barge as jumper and the economy would be easy. even with the docking of trains. (but the trains are good view as it would make sense with a ship as big as barge) and the suggested mk IV to jump all other trains with you.

6) Prohibit barges docking at anything. This means that two people are needed to use a barge; a player driving a freighter or transport to load/unload the barge and the barge player.
would seem a good idea for RP point of view. Also 1 problem with it. how will you safe log off? and hope you wont end up in the sun next time you log in? (had it several times allready) then you would need a /bargelogoff command or something so it autokicks you and safe your exact position (not that much work i suggest) Otherwise i think its best to do 5. so it can dock but only at some points (and in every system) to at least 1 mooring/docking point. wich you use /bargedock or such or just the normal plain dock. sadly i guess you can't remove the fact it sells its storage. But with the less armor and a better shield its all together much easier to kill so more escorts. (more RP)

7) Increasing its cargo capacity and reducing its armour. as its a BIG train. or at least everyone uses it as such. and with armor for example you just can raise its armor too. (armor like armor train in context barge cargo/ train cargo ) maybe little more because it fly's like crap and trollface npc well they smile everytime haha. the same with a special Barge shield. as now it uses a plain train shield. so it is gone before you can say HI :cool:(also same as suggested with train and barge cargo)

Furthermore something else:
Giving non factions a chance to get a barge too. as now the price for this thing is enormous and to be honest want one for myself too. just to have. sort collectors item. (show off ^^) But offcourse after some of these changes.

EDIT:

had some chatter with someone on skype. both on barge flying etc etc. and had this as idea's.

1. barge mooring points. (big moorings to fit the barge) and only barge can moore there)
This takes the admins under control where a barge can and cannot dock. (for those base admirers maybe a barge base docking module. but maybe it would be abused as an external storage then. also with the idea i gave to increase cargo space. but its the same with plain trains. so think it doesnt matter that much. as the base would had to make a module wich also uses a slot and so cant make a new 40k storage module. as i dont believe cannon would increase it that very much.

2. barge shields (so if needed it can been adjusted) and shields like current transport ones are. gravi etc. etc. (those 3 types)

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[Gorva]

Lets hope this post is not lost ...

Few people fly a barge like it should be. They are using it for storage. Its info card says its a deep space mobile base.. so make it one. and not a power trading vessel.

However I am one of the few that will use a barge to do contract trades. IC uses 2 barges to help supply bases as they are being built and upgraded. we get pirated alot. and we have to RP alot.. that is what this game is about.. RP

so dont get rid of a great RP tool.. its slow 90ms cruise is not fast.. all ships can outrun it. or catch up to it. You cant miss one.. its large... bigger then some moons and planets - bigger then most bases

So lets turn it into the mobile base it was ment to be..it will have to rely on people...
bases must have food/water/and supplies for shields and repairs.
but also give it /base and /shop commands allowing it to be a trade hub where ever it is...
with that it must have docking ability for transports and others.. probly not battleships

ask any of the few still piloting the barge around systems ... they always RP..
even turning them into bases it will alow for more RP
but it also need a way around .. jumping itself would be something nice...for a change

it seems too many people hate the barge...
I love them and enjoy flying them even the way they are currently

[A1t]

Give barge ability to jump or get rid of this ship.
Hm.. And could you start giving barge in Admin system again as it was in 2011. Players don't want to sell it

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tech chart

[Death.RunningVerminator]

I'd say just get rid of it. It doesn't serve a purpose, really.

[Chrono]

Well giving that most if not all Sci-Fi universes have at least one type of monster cargo transport that are not capable of docking anywhere, and have to utilize loaders to fill its hold; option 6 is a sound choice. That said, since Barges have craft docks why not make it to where it permanently has a Loader craft docked with it that doesn't disappear once the ships offline (the Barge, not the loader). Now I have no idea how the coding and modding works, so I don't know if this is possible. But what if you made it to where a player can dock with the Barge then type a command line, transfer to the loader, unload the Barge, dock, then command line back to his/her original ship, or make it where they have to sell their ship to the Barge. The Barge then retains all of the ships equipment and cargo so that once the cargo transfer is completed; the player can then repurchase his/her ship at no cost to them. Of course, the easiest thing to do would be simply having transports dock with the Barge and transfer the cargo themselves. I just thought that it would be nice if the Barge had its own loading craft.

Option 2 shouldn't be done given that this is the reason that factions such as IC and GMG use them. Now option 3 might be a good idea given that the cargo reduction is kept to a minimum and the Armor is increased quite a bit. Option 4's a good idea but only if the impulse engines (sorry I'€™m a trekie) are brought up to at least normal speed but take a little bit to get to top speed, similar to the cruise engines that are already part of the Barge. Adding Jump Drive capability to Barges would be a great asset but, and please don't hate me for this, I personally think that jump drives should at least have distance limitations. Of course I've only made a few jumps with other players being the jumpers so I really don't know how they work. Option 5 is pretty much explained away in my option 6 argument in the first paragraph. Now for option 7, I think that if we were given an option of either a Barge Mk. I (reduced cargo capacity, increased armor) or a Barge Mk. II (increased cargo capacity, reduced armor) then this might be at least half of a good idea. Of course if you were to make it so that we have the option of cargo pods that Barges can carry, giving that it already looks as if its carrying pods, then we could possibly choose different capacity pods for it that could alter the Barges cargo Capacity and cargo options, as well as purchase armor up grades and make it to where a Barge can carry multiple armor upgrades giving its size and such.

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[Huhuh]

I'd drop the cruise engine, boost the impulse slightly (40-50) and increase firepower (a handful of bs turrets).

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[ryoken]

the 4 and 6 option you mentioned is best of what you listed.

Personally If not going to ever sell them again? Then i say remove them. As Admins claim ships are open to all, but anyone not around when they were sold are -snip- out of luck.
Another option is a Barge jump drive that requires I say about 30K fuel, and cost about a billion in supplies to build from all corners of sirius, and Gallia space.

Because right now i agree. They are used pretty much for power trading only.

Don't bypass swear filters.
-Zuke

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[Pavel]

Option 1, please. Barge already is nerfed enough, and using is as commodity storage/jump trading is now the only sensible solution. Flying this ship is horrble, inability to dock will effecitvely deprive any reason to have it.


Number of Barge 60


Sixty ships, and if you don't decide otherwise there won't be more. Is it really great problem?