Traveling through sector space I can't help but wonder why these guys are flying out there. I mean it is nice idea I guess but they don't have anything of worth! I used the frieghters a lot in the erlier days for my comodities in the Aid the planet missions but I don't need to do that anymore!
Why not have the frieghters trade greens and the ocasional blue item of the level of space they are traveling in? Have the Curriers act as traveling mail boxes as well! Have Mudd trade greens blues and the rarely occasional purple for the sector he is in and allow him to travel to any sector.
Ferengi traders could also be sparce and trade to both Klingon and Federation throughout any sector and have them carry rare food items as well as devices that can be purchased with GPL not credits.
I mean if you are going to have these guys flying around in space have a reason! Make a slight change to economics as well here having frieghters buy your items for 50% and sell at 105% set value. Mudd buys at 55% and sells at 110%. Ferengi Buy at 45% and sell at 115% EC/GPL (this should go for Drazana as well) and your home stations buy at 60% and sell at 100%. Other Friendly stations could buy at 50% and sell at 100%.
If you did this I think it would have an impact on the player based economy as with the exchange players will be likely to try and sell thier items between 60% and 115% of face value in order to compete with the space traders! Only truely rare and hard to aquire items will continue to be sold at outlandish prices as they could very well be worth the money as difficult they are to come buy.
Ultimately this helps out leveling players as a means to aquire goods and sell or mail items when they are out and about trying to accomplish missions and don't want to make the trip home to download! It puts the economy somewhat in check as players can obtain items outside the exchange so they will look for the best value and get resonably fair prices even a Ferengi could work with!
Outside of coming out of the Tutorial and equipping my BOs I can't really remember the last time I bought a weapon or item. The game makes it so easy to pay for gear with Exploration badges, and drops so much other stuff on you during missions, that merchants seem almost pointless - and since I can sell via discard for about the same value I get from a Starbase I don't even find merchants useful to unload unwanted loot.
If anything the traveling merchants should just be an Exchange access point so that you don't need to go back to a Starbase to do that. The new Exchange fee could be considered their cut for doing the work.
They're just there for flair but i like the idea of them selling a limited amount of rare items from time to time or maybe even officer candidates or flair items for your ship.
if theyve lost their value early on, maybe cryptic could build a few missions around them in each sector. basically another daily with the ability to grab up 1-2 emblems (seeing as it takes forever to collect enough to do anything with)
SUPPLY THE FRONT
the idea would be, in each sector block your job would be to run them from one end of sector block to the other. along the way DSEs would be attracted to you. but instead of opening up a DSE with dozens of enemy ships. Youd enter an instance where wave after wave of enemy ships would come at you. The Supply Convoy would be pulled into the DSE with you and it be your job to defend them. The more Supply Ships to make it to its destination the higher the payout would be.
if theyve lost their value early on, maybe cryptic could build a few missions around them in each sector. basically another daily with the ability to grab up 1-2 emblems (seeing as it takes forever to collect enough to do anything with)
SUPPLY THE FRONT
the idea would be, in each sector block your job would be to run them from one end of sector block to the other. along the way DSEs would be attracted to you. but instead of opening up a DSE with dozens of enemy ships. Youd enter an instance where wave after wave of enemy ships would come at you. The Supply Convoy would be pulled into the DSE with you and it be your job to defend them. The more Supply Ships to make it to its destination the higher the payout would be.
Interesting idea I check them ocasionally just to see if maybe something has been added. I remember running around in other games and seeing a wandering or hidden vender that was the only place to get a certain item or something and since they were kinda hard to find you could make a bit of a profit by offering it on the exchange service.
If you finished a few missions and realized you were full of gear and you came into sector space and saw a trader and new you would get more return then selling things to your replicator would you be willing to approce and make the sale? Then when you get there you notice that they have a Blue Deflector Array that is exactly what you for sale would you buy it?
Additionally with the Ferengi using GPL as a curency it gives you another reason to carry it around with you. And since they would have things that you can only get from them how often would you stop to trade with them?
I like to push for things to have a reson for being and not just be an eyecandy/sore
I think this is a great idea for a gameplay addition. I think Sector Space needs more NPC activity and giving them a purpose beyond just flying around (such as rare traders or "special" NPCs like Mudd). I like the idea of random specials traveling from sector to sector and other random-ish events that could occur while flying around in Sector Space.
I would love to see a passing ship who's has a damaged warp coil and is in need of assistance, or a small ship of religious devotees who request an escort to their destination due to fear of persecution...or a disabled ship from your faction that needs towing back to Starbase...or a science vessel that requests additional computer power from your ship to help analyze something...things like that in addition to the types of rare/unique traders other posters have mentioned.
The more there is to interact with..the more seemingly random occurrences are two things that make the gameworld more unique and immersive for me. To get of subject for a moment..I'd love to see the planet-side natural critters/animals tech turned into a scientific research mechanic if possible..or to have say my Bajoran bridge officer request to go to X location for some special event and delivering/eventually returning for them. Small things like this make me feel as though there is more than just straight missions and travel, that there is a larger more dynamic universe that we're playing in. I'm no programmer or game designer, so I understand there are both technical and game mechanic limitations to lots of things..but it's things like this (and the on-topic more NPC activity in Sector Space) that I feel should be considered as part of Season 4's "More like Trek" approach.
Comments
If anything the traveling merchants should just be an Exchange access point so that you don't need to go back to a Starbase to do that. The new Exchange fee could be considered their cut for doing the work.
SUPPLY THE FRONT
the idea would be, in each sector block your job would be to run them from one end of sector block to the other. along the way DSEs would be attracted to you. but instead of opening up a DSE with dozens of enemy ships. Youd enter an instance where wave after wave of enemy ships would come at you. The Supply Convoy would be pulled into the DSE with you and it be your job to defend them. The more Supply Ships to make it to its destination the higher the payout would be.
Interesting idea I check them ocasionally just to see if maybe something has been added. I remember running around in other games and seeing a wandering or hidden vender that was the only place to get a certain item or something and since they were kinda hard to find you could make a bit of a profit by offering it on the exchange service.
If you finished a few missions and realized you were full of gear and you came into sector space and saw a trader and new you would get more return then selling things to your replicator would you be willing to approce and make the sale? Then when you get there you notice that they have a Blue Deflector Array that is exactly what you for sale would you buy it?
Additionally with the Ferengi using GPL as a curency it gives you another reason to carry it around with you. And since they would have things that you can only get from them how often would you stop to trade with them?
I like to push for things to have a reson for being and not just be an eyecandy/sore
I would love to see a passing ship who's has a damaged warp coil and is in need of assistance, or a small ship of religious devotees who request an escort to their destination due to fear of persecution...or a disabled ship from your faction that needs towing back to Starbase...or a science vessel that requests additional computer power from your ship to help analyze something...things like that in addition to the types of rare/unique traders other posters have mentioned.
The more there is to interact with..the more seemingly random occurrences are two things that make the gameworld more unique and immersive for me. To get of subject for a moment..I'd love to see the planet-side natural critters/animals tech turned into a scientific research mechanic if possible..or to have say my Bajoran bridge officer request to go to X location for some special event and delivering/eventually returning for them. Small things like this make me feel as though there is more than just straight missions and travel, that there is a larger more dynamic universe that we're playing in. I'm no programmer or game designer, so I understand there are both technical and game mechanic limitations to lots of things..but it's things like this (and the on-topic more NPC activity in Sector Space) that I feel should be considered as part of Season 4's "More like Trek" approach.