Suggestion: Freighter Improvements?

frank2019 · November 2014

Would it possible to improve freighters a bit?

Can we have it so when a player in a Cell Ship or a Tuffli is a sector space, players nearby can see a prompt for the exchange and mail as if they were next to a NPC freighter. Perhaps as a console that the freighter has that can act as a 'Open for Business' toggle. This seems pretty cool as players could let people use the exchange without having to ask for an invite and then wait through a map change loading screen if all they want is to check the exchange or their bank really quick.

I know there is the Call Azura item but that only lasts a short time and has a massive cooldown. There aren't that many player freighters around so the Azura call would still be useful, this would just supplement that if players weren't near a main starbase hub.

People would still need to get a bridge invite if they wanted to do the special Duty Officer missions but for simple use this seems like a neat upgrade for the Freighters. Plus it can act as a kind of public service to help players.

I was just hoping for a better reason to use the freighter other than switch to freighter, enter bridge, queue up doff missions, check exchange, switch back to warship. And this change seems like it would be pretty quick and easy to implement.

amishrevolution · November 2014

Should probably add the D'Kora to that too.

ralphgraphite · November 2014

I would support this change - especially since freighter utility was nerfed when they changed commodities to EC for Fleet assignments, again when they changed crafting (removing the crafting console), and ALSO with the changes to the star clusters (removing the utility of transwarps for bridge invites, for those of us with social fleets who help out with this sort of thing).

Any boost to the usefulness of freighters would be a good thing.

I mean, no like they're actually OP or anything...

kayajay · November 2014

When I bought my Tuffli, I HONESTLY believed that I would be able to call it to sector space like the Azure II...I was gutted.

admrenlarreck · November 2014

As the Captain of the Tuffli Class SS Roanoke I fully support this idea.

First they nerfed it by adding ship switching to anywhere, then the Crafting, Commodities, the removal of Cluster space. (Yea I know you can still use it to get to the clusters.) They should try to do something to boost these ships since so much was removed.

Of course I dont believe they will. I hope I am surprised.

Untill then I'll keep flying my Tuffli. and at least I can use it to switch ships in combat zones like the Dyson sphere.

mightybobcnc · November 2014

I support all of these ideas.

I'm also still waiting for that update/idea Cryptic mentioned where players on the bridge of a freighter get better R&D XP or cheaper R&D projects.

cbrjwrr · November 2014

mightybobcnc wrote: »

I support all of these ideas.

Plus 1, great quality of life ideas.

bierstein · November 2014

amishrevolution wrote: »

Should probably add the D'Kora to that too.

I don't think anyone in a D'Kora would approve without a "modest" commission per transaction.

czertik123 · November 2014

well, um sure if they make t5u for them i can get some uslefullnes back.

fuglass · November 2014

What great idea's!

I own 2 Suliban Cell ships myself and pre 9.5 I used to really enjoy jumping on the trade channels and giving bridge invites. It was one of the few times where I felt I could help people and in return I made friends.
As has been said their usefulness has been dwindled down to almost nothing beyond personal use now.

I think implementing these suggestions would be great for social activity as well as a convenience for all players.
That's why I bought mine in the first place was to extend my end game experience and take advantage of the fact that I was past the grind...but I degrees.

frank2019 · November 2014

Yeah, I'm hoping something can be done to make them more enjoyable and useful to use. As it is now, they're not viable for 99% of the content in game. The D'kora is a Cruiser and can be used in fights but the other two freighters are useless in combat. That's understandable as they are supposed to be non-combatants, but they aren't all that useful as freighters either. They just don't seem worth it as they are now.

Maybe Cryptic could improve them and perhaps add an existing or new one to the c-store. Players could see it and be like "Hey, that looks pretty cool and has a lot of advantages, maybe i'll get that".

Cryptic gets money, players get improved freighters, and freighter captains can help out other people. Everybody wins.

Unfortunately, with the way things are going, it looks like this is going to be lumped into the 'not a priority' section and will be ignored, which is a shame.

I hope I'm wrong.

vfpfyasko1 · November 2014

These are great ideas, but lets take it a little further shall we? An independent faction that wants to be traders? Allowed to own and operate a series of freighters, outposts etc. What do you think?

mightybobcnc · November 2014

I'd like a neutral merchant faction but let's be realistic here, that won't happen any time soon. Most of these suggestions can at least be implemented relatively quickly.

czertik123 · November 2014

frank2019 wrote: »

Yeah, I'm hoping something can be done to make them more enjoyable and useful to use. As it is now, they're not viable for 99% of the content in game. The D'kora is a Cruiser and can be used in fights but the other two freighters are useless in combat. That's understandable as they are supposed to be non-combatants, but they aren't all that useful as freighters either. They just don't seem worth it as they are now.

Maybe Cryptic could improve them and perhaps add an existing or new one to the c-store. Players could see it and be like "Hey, that looks pretty cool and has a lot of advantages, maybe i'll get that".

Cryptic gets money, players get improved freighters, and freighter captains can help out other people. Everybody wins.

Unfortunately, with the way things are going, it looks like this is going to be lumped into the 'not a priority' section and will be ignored, which is a shame.

I hope I'm wrong.

I REALY hope the will do it, even if they put on c-store basic freighter and you will need to buy upgrade which will add new fuctions to freighter.
Im one of players which will that freigther imediatly (with cap of 2,5k zen with upgrade).

warpangel · November 2014

admrenlarreck wrote: »

First they nerfed it by adding ship switching to anywhere, then the Crafting, Commodities, the removal of Cluster space.

None of those was a nerf. Ship switching made use of the freighter so much easier because of not having to go through multiple loading screens (sector->bridge->sector->freighter) just to enter it. The old crafting was useless. The commodity discount is still there, as are the cluster transwarps.

But summoning your own freighter instead of the Azura (at transwarp CD instead of 2 hours) would be great. As would a direct "visit freighter bridge" link so we wouldn't have to switch at all.

orangeitis · November 2014

The very nature of sector space makes the freighters' primary feature completely moot. That is, hauling cargo from system to system. If it can be done in minutes as opposed to days/weeks as they do in-continuity, that kinda defeats their purpose.

Though I do propose a change to a core mechanic: Cargo/brig/passengers/crew/etc. In addition to your captain's personal supply of each, each of your ships have capacities for each as well, only accessible when that particular ship is accessible. Freighters, naturally, would have a gigantic cargo capacity.

That's the only thing I can come up with atm. I'm half asleep. :<

Suggestion: Freighter Improvements?

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