Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Basic idea: Introduce a smaller freighter that's in between DST and a normal freighter while having increased defences.


Stats:
- around 250k m³
- increased EHP compared to a normal freighter (so it trades cargo space for EHP)
- slightly more agile and faster than a normal freighter
- one for each race
- only low slots just like a freighter
- uses same skills as a freighter
-added -
- 20% increase in agility and speed compared to a normal freighter. Warp speed 2 AU/s
- 30-40% increase in EHP compared to normal freighter


pros:
- in between options are good, right now the gap in cargo/EHP/speed is just too big
- it doesn't make DST useless as it has no mid or high slots
- it'll be faster and more secure for people who aren't looking for max bulk hauling (just like how each race has a small/fast hauler and a big one)

cons:
- none?



Yes I know the jump freighter exists but it's a completely different beast with an entirely different price tag. I really do think there's a market for an in between freighter especially if it trades cargo space for increased EHP. To avoid overlap or power creep with DST and the Orca it'll only have low slots just like a freighter meaning it's never going to be anything other than a basic "move stuff from A to B" without the cloak, mwd and whatever else one can think up.

I realise I'm not the first with this but when I played (5 years ago) we were asking for something like this and it still hasn't happened. Ideas and discussion very much welcomed.

More room than an orca, increased defences compared to an orca. Doesn't have any of the other options.

Doesn't have the skill requirement or price of the JF.

According to that logic you might as well remove all normal BS the Black Ops are based on, they're cheaper but do the same thing minus a few options and require less skills. If fact, you might as well remove most T1 variants of T2 ships. They do exactly the same thing but are cheaper, with less skills required and a few less options.

An in between option with increased EHP, being slightly faster than a normal freighter but without the silly cost of a JF has merit.

It's a no from me on this idea.

Can be easily achieved with a JF (up to around 340,000 m^3), or an Orca at slightly smaller total volume (up to about 183,000 m^3).

There's no gap that this idea fills.

You mean both are sub optimal for the normal stuff (BO in basic stats, proposed freighter with less cargo) while requiring a lot more skills and adding things the T1 doesn't need while you do have to pay through the nose for it. I'd say the comparison is quite on par, really.



- JF with that amount of cargo has similar EHP to a normal freighter while being 6 times the cost. Given the regularity of random freighter ganks that makes no sense whatsoever.

- Orca doesn't get to 180K, it gets ~100k cargo + 40k fleet hangar, in that fit it has 80k EHP. Makes no sense whatsoever to fit or use it that way




You're asking for overpowered stuff, I'm asking for balanced stuff that fills a gap.

In high sec ganks EHP and ship cost is part of the equation, together with possible profit and amount of lulz to be had. Stating otherwise is either disingenuous or a result of not using the right perspective: a normal freighter is a high sec ship or used with jump bridges, the days of freighters runs into 0.0 are long gone. Outside that there's the JF.

This idea, being based on a normal freighter, is thus meant for HS use for the most part and as such any logic about "well why don't you just jump away using your magical cyno that magically was ready to be used even though you crossed HS, when you suddenly see a bunch of Catalysts on the gate in HS" is not realistic.

Here's a good example, profit is pretty much nill and is fully done because it's an 8 bil ship so purely for lulz. A smaller, faster freighter with slightly more EHP but at similar cost and skills compared to a normal freighter is something entirely different from a JF, its EHP/cost equation gives it a reason to exist without being overpowered or silly.

Thanks for admitting that you have ulterior motives in this regard. A freighter as described is not in your personal interest :)

Also, don't lie: expensive but relatively easy to hit is where the "fun" is.

Using faceless alts and throwaway ships to gank people who don't shoot back is the epitome of being risk averse.


Either way, back on topic. Having demonstrated that the JF nor the Orca are a viable alternative as an intermediate freighter it looks as if there is a gap between the DST and the normal freighter, a gap that I'm sure people would make use of if it would be filled. Apparently gankers aren't too happy about this idea and that in and of itself sounds like a recommendation to me. Especially so because the proposal isn't overpowered or silly.

Except that you haven't demonstrated that at all, since both the orca and the jump freighter sit comfortably in the gab between the DST and the freighter (and the rorqual if you happen to not be in highsec), with tank, agility, escape methods etc, are faster than a regular freighter...

Literally what is the difference between an orca and what you're asking for, besides HURR MY SKILLS, which is nonsensical considering the damn thing takes less than three weeks to train into from a brand new character?

1) cargo room - Orca gets to 140k max
2) having that max cargo fitting means it has no tank meaning it's a lulz gank target incapable of actually moving stuff that requires such cargo space

3) JF is a lulz gank target in high sec because it's too expensive what what is it, in high sec. Its use it outside HS.


I'm sure this doesn't need explaining.



p.s. bringing in more buttbuddies to swamp the thread shows that you're trying to bury it in bullshit, which proves that you REALLY don't want this to happen, for obvious reasons.