non mission interaction

[Betelgeuse]

I was thinking earlier on what are some reasons why I like early game more than later game. One reason I came up with is that I don't like "missions". Part of this stems from I don't care for the CSC buy I don't even bother doing the black market mission (I do this mission for the military id because of the disadvantages from not doing it). This is not to say that missions are bad or there should be less I would just like some game where it isn't about "missions"

The hard part of thinking of useful non missions is that they will not have the linear style so you can't give any of them good rewards or if they do are more boring than dirt (like mining).

Anyone have any good ideas on what can be done?

random ideas:

forced arena (go into a certain part of space and have walls close in around you)
fake friendly stations (stations that appear to be friendly but when you dock they take some stuff kick you out and become pirates, would have to get rid of it after they got it)
other "heros" (other ships that fly around buying, selling, and looting stuff maybe even taking missions that you are too slow to get too)

[Periculi]

I like those ideas, so far.

How about bounty hunting for unique pilots/ships or other collecting style missions. Some more hard to find and put together equipment.

I also like the idea of specialty ship configurations to do things- like converting your cargo hold to living space for transporting some diplomats, or sneaking someone across a border.

[Betelgeuse]

I am trying to get away from missions. I don't want the player to choose to do these things from a menu in a station. I want things to happen by other means (automatically or by player location)

hmm maybe the diplomats can be a random item from a ship and whenever you have it you are constantly harassed by pirates or the commonwealth depending on who you took them from something.

[Cardinal]

I like missions, and there should be more of them.

I also like the fact that all of the missions in the game are optional.

[Fossaman]

I agree with Betel on this one; missions get really old after a while. I'd rather see unique areas of space or unique systems that have a little something called plot in them instead.

Now, I'm not saying that plot and missions are mutually exclusive; missions are often the best way to advance the plot in a game like this. But having more subtle plot that just 'happens' without the player needing to do anything is more fun. I'd love to see more elements like the Iocrym; challenges that there are several solutions to, but nobody tells you anything about.

[Ttech]

I agree with Betel on this one; missions get really old after a while. I'd rather see unique areas of space or unique systems that have a little something called plot in them instead.

Now, I'm not saying that plot and missions are mutually exclusive; missions are often the best way to advance the plot in a game like this. But having more subtle plot that just 'happens' without the player needing to do anything is more fun. I'd love to see more elements like the Iocrym; challenges that there are several solutions to, but nobody tells you anything about.

randomize mission

[Fossaman]

You're still not getting the point. Missions are almost exclusively something that the player has to initiate. Don't want to save Point Juno? Just leave. They'll curse you a bit, but that's all. You get silly little detailed instructions that tell you where you need to go; there's no decision making once you've accepted the mission.

For me, the really entertaining stuff happens when I come along and blow something up, and I get a specific reward for it without knowing it was going to happen. Examples are slave camps and centauri occupations. I'd like to see more situations where you don't really know what's going on, but your actions will still have consequences.

I'd love to see random events with rewards or consequences implemented. A distress signal from a freighter or a military patrol; they may give you a valuable piece of equipment or some loot, or a map of the system they've been gathering as they patrolled, if you manage to save them. Or you can let the enemy ships kill them and take the loot. Skirmishes between factions that you can choose sides in, that sort of thing. My main concern, though, is that they are well and truly random and not something that the player can initiate.

[Ttech]

You're still not getting the point. Missions are almost exclusively something that the player has to initiate. Don't want to save Point Juno? Just leave. They'll curse you a bit, but that's all. You get silly little detailed instructions that tell you where you need to go; there's no decision making once you've accepted the mission.

For me, the really entertaining stuff happens when I come along and blow something up, and I get a specific reward for it without knowing it was going to happen. Examples are slave camps and centauri occupations. I'd like to see more situations where you don't really know what's going on, but your actions will still have consequences.

I'd love to see random events with rewards or consequences implemented. A distress signal from a freighter or a military patrol; they may give you a valuable piece of equipment or some loot, or a map of the system they've been gathering as they patrolled, if you manage to save them. Or you can let the enemy ships kill them and take the loot. Skirmishes between factions that you can choose sides in, that sort of thing. My main concern, though, is that they are well and truly random and not something that the player can initiate.

now I do.

[Fossaman]

You sure? I've got a couple really entertaining analogies prepared...

[Ttech]

You sure? I've got a couple really entertaining analogies prepared...

sure what the heck. Can't hurt for more explaining.

[Dorne]

I'd like to see more situations where you don't really know what's going on, but your actions will still have consequences.

I'd love to see random events with rewards or consequences implemented. A distress signal from a freighter or a military patrol; they may give you a valuable piece of equipment or some loot, or a map of the system they've been gathering as they patrolled, if you manage to save them. Or you can let the enemy ships kill them and take the loot. Skirmishes between factions that you can choose sides in, that sort of thing. My main concern, though, is that they are well and truly random and not something that the player can initiate.

Hmm, I would definitely like some more random events happening. I guess we should post some in the suggestions subforum then.

[Betelgeuse]

this is the suggestions subforum 8)

[Dorne]

Haha, didn't see that.

Anyways, I have an idea like, shooting down a certain ship on the enemy drug cartel will cost you 1000 credits, because it was an undercover commonwealth officer (green on radar though, and leaves when station is destroyed).

Destroying the green contraband guarded ship should give you some kind of downside other than the guard ships firing at you.

[Betelgeuse]

Destroying the green contraband guarded ship should give you some kind of downside other than the guard ships firing at you.

first thing that comes to mind is that the black market gets a little annoyed with you. This would work well with a relationships system but that is a bit advanced.

idea maybe have a chance of "marked" items from looting them. So if you try to sell them back to the owners you would get killed (the owners are station from inside the same system).

[OddBob]

Destroying ANY green ship should have consequences. Once there are consequences you can put loot in the freighters and then become a pirate.