As previously stated, the ships will use the money from the base's bank to supply it, and if you bring the price really high to buy one and make him supply your base, then it will dry up fast. Other things like upgrades and module construction are to be done by the player/players. More the supplies, the more expensive it is, now that kinda solves the 'Indestructible self-supplying base' problem.
EDIT: Example, now you have upgraded your base to core 2 and as a result get the a ability to get only one npc to supply your base, and you decide to buy the one with the Stork. It turns out that it's price is more than the ship, around 250-300 Million, after you buy it, you can assign what kind of supplies to bring to the base. and it turns around that the npc will take 10 million for two runs of basic alloy, 5 million for two runs of food and water, and 20 million for reinforced alloy (example). You pay the cash and the npc gets to it, and you can also specify it to do it once or forever, until money runs out. As time goes on, the npc should keep supplying the base until:
1) Money runs out.
2) Npc is destroyed somehow
3) The base admin changes what the npc needs to bring, or makes him stop altogether.
Expenses come easy for big corporations. Money doesn't fix everything... and when you let NPCs do all that dirty work then you will get more time to make money to pay them....
(08-25-2014, 02:04 PM)nOmnomnOm Wrote: Expenses come easy for big corporations. Money doesn't fix everything... and when you let NPCs do all that dirty work then you will get more time to make money to pay them....
If you check out my above edit, you will find this is not always the case, when npc's are expensive to buy. and the case of it being destroyed, the base owner must get a new one in order to keep it supplying. Or he probably won't due to the expense.
I think the problem lies in the fact that you would like PoB's to be viable one-man ventures, when PoB's in their offset is aimed at being a group-effort. PoB mechanics, the grind, and the intense emotions they bring along are already bad for the server IMO, but it is tolerable as bases do foster some interaction (I know I said otherwise before, but that base in Manchester taught me differently, they do create some activity and interaction when done right).
I guess you can boil it down to claiming ownership over space, because that is what a PoB effectively does - it assigns free space to be your base's space (and by extension your personal space), and it is only fair that you can back it up somehow if you are going to have such a power over other players and their experience of the mod.
88 Flak has NPCs that can follow you around?
I want that so bad.
It would be so cool for RP if they can actually leave the system they were in with JG's and JH's. Like, for example, an LSF pilot could get two LSF NPC's from Ellesmere as an escort. Of course, they go down quick, but they're good to have around for support and extra guns. I'll adore to have my own wing of guys. It would make the game more fun for me TBH.
When I don't have anyone to play with, I get two NPC's and RP as the wing leader. Would be cool to see three Nephtys/Avenger/Werewolf/Whatever you want/ fighters come at you, wouldn't it?
Related to the base thing, it could work. If you can tell them to stop and w/e, sure. +1
Even SP would be more fun with this. - A big - more fun, but still.
You seem ti misunderstand the point of PoBs. As previously said, get in contact with a trading faction that isn't hostile to your base affiliation and employ them to deliver the supplies, develop some role play - the reason PoBs were made in the first place.
What do you think is the purpose of PoBs? I am more than sure they were not implemented simply for producing cloaks and whatnot, and giving people the imaginary power of running a base. They were meant to create more interactions, and there are many groups who utilize that well, boosting everyone's activity. Traders log to supply bases - pirates log to tax traders - lawfuls log to protect traders - mercenaries log to either escort traders or help pirates against lawfuls = plenty of interaction.