03-11-2008, 07:09 PM
One thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is the race tracks in Dublin and Connecticut. Back in the early days of OSC I was thinking about putting such a track in the Coronado system as an OSC entertainment facility.
Here are a few areas where I think we could greatly expand on this.
1. New, more complex tracks.
The existing course (I say course because the Connecticut course is basiclaly the same as the Dublin course) does provide a decent challange, but it gets boring after a short while. I think adding some newer tracks will help break the monotony. Vertical sections, multiple paths, hazards, and so forth would make the courses much more interesting and more fun to watch.
2. A new sub class of Light Fighters specifically for racing.
What I'm thinking is a set of ships with similar but not equal stats, more bots/batts, no guns and very little cargo space (5-10 Max.) They can be based on existing designs or completly new ones. (I had actually considered having OSC produce some based on designs of late 20th century fighter jets for this purpose)
Another possibility for these ships is the idea of two thrusters on these ships. With the current thruster ratings, they shouldn't push the ships past the current speed limit and the ships would not be useful for anything else. The power plants would be the same as existing light fighters, so the drain from using two thrusters would be far greater than a single, limiting the time to short bursts. This one isn't necessary, though.
3. A series of sponsored races where anyone from any group can compete.
I think this is where the RP potential would be highest. OSC could sponsor a series of races at the various tracks. There would be Officials to keep the races fair, defense patrols to keep terrorists from interfering with the race, a Luxury Liner could be stationed in the middle of the track for the spectators, etc.
We could even have a "Truck Series" where people could fly their freighters instead of the regular racing ships.
4. A "Racer ID"
Hear me out on this one. Racing ships would need a special ID that allows them to participate in the regular series. Ships would have to be tagged with their "sponsor" in order to participate. Normal hostilities would not apply to these racers. As always, Terrorists and Pirates would be free to treat them as traders, and house officials can stop them for carrying illegal goods. They would be allowed to dock freely on the bases closest to the racetrack (only really applies to Dublin, currently.) Ships would be expected to match the tag as closely as possible and could only be used on light fighters (including racers).
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These are just a few of the ideas floating around in my head. They would take a lot of planning, and probably wouldn't make it in until 4.86 or 4.87, but I think the potential is huge.
Feel free to comment on the ideas, post possible refinements, etc. Also, if this gets the green light from the powers that be, I would need someone to help translate my course ideas into the Freelancer world.
Here are a few areas where I think we could greatly expand on this.
1. New, more complex tracks.
The existing course (I say course because the Connecticut course is basiclaly the same as the Dublin course) does provide a decent challange, but it gets boring after a short while. I think adding some newer tracks will help break the monotony. Vertical sections, multiple paths, hazards, and so forth would make the courses much more interesting and more fun to watch.
2. A new sub class of Light Fighters specifically for racing.
What I'm thinking is a set of ships with similar but not equal stats, more bots/batts, no guns and very little cargo space (5-10 Max.) They can be based on existing designs or completly new ones. (I had actually considered having OSC produce some based on designs of late 20th century fighter jets for this purpose)
Another possibility for these ships is the idea of two thrusters on these ships. With the current thruster ratings, they shouldn't push the ships past the current speed limit and the ships would not be useful for anything else. The power plants would be the same as existing light fighters, so the drain from using two thrusters would be far greater than a single, limiting the time to short bursts. This one isn't necessary, though.
3. A series of sponsored races where anyone from any group can compete.
I think this is where the RP potential would be highest. OSC could sponsor a series of races at the various tracks. There would be Officials to keep the races fair, defense patrols to keep terrorists from interfering with the race, a Luxury Liner could be stationed in the middle of the track for the spectators, etc.
We could even have a "Truck Series" where people could fly their freighters instead of the regular racing ships.
4. A "Racer ID"
Hear me out on this one. Racing ships would need a special ID that allows them to participate in the regular series. Ships would have to be tagged with their "sponsor" in order to participate. Normal hostilities would not apply to these racers. As always, Terrorists and Pirates would be free to treat them as traders, and house officials can stop them for carrying illegal goods. They would be allowed to dock freely on the bases closest to the racetrack (only really applies to Dublin, currently.) Ships would be expected to match the tag as closely as possible and could only be used on light fighters (including racers).
--------------------------------------
These are just a few of the ideas floating around in my head. They would take a lot of planning, and probably wouldn't make it in until 4.86 or 4.87, but I think the potential is huge.
Feel free to comment on the ideas, post possible refinements, etc. Also, if this gets the green light from the powers that be, I would need someone to help translate my course ideas into the Freelancer world.