Planets, why are they pretty much useless?

With exception to the few colonized habitable worlds that serve as bases, they are basically just nice looking obstacles.

So I'm reminded of Star Trek Armada II, where the planets are usable for minable resources like ore. In that they set up orbital mini bases that suck the ore from the planet.

So how about this? Make 'patches' of the planet minable, and add an /orbit command so you can enter into geosyncronous orbit around a planet and stay with that patch. Then you fire at it the same way you would in an ore field. But it might only have a finite amount of ore, once its dry you move to the next patch (which replenishes over time like ore fields). Yes, this would require surveying of planets and recording of minable coordinates. This could allow even for multiple types of resources being minable from a planet. You might have IMG and GMG at the same planet, one looking for ore, the other gas pockets. Food, water and oxygen could also be added to this mix. Gas giants could be used to extract more exotic commodities as well.

Another option would be to introduce a 2nd type of POB that would basically serve as a storage tank, like outside many npc bases we all see often. You could set authorization commands to who can fill it with or or not, and set it in orbit around a minable planet. Yes it would be destoyable, but cheap. You may only deploy it temporarily, fill it, sell your ore to buyers, then abandon it. If its cheap enough to construct they can be used as permanent or semi-permanent structures.

This would probably work best once the regular POB's come back, maybe they could just be deployable like current weapons platforms are.

Regardless, it would make for locating minable planets, surveying them, and keeping your discoveries secret to protect your operation viable gameplay, and/or selling the info to miners and shippers.

There are countless planets that could become potential gold rush territory (maybe literally). Some of those far out planets people rarely ever fly by more than once could become new centers for mining and shipping. Once POB's are back it would be even better.

And RP wise, this would make claiming and protecting planets stimulation for story. All of a sudden, factions would be out to survey the planets in their territory, and the ones less guarded may change hands. Get a good set up POB over a planet and its pretty much claimed. It would require a siege to remove it. And if its over a planet with billions worth of ore or potential fuel, it would be worth fighting over.

And of course, to promote planets being encouraged to be included more, mining bonus from ore fields could dip just a tad.

New lines would form within systems and whole new conflicts, settlements and peace efforts would all include who gets what, or who can take what by force.

A good example might be Omicron Lost and Planet Moros, a pretty much useless system, beautiful as it is, with one lone gas giant. Nice to visit, but its a dead end system. There is no reason to go there, and certainly little chance for anything epic to happen out there. If suddenly you could extract alien organisms there, helium, heck even make up new commodities for it, it may actually get some use and attract people out there for some deep space expiditions. It may also influence political activities. How would the Order feel about new settlers to the region? How would they deal with the Nomad threat out there?

I'm sure everyone can think of some good places that are getting little attention. Personally I'd like to make some crazy stuff available in hard to get to places. Planet Olympus would also be ideal for adding platinum or Nobium to. All of a sudden you'd have reason to establish a far out base to extract a distant, but valuable and rare substance.

The most important planets, which would be designed to be obvious magnets for activity, in more accessable and populated areas, would then become subject to regional powers. What if the GRN discovered valuable resources on Planet Waterford in Leeds. I think it would be stimuli for them to build a POB to defend it, before the BAF moves back in and sets one up of their own. This would allow for factions to claim areas and planets even with the same system in order to establish contested areas and ever changing front lines.

So is this too crazy? Too much work? I think it would add a whole new aspect to the game and increase interactivity, bringing more opporunities in game to accumulate wealth. More shipping, more business, more politics, and more chances for those swashbucklers to get in on the action too

(12-12-2013, 11:10 AM)Pavel Wrote: Uhm..

How about we stop worshipping the false idol of POBs at all, burn its figures and return to the Faith of Roleplay?

(12-12-2013, 11:10 AM)Pavel Wrote: Uhm..

How about we stop worshipping the false idol of POBs at all, burn its figures and return to the Faith of Roleplay?

(12-12-2013, 02:30 PM)Curios Wrote: I'd instead reduce the amount of mining fields and Trade routes instead.