Is there a way to "script" a base to allow docking only when the player is carrying a certain commodity in his cargo bay?
The reason i am asking this is really simple. It could be a first step to player-owned bases, asteroid bases and why not, planets.
Thus, players could buy at certain places, "deeds" to a base. (really expensive commodity)
Then each system could have added a few empty bases and one small size empty planet.
There is, of course, the problem of base attitude - it would be horrible to purchase a base and then see that it is hostile. Or come home after pissing off some faction, only to discover your base is shooting you.
Perhaps a new "faction" could be created (Home) that will always be set as neutral (enemies-none, allies-none)
Problem 2
When you sell a commodity/piece of equipment to a certain base, it is transferred to the right of the panel, and after taking off and landing again, we see it has been removed, unless the base is actually selling that item.
I was thinking. Perhaps we could turn this in a way to "stockpile" things in player's personal base.
Is it a way to script a base not to remove items that are sold by the player?
Or, perhaps the base could "sell" all types of items and equipment, (this way it will stay there) but can it start at "zero items in stock" - this way preventing the base being really cheesy and having everything for sale as soon as you land.
Problem 3
I realize this may be impossible to make. But it does not hurt asking.
Is it possible to "script" a base to modify the ships it has for sale?
Why am i asking this? Usually i fly a Cruiser, but sometimes I'd like to whip out a fast flier to deal some indiscriminate damage. And then, return to my Cruiser without having to buy it all over again.
So. a player could buy a commodity let's say the "Patriot DIY kit" (same price as the Patriot itself, and taking a LARGE amount of cargo - so the player will have to own at least a Gunship/Large Freighter ship). Upon selling this commodity at home base, it will be removed, and somehow the Patriot made available in the "ships" section.
The home bases will be set to buy/sell stuff at the price of 1$ so it will not require enormous amounts of cash to equip something you left there 2 hours ago.
Of course, you will have to strip the ship before "selling" it to your base, so you will not lose your custom equipped weapons and cargo. And all the new ships for sale will have to be "defaulted" as empty, this way one could prevent making tons of cash by selling one empty cruiser, and then purchasing it with default turrets added.
Ranting
Yes, i know the game engine does not allow this. But i dream one day, Freelancer II will hit the market, and the player could buy a cruiser and be able to also keep a couple of personal fighters docked, and allow hired friends to dock, to repair/restock.
I dream of a Trader owning a dock able Whale-type ship, and having his own mobile business. Jumping from system to system, trading stuff, but also being able to let others dock, and buy/sell stuff to his Whale, at the prices the trader will set.
It would be nice to park your cruiser somewhere, have it behave just like any other cruiser/dreadnought base (i mean letting others dock if you choose so, shooting at hostiles...) while you take your fast and deadly fighter for a spin.
It would be nice to have your cruiser either "park" somewhere or orbit around a planet - thus adding the geeky options :
Park Cruiser - choose
-Geosynchronous orbit
-Geostationary orbit
-Eliptical Orbit
-Stationary - north/south pole
-Guard Docking Rings
Also i would really like to have smart options at :
Cruiser Dock - pay to add
- bar - post your own bounties,
- ship dock - your stored fighters, friends and hired PC,
- equipment trading bay for you and others
- Fighter wings - purchase ships, then assign NPC's to pilot them. Train NPCs from Rookie to Veteran to Ace. Command them to launch and set guard for your Dreadnought, park it then get into your fighter launch to give them a hand.
Whale Trader :
- bar
- smaller ship dock
- equipment trading
- commodity trading
Base :
-everything as the above ones, plus the option to pay to have defensive structures placed around the base.
Planet :
-sky's the limit
Thank you for reading
Signed,
Corsair Commander Nikolaus Tinkerer, Captain of the GVD Amon Goeth - Liberty Dreadnought, Defender of Crete, Nomad Hunter Extraordinaire, FLDiscovery Freak.
Final words
I would like to extend my warmest greetings and my biggest thanks to the FREELANCER DISCOVERY TEAM. I have been a gamer for more than 10 years now, and i can't say I've seen a better game than FL Discovery. You guys made FL into a masterpiece that has never left my hard drive. I own everything that can be owned in the game, i think i have discovered every system and still, i play and kill and trade and never stop enjoying.
I am not making this up... i feel tears of joy and can't stop myself from going OMG OMG OMG ! every time i pass capital ships. I park the Amon Goeth near other destroyers, or form (F4) with capital ships on patrol in some systems, and just let them fly around as the world's greatest screensaver.
I love space flight games, and I've seen and played quite a few. They all focus on fast acting fighters, which is not a bad thing i like to fly them in dangerous dogfights. But in my heart there is nothing better than slowly
cruising, at the helm of over a million tons of unstoppable firepower and heavy armor plating.
I know that deep down, most of the gamers feel they would make great mages, dangerous necromancers, fearsome pilots or lighting fast drivers if the real world would allow it.
Myself, I am a Capital Ship Commander at heart. And the guys who released FL Discovery made it possible.