Remove planets\moons\suns

[podgie_bear]

I would be in favour of removing the mooring fixtures and adding mooring stations though. Maybe offer relatively lower commodity prices for the mooring station in comparison to the docking ring. That would mean freighters would make a greater profit per unit per trip, but would be limited to a smaller amount of cargo overall.

Of course, this would encourage larger transports to bring along a freighter 'escort' along to shuttled goods down to planetside for greater profit. Personally, I think that's a great idea, and maybe merc Heavy Lifters would pop up offering to shuttle goods for players outside planets (just ensure the HL is the largest ship that is able to use a docking ring).

Hardly realistic though as Transports would avoid this and go elsewhere forcing the planets to raise prices or go short of commodities. It's been tried in real life with truckers instead of transports and although some larger corporations beat the truckers by running their own transports, a lot of businesses went to the wall, as did a lot of truckers. To enact this sort of thing on the server could be very messy and may need massive changes to implement as well as actively discouraging independent transports.

For example when you consider the profit margin for the transports, minus the fees to the Heavy Lifters (they will want a decent fee and won't work for peanuts), minus the possible write off to pirates. And don't forget it works in reverse too, they won't be able to land to pick up their cargoes and will have to pay a higher price to buy what has had to be lifted to the mooring stations as well, which will also cut into their profit margins. The law of diminishing returns quickly raises its ugly head! Half the available commodities won't be worth carrying, so everyone will end up carrying only a few of the most profitable commodities. So why bother to be a trader? Want money? Mine or Smuggle, it will be more profitable.

It would be a boon for state owned and operated companies like Il de France shipping though.

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