Difficult and terrible starting ships

[scoper]

I enjoy the challenge of starting the game with a really bad ship - priority D or E. I suspect many others do too. Unfortunately there is not much variety.

Starting with a terrible ship = fun!
Starting with the same ship every time = not fun.

So my suggestion is to simply add a few priority E (and D?) starting ships, which are truly terrible and very difficult to play. Make them unlockable, so new players dont pick them by accident.

Some example suggestions:
- a yacht: small and good for getting from A to B safely with a minimal crew. Also good for anyone who enjoys surrendering. Low skill pools, low cargo, low armor and no weapons (none at all). But high engine safety and good fuel tank.
- a simple cargo barge: very high cargo capacity, but bad at everything else. Almost exclusively medium-size components (except passenger cabin + weapon locker) making it hard to upgrade.
- old outdated warship: big, slow, clumsy, primitive, but still potent. Few components. Low speed, agility, pilot and electronics makes dodging shots near impossible. But high built-in armor and shields. Multiple big missile arrays, but no other weapons.

(Also, thanks for an awesome game.)

[fallen]

Thanks for the feedback scoper! We don't plan to add that many more starting ships, but this is an interesting perspective we haven't looked at too closely

[10scorpion19]

I like what your thinking, but I don't make new profiles very often, maybe it's just how I like to play versus others. Thus, I don't really play the ship multiple times at the start. I don't know how you feel about this, but I think it's fine how it is currently.

[scoper]

Thanks for taking the time to read and consider my suggestion.

Mar 30, 2020 11:50:03 GMT -5 fallen said:

We don't plan to add that many more starting ships

I agree there should not be too many starting ships. Just one or two more in the deep end would really balance it out nicely.

[Cory Trese]

Cool request. I'll see what I can do.

[richard]

If you thinking about starting ship, I would like one that is striped just the hull.
You would have to purchase everything you want.
It would make for tough choices and interest final ship configuations.

[Cory Trese]

Apr 2, 2020 12:35:55 GMT -5 richard said:

If you thinking about starting ship, I would like one that is striped just the hull.
You would have to purchase everything you want.
It would make for tough choices and interest final ship configuations.

We wanted to add an option for fully custom ships, but never had the budget. Perhaps for ST3!

[scoper]

I see there is a new priority D starting ship - the Reach Vindex. Fantastic!
Seems like a variation of the scout cutter with a bigger crew, more fuel and less cargo. And unusual in having no passenger space (but Brokstrom does not seem to care). Far from terrible, but still great to have another option at priority D. I look forward to trying it out.

Is there any chance of a new priority E ship too? Something really difficult?

[Cory Trese]

Apr 17, 2020 17:35:35 GMT -5 scoper said:

I see there is a new priority D starting ship - the Reach Vindex. Fantastic!
Seems like a variation of the scout cutter with a bigger crew, more fuel and less cargo. And unusual in having no passenger space (but Brokstrom does not seem to care). Far from terrible, but still great to have another option at priority D. I look forward to trying it out.

Is there any chance of a new priority E ship too? Something really difficult?

Perhaps!

[scoper]

Apr 18, 2020 13:01:07 GMT -5 Cory Trese said:

Perhaps!

I know. I know. Priorities. Developers are always busy and indie devs even more so. And you have a long backlog and to-do list.
Maybe I can save you a bit of work and slightly increase the chance that this would be implemented by sketching out the numbers and details of such a ship:

Hauler Barge
Cost: $150000
Mass: 3300 / 3400

Superstructure - hull:1000, base armor: 4, base shield: 4
Cargo: 75
Fuel: 65

Components:
 2 Large: M3400 Void Engine Balanced, Cargo Hold 1
 7 Medium: Bridge, Basic Hyperwarp Drive, Barracks 2, Officer Suites, Storage Hold, Storage Hold, Ares Missile System
 2 Small: Passenger Cabin, Weapons Locker A1

Crew: 18/30
Officers: 3/5
Skill pools.
 Ship Ops: 22
 Electronics: 15
 Navigation: 17
 Pilot: 13
 Gunnery: 4


I think, most would agree that this would be rather terrible and in most ways even worse than the Juror. And strictly worse than the Galtak Freighter. Lack of combat ability, few components, low fuel, inflexible upgrade potential.
But the big cargo space could potentially allow for some high-risk-low-cost short range bulk trading. A skilled player, able to avoid the inherent dangers of flying a defenseless rusty bucket, could make some good money before switching to a better ship.

[MTKnife]

Sheesh, you're coddling them with the weapons locker....Why not leave that out, too?

Mind you, that thing should come with a warning label--a newbie really shouldn't try it.