spankahontis wrote: ↑Wed, 10. Aug 22, 22:00
Bernd's X4 Foundations is surrounded by Elite Dangerous, Star Citizen, Starpoint Gemini 3, Star Sector, Eve Online, i've played dozens of smaller unknowns over the years, the market is saturated in Space-Sims right now.
So one could say, that it isn't unrealistic to assume that all this competition is eating into Egosoft profits, especially right now with a cost of living crisis. It can't be easy for them?
But that being said, I have an idea to contribute.. Taking the above into consideration to which a (And pardon my pun, yes, intended lol) 'foundation' to implement something coming close to Planet travel could be possible in a limited capacity?
Using the already implemented 'Terraformation Feature' in X4, merged with this New Planet Travel feature that people clearly want.
That can be..
- Condensed (Which Egosoft want) to a size that is, hopefully, do-able for their artistic creation/3D modelling team and less so for their Developers/Coders?
- Still provide surface travel, even if it is in a very 'limited capacity'.. Yet still with the potential to provide a wealth of features you could add on top of that are already features of the current game like missions/trading etc.
- Something that Egosoft, given it's staff size? Wont be overwhelmed or need to invest too much in to pull off? That is the hope here. If not? Back to the drawing board.
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How it would play out in the game?
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It would be tied to the Terraformation Feature as a reward, but also a Foundation for future X Games to improve on.
- After completing the exact Research prerequisites (All Teleportation Research as Normal) Choose the Planet you want to Terraform (Get the News Report).
- Teleport your Headquarters to the Space it's asking you to.
This is where the Missions change to the new feature.
- Instead of providing materials to the planet surface, instead.. You build a Huge Mega-Station Project that will serve as your ONLY connection to the Planet surface. So those deciding to fly themselves to the Planet are going to get the 'Danger! Entering Atmosphere!!' Choice of Death.
I've thought of 2 ideas on how this will look? Lore wise, as well as what is less time consuming on Egosoft and it's resources to implement? Personally either way is cool to me, no judge.
Choose which you feel is workable/fastest to you in the end?
So..
Choice 1 - You build a 'Space Lift' to which you dock your ships Large or Small to deliver resources.
Personally I can see allot of problems with this idea (i.e Planet Rotation would make it look unrealistic and effect immersion with players), but left it here anyway as Egosoft know what's possible and what's not in the End?
Choice 2 - Instead you Build a 'Star-port', the idea is once you're docked at these Star ports, there are specially designed passenger ships called 'Landers' that can survive entering the planets atmosphere to which they will send you to the Planet Surface and back (Unless you Teleport back to the Port instead.)
Followed by a 'Cutscene of the Lander, leaving the Star-port to enter the Planet atmosphere' Loading Screen, basically, like the X3 Terran Conflict/Albion Prelude Jumpgate animation, but skippable (of course) as everything is seamless.
Can I fly my ship once on the Planet Surface?
a) No, Your Ship will be in storage on the Star-port/Space Lift in Space. Can't be accessed until you've returned to Space via the Lander.
b) However, you would be able to trade what's on your Ship with the Space Port Traders below via the map interface. It'll be sent from the Port to the Planets resource sink.
c) You are allowed to teleport back to your ship at the Star-Port rather than take the Lander back to Port.
It's this part to which I have Egosoft's situation in Mind. Trying to make Planet Travel as cost effective and less time consuming as I can think of.. Egosoft gets to dictate what we see on the ground! How large the area? What's there? etc.
I see this workaround as nothing more than being similar to 'Station walking', only you get good views of the Planet from the surface and maybe areas where you get a good sight seeing location, a Canyon or something of natural beauty the settlement is built near?
But in truth.. It'll consist of the following.
- A Square Grid Map of where you can walk on the surface Vs everything outside the map where you can't (Like on a Station but with a beautiful background/sky to look at (once terraformation is complete).
- There will be the Space Port in the centre, where you Land and where you take off back to Space.
- A street outside where all the shops are to trade, a Bar to receive missions/Gossip/Casinos/Botanical Gardens etc. Basically where NPCs walk/interact. Life going on.
- An underground Lift, futuristic version of a Metro System, something that'll operate like a Lift with a button, with a number of locations to visit, based on what you've built through Terraformation?
Choose what choices it gives you and it'll take you to a Station that reveals to you another Gridded/restricted area of the Planet where there could be some place of natural beauty to look at before you return to the Star-port.
Each structure you build in the Terraformation Project could unlock a location to visit on the Planet it is built in.
You could visit that vineyard? Or that Ski Resort you built in the Terraformation projects?
I'm open to critique? Ideas from Ego Reps and visitors? What do you think?