Shops stock ships

[Raichor]

Simple as that, Shops would stock a certain number of small fighter sized (mass and dimension limited, determined by server config) ships from the blueprint list, or from a separate list for online servers, and then sell them for credits instead of using blocks. This would only work on servers that use the block system for blueprints, and should be completely optional in the server config.

This would be helpful for players who lose their ship and need a fast and readily available ship to navigate their way back to base. It would also greatly benefit players who own large ships and generally wouldn't want to spend the time obtaining the blocks for small fighter craft just to fill their carrier, they could now just search nearby for a shop that sells the ship. It will also allow for servers to sell starter ships at spawn for new players, so that they could then just select a ship and go off exploring, therefore de-cluttering the server spawn from new players building their first ship.

To prevent abuse of the system a limit of how many ships you can buy, combined with a cool-down timer would be needed.

 

[CyberTao]

Why not just make this a player-based thing, where established players can sell small cheap ships? It's one of those that you probably benefit more from being handled by players than spawned-from-dust shop/admin magic.

Most servers that I know of are starting to just give new players fully-filled BPs in their inventory on spawn, and there is work being done to make an official spawning starter ship thingie iirc, without the need for a shop at all (no idea how this will work with the shipyard system honestly).

There is also the issue of how this will interact with shipyards, as in are the reasons you want this based on flaws in the system from us not having shipyards already (BPs are annoying to use)?

The problem with anything that was buy-with-credits is that it is inherently exploitable, I mean you only need a few carved rocks to trade for any system in the game really. Stuff like that makes it exploitable, because credits are easy to get and accounts to easy to make, and will stay exploitable until blocks are not spawned from dust.

Conclusion; A nice mechanic that would do better as a player-run interaction, because automating or setting shops to do it becomes exploitable.

 

[Zaphord]

Didn't spawning ships from blueprints cost credits instead of requiring blocks in previous builds?

 

[Raichor]

Yes, but that was every ship. I'm talking about having small fighter type ships for sale, in the case of getting stranded or for new players to buy.

 

[jayman38]

It would be a quick and easy, lore-friendly thing to see underpowered Trade ships for sale. ("We're refreshing our fleet and selling our old freighters. Pick one up today!")

 

[Aynslei]

I like the idea, plus if players are getting shipyards at some point it would make sense for the trade guild to have them.
Maybe be a function of those larger trade stations that are out there and already have docks on them.

Then even if a shop has been bought out a newer player can still grab a functioning ship after the shop spawns one.

 

[Zaphord]

So something like a used ship dealership? I like that idea.

"Come on down to Crazy Eddie's and get yourself a pre-owned G3 Goblin for the low low price of 9,999 credits today!"

 

[Adonis0]

Thoughts sparked by this thread
It would be interesting to add this as a feature with a "credit locked" docking mechanism.

Thoughts are, create someway that to undock a ship, you need to pay credits, that way it'd be easy to set up a ship sales yard, with pre-built ships locked on docking, and you can simply come along browse, and pay the credits to take one and fly away.

Not entirely sure how this idea could be developed to prevent griefing by stealing a ship and docking it to putting a bounty on it (although, I don't know if that's such a bad mechanism to allow either)

 

[PizzaPress]

It could just buy from the blocks the shop has, merely automating things.

 

[Zaphord]

A good option for the shipyards update. If you find yourself short of blocks and want to build a blueprint you have the you could have the option of paying for the blocks your missing to have your ship built. Just so you don't have to buy them via the store individually. You could opt to buy all of the blocks if you're too lazy to provide your won too.