Starter Play for Starmade Single Play and Multi-Player

[Lone_Puppy]

Hi Fellow Starmade Fans,

After reading this suggestion by Mango888 Let's pizza Proof StarMade
It reminded me of my previously mentioned "Simplify Startup For New Players"
Simplify Startup For New Players

More ideas came to me, so I thought I'd flesh some out here.

Starter Play for Starmade Single Play and Multi-Player

Player installs Starmade
Configures for personal preferences
Enters a player name and Starmade Registry account

Now this is where my ideas kick in...

• Select from a drop down menu labelled "Join Faction" *NEW*
  • This drop down would be generated by the server component to provide a list of Public Factions on the server to select from.
  • Example; The Single Player drop down list could consists of the following;
    • None
      • player starts with a really simple mining ship, blocks in their inventory and credits
      • ship has AMS and perhaps defense turrets, but I recommend AMS only
    • Outcasts
    • Scavengers
    • Traders
• Select from a drop down menu labelled "Mission Specialty" *NEW*
  • If a faction is chosen, a Mission specialist drop down will appear or is already visible.
  • This drop-down would consist of mission specialties that matches security and ship provisioning privileges preconfigured within the chosen faction
    • Explorer
    • Mining
    • Military Defense
    • Military Support
    • Cargo
    • Manufacturing
    • Scientific
    • Logic & Systems

When the game starts and accesses the world, the player is placed into the faction chosen.
Player is given the rank configured for faction starters. Default would logically be the lowest, but should ideally be configurable by the faction owner.
Stations will be faction locked appropriately, so the starter can use faction factories, shipyards and other systems allowed to low ranks, Home Base, Factories, Gates, etc

New mechanic recommendations;
Shipyards

• Locking and configuration of inventory, blueprint creation, editing, construction.
• Credit system, to apply to blueprints the same way shops do to individual blocks.
• Faction rank control over functions of the factory.

Factories

• Faction rank control over functions of the factory.

Spawning of the starter

• Have the player spawned at a Recruitment station.
• More than one Recruitment station randomizes starter spawn between them unless prioritized by Faction owner.
• Perhaps have an NPC faction option to allow control over recruitment spawning.
• This station would provide Display Modules loaded with instructions, guides, rank permission lists etc
• Perhaps have all NPC crew spawned at these Recruitment stations using a custom spawn block (see Creature NPC Spawn Block)

Video Tutorial Ideas

• Could be incorporated with the NPC factions for starters.
• Use the Mission Specialist as a focal point.
  • Explorer - would be a general overview with game play, dangers and simple ship/station/planet building/modification, mining and defense tutorials.
• Mining - Explorer Basics with additional in depth Ship building/mods based around mining and defence.
• Military Defense - Explorer Basics with a focus on military strategy, ship building, defense and weapons/systems detail.
• Military Support - Explorer Basics with a higher focus on defense systems and support strategies
• Cargo - Explorer Basics with cargo transport strategies and building techniques around cargo systems
• Manufacturing - Focusing on building and using factories and processing plants
• Scientific - research and development in developing logic based tech
• Logic & Systems - Logic specialist for anything logic based

These are only a handful of ideas I could think of today, but I'm hoping this sparks the wider Starmade community can offer a much wider and varied options and ideas.