[Concerned] about downtime in the PU

[supitza]

I'm worried that some professions will incur a huge downtime for the "clients". Let me explain:
Medical - I was in a firefight and I got my arms blown off. I have to ask for a paramedic in a Cutlass Red, wait for him to get to me, pick me up and fly me to a Hope. What if there's no paramedic around? What if he's a really crappy pilot and takes forever to get me to the hospital? What if there's no hospital nearby? Let's assume a paramedic is close, he/she's a competent pilot and there's a Hope close by. What can I (the player with no arms) do while all this is going on? Watch the screen?
Repair - I get my ship really badly damaged. I have to wait for a mechanic to come and fix me. What if there's nobody around? What if they're a shitty mechanic? You get the point...
The Crucible Q&A stated that a badly damaged Hornet would take anywhere between 2-15 minutes to get repaired, depending on the number of crew operating the Crucible. 15 min is a long time to wait for the one in the pilot seat of the damaged ship.

Maybe there will be plenty of NPCs around to fulfill the tasks for which there aren't any players around to pick up. My point is that still if a job gets done perfectly (I get my arm blown off, I call for a Red, he comes pick me up and takes me to a Hope), that's still a LOT of downtime. While the player who's a medic is having tons of fun working his profession, I (the recipient of his service) am watching him play, stuck with nothing do to but wait for another player to do his thing.
Maybe you can use one of your "respawns" and leave a NPC in your place, just so medics and mechanics get something to do.

Was there any discussion about this? I imagine CR has a plan, but I'm still scared.

 

[Printimus]

suicide
self destruct
etc.

 

[StdDev]

As Blind Owl would say:
Beer is the answer

 

[Stevetank]

The beacon system is supposed to help you with missions. If you are stuck, then you send out a distress beacon and people / npcs will come. If no one is around (which will be most cases as soon as you crash), then someone will be there shortly. It lets people know where you are when you want them to know. Players and NPCs can activate their beacons to give missions. Missions for fuel, repair, medical, trade, etc.

The beacons will be on certain frequencies. Different ones are for friend only, orgs only, everypony, and so on. If a pirate is on any of those frequencies (and we will be), you'll have to deal with unwanted people showing up. Luckily, if a TESTie pirate shows up, you'll be handed a beer and well taken care of. Especially if it's @Blind Owl.

 

[supitza]

suicide
self destruct
etc.

I'm not sure if this is a viable option. There will be consequences for dying or destroying your ship.
If the options are 1. get bored waiting or 2. resume playing and get a penalty, that's the model freemium games use: wait or pay. And that's not good enough for Star Citizen.

The beacon system is supposed to help you with missions. If you are stuck, then you send out a distress beacon and people / npcs will come. If no one is around (which will be most cases as soon as you crash), then someone will be there shortly. It lets people know where you are when you want them to know. Players and NPCs can activate their beacons to give missions. Missions for fuel, repair, medical, trade, etc.

If a NPC would spawn close to you, I guess that would work. But still, sitting in a NPC Cutlass Red for more than 5 minutes until you're flown to a hospital would still suck.

EDIT: I hope harsh penalties won't be really common, otherwise people will shy away from anything too dangerous just because they don't want to sit in a NPC Cutlass for 15 minutes.

 

[Blind Owl]

I think one solution for people that don't want to wait, who want to get back at it, would be to pay a "respawn fee" or something of the like, where their severely damaged body was instantly transported to the nearest hospital. I would think this would be both expensive and only available for certain types of injuries. IE, no arms or legs, etc. So as to not completely ruin immersion .

As for a severely damaged ship...
I think having to wait for someone or trying to limp it to safety adds a huge amount to immersion. And I like that.

 

[Blind Owl]

As Blind Owl would say:
Beer is the answer

Oh yeah. This is what I meant to say.

Luckily, if a TESTie pirate shows up, you'll be handed a beer and well taken care of. Especially if it's @Blind Owl.

Drinking beer alone is just not as fun as with someone else. Especially a TESTie. Shared beer is best beer is TEST beer.

 

[Plagueis]

I'm not sure if this is a viable option. There will be consequences for dying or destroying your ship.
If the options are 1. get bored waiting or 2. resume playing and get a penalty, that's the model freemium games use: wait or pay. And that's not good enough for Star Citizen.


If a NPC would spawn close to you, I guess that would work. But still, sitting in a NPC Cutlass Red for more than 5 minutes until you're flown to a hospital would still suck.

EDIT: I hope harsh penalties won't be really common, otherwise people will shy away from anything too dangerous just because they don't want to sit in a NPC Cutlass for 15 minutes.

Naw, that's when I go make dinner or snack. Jump on my other computer on my other account.

 

[Printimus]

I'm not sure if this is a viable option. There will be consequences for dying or destroying your ship.
If the options are 1. get bored waiting or 2. resume playing and get a penalty, that's the model freemium games use: wait or pay. And that's not good enough for Star Citizen.


If a NPC would spawn close to you, I guess that would work. But still, sitting in a NPC Cutlass Red for more than 5 minutes until you're flown to a hospital would still suck.

EDIT: I hope harsh penalties won't be really common, otherwise people will shy away from anything too dangerous just because they don't want to sit in a NPC Cutlass for 15 minutes.

beggers cant be choosers

 

[Han Burgundy]

The boredom of being strapped to a stretcher while it flies half-way across the galaxy could be the natural penalty for screwing up and getting hurt. Chip away at the consequences of each action, and every decision means a little less. I bet they will balance this, as far as time wasted, for gameplay reasons, But I dont want people being able to kamikaze, insta-respawn, then come back. Screw that. That breeds griefing. Death has to be punishing. Its what makes risky actions all the more fun.

 

[Mich Angel]

Can't say I understand what you mean by down time....
If you mean there is a a slower not so action packed time where you wait for something to happen and that poses a problem for you..
Then might it be this is not the game for you..
just saying..!
For from my point of view..
I see no problem in waiting for help, I have already done that several times when my ship got stolen or damage so much it was not flyable. I had to call out for any one that could assist me and give me help getting back to Olisar, some pilot I never seen before kindly came to my assistance but he had to go back to get a new ship that could hold us both. So mean wile I was forced to hang around counting stars, ( coffee calling in kitchen and a cold beer in the fridge ). Some time it was some one that was close and I was back at Olisar fast, some time it took more than 15-20 minute to get a ride back. I love every minute of it, trying to direct them to my position and finally get rescued felt so damn awesome and think for them it felt great being able to help some one out. The game play the immersion was awesome really could feel the panic being stranded in space would not be some thing I want to experience in real life.

If you think this is a problem then again this might not be the game that suit you but I think this will not be a problem once more mechanic will be operational in the game and we have more people and NPC roaming the universe. Or you might have to make more drastic decision in game and kill your self then of cause your characters life span will decrease and you might be looking for a replacement sooner rather than later.
Like most things in life a decision in the game have a consequence too, but I do not think you need to be worried about any of this IMO ;)

Think in the end of it all you are thinking to much about stuff there is no answer to yet and if I might suggest to you..
Read my signature, and that is meant in the most humble and kind way ;)

CHEERS! :beers::beers::beer:

 

[Black Sunder]

Just as an aside, be glad this game doesn't make you train skills to fly anything like Eve because Level 5 Battleship would take a month to do. By then you'd just be numb to it.

 

[Plagueis]

The boredom of being strapped to a stretcher while it flies half-way across the galaxy could be the natural penalty for screwing up and getting hurt. Chip away at the consequences of each action, and every decision means a little less. I bet they will balance this, as far as time wasted, for gameplay reasons, But I dont want people being able to kamikaze, insta-respawn, then come back. Screw that. That breeds griefing. Death has to be punishing. Its what makes risky actions all the more fun.

I totally agree, also making your character worth saving makes it more fun. Die, spawn, die, spawn, etc no consequences takes away from the realism that SC is striving for.

 

[Han Burgundy]

I totally agree, also making your character worth saving makes it more fun. Die, spawn, die, spawn, etc no consequences takes away from the realism that SC is striving for.

EXACTLY. For the people who want that high-paced action, you can stick to Star Marine and Arena commander. It was an option that was created by Chris Roberts to specifically service that COD-FPS crowd, so they wouldn't get bored in the slower pace of the universe that he is trying to put together; a universe where life matters a LOT.

As time passes, those in-game videogame options will evolve and expand. If you are wondering what you can do to pass the time on a long flight across the system: How about a couple rounds of Star Marine? If you get yanked out of QD while in-game, you'll drop from the SM match and be jerked back to reality to save your real ass. That's how I foresee the in-lore VR system working to stave off boredom. The very fact that death has no consequences in the pod, but BIG ones outside of it, will add a whole new flavor of excitement to each experience.

 

[Carlos Spicyweiner]

Hey, you could twiddle your thumbs while you wait...oh, forgot you got your arms blowed off...I got nuthin':thinking:
WAIT! A beer IV and Netflix!:mask: Feel better?:hugging:

 

[Printimus]

Hey, you could twiddle your thumbs while you wait...oh, forgot you got your arms blowed off...I got nuthin':thinking:
WAIT! A beer IV and Netflix!:mask: Feel better?:hugging:

Twiddle your toes, duh.

 

[Maxgerber5250]

well there is lots of down time for all us non fighter pilots right now, soooo..............

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

As there are penalties for dying, my plan: Don't go anywhere dangerous and don't get injured.

Based on my experience in AC so far, I suck nuts at battle flying so won't be doing that in the game.

Life in SC will be boring and I will probably stop playing after a week or so.

 

[Stevetank]

As there are penalties for dying, my plan: Don't go anywhere dangerous and don't get injured.

Based on my experience in AC so far, I suck nuts at battle flying so won't be doing that in the game.

Life in SC will be boring and I will probably stop playing after a week or so.

If you find out that there's something valuable that you need but it's in a very hostile area, give me a shout. Chances are I might live close by or have my vacation home in the area. I don't want other TESTIES missing out on this game's content, so if you ever want to go see what some of these areas look like, just let me know. Have Carrack, can explore in a safe and armored environment.

My hotline is 1-888-STV-TANK
Website: https://testsquadron.com/members/stevetank.3750/

Fees are normally a beer, but since I can't drink, I'll take a $5 chocolate milkshake.

 

[maynard]

...It was an option that was created by Chris Roberts to specifically service that COD-FPS crowd, so they wouldn't get bored in the slower pace of the universe that he is trying to put together; a universe where life matters a LOT.

in a universe where life matters a LOT the Crew That Gives No Fucks will reign supreme

and imbibe copious carebear tears

for science