Topic: here's an idea for fleeting

[webjedi]

OK -- I came across something while reading some of my SFB manuals that could be transferred to the game, and could make fleeting a bit more interesting.

At the same time it would cut down on the problem of tiny player ff's leading 2 other ai DN's into battle.

SFB had a "ship command rating" (dunno if I have the term right or not)
What it was was a limit on how many other ships could be in the fleet if that particular ship was the lead element/flagship. Command cruisers and dreadnoughts had the highest ratings, but "leader" variants and scouts also had a higher rating.

Why not make the ability to have a wingman a "command option" that needs to be installed in spacedock?

IE by default an FF can fleet up with ONE ship of it's size class or smaller.

Just like a computer or a cloak, if you bought a bigger command/communation module, you could eventually have the ability to fleet up with larger ships than yourself if you are the fleet leader.  The better command modules shouldn't take any more mass (doesn't make sense) but should cost more, and the best ones should only be available on CA's and better.

This would encourage the larger ships to have 2 smaller ships as escorts, ie a CL with 2 FF's. A DN with 2 CL's, etc.

So even if a starting FF couldn't LEAD  a large (ie 2 DN wingman) fleet, there is nothing to stop it from joining a fleet where the leader CA does have the capability of having more/larger wingmates.

Obviously there would need to be details to be hammered out, but I haven't seen anything like it mentioned already on the board (that I can remember), so I thought I'd voice this.

Comments?
 

[Aves]

Good idea, I think the current fleet system needs some serious help...

A simpler idea (not better, just simpler)

Is that you would have to either outrank or outclass the other vessels in a fleet to be the leader

ie: an Admiral in a FF can command a Captain in a BB
ie: a Captain in a BB can command an Admiral in a FF

but....
A captain in a CA could not command an Admiral in a CA or larger vessel

OR
maybe you should both outrank and outclass the other vessels before you can become the leader

OR
make it a progression
A Lt cannot command other vessels
A Lt Commander can command one vessel of a lower class
A Commander can command two vessels of a lower class or one of the same class
A Captain can command any two vessels of the same or lower class
An Admiral can command any two vessels

Any other ideas?  

[Aenigma]

I hope they will do something about the connection errors before letting the big guy lead the fleet with a 56k. And what if you lose your ship in battle, and end up in a frigate, destroyer or light cruiser (depends on how much pp you have left). You can't even lead a fleet, even though you may have the best connection, the most experience or the highest rating.

Aenigma
 I hope they do a good job on the rank systems. I like to be called captain, instead of tribune.  

[[OMF] R.A. RobRay]

Quote:
I hope they will do something about the connection errors before letting the big guy lead the fleet with a 56k. And what if you lose your ship in battle, and end up in a frigate, destroyer or light cruiser (depends on how much pp you have left). You can't even lead a fleet, even though you may have the best connection, the most experience or the highest rating.

Aenigma
 I hope they do a good job on the rank systems. I like to be called captain, instead of tribune.  

That's a really good point.  Even though I like the ideas being posted here, Aenigma is bringing an important point to the table regarding connection speed.  It's a real pain in the (you know what)  when you're always getting stuck in battle or timed out cause the host is running 56K and he's only got a P1 166.   However, in response to most experience/highest rating, I tend to disagree.  First, you can lead of fleet of (non-AI) players without actually being the fleet leader. My fleet has done this successfully numerous times whereas a couple of our more-experienced players are running only 56K. Also,  as proposed, factoring in a  player-rank system could be an effective way to handle the fleeting option, and to me seems to make the most sense.  Unfortunately, as we all have recognized, it seems as if the rank system hasn't been working on D3 servers to date.

Anyway, as usual, we are all waiting for that dangling carrot (otherwise known as the patch) to help ease our D3 pain.
I, for one, have curbed my online play dramatically due to the lack of this fix as well as the absence of the Assimilation Server.   ::Off Subject:: If anyone could recommend a good server to play on, I would really appreciate it.  After playing the Assim servers, I feel like I've tasted chocolate, and now that it's gone, everything else seems like vanilla.  

[CptCastrin]

Quote:
These issues are addressed in the patch.  In any fleet, the fleet leader must be the largest ship.  This goes for humans and AI, I believe, although it would be great to see the command ratings from SFB utilized again in SFC.  

Let me add to this a bit, in the coming server kit (on which I and others are hard at work on) it will be possible to control, on the server side, the max number of ships per class that are allowed in a fleet. Basically this will allow the admin to keep fleets resonable and prevent fleets of Dns from roaming around.

In addition there is a setting (as noted in the quote) that will alow you to require the "drafting" ship to be the same class or higher for another ship to join. So boys and girls that will END the Sabers with 2 Sov fleets from happening. (unless the admin is nuts)

Guess you newbies should enjoy the free ride while you can cause the ticket master is comming.    

[webjedi]

OK -- I came across something while reading some of my SFB manuals that could be transferred to the game, and could make fleeting a bit more interesting.

At the same time it would cut down on the problem of tiny player ff's leading 2 other ai DN's into battle.

SFB had a "ship command rating" (dunno if I have the term right or not)
What it was was a limit on how many other ships could be in the fleet if that particular ship was the lead element/flagship. Command cruisers and dreadnoughts had the highest ratings, but "leader" variants and scouts also had a higher rating.

Why not make the ability to have a wingman a "command option" that needs to be installed in spacedock?

IE by default an FF can fleet up with ONE ship of it's size class or smaller.

Just like a computer or a cloak, if you bought a bigger command/communation module, you could eventually have the ability to fleet up with larger ships than yourself if you are the fleet leader.  The better command modules shouldn't take any more mass (doesn't make sense) but should cost more, and the best ones should only be available on CA's and better.

This would encourage the larger ships to have 2 smaller ships as escorts, ie a CL with 2 FF's. A DN with 2 CL's, etc.

So even if a starting FF couldn't LEAD  a large (ie 2 DN wingman) fleet, there is nothing to stop it from joining a fleet where the leader CA does have the capability of having more/larger wingmates.

Obviously there would need to be details to be hammered out, but I haven't seen anything like it mentioned already on the board (that I can remember), so I thought I'd voice this.

Comments?
 

[Aves]

Good idea, I think the current fleet system needs some serious help...

A simpler idea (not better, just simpler)

Is that you would have to either outrank or outclass the other vessels in a fleet to be the leader

ie: an Admiral in a FF can command a Captain in a BB
ie: a Captain in a BB can command an Admiral in a FF

but....
A captain in a CA could not command an Admiral in a CA or larger vessel

OR
maybe you should both outrank and outclass the other vessels before you can become the leader

OR
make it a progression
A Lt cannot command other vessels
A Lt Commander can command one vessel of a lower class
A Commander can command two vessels of a lower class or one of the same class
A Captain can command any two vessels of the same or lower class
An Admiral can command any two vessels

Any other ideas?  

[Aenigma]

I hope they will do something about the connection errors before letting the big guy lead the fleet with a 56k. And what if you lose your ship in battle, and end up in a frigate, destroyer or light cruiser (depends on how much pp you have left). You can't even lead a fleet, even though you may have the best connection, the most experience or the highest rating.

Aenigma
 I hope they do a good job on the rank systems. I like to be called captain, instead of tribune.  

[[OMF] R.A. RobRay]

Quote:
I hope they will do something about the connection errors before letting the big guy lead the fleet with a 56k. And what if you lose your ship in battle, and end up in a frigate, destroyer or light cruiser (depends on how much pp you have left). You can't even lead a fleet, even though you may have the best connection, the most experience or the highest rating.

Aenigma
 I hope they do a good job on the rank systems. I like to be called captain, instead of tribune.  

That's a really good point.  Even though I like the ideas being posted here, Aenigma is bringing an important point to the table regarding connection speed.  It's a real pain in the (you know what)  when you're always getting stuck in battle or timed out cause the host is running 56K and he's only got a P1 166.   However, in response to most experience/highest rating, I tend to disagree.  First, you can lead of fleet of (non-AI) players without actually being the fleet leader. My fleet has done this successfully numerous times whereas a couple of our more-experienced players are running only 56K. Also,  as proposed, factoring in a  player-rank system could be an effective way to handle the fleeting option, and to me seems to make the most sense.  Unfortunately, as we all have recognized, it seems as if the rank system hasn't been working on D3 servers to date.

Anyway, as usual, we are all waiting for that dangling carrot (otherwise known as the patch) to help ease our D3 pain.
I, for one, have curbed my online play dramatically due to the lack of this fix as well as the absence of the Assimilation Server.   ::Off Subject:: If anyone could recommend a good server to play on, I would really appreciate it.  After playing the Assim servers, I feel like I've tasted chocolate, and now that it's gone, everything else seems like vanilla.  

[CptCastrin]

Quote:
These issues are addressed in the patch.  In any fleet, the fleet leader must be the largest ship.  This goes for humans and AI, I believe, although it would be great to see the command ratings from SFB utilized again in SFC.  

Let me add to this a bit, in the coming server kit (on which I and others are hard at work on) it will be possible to control, on the server side, the max number of ships per class that are allowed in a fleet. Basically this will allow the admin to keep fleets resonable and prevent fleets of Dns from roaming around.

In addition there is a setting (as noted in the quote) that will alow you to require the "drafting" ship to be the same class or higher for another ship to join. So boys and girls that will END the Sabers with 2 Sov fleets from happening. (unless the admin is nuts)

Guess you newbies should enjoy the free ride while you can cause the ticket master is comming.