Contracts and Reputation

[Smivs]

For me, it is a flaw that the passengers are waiting at the station...

That was my fist thought - how is it they get there first? I don't have a problem with the passenger berth doubling up as an escape capsule as that seems quite logical, but that they all survive the journey and arrive before you does seem a bit odd.
In an ideal world (and I know this isn't!) some would make it, some would be lost, and they should arrive about the same time you do.

[Diziet Sma]

Which is why, several days back in this thread, I suggested their survival (or not) could be determined by a roll of the random number generator..

[cim]

We may even assume an auto-ejection when destruction of the vessel is imminent.

Well, but then why not for the player too? Tied in to the player's manual ejection would make sense, though.

Then you could randomly lose a proportion (half?) of your passengers on ejection, reported in the arrival reports:
"X's escape pod has not been found, and they are presumed missing"
"X has survived ejection from your ship, but no longer wishes to continue flying with you to their destination"
"X has been terrified by their near-death experience, and decides that this planet is just fine for living on"
"No-one has seen X's escape pod, though there are a lot of salvage teams looking"

Room too for an OXP to occasionally interject at this point: one of your passengers has been located at a rock hermit, or captured by a pirate, and you can go collect/rescue them.

The slightly suspect thing is that the passenger cabin - which is presumably reasonably comfortable habitation inside - costs less than an escape pod. I suppose most of the escape pod cost is probably the insurance premium, though, and your passengers wouldn't be needing a replacement ship.

[Diziet Sma]

For me as a paying passenger in a place as dangerous as the Ooniverse, I'd darn well expect my cabin to double as an escape pod.. if it didn't, now that would be a flaw, and a serious one at that, IMO.

Further to which, nobody in their right mind would take passage to cross an ocean in any boat, regardless of size, which did not have enough liferaft capacity to accommodate everyone on board.. yet we don't think there's anything odd about passengers cheerfully travelling dozens of lightyears across pirate-infested space, despite knowing they have zero chance of survival if their pilot's luck happens to run out?

[Switeck]

The slightly suspect thing is that the passenger cabin - which is presumably reasonably comfortable habitation inside - costs less than an escape pod. I suppose most of the escape pod cost is probably the insurance premium, though, and your passengers wouldn't be needing a replacement ship.

And it is the delay of getting a replacement ship that is the reason why ejecting costs so much time. That extra delay is enough to find all surviving passengers.

[Mad Dan Eccles]

Room too for an OXP to occasionally interject at this point: one of your passengers has been located at a rock hermit, or captured by a pirate, and you can go collect/rescue them.

This, I like.

[Cody]

We may even assume an auto-ejection when destruction of the vessel is imminent.

Well, but then why not for the player too?

This idea intrigues me - but having had a tooth extracted earlier, I ain't thinking clearly enough to work it out.

[Commander McLane]

We may even assume an auto-ejection when destruction of the vessel is imminent.

Well, but then why not for the player too?

This idea intrigues me - but having had a tooth extracted earlier, I ain't thinking clearly enough to work it out.

 You don't need to.

[Cody]

 You don't need to.

Ha... I tried that out ages ago. Thing is, I've survived too many encounters with zero energy... that OXP ejects me far too early.

No, I'm thinking of something like:

• My ship and my pod get destroyed - press space, and I'm back at my last save (normal).
  My ship gets destroyed, my pod auto-ejects, and I'm taken to the nearest main station (ship-time elapses).
  My ship gets destroyed, my pod auto-ejects, I get scooped and find myself at a nearby system's main station (more ship-time elapses).

<reaches for the codeine>

[Tricky]

I seem to remember the E:D DDF discussing* auto ejection.

* I'm using the term 'discussing' very loosley here.

[Cody]

<chuckles> Yeah... just as well I ain't on the DDF, I reckon.

[Walbrigg]

If we're talking realism, how come ship's equipment and cargo can be destroyed by hull-penetrating incoming fire, but passengers (and for that matter the pilot!) are never harmed?

[Switeck]

That's possibly due to an all-or-nothing armor scheme.