Contracts System

[Cmdr James]

I like what disembodied is saying here. At the moment, I quite enjoy ferrying people around, but it is not cost effective ,it needs to be an order of magnitude or more in cost to fly, or it is simply a waste of time.


Im not so sure about the different types of passenger, I imagine it to be more like most travellers would use relatively large, specialized transports, like modern aircraft, or ferries, to travel. Only the superrich would take a ride on a small, private flight. Flying on a fitted out Cobra III is a bit like flying in a late 20th Century Learjet.

I see this maybe as an oxp, something large, Python like, fitted with minimal or zero cargo, but able to take contracts for ferry routes. Probably not much sense for a player version (but no problem with that). I guess they would be minimally armed, but probably escorted.

[Eric Walch]

Making it more interesting to build up a passenger reputation is easy to implement. At the moment the transport fee is calculated as:

Code: Select all

// 50 cr per hop + 8..15 cr per LY + bonus for low government level of destination

This results in about 110 credits average for a jump. Reputation is not used for the fee. A good reputation gives only more high government destinations which pay even a lower fee. I think the calculation needs an extra line of:

Code: Select all

 fee *= 1 + player_repute / 10 

player_repute is in the range of -7 and +7. This extra line will add a 70% bonus for the highest reputations and a 70% fee reduction for the lowest reputations. This way it really counts to build up a reputation as passenger transporter.

This might not be easy to program but there could be different types of passengers.

Yes this will be harder to implement. It needs that the code accepts custom passenger berths that act as the build in one. Such a custom passenger berth than can have a multiplier key for the fee. After that, it is to the OXP writer to create its own passenger berth as equipment and put a price and a multiplier factor in it.

But as very few players will use it, I think building all this in will have a low priority.

1. Hitch-Hikers. They'd pay low(ish) fares, hibernate and take their chances on the arrival time.

This by itself would be very easy to implement. Now the arrival time is a fixed calculation on distance. One could add in a chance-factor that with some transports the fee is halved and the arrival time is multiplied with 10.

[Captain Hesperus]

2. Normal Travellers who would pay more and have a quite reasonable time window. I believe that some tramp steamers used to offer such a service.

I believe this was called 'Steerage'. Work okay, but as could be seen with the 'Titanic' incident not the prime option for a safe journey.....

3. Mega-Rich travellers who would pay a lot, take up a lot of cargo space (for their luxury cabins), have a demanding timetable and would complain (and reduce the fee) if you went off-course or bounty hunting while they were on board.

I could almost see the scenario: You've been attacked by a bevvy of pirates just because the pompous ass in the cargo bay insisted on exploring the vast, virgin rainforests that are renowned on whichever Anarchy planet. You are handling yourself quite well, when a message from 'The Man Himself' flashes up on your monitor: "Commander, could you possibly be a little less exuberant with your flying? I nearly spilt a glass of this rare Antibeian wine and it's Cr1000 for the bottle. I would hate to see that coming off your fee. Especially if I should end up spilling it all over the fine Xeerian silk shirt I'm wearing."
A moment later: "WARNING! You are attempting to jettison the following: Luxury Passenger Compartment. Press Y to complete this function or N to abort."

Captain Hesperus

[davcefai]

"Steerage" was low cost accomodation on liners. At the back, near the steering gear, which is very noisy.

My suggestion was based more on tramp steamers (cargo ships which often altered their plans as new opportunities appeared). They would offer a few cabins for passengers who would however have to risk arriving late if the ship alteres its planned iterinary.

I like Hesperus' description of the rich passenger incident. It tallies perfectly with my vision of this software/