Reading up on things

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Arclight022
Posts: 6
Joined: 31 Jan 2012, 21:27

Reading up on things

Post by Arclight022 »

If any of you still read sci-fi, how about we post books and authors that reflect the spirit of things.

David Weber has most of his novels dealing with commerce, combat and such in the far future. http://www.davidweber.net/

Elizabeth Moon's Familias Regnant universe novels have several books that involve ex-navy personnel, working in the civilian space industry, that combat pirates and such, as well as a series on armed merchant cruisers fighting a corporate war with live ammo.

I could go on, but lets hear what you all have to say.

Tom
BlackHawk*K
Posts: 1046
Joined: 12 May 2001, 17:00
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Reading up on things

Post by BlackHawk*K »

hmmm i know ive read some books that are similar to SC ( or what i imagine it may become.) but i cant remember the titles or the names of the authors...

one book kind of comes to mind, even though its set a bit farther into the future then SC is. that is the Naked God by Peter F Hamilton.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_God

in fact 2 of my in game names come from this book.

VoidHawk
and Hellhawk.

the voidhawk is a biological fighter ship in the series and the hellhawk is one taken over by one of the 'dead'.
Hammer
Posts: 5221
Joined: 11 May 2005, 14:50

Re: Reading up on things

Post by Hammer »

I do believe there are more than a few wing commander novels. same setting as SC, just prior in history.
Helmut
Arclight022
Posts: 6
Joined: 31 Jan 2012, 21:27

Re: Reading up on things

Post by Arclight022 »

If any of you recall Traveller, I was a play-tester for some of the GURPS Traveller material. I played with an Army Aviator who wrote several of the expansion rules including Far Trader, covering merchant finance, including obtaining and maintaining ships and stuff.

Part of what concerns me with Star Citizen on the persistent universe, is how I as a player, can afford to have a large hanger facility, provide it with power, and atmosphere (are we on planet?) will I pay monthly fees for the space? Do I own it outright, do we pay property taxes? I ask this because we will be making insurance payments on some ships, so what else will they choose to include in the game world? will they raise the insurance rates on the players that keep getting their ships destroyed?

2 or 3 weeks into the game are most players ships going to be sitting on block, waiting for parts to fly, after getting shot up, and they have no money for repairs? Will as a group we venture out needing to capture salvage of other players ships to keep ours running?

Just things I have been wondering.
BlackHawk*K
Posts: 1046
Joined: 12 May 2001, 17:00
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Reading up on things

Post by BlackHawk*K »

now from what i have heard on the insurance issue. the insurance we get with our pledges is for chassis insurance ONLY. meaning the base model ship. in the PU they will be selling UPGRADE insurance as well. so any changes you make to your ship can be insured as well. it has been stated a number of times, that insurances will be easily affordable. as to what happens if you crash a lot. is that it will take longer for your "new ship" to arrive at your hanger the more you crash it. there has been no mention of a increase to your insurance. ( that i have heard of anyhow.)

its been explained a number of times. that you dont really even need to run a ship to make money in the PU. you can be hired on to player crews, or even NPC crews. for example. you take a risk and fly your ship with no insurance. you spend your last dime on a trading run.. a pack of vanduul chase you into an asteroid and you blow up. you survive and you find yourself in your empty hanger without any money. you can work at these odd jobs until you can afford a ship again. or continue to work these jobs until you can afford your ship, cargo, upgrades and insurance. there should be no way, you can break yourself to the point you can no longer play the game.

as to hanger expenses and hanger locations, im not sure about that yet. i have heard some talk that your hanger may express what part of the system you may be in. like the asteroid hanger may be in pirate or outskirt territories, while the revel and york may be at earth proper. but none of that is confirmed.

i do know that they are not going with absolute total realism. there will be some wavehandium going on in the game. while there will be some risk vs reward worked into the game. and penalties for say not TRYING to at least stay alive. they are not going overboard like making you wait 30 minutes to deliver a laser you just purchased at the store on a planet. then once you order it installed and where have to wait for the installation. Chris Roberts said while realism can be neat and make for a good game. there is a line that crosses between playing a game and waiting to play the game. he wants us to play it, not wait on it.

for example. the bounty hunter vs the pirate game play. your a bounty hunter. you find a pirate with a nice juicy bounty on his head, you capture him. then you haul him to the local justice authority to receive your bounty. for the bounty hunter, that is the mission and the game play.
your a pirate. your ship just got shot up by a bounty hunter. he zaps you with his stick and puts restraints on you. you wake up in a cozy little cell in his ship. now a cut scene, you are in a jail cell. you have the option of paying your fine or something happens that allows your escape. after a short sequence of events your free again making your way back to your hanger.

( all this is going on, while the bounty hunter is shipping you off to the local authorities. so in essence. there are two of you in the PU.. the shell of you sitting i the bounty hunter ship. and the real you getting out of jail. that way, the pirate dosnt have to sit and wait for the bounty hunter to fly 20 minutes to get to the local authorities to put you in jail.)

most your questions we are just going to have to wait and see how it works out. but it looks like they are putting some thought on things like you mentioned. i get the feeling they are trying to make something challenging, but fun as well.
Hammer
Posts: 5221
Joined: 11 May 2005, 14:50

Re: Reading up on things

Post by Hammer »

wow, traveler. you are old! PDT_Armataz_01_12
Helmut
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