THIS IS AN OLD THREAD FROM JAN 2018.

THE EXPEDITION PROPOSAL AS OUTLINED BELOW HAS BEEN REFINED AND POSTED HERE : LINK



Distant Worlds II ​

An expedition proposal...



The 14th January 3304 marked the 2nd anniversary of the launch of the first Distant Worlds Expedition . Although DW2 won't launch until much later this year, we wanted to mark the occasion by sharing some ideas we hope to incorporate into the coming event.



In addition, Frontier are actively receptive to ideas via their focused feedback series at the moment, and we hope there will be a platform for explorers, prospectors, and miners to express their ideas too on what they hope the ED:Beyond series will bring. Some ideas suggested for DW2 would incorporate a lot of the new content hinted at during Expo 17, and also some speculative ideas on how to utilize that content on big expeditions - so with plenty of time to go before Q4, maybe now is the best time to present it to the community, and Frontier, to see if it has any merit, and importantly to give enough time to see if it could work with what's planned in Beyond. Effectively what's being presented here is just one example of how major exploration events could begin incorporating other play styles and game mechanics (mining and logistics for example) while utilising some of the fantastic new content that's coming (new ships and modules, miners 'toolkits', and Deep Core Blasting etc).



Although details are sketchy at the moment, FD have revealed, among other things, that exploration is getting some love with revamped worlds and their geology, environmental anomalies, and mysterious ‘things’ to discover. Naturally these will be the core elements that DW2 will be built around and incorporate into its exploration and discovery events during the long journey ahead.



In addition, FD also mentioned that prospecting and mining is being revamped and fleshed out. The 14th January 3304 marked the 2nd anniversary of the launch of the first. Although DW2 won't launch until much later this year, we wanted to mark the occasion by sharing some ideas we hope to incorporate into the coming event.In addition, Frontier are actively receptive to ideas via their focused feedback series at the moment, and we hope there will be a platform for explorers, prospectors, and miners to express their ideas too on what they hope the ED:Beyond series will bring. Some ideas suggested for DW2 would incorporate a lot of the new content hinted at during Expo 17, and also some speculative ideas on how to utilize that content on big expeditions - so with plenty of time to go before Q4, maybe now is the best time to present it to the community, and Frontier, to see if it has any merit, and importantly to give enough time to see if it could work with what's planned in Beyond. Effectively what's being presented here is just one example of how major exploration events could begin incorporating other play styles and game mechanics (mining and logistics for example) while utilising some of the fantastic new content that's coming (new ships and modules, miners 'toolkits', and Deep Core Blasting etc).Although details are sketchy at the moment, FD have revealed, among other things, that exploration is getting some love with revamped worlds and their geology, environmental anomalies, and mysterious ‘things’ to discover. Naturally these will be the core elements that DW2 will be built around and incorporate into its exploration and discovery events during the long journey ahead.In addition, FD also mentioned that prospecting and mining is being revamped and fleshed out.





This is one aspect that we really want to include on Distant Worlds II this time around.



Giving participants a practicable reason to utilise and enjoy Beyond’s new prospecting and mining mechanics could offer a whole new dimension to deep space events. Example; with resource scouting & discovery roles, there comes the extraction and deep core blasting roles for miners, and with mining roles comes logistical roles via mineral collection & transport, and with mineral transport roles comes fighter squadron escort roles. Teamwork is encouraged and certain fleet roles begin to have essential reasons behind them to warrant their inclusion.



Teamwork is something that we have all witnessed or been a part of on large organized expeditions despite the limitations on offer (i.e. cooperation has been mainly limited to group rock-ratting for Jumponium, occasional fuel rat rescues, or exploration wing scouting). With a practicable reason to include prospect scouting, mining, and deep core blasting, the opportunities for even more interaction and cooperative play expand that list considerably, and more roles also lead to more emergent gameplay.



But how do you incorporate prospecting and mining into deep space events where the traditional emphasis has been on exploration and sightseeing? What tangible goals can be set for such players? Why even prospect for and mine hundreds of tonnes of minerals out in deep space when there is no one out there that needs it? The bubble has untapped abundance on its doorstep, so why go prospecting in the Galactic Aphelion 40,000 light years from the nearest outpost? There's a lot of resources out there, far beyond humanities shores, but no practical reason to go gather them.



The introduction of new Megaship variants (the 'Expedition-Class' for example) or Carriers could change that if, for example, for them to leave the confines of the near bubble that has all their logistical essentials in abundance, they instead could begin to operate much further afield thanks to that logistical support (especially refueling) being supplied by the playerbase. - Food for thought for FD?







Community Goals and Large Player-Driven Events



For Distant Worlds II we are submitting a CG proposal to FD as early as possible, to give them plenty of time to ponder the idea before Q4 2018 and to see if it has any merit. The CG would be run in conjunction with the DW2 expedition, but would not be exclusive to it. The CG proposal is just one possible idea of how Megaships can be incorporated into deep space exploration events and bring new roles and gameplay to those events, in addition its to also give mining and resource-gathering gameplay a practical reason to be undertaken out in the depths among some of the galaxies most interesting and iconic locations. Incorpating more gameplay like this encourages cooperation and teamwork, and we would like mining and resource-gathering groups (such as the Rock Rats for example) to take on pivotal roles - just like they did during DW3302.



In addition, and despite the expedition being nearly a year away, we have opened official DW2 fleet roster registration early too (sign up: here ). Included are options for prospecting and logistic-specific roles - this is to see if enough participants are interested in taking part in the Community Goal aspect of the expedition, and thus justify the DW2 organization team pitching their ideas to Frontier Developments during the focused feedbacks.



We feel that any CG proposal we submit for a Distant Worlds type event has to meet several criteria to make it worthwhile; Over the past two years since Horizons’ release there have been over 30 major expeditions taking literally thousands of players into the depths along with them, yet none have been able to effectively incorporate certain gameplay mechanics that would allow a wider range of playstyles to take part in these deep space events - namely prospecting and deep space mining.This is one aspect that we really want to include on Distant Worlds II this time around.Giving participants a practicable reason to utilise and enjoy Beyond’s new prospecting and mining mechanics could offer a whole new dimension to deep space events. Example; with resource scouting & discovery roles, there comes the extraction and deep core blasting roles for miners, and with mining roles comes logistical roles via mineral collection & transport, and with mineral transport roles comes fighter squadron escort roles. Teamwork is encouraged and certain fleet roles begin to have essential reasons behind them to warrant their inclusion.Teamwork is something that we have all witnessed or been a part of on large organized expeditions despite the limitations on offer (i.e. cooperation has been mainly limited to group rock-ratting for Jumponium, occasional fuel rat rescues, or exploration wing scouting). With a practicable reason to include prospect scouting, mining, and deep core blasting, the opportunities for even more interaction and cooperative play expand that list considerably, and more roles also lead to more emergent gameplay.But how do you incorporate prospecting and mining into deep space events where the traditional emphasis has been on exploration and sightseeing? What tangible goals can be set for such players? Why even prospect for and mine hundreds of tonnes of minerals out in deep space when there is no one out there that needs it? The bubble has untapped abundance on its doorstep, so why go prospecting in the Galactic Aphelion 40,000 light years from the nearest outpost? There's a lot of resources out there, far beyond humanities shores, but no practical reason to go gather them.The introduction of new Megaship variants (the 'Expedition-Class' for example) or Carriers could change that if, for example, for them to leave the confines of the near bubble that has all their logistical essentials in abundance, they instead could begin to operate much further afield thanks to that logistical support (especially refueling) being supplied by the playerbase. - Food for thought for FD?For Distant Worlds II we are submitting a CG proposal to FD as early as possible, to give them plenty of time to ponder the idea before Q4 2018 and to see if it has any merit. The CG would be run in conjunction with the DW2 expedition, but would not be exclusive to it. The CG proposal is just one possible idea of how Megaships can be incorporated into deep space exploration events and bring new roles and gameplay to those events, in addition its to also give mining and resource-gathering gameplay a practical reason to be undertaken out in the depths among some of the galaxies most interesting and iconic locations. Incorpating more gameplay like this encourages cooperation and teamwork, and we would like mining and resource-gathering groups (such as the Rock Rats for example) to take on pivotal roles - just like they did during DW3302.In addition, and despite the expedition being nearly a year away, we have opened official DW2 fleet roster registration early too (sign up:). Included are options for prospecting and logistic-specific roles - this is to see if enough participants are interested in taking part in the Community Goal aspect of the expedition, and thus justify the DW2 organization team pitching their ideas to Frontier Developments during the focused feedbacks.We feel that any CG proposal we submit for a Distant Worlds type event has to meet several criteria to make it worthwhile;

It has to have a logical goal behind it, and importantly give participants a reason to care about being actively involved (outside of just monetary gain).

To avoid too much repetitiveness, it has to give players taking part the option to switch loadouts and utilize as many different gameplay mechanics as possible, and in doing so allow them the choice to take on different event roles any time they like. Random ‘incidents’ would also break up the monotony and the inclusion of such events should be explored and implemented if at all possible (see additional ideas at the end of the CG proposal).

Having it entwined with the Distant Worlds II expedition gives both the CG and the expedition itself a new dimension to the whole joint venture, i.e. there is a background ‘story’ for the CG to play against, and a practical ‘hands on’ aspect to the expedition beyond sightseeing the galaxy.

Having the CG ‘Hub’ travel through iconic locations allows participants to experience many diverse and interesting environments to scout out and prospect in along the way, which in turn could offer new challenges; be them environmental or simply prospecting for rare mineral deposits in and around the various waypoints. Some of these diverse locations would include an already pre-scouted ringed neutron star and a ringed proto-star, both of which offer spectacular environments for players to experience whilst mining.

If accepted the CG will hope to incorporate dedicated groups like the Fuel Rats, Rock Rats, and any interested mining-based player factions, to play significant roles on DW2.

Although solo participation will always be an option, teamwork should be encouraged to make the experience more social and efficient. Working in tandem with a major community organized event like DW2 will provide the infrastructure for that teamwork to flourish via roles, comms, schedules, and all the background cooperation that big expedition events pride themselves on.

Emergent gameplay is often born from major events, and this will be explored and encouraged throughout this event & CG.

Above all, it has to be challenging as to give players who see it through to a successful conclusion a sense of achievement and pride for their participation. A CG failure should therefore be a possible outcome too. We would also welcome an opposing CG to prevent these installations being built, or to sabotage their outcomes.





The Outline



This proposal would be based around escorting a Megaship across the galaxy to act as the fleet flagship during the journey, and as a CG construction hub at its destination, in addition to using mined ice-based materials for fuel synthesis along the way to keep it refueled at designated waypoints and prepped for its next scheduled weekly hyperjump. The refueling aspect is purely speculative at this stage as we don't know what FD have planned for maintenance support (if anything) or indeed if Megaships will become more interactive and dependent on commanders' logistical efforts for them to operate far beyond the bubble.



The proposal would strive to fit in with previously established lore and utilize current (and planned) in-game content;

In essence the ‘lore’ would be along the lines of the Jaques hyperjump CG from early 2016 that tasked players to ship fuel to the starport prior to its intended hyperjump to Beagle Point (coincidentally as a nod to what DW1 achieved), so it is not asking for any radically new lore as the principle of hyperjumping large structures across the galaxy has already been attempted.

It wouldn’t expect any special consideration regarding the construction aspect of the CG as groups like the Chapterhouse Inquisition have already paved the way with their successfully implemented deep space outpost construction CGs of 2017.

Nor would any radically new in-game ‘props’ be required that other player events and groups haven’t already received.





The in-depth proposal is posted below. If you would like to support this initiative and give constructive feedback, please do.







Distant Worlds II “Outbound” - Incorporating a Construction Community Goal at Sagittarius A*, and at Beagle Point.

Outbound route; Palaeni to Beagle Point (via the Sagittarii Conflux, the Norma Expanse, Sag-A*, Perseus Stem, the Galactic Aphelion, the Abyss, and the Solitude Void)



Preface (inc. background history)







According to Michael Brookes, the event was covered in



The event incorporated many aspects of community created content and gave rise to groups like the Rock Rats and the Candy Crew. It was the foundation of the FleetComm community, which today has in excess of 3,000 members dedicated to exploration.



Distant Worlds was the event that directly inspired Jaques the Cyborg to attempt a starport hyperjump to Beagle Point - in recognition of what the DW fleet had accomplished . Jaques hyperjump failed, and he ended up in a region 22,000 light years from Sol - a region that subsequently became known as 'Colonia', and the birth of humanities first outer colony. The overwhelming feeling of DW 3302 has been extremely positive and its influence on exploration, mass expeditions, and background lore has made it an event that is still talked about fondly today by the community who took part, and those who watched it unfold.



The organizers of DW1 are now planning to launch DW2 to coincide with the release of the Q4 2018 “ED: Beyond” content update. Like with Horizons, the organizers are eager to promote and utilize the new content that comes with that release and incorporate as much of it as possible into this new expedition.



Early indications show that DW2 is going to be just as popular, if not more so, than the original expedition was back in 3302 - with over 2,000 people signing up to take part within the first 2 weeks of the roster thread going public (and this with a year still to go before its launch, nor any wider publicity made outside of the exploration forum).



We would like to build upon the success and popularity of fleet exploration and incorporate more community content and events into this new ambitious event. One aspect we would like to explore this time around is the inclusion of a Community Goal that will bring a new dimension of gameplay and objectives for players to take part in and enjoy during their journey across the galaxy.





Distant Worlds II - “Outbound” Community Goal Synopsis If it is accepted, naturally the CG should be open to all players and not be exclusive only to DW2 participants.The in-depth proposal is posted below. If you would like to support this initiative and give constructive feedback, please do. Distant Worlds 3302 was a large scale expedition across the galaxy that began in January 2016 and took six months to complete. The expedition coincided with the launch of Horizons 2.0 and it caught the zeitgeist of the exploration communities desire to explore the new content of that release. Over 1,300 commanders took part in its six month long endeavour to map out the first galactic ‘Jumponium’ highway for the Mapping Project, stretching 81,500 light years from Pallaeni to Beagle Point.According to Michael Brookes, the event was covered in eight different gaming magazine articles , and spawned several hundred Distant Worlds YouTube videos. It was extensively covered by the streaming community, and has given rise to hundreds, if not thousands, of forum posts and blogs on various forums, Reddit, Wiki’s, and external websites. A weekly newsletter series was also created during the event, which was eventually turned into a book The event incorporated many aspects of community created content and gave rise to groups like the Rock Rats and the Candy Crew. It was the foundation of the FleetComm community, which today has in excess of 3,000 members dedicated to exploration.Distant Worlds was the event that directly inspiredtoto Beagle Point - in recognition of what the DW fleet had. Jaques hyperjump failed, and he ended up in a region 22,000 light years from Sol - a region that subsequently became known as 'Colonia', and the birth of humanities first outer colony. The overwhelming feeling of DW 3302 has been extremely positive and its influence on exploration, mass expeditions, and background lore has made it an event that is still talked about fondly today by the community who took part, and those who watched it unfold.The organizers of DW1 are now planning to launch DW2 to coincide with the release of the Q4 2018 “ED: Beyond” content update. Like with Horizons, the organizers are eager to promote and utilize the new content that comes with that release and incorporate as much of it as possible into this new expedition.Early indications show that DW2 is going to be just as popular, if not more so, than the original expedition was back in 3302 - with over 2,000 people signing up to take part within the first 2 weeks of thegoing public (and this with a year still to go before its launch, nor any wider publicity made outside of the exploration forum).We would like to build upon the success and popularity of fleet exploration and incorporate more community content and events into this new ambitious event. One aspect we would like to explore this time around is the inclusion of a Community Goal that will bring a new dimension of gameplay and objectives for players to take part in and enjoy during their journey across the galaxy.

The Distant Worlds II Expedition - a 16 week* journey across the Milky Way, from Pallaeni to Beagle Point, via Sagittarius A*, and incorporating a two-stage deep space construction Community Goal.



Stage 1 - Building an Astrophysics Lab (Outpost) in orbit around Sagittarius-A (or in a neighboring star system). Stage 2 - Building a Deep Field Telescope Array on the surface of Beagle Point 2 (Darwin’s Legacy). The construction CG would take place at Sagittarius-A and then at Beagle Point;

During the outbound journey, the event will incorporate mining and/or deep core blasting mechanics and their specific roles for Megaship logistical support (refueling) - provided logistical requirements for Megaships becomes a feature in ED:Beyond.

The Expedition and CG will launch once the Q4 2018/Q1 2019 content update is live and stable.

*the exact time frame is currently a placeholder and may be subject to change depending on how much time the majority of players can commit to this venture, and how much time FD can allocate to a CG (if its accepted).





Requirements

A faction neutral “Expedition-Class” Megaship with docking and outfitting facilities to act as the fleet flagship during the journey, and as the construction CG Hub at two specific deep space destinations.

The ability for commanders to deliver mined minerals to the CG tier goals when docked with the Megaship at its destination.

Discovery Scanners and Mining ‘Toolkits’ (cited for Q4), along with their associated hardware, available via outfitting aboard the Megaship.

SRV and Fighter resupply readily available from outfitting aboard the Megaship.

The Megaship is required to travel a pre-scouted Distant Worlds II route across the galaxy - hyperjumping to designated waypoints on a weekly* basis. (* update Jan 16th - feedback from this thread indicates that fortnightly jumps would allow players with less game time to rendezvous and take part in refueling ops - this option could be explored and the overall mission timeframe adjusted accordingly.)

Jumps would occur during Thursday server resets.

Due to the nature of this class of Megaship (ie. commissioned purely for science & discovery related endeavors, and its faction neutrality), along with the essential logistical interaction by players that allows it to travel vast distances, the Megaship should not have a blackmarket or be subject to UA disruption (see the "Challenges Ahead" section for alternative ideas on balancing CG progress).

If technically possible, remaining docked aboard the Megaship during its weekly hyperjumps should not be an option as this would undermine the integrity of the events goal to be a challenging undertaking for the accompanying fleet. Shortcuts across the galaxy has often been a contentious discussion and is something we would prefer Distant Worlds not to be associated with.



Content Promotion



Distant Worlds II will make use of and help promote much of the new content to be released throughout the “Elite Dangerous : Beyond” series - this includes;

The new mining mechanics

The new discovery mechanics

The updated Horizons content (i.e. selecting interesting geological surfaces to act as expedition basecamps)

Utilizing a Megaship

(Speculative) A series of Fleet Carriers acting as bases of operations for exploration wings, prospector teams, and escort squadrons overseeing mining operations.



Playstyles that will be accommodated on the DW2 expedition, and the CG itself

Explorers

Deep Space Prospector Scouts

Miners

(Speculative) Deep Core Blasters

Fuel Rats

Rock Rats

Repair Rats (i.e. repair limpet haulers)

(Speculative) Carriers & Fleet Escort Squadrons

Logistical Support (Freighter Pilots transporting mined minerals)

Fighter Escorts (protecting mining operations and escorting haulers)

Geological Surveyors (seeking active surface POIs - geysers/fumaroles/organics)

Galactic Mappers and Astrophotographers (for the Mapping Project)



Establishing the Route



In Q2 2018, the Galactic Mapping Project team will set up a scouting event tasking explorers to look for candidate locations through which the DW2 fleet will travel later that year. These locations will act as waypoints for the weekly fleet gatherings during the main expedition. It is also likely that we will use some of the previous and more popular DW 3302 basecamps intermixed with brand new locations to explore.



During Q2 players will be asked to post their scouted locations to a public thread, and we will chose from those submissions the locations that become the official DW2 waypoints for the upcoming expedition. (Update : April 1st 2018 - this scouting event is now open : Link ). In Q2 2018, theteam will set up a scouting event tasking explorers to look for candidate locations through which the DW2 fleet will travel later that year. These locations will act as waypoints for the weekly fleet gatherings during the main expedition. It is also likely that we will use some of the previous and more popular DW 3302 basecamps intermixed with brand new locations to explore.During Q2 players will be asked to post their scouted locations to a public thread, and we will chose from those submissions the locations that become the official DW2 waypoints for the upcoming expedition. (Update : April 1st 2018 - this scouting event is now open :).

Provided the CG proposal is accepted, the community created DW2 route and selected waypoints will be submitted to Frontier Developments by the end of Q2 2018 (approximately 6 months prior to DW2’s launch) as to give FD plenty of time to suggest alternative waypoints (if needed) or ask the DW2 organizers for refinements or other suggestions etc.







The Community Goal Proposal (Draft 1.0)

Note: This is a draft proposal written for DW2 by Erimus Kamzel (Oct 2017) and is subject to major changes depending on FD stipulations and gameplay requirements.



Synopsis:

The DW2 Fleet will travel to the galactic core and (via a CG) build a Science Station at, or very close to, Sagittarius A*.

Once complete the DW2 Fleet will continue its journey to Beagle Point, where a 2nd CG will begin, this time to build a surface installation on Beagle Point, Planet 2.

Both CGs will be mining-based as to utilize and promote the new mining gameplay mechanics scheduled for released in update 3.3 (circa Q4 2018).

The introduction of mining and prospecting on this expedition will facilitate the need for multi-role and cooperative gameplay between its participants, and crucially for the first time ever on such deep space ventures, add a practical reason for industrial and logistical-based gameplay.

If feasible, an accompanying Megaship with outfitting facilities will be used as the CG Hub and mobile 'construction platform' for the CGs.



Stage 1: The Sagittarius A* Event Horizon Astrophysics Lab (Outpost)



Stage 1 - Introduction



Sagittarius A* at the heart of the Milky Way is the only supermassive black hole the human race has access to. Situated approximately 23,000 light years away, these days it is well within commute range of the scientific community. Close up scientific study of the supermassive black hole is an opportunity that humanity would embrace.



The construction of an orbiting science installation close to the event horizon of Sag-A* would be an endeavor we feel humanity would have undertaken once it became feasible to travel to the galactic core in relatively short time frames, and coupled with the manpower that the DW2 Expedition can muster, we feel it is now logistically viable to begin construction of a science outpost at this unique location.



In the interests of neutrality and to promote scientific endeavor, the controlling NPC faction should have no affiliations with political entities, ties to existing power blocs nor player factions, and should instead have science and research (on behalf of humanity as a whole) as its only motive.



If this proves to be a contentious location, then a neighbouring system to Sag-A* would suffice (although from a purely gameplay perspective having an installation above the event horizon of a supermassive black hole would be visually stunning - and make the endeavours outcome more worthwhile).



Stage 1 - Mission Goal



In Q4 3304 Transorbital Dynamics (an NPC corporation), commissions the Distant Worlds fleet to escort its mega ‘construction’ ship to Sagittatus A* and invites the wider community to take part also. This stage of the journey will take approximately 6 weeks. The Megaship would act as the Expeditionary Fleet Flagship and would rendezvous with participants at specific expedition waypoints during this initial phase of the journey.



The Megaship would remain in orbit above each basecamp waypoint for 1 full week, before jumping to the next waypoint along the route (during server reset), while the rest of the fleet makes its way between waypoints to each subsequent rendezvous.



Stage 1 - Non-CG Phase: The Outbound Journey (inc. logistic support for the flagship)



Logistical operations would occur on a weekly basis while the Megaship is in orbit around a DW2 basecamp world awaiting refueling. Mined ice-based minerals will be used to synthesise the ships jump fuel needed for it to cross the galaxy. Players would search for systems abundant with pristine ice rings close to the waypoint system and extraction teams ('Rock Rats') would begin mining operations there. Fleet haulers and Fuel Rats would collect the minerals at source and ferry the relevant ones to the flagship for the refueling process, with fighter squadrons overseeing the entire operation.

Suggested ice-mined materials required for its refueling could include;

Hydrogen Peroxide & Platinum (as Platinum can catalyse Hydrogen Peroxide into water and oxygen and is used in fuel cells).

Other elements could include; Liquid Oxygen, Methane Clathrate, Lithium Hydroxide, Methane Crystals

Or other more exotic and rarer elements planned for ED: Beyond that require Prospector Scouts to locate prior to the flagships arrival at each weekly waypoint

Additionally, incorporating rare minerals only available via deep core blasting would add an element of risk vs reward to the overall mission

Update suggestion by Zenith: I suggest methanol as well as hydrogen peroxide from icy rings. Palladium and Platinum from metallic rings. That way you have the metals to make fuel cells and act as catalyst in the oxidising reaction. Methanol can be used as a fuel in fuel cells to create electricity, with water and carbon dioxide as waste products. Hydrogen peroxide breaks apart in the presence of platinum into water and oxygen. Use the power from the methanol fuelled fuel cells to electrolyse the water into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen to fuel the jump drive. Oxygen for the life support systems. Water for life support. Energy/electricity to power the ship, the fuel production and waste heat to maintain the environment.

The materials could also be purchased in the bubble or Colonia and freighted out to the Megaship, allowing deep space transport convoys to take part.

Handwavium alert...

Q: Why not fill the Megaship with all the iced-based materials it needs for its fuel synthesis, and deliver enough of it for its entire galactic crossing prior to leaving the bubble?

A: The Megaship is a deep space variant - the “Expedition-Class”. It has sacrificed fuel capacity and various heavy armaments to keep its mass as low as possible so that large hyperjumps are attainable. It only has a fuel tank capacity that allows it to jump a maximum of 6,000 LYs per hyperjump per week before it requires refueling by commanders. Hence weekly ice-mining operations will be required to refuel it at each waypoint visit.

Players can keep tabs on the flagship fuel gauge when they're docked with it - indicating whether sufficient fuel is aboard prior to its next scheduled hyperjump countdown.



If for whatever reason an insufficient amount of ice-based minerals have been deposited aboard the Megaship prior to its next scheduled jump (Thursday server downtime), the ship is delayed 1 week and remains at its current location and the expedition progress will be delayed - this creates incentives for participants to coordinate efforts to keep the mission on track.

It's important to clarify the logistical support idea outlined here, and not to confuse it with the actual CG (which comes later)...



The refuelling of the megaship at each waypoint should not be considered to be a series of CGs. This Stage 1 proposal as presented here is merely a working example of how Megaship logistical support could work if FD decided to incorporate logistical support for these kinds of deep space variants.



This idea is presented here to give FD some early thoughts about how these deep space variants (Expedition-Class Megaships) can become more interactive and dependent on player activity (particularly resource gatherers) when operating in deep space if FD decide to implement the feature during ED:Beyond.



If this feature is not in FDs thinking and Megaships in ED:Beyond require no player activity or refuelling for them to travel the depths, the CG as outlined here would remain viable as it requires the megaship to still act as a typical Construction CG Hub at its destinations (Sag-A* and Beagle Point).



Alternatively, if Megaship refuelling is a mechanic that will not be part of ED:Beyond, the mining aspect of DW2 could still work if the Megaship is used to store mined elements that players gather and deliver to it at each of its weekly waypoint stopovers. Thus by the time it reaches Sag-A* it will already have a stockpile of minerals aboard to begin the refining and manufacturing process to build the outpost there. Ditto for the Beagle Point phase of the mission.

Stage 1 - CG Phase: Objective & Outcome



Once the Megaship has reached Sag-A*, the week-long construction CG begins. Players rendezvousing with the Megaship are now tasked to mine metallic-based minerals from around the galactic core systems and deposit them aboard the ship over the course of its stay at Sag A* (1 week), as well as refuel it for its next jump.

Handwavium alert…

These metallic based minerals will be refined and used in manufacturing and assembling the outpost superstructure and its components aboard the ship, prior to it deploying the installation in orbit above the event horizon.

Suggested mined metallic-base materials required for outpost construction could include;

Rutile, Cobalt, Gallite, Coltan, Uranite, Lepidolite, Bauxite

Or other more exotic and rarer elements planned for ED: Beyond

Additionally, incorporating rare minerals only available via deep core blasting would add an element of risk vs reward to the overall mission

Several tiered goals would be set.

Tier 1 would see the construction of the Event Horizon Science Outpost. Tier 2 would see the addition of medium sized landing pads attached to the science station. Tier 3 would see the addition of large landing pads along with repair and refuel facilities. Tier 4 would add a commodity market - with an emphasis on importing food, water, computers, and scientific equipment. Tier 5 would open a mission board - with an emphasis on courier missions. i.e. shipping NPC science personnel to and from the science outpost and/or transporting scientific data packets to NPC science institutions back in human space (be it the bubble or Colonia).





Stage 2: The Beagle Point Deep Field Telescope Array



Stage 2 - Introduction



The outer galactic rim offers an unobstructed view of intergalactic space. It is the perfect place to study distant cosmological structures like the Virgo Galactic Cluster and the Magellanic Clouds. A surface installation out on the galactic fringe at Beagle Point, now an iconic system, would also act as a focal point for deep space explorers - a welcome rest stop for weary travellers, and an interesting piece of lore for the continuing expansion of human scientific endeavours.



In the interests of neutrality and to promote scientific endeavor, the controlling NPC faction should have no affiliations with political entities, ties to existing power blocs nor player factions, and should instead have science and research (on behalf of humanity as a whole) as its only motive.



Stage 2 - Mission Goal



Transorbital Dynamics now tasks commanders to escort their Megaship from Sag-A*, across the far Galactic Core, through the Aphelion regions, across the Abyss, and out to the galactic rim via the Solitude Void.



Over the course of a further 10 weeks the ship would make weekly jumps to each Distant Worlds II waypoint along the Galactic Aphelion route (again one jump per week) and rendezvous with the fleet at those locations to be refueled using the same logistical procedure used during the Stage 1 journey. Waypoints during Stage 2 would be situated approximately 6,000 light years apart.



Stage 2 entails the building of a Deep Field Array on the surface of Beagle Point 2 (Darwin’s Legacy) - using the orbiting Megaship as the manufacturing plant.



Stage 2 - CG Phase: Objective & Outcome



Once the Megaship reaches Beagle Point, the 2nd construction CG phase would begin and players would once again begin mining operations for metallic-based minerals from the galactic rim regions and deliver them to the ship, which now acts as a manufacturing plant for the soon-to-be constructed surface Array.



Several tiered goals would be set.

Tier 1 would see the construction of the Deep Field Surface Array. Tier 2 would see the construction of additional medium sized landing pads attached to the Array. Tier 3 would see the addition of large landing pads along with repair and refuel facilities. Tier 4 would add a commodity market - with an emphasis on importing food, water, computers, and scientific equipment. Tier 5 would open a mission board - with an emphasis on courier missions. i.e. shipping NPC science personnel to and from the science outpost and/or transporting scientific data packets to NPC science institutions back in humans space (be it the bubble or Colonia).

Due to the nature and distance of this outpost, it should not have a black market.