V2.0 civilian ships: The Cargo Vessel

Well, the Cargo ship's most likely behavior is to move between stations and friendly ships at a random pattern, delivering supplies between them.

For orders, they could have a predetermined limited supply of missiles and power cells that if they meet up with the players ship, restock the ship. I'd limit it, so they don't make new ones, but perhaps when they stop at a station, they restock themselves.

Agreed with Dispaminite. As long as they send a comms message so players can keep track of moving resources I think it'd work - you wouldn't want to head to DS1 for some precious nukes and find the cargo ship has taken them further away. It'd really help as well because you could order them to deliver straight to you, saving time if you're across the map and need to meet halfway.

Cargo ships can, like stations, have a status request for Comms, which will indicate supplies on the ship. Plus when they stop at a station, Comms can hear their chatter with the station about what they're unloading and loading.

Plus Comms can here chatter between NPC ships and the cargo ship, indicating requests for supplies, and or assistance. the Cargo ships can also respond back with a basic "heading to DS4, will rendezvous with you, after dropping off their supplies."

I mostly like the model but the front 'Bridge' part of the ship looks too busy for me.. Cargo ships have traditionally run with very little crew and the viewports on the front make it look like a small town is on board..

Other than that, I don't have anything more to add that I didn't say in the transport thread..

I'd rather have them randomly pop from outside the map, on a course towards allied base. They should either pop somewhere where enemies are nearby (and enemies switch to intercept), or have enemies spawn after them at some delay and go after them at higher speed. So you have to quickly save the transport. If you succeed, they should transfer to you their supplies (nukes, ecm, and random ship upgrade like shield gens/coolant) and deliver remainder to the base (comms can change which one).

That would be a good random element for anyone of the civilian vessels. Not all the time, otherwise you expect it, but randomly (say 50/50), and at a random time in the game. Rescuing them gives a benefit, depending on the ship.

How about this:

At the start of each Invasion Mode mission, one of the stations starts out with a very limited supply of homing, mine, EMP, and nuke torpedoes. That station notifies the players that is is expecting a transport to reach the sector in (random number) minutes.

After (random number) minutes the transport spawns on the map edge, but an extra Skaraan also spawns with its AI set to favor killing transports.

The transport will NOT respond to Comms orders until after it arrives at its destination. If the destination station is destroyed before the transport arrives then this condition is voided and the players can divert the transport to another station.

Once the transport successfully arrives at its destination, that station receives a treasure trove of torpedoes. In effect, the most undesirable station suddenly becomes the most desirable station.

Thereafter the empty transport is useful as bait. Enemies may chase it.

+1 ^^

motion seconded....all in favor say aye.