Ricardo highlights the current limitations of fleet carriers in Elite Dangerous, particularly their inefficiency as hubs for on-foot missions in the Odyssey expansion, which hampers both solo and multiplayer gameplay. He proposes adding Apex taxi services and mission terminals on carriers to enable direct mission pickups and efficient team travel, transforming carriers into true mobile bases and enhancing overall gameplay flow and coordination.
In this video, Ricardo discusses a significant issue in Elite Dangerous regarding the current limitations of fleet carriers, especially in relation to on-foot missions in the Odyssey expansion. Although fleet carriers are designed to be mobile bases ideal for team gameplay, their functionality falls short when players attempt to use them as hubs for coordinated missions. Instead of serving as convenient staging points, carriers currently act more like detours, forcing players to dock at stations and navigate cumbersome mission flows that slow down gameplay and reduce the appeal of group play.
Ricardo highlights the disconnect between the fantasy of fleet carriers as self-contained mobile headquarters and the reality of their limited utility in on-foot mission scenarios. Players must leave the carrier, dock at a station, find missions, and then travel separately to mission sites, which undermines the potential for streamlined, squad-based operations. This design flaw affects not only multiplayer squads but also solo players, who face similar inefficiencies when trying to use their fleet carriers as local bases for missions.
To address these issues, Ricardo proposes introducing Apex taxis to and from fleet carriers, alongside mission terminals on carriers for the current system. This would allow players to pick up missions directly from the carrier, coordinate as a team, and use Apex taxis to travel efficiently to mission locations. Implementing such features would transform fleet carriers from mere mobile garages into valuable infrastructure that supports faster, more accessible, and more immersive gameplay, enhancing both solo and group experiences.
Ricardo also discusses potential edge cases and solutions, such as preventing Apex bookings if a carrier is scheduled to jump or if a player is not permitted to land on a carrier. These safeguards would ensure smooth and logical operation of the system without exploits or confusion. The overall goal is to make fleet carriers feel like genuine multiplayer staging grounds, improving the pacing and quality of life for players engaged in on-foot missions and operations.
In conclusion, Ricardo argues that adding Apex taxi services and on-foot mission terminals to fleet carriers is a relatively simple yet impactful upgrade that could significantly improve Elite Dangerous. It would reduce unnecessary travel, enhance team coordination, and make fleet carriers feel like meaningful investments and central hubs in the game world. This change would not only support the current gameplay loop but also align with the game’s sci-fi vision of fleet carriers as ultimate mobile bases of operations.