Greetings Commanders!
Thank you for testing the prototype Drake-Class Fleet Carriers brought to you by the Brewer Corporation. Since the beta's launch, we've been carefully reading and discussing your feedback and are ready to share the upcoming changes. We look forward to hearing more of what you think for the remainder of Beta 1 and in Beta 2 coming next month. All changes are subject to further balancing based on future feedback.
Here are the changes coming this week:
- The upkeep cost for all additional services will be reduced by 80-90%.
- Core running costs will be reduced by 50%.
Fleet Carriers represent a big investment, with a lot of crew and resources involved. After hearing your concerns, we've reduced the upkeep to a more sustainable level. The total running costs for a Fleet Carrier with all services active will be reduced by a total of 85.5%.
- The debt threshold has been updated in line with the upkeep changes. This means with all services installed, a carrier can go 10 weeks (up from 4) without paying upkeep before being issued a final warning.
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This is designed to relieve the pressure of carrier management, leaving more time for focus on other activities. While the debt threshold will be lower, Fleet Carrier owners will have more time to maintain the upkeep costs.
- The total upfront activation costs of some of the more expensive services will be reduced by 35-45%.
- The time between jumps will be dramatically decreased by only requiring 15 minutes for jump preparation and 5 minutes to cool-down.
- Universal Cartographics will become available as an optional service.
- Tritium will be made at least 2x more effective as a fuel.
Along with the upkeep changes, this reduces the overall outfitting and maintenance costs of Fleet Carriers.
More frequent jumps will increase the utility of Fleet Carriers overall, allowing them to enhance the owner and visitors' game-play more easily.
The two changes below will come in the second beta. Additional changes can be expected as more feedback comes in:
Similar to Bounty Vouchers, a cut of 25% which will be split 50/50 between the Fleet Carrier's bank and the service, will be taken from any data sold on the Fleet Carrier. This means owners will effectively only be charged a fee of 12.5% on their own Fleet Carrier. This service will otherwise be the same as Universal Cartographics services found on stations.
In combination with a reduced preparation and cool-down time, this should improve long distance Fleet Carrier travel.
We're excited to hear what you think of these changes and seeing them in action for the remainder of Beta 1. Thank you for all of your valuable feedback which has helped shape these changes and will drive the rest of the changes made throughout the rest of the beta period. As mentioned above, this next beta will take place in May, and will be available to Xbox and PlayStation as well as PC players.
Thanks again, Commanders!
o7