The idea would be a new faction that comes with frigate-size, to cruiser-size, and even battleship size ships that have a unique look of luxury liners. They would arrive in an expansion that adds PVE missions, similar to Distribution missions, and would allow capsuleers to accept a mission (L1-L5). The L1-L2s would be for the frigate sized liners, L3’s would be for cruiser-sized liners, and L4-5s would be for the battleship sized liners. How it would work is a pilot would accept the mission, take the tourists to an encounter location in some system where there would be awesome planets, collapsing stars, nebulae, and various other cosmic wonders that both pilots and tourists can enjoy. Once the rendezvous location has been visited, the pilot can then return back to where the mission was accepted and return the tourists. Completion of these missions will yield rewards similar to Distribution missions and will also gain LP for that specific “cruise liner’s” faction.
These ships will be armed and have high slots to fend off both other capsuleers and NPC rats that may be looking to attack the liners. The mid slots will be for tanking. And the low slots would have the ability to equip unique, factional modules that will improve isk/hr by adding “amenity modules” that add luxury to traveling tourists and sightseers. They may be somewhat expensive at first (think the price of prototype hyperspatial accelerators) but would increase the pilot’s income over time in running these unique and immersive missions.
The cruiser liner ships will resemble some of the Gallente-styled ships as they will have very curvy and smooth surfaces. It’s gotta look luxurious after all! Since the lows will most likely be used to increase the tourists’ experience in New Eden, the ship bonuses will take into account that while these ships may be armed, they will be without low slot modules that would otherwise be used to increase dps. Because of this, these ships well get role bonuses that will account for this potential loss in dps. The idea is to make these runs and also have the guns necessary to pop NPC rats or even some gankers looking to grief these liners.
What do we think? I’m sure I’m not the only person that’s thought of this and I’m sure I won’t be the last. If it’s a great idea, I’d love to hear feedback on this. If not, why not? What would be some of the reasons why this wouldn’t work in EVE? My reason for brainstorming this is because I love space trucking. Hauling, to me, is quite enjoyable despite all the dangers associated with it. But I feel that the addition of pilot’s having an opportunity to captain a space cruise liner can add value and a more immersive feel to what EVE can really be and even add yet another career path to this already incredible sandbox!
UPDATE: Yes, I know this sounds similar to Elite Dangerous’ content, but if EVE Online is a sandbox and is often parallel to reality in some cases (eg. EVE’s economy), then it stands to reason that CCP can make the idea of luxury liners a thing in their own game. Luxury liners and cruises is not an original idea! But I believe that this can be made better in a sandbox environment like EVE online.
Additionally, this idea would add content to nullsec similar to how ORE is modeled.
THE BIGGER IDEA
The Equinox expansion will add reagents and other types of “fuel” meant for stations or Upwell structures. This idea for an expansion would add an entertainment element as a new resource to “harvest” or invest in; similar to Planet Management. The idea is this: Each planet can also have an entertainment command center which harvests various types of cultural norms that are native to planets. Those cultures, entertainment types, etc. can then be “harvested” or exported to other systems and stations to add “happiness” to the clones found on those stations and workers. In the end, stations run more efficiently and effectively because they are impacted by the insertion of “happiness” or “morale.” To avoid players getting aggravated by the introduction of yet another resource type or fuel type that stations need, entertainment can be optional for stations, but the bonuses they reap from the added happiness or morale will improve the output or manufacturing production and efficiency which is a positive way to encourage players to invest in entertainment skills and structures.
The Entertainment Command Centers can be linked to Venues like Stadiums, Museums, Night Clubs, Hotels, Casinos, etc. that can be used to produce Happy Workers or Happy Clones that can then be injected into stations to improve the aforementioned careers or industries. These workers or Clones will, over time, lose their “happiness” and thus decrease the bonuses they give to the station so that the “resource” decays.
This is where the Luxury Liners or Cruise Liners can essentially work like the new Upwell Haulers, but for the Entertainment Industry. They can pick up Workers from a station as missions, transport them to various systems, planets, or encounter areas, make them Happy again, and return them to the station. If, over time, workers that lose their “happiness” are left as “workers” for a period of say, 1 month, then those workers disappear entirely from the station. The lore behind this is that those workers transported off of the station looking for better living conditions or circumstances elsewhere in EVE. The fact that workers will disappear entirely again acts as an expendable resource that needs to be “harvested” from planetary entertainment infrastructure.