Pilot Licence

Ship and equipment unlocks are enabled by an increasing kill count

Starting with just one energy bank, a beam laser helps to get things moving

Player progression based upon elite ranking.

Overview

Instead of credits being the main measure of player progression, this OXP requires a certain number of kills to have been accrued in order to unlock various ships and equipment items.

Under pressure from the Elite Federation's ranking system, GalCop felt it necessary to reward suucessful combateers, lest they move to less trade oriented behaviours and weaken the intersystem trade GalCop is built upon. GalCop's pre-existing Pilot Licence was therefore adapted to recognise elite Federation ranks and to offer commensurate rewards to the holder upon reaching each rank.

Whilst it's true that the highest ranks also grant access to some of the more militarily capable vessels, without this concession it was feared that many experienced pilots would be swayed to trade (or otherwise offer their services) elsewhere.

Detail

Starting in a humble Adder, and with a lowly GalCop designation of 'Trainee 3rd Class', each time the player achieves a new combat rank then new oportunities are opened up to them. At first this will merely be access to some new pieces of equipment but later on it will also include access to more capable ships. All of this will still require credits, just as it did before, however the pricing gradient for the relevant ships has been altered in order to better suit this new formalised progression path.

Speeds and (in one case) energy banks have also been adjusted in order that each new ship offer a clear and significant upgrade over the last:

• Adder @ 0.24LM (no adjustment)
• Cobra Mk I @ 0.26LM (no adjustment)
• Moray @ 0.28LM (-0.2LM)
• Cobra Mk III @ 0.3LM (-0.05 to player version of ship)
• Fer de Lance @ 0.35LM (+0.05LM)
• Asp Mk II @ 0.4LM (no adjustment)

As per the Elite Space Trader's Flight Training Manual (and as of v1.2 of this oxp), the Adder that the player starts in comes with a beam laser rather than the pulse laser of a typical Cobra Mk III start.

License

• OXP version: 1.1
• Author: Redspear
• License: CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0
• Music Credits: Geoffrey Burch

Links

• BB Thread
• Download
• Weapon Laws - an OXP that restricts weapon sales to the more dangerous systems, further slowing player progression

Gameplay and Balance Indicator

There's a strong case for this being red: 'significant bias against the player', however it not only levels out but arguably tips in the player's favour as they move through the ranks (especially once 'Flight Officer' is achieved).