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A couple of things I'd suggest, to make Space Stations and Capitol Ships workable...

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1.

On Space Stations have "Docking Ports", like Mos Eisley starport should have (Note: a similar system could be used in the Starports too). It could act as a "data storage" facility for your ships. A ship landed in a Docking Port (which you have to rent) would not appear in your Datapad. You'd have a handful of slots, on which you can land a fighter. For the sake of arguement, we'll say six. So, in addition to the three craft in your datapad (stored elsewhere, on the surface), you can store six other craft of your own. Obviously...ships like the Y-8 miner wouldn't be able to land - they just wouldn't fit into the bay.

In addition, you'd gain access to item storage space in the bay. You'd need a Binary Load Lifter. You'd select them, and choose which location you want to take items from, and which location you want to take them to. You could, for example, land a YT-1300 filled with ore that you'd mined. The BLL could unload the ore from the YT-1300 to the bay. Alternatively, you could load the ore from the bay into the YT-1300. You'd probably need to implement a designated "cargo hold" on MP ships, which acts like a "pack" within the craft...you can move items into it, or out of it, and access them separately...but it will take up some of the internal item storage of your craft.

There'd also be access to a "Shuttlebay" - basically, a Shuttleport, that flies to and from key locations on the planet below - the Starport cities. The orbiting station would also appear on the "Travel" menu of the planet in question.

There are several ways you could utilise this space. You could have a massive flotilla of ships. A Privateer might want a Light Black Sun fighter, a Heavy Black Sun fighter, a Hutt "Krayt", a YT-1300, a Firespray, an ARC-170, and a Y-8 Mining craft. They'd be able to store five of those ships in their hanger (leaving one space free for an active craft to land), then have the Y-8 and two other ships active in their Datapad. As long as there was always a gap, either on the datapad, or in the bay, the pilot would always be able to either land in the hanger and swap an active craft for a landed one, or land on the planet, and take off in a different one.

By adding players to the "Admin" list, they'd also be able to land. This could allow players to set up RP trading/mining companies. A crew could operate a Y-8, which mines the resources from asteroids. The Y-8 would then have to land, or "Dock" with another player craft, so that the ore could be shifted from one craft to another (for example, a YT-1300). The YT could then land at the station, and offload its cargo. Other ships, like Vet Yachts, could then be used as a secure means of transport, to take smaller quantities of cargo to target destinations. Alternatively, the YT could transit the cargo around, but the Hangar could be used to store fighters, to be used as escorts.

Another way of using the space would be as a Hangar for a "flight" of fighters. The Flight Leader would own the space. The four pilots of that flight could land there (the other pilots of the squadron/wing could use other ports on the same ship). They'd have access to repair facilities, storage facilities, etc. Providing they kept a space in their Datapad, they'd be able to launch the ship directly from the hangar. If the Flight also controlled an MP ship, this could be stored there, plus a 2/3-seater that carried the additional personnel, or a pair of 2-seater craft could be.

Some players may want to use it as a home-from-home. If they were a former Imperial, they might want to have a TIE Fighter on display in their hangar, so that people could visit, and see their old ship. For instances like this, it might be an idea to allow "small" houses to be bought on the station, with the same lot requirement, allowing players to "live" on the station.


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2.

Rather than have the full ship for capitol vessels, or just require a pilot, you could have the "senior staff" present. A Pilot, Captain, Weapons Operator, Comms Operator, Chief Engineer, Chief Medical Officer, and so forth would be required. They'd have to meet certain requirements (ie. Novice Doctor or Master Medic for CMO, Master Pilot for Pilot, ship owner for Captain, Master Artisan or Novice Shipwright for Chief Engineer, etc). To "launch" the ship, each of those individuals would need to be present at their console, and "activate" it. Once all of the stations were active, the ship could be launched. The crew would then perform set duties on the ship, in achordance with their station. You could add extra consoles for weapons and technicians, allowing them to have assistants to help them out.

Depending on the size of the ship, the Weapons Operators could either control banks of weapons, assigning targets for those weapons to fire at, by clicking on the target, and using "F1" to order Battery 1 to attack that target. Clicking a different target, and using "F2" would tell Battery 2 to attack that other target, whenever it was in range. For smaller ships (Corellian Corvettes, for example), the Weapons Operators could take control of specific turrets. The Chief Weapons Operator would be able to assign batteries to weapons groups, and then assign one of their minions to the control of a specific weapons group.

The Chief Engineer would control the distribution of power, diverting energy from the shields to the engines, engines to the weapons, life support to the shields, etc. Their minions would deal with damage control, being put in command of several NPC "teams" of engineers, who they'd send to repair specific systems. The CE, or the other engineers might also need to close bulkhead hatches, to contain a hull breach. The CE would control which of his people ended up with which duties.

If fighter units were present, both NPC and PC, a "Fighter Control Officer" might be needed. They'd relay orders to the NPC Squadrons, assigning targets for different sections of that squadron (squadrons would be broken down into Wing-Pairs and Flights, which could be controlled independantly). PC Pilots would serve as something independant of that, adding their expertise to the fighter forces, as "lone fighters".

The CMO would command the "rescue" ships...a couple of shuttles sent out to rescue pilots who go EVA. If a ship is destroyed, especially in deep space, the pilot drifts. The rescue shuttles can be sent to pick them up, and place them in Sickbay, where bacta chambers (ie. Cloning Tubes) would revive them.


Because of the crew requirements, only Guilds or faction groups would be able to control a capitol ship - even for a skeleton crew of something small like a Corellian Corvette, it takes 6 people, and to have it operating efficiently, you need closer to 10. For something larger, like a Mon Cal Cruiser, you'd be looking at something closer to 20, with PC pilots involved.

Rather than map the whole ship, and a crew of thouseands, just map the key areas - the bridge, sickbay, the fighter bays, cargo hold, crew lounge, etc. You could link those sections via a "turbolift", with a console inside that would move the lift to those relevant areas. A few NPCs could spawn in the corridors as players were moving around, but most of them would be in the unmapped sections.


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3.

Add a Starfighter rank progression. You'd be able to "buy" promotions in the Starfighter Corps with faction points. They'd probably cost less than Army Ranks, but whenever you reached the point of promotion, you'd need to go on a quest to "prove yourself" to the command people. The quests wouldn't have to be big...they could perhaps be tied in with pilot tiers. (The ranks used below are for the Rebels)

At Tier 1, to become a Flight Officer, you'd need to fly a mission for the Navy as part of a Flight - you, two more Tier 1 ships, and a Tier 2 "Flight Leader", flying against Tier 1 enemies.

At Tier 2, for your Lieutenant rank, you'd have to lead a flight - you, and three Tier 1 ships, against Tier 2 enemies.

For a promotion to Captain, you'd be expected to command a squadron. You'd need to enlist the aid of two Lieutenants, taking a fill squadron of Fighters against Tier 3 enemies.

To get promoted to Major at Tier 4, you'd again command a Squadron, but you'd also need the help of a Captain and his squadron, in order to make it up to the next level.

Your penultimate promotion, to the rank of Commander (once you reach Master Pilot status), you'll command a wing - 3 full squadrons. This will require Master Pilots to enlist the aid of: a Major (or Captain), a Captain, and six Lieutenants. That in itself won't be easy.

Colonel, the highest Starfighter rank availiable to all, will require the Captain to take a back seat. They will have to fly an Multiperson ship into the battle, overseeing the actions of four Squadrons, and directing their movements. The four squadrons could be a Commander's Wing and a Captain's Squadron, two Major's Squadron-pairs, a Major and two Captains, or four Captains, and their respective Lieutenants. Becoming a Colonel should be a feat of epic proportions...something that requires A LOT of commitment on the part of the pilot.

The idea of this system is to restrict the ranks from becoming too top-heavy. Finding someone of a lower rank, in order to boost your status, should be quite difficult, since everyone else will want a promotion. The only people able to obtain the higher ranks will be ones who are part of organised, structured guilds, with peers willing to saccrifice their own promotions, so that someone else can become more senior. This means that, hopefully, the Starfighter ranks will stay in an organised structure, with very few up the top, but a lot down the bottom.

At each stage, players gain more privilages to match their ranks. These would probably be Faction and XP bonuses at their Tier - a Flight Officer working their way through Tier 1 would gain more experience against a Tier 1 ship. A Flight Officer would also gain Faction Points for every Imperial they killed.

the Corporate Sector Authority (CSA) could be created as a Starfighter/Navy unit for Civilian pilots. CSA promotions would require CSA faction points, which CSA Pilots would gain from destroying pirate and smuggler ships. The Pilot ranks are made up for the CSA, and probably sound pretty dumb...they reflect on the number of fighters that Pilot has default command of. Someone could probably think of better names...there's probably something you could come up with based on Navy ranks. But, in the interests of making things unique, and removing my need to think, they'll do for me.


Ranks: Rebel
- Pilot Officer (Novice)
- Flight Officer (Tier 1)
- Lieutenant (Tier 2)
- Captain (Tier 3)
- Major (Tier 4)
- Commander (Master)
- Colonel (Master MP)

Ranks: Imperial
- Flight Cadet (Novice)
- Flight Officer (Tier 1)
- Flight Lieutenant (Tier 2)
- Squadron Leader (Tier 3)
- Squadron Leader II (Tier 4)
- Wing Commander (Master)
- Group Captain (Master MP)

Ranks: CSA
- Pilot 0 (Novice)
- Pilot 1 (Tier 1)
- Pilot 4 (Tier 2)
- Pilot 12 (Tier 3)
- Pilot 24 (Tier 4)
- Pilot 36 (Master)
- Pilot 48 (Master MP)


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4.

As well as adding Starfighter ranks, Navy ranks should be added in a similar way. If a "theme park", set on a station or Capitol Ship, was created, this could be used to train individuals for their eventual duties on a starship. The "Chief" positions I suggested earlier could require players of a specific rank, dependant on their position. For example, depending on the size (ie. NPC crew) of the ship, the "Captain" could be anything from a Lieutenant Commander to a


Ranks: Rebel
- Cadet
- Officer
- Sub-Lieutenant
- Lieutenant
- Sub-Commander
- Commander
- Captain

Ranks: Imperial
- Cadet
- Ensign
- Lieutenant, Junior Grade
- Lieutenant
- Lieutenant Commander
- Commander
- Captain

Ranks: CSA
- Recruit
- Officer
- Lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Colonel
- Commander


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Yeah...I just couldn't think of anything else. Lol. I spose the ranks could be the same for pilots and Navy...but that'd be kinda lame and worthless.

The "Pilot 0/48" thing is just a stand in, until someone suggests something better.

Maybe prestige points could be involved somehow with this... perhaps require the promotion to the master level ranks require X amount of prestige. Just an idea.