I suggested a small change to referral codes some time ago, but now that we have actual starter ships I feel like we can do this better.
My change gives that once an account reaches rank 15 in all factions, it unlocks the ability to “upgrade” their referral code to a referral link, and they can select any ship up to rank 4 to give new pilots who use their link to make an account (For a total of one ship, and 7 days premium to start). If they select one of the new starter ships, it does not come with the 7 days of premium.
This would not only give experienced players more leverage to draw in friends and new pilots, but also give new players a reason to join besides “hey that looks cool I guess.”
I’d personaly like to give them 1 ship from the experimental line as their starter ship/extra starter - for instance for the sake of bringing them into the game and recruiting them into a corporation at the same time and ensuring they have at least one ship viable for main corporate missions/tasks
You can then give them ideas about what would be good for it and their experience with it will build over time. It won’t be an instant ‘i win’ especially since the ship has many variations and ways to build it.
It will serve as one of the best learning and teaching experiences in my opinion,
and it gives them the ability to play with their friends right off the bat without the friend either being overly nice or for that matter abandoning them mid-way through - I feel this will increase player retention.
Going off of your idea in a slight variation, the player giving the link would have to already have the experiemental ship in question built so they can hand the new player one of the experiemental ship types that he already owns - basically giving the new player blueprints and materials and someone that builds it in their hanger once they’ve used the code, something like that, as a one time use - build it how you want it kind of ticket - afterwards would cost normal fees to rebuild - might give them up to 5 free rebuild tickets, optional
Could also nerf the experimental line by removing their free synergy bonus - and just keep the ship’s synergy which can still be transfered by premium gold standards to be used elsewhere - in other words another able bodied optional cash grab while not giving the new player a quick way for synergy without paying or grinding up as usual, but they would need to still gain credits and would have the ability to gain credits at the same rate as rank 15 ships normally do - but depending on how they’d go about repairs and so on, it can also be nerfed which would open up another optional able bodied cash grab for quick credits purchased via gold standards
Another option would be for when you join a corporation they select a single ship that is assigned as the flagship that every pilot will now have out of the experimental line for that corporation - this will improve corporation join rates - and the ship is available to that pilot as long as they’re a part of that corporation in a seperate tab called the corporate tab - the ship is prebuilt by the CEO and Vice’s and serves as the baseline for corporate proceedings and is useable in all modes for pilots, again, for as long as they remain within that corporation.
(Including within the corporation ship tab would be a seperate implants area which will be visible but only changeable by ceo and vice staff and effects only the corp’s ship)
The new pilot would still be able to unlock it on their own and build it however they wish, and they will still have the option of using the corporation’s version of it as well for however long they remain within the corp.
The ship would be set up by the ceo and vices with everything from weapons, modules and all the things you’d normally place on it including those special modules for open space. Essentially a fully functioning experimental line ship mass produced as the corporation’s main ship for individual pilots to represent the corporation’s power and identity.
This would help to shape a baseline of teamplay for corporations and a good sturdy basline for new pilots joining a corporation to be trained in teamplay.
This would increase referrals by association by saying, come join the game, and while you’re at it, join our corporation, we’ll set you up with this great ship to start you off for joining for as long as you remain with us, etc