Suit Battery Life

[Feanor]

I don't want to be one of those guys who lambasts the game like I'm entitled, ignoring the astounding achievement of creating a full-scale working simulation of the entire galaxy. And then to have any sort of playable game on top of that is most impressive, not to mention the creepy aliens, etc. It's a great game.

I do have to say though, that the ground suit battery length of life is absolutely ridiculous. Hundreds of years in the future, and they can't make a battery that keeps the suit going for more than fifteen minutes? You can't even get through a single firefight without worrying about whether your battery is going to die right in the middle of it and kill you, and where you can find the nearest recharge port. I mean, come on. I like that there is a battery that you have to think about, but it should last way, way longer. Like an hour or two, minimum. I mean, the EVA suits our astronauts use now have power for 8 1/2 hours, plus emergency reserves. The battery shouldn't always be the most important priority on your mind when you're trying to complete a mission. It pretty much spoils the whole fun of Odyssey.

 

[metatheurgist]

I didn't know our eva suits today had shield generators.

It's a balancing act for gameplay. Frontier clearly wanted it to be a consideration. If you make it last hours, then it might as well be unlimited. There's always the increased battery mod. The only suit that really has power issues is the Dom and that is greatly affected by shield use, temperature and jump use. tbh, in most CZs with the battery mod, I don't find the power that much of an issue unless it's really hot or cold.

 

[alexzk]

Like an hour or two, minimum. I mean,

Well...
"Improved battery Capacity" -> 1.5x original time
"Increased Air Reserve" -> +400% of the Oxygen == 25 mins total
+ 2 batteries with you
It should be an hour (or more) about without external recharge (use battery on last second of the oxygen to get most of the time, I think it will be full again after battery use, but needs to be tested).

 

[R4dioS1lence]

Different from current era EVA, the suits have a way smaller form factor, also power a personal shield capable of absorbing/deflecting physical and thermal strikes, have radiation shielding and also thermal transfer capabilities for extended temperature ranges (the suit only fails cooling you when temperatures get quite high, over 700 Kelvin). Carrying a bigger battery would increase the overall weight to the point of compromising tasks.

In counterpart, we can carry battery cells that completely recharge said battery, which are also disposable (meaning we can shed unnecessary weight when they're spent), and there are engineers capable of tweaking the batteries for higher capacity or tools for lower power usage, while also being able to micromanage it by turning off shields or taking shelter in powered buildings to cut off O2 generator and thermal unit power consumption.

Might seem like a chore, but it works in balance. It's a problem for you to solve, be it via engineering (would reduce the time you spend recharging, which might pay off when compared to other options depending on the rest of your loadout and playstyle) or self management (learning position of chargers around you so you don't need to spend time looking at the map to figure out where they are, and making your routes in the field keep them in mind for a quick charge while on the go).

Also, I think the suits get higher battery capacity with grades, so getting a G5 might help on that (wiki said nothing about it, but I'm not sure it's fixed across grades). Battery capacity is fixed across grades.

EDIT: Don't forget that instead of recharging you can also grab a battery cell and immediately use it (depends on availability, but it's way faster).

 

[Feanor]

I was just about to go back and edit, and say, "Now somebody say, 'It's about game balance.'" It's always the first thing someone says.

game balance < fun

Like I said, I do like that it's a factor. It just shouldn't be the most important factor--the most urgent, pressing thing on your mind. What if your ship couldn't hold enough fuel to get through a space battle without running out or having to jump out and dock?

Yeah, the suits are smaller, they have shields, etc., but it's the future. We have laser weapons, energy shields, and FTL space flight. In the centuries from now till then, battery technology should advance exponentially. Look how much tech has advanced and gotten smaller just in the last 50 years.

 

[metatheurgist]

Again, I say this all the time. Fun is not universal. Some people find challenges fun, others don't. That's why we have different games.

 

[SlickPBW]

I think I have the increased battery mod on all my suits except possibly 1. And I have a lot of suits. It’s probably the best mod available for overall on-foot gameplay IMO. I can’t even remember the last time I needed to use an energy cell.

 

[Jack Winter]

I was just about to go back and edit, and say, "Now somebody say, 'It's about game balance.'" It's always the first thing someone says.

game balance < fun

Like I said, I do like that it's a factor. It just shouldn't be the most important factor--the most urgent, pressing thing on your mind. What if your ship couldn't hold enough fuel to get through a space battle without running out or having to jump out and dock?

Yeah, the suits are smaller, they have shields, etc., but it's the future. We have laser weapons, energy shields, and FTL space flight. In the centuries from now till then, battery technology should advance exponentially. Look how much tech has advanced and gotten smaller just in the last 50 years.

If I'm fighting I'm normally more concerned about ammo

 

[metatheurgist]

If I'm fighting I'm normally more concerned about ammo

Yep. I visit the ammo stack waaaay more often than I visit the charge point.

To carry this to the absurd, then Shirley (nice gal) we should make all ammo caps unlimited or larger for "fun"? Why does my 30th century shot gun hold less ammo than a standard pump action (5'ish)? Or a semi-auto shotty (12'ish)? Did we lose some tech know how in the centuries (hur dur)?

If anything makes my eye twitch it'd be "Why does my 3 shot shotgun only reload 2 barrels?". Pls Frontier, have you not heard of pump action shot guns?

 

[Feanor]

I think I have the increased battery mod on all my suits except possibly 1. And I have a lot of suits. It’s probably the best mod available for overall on-foot gameplay IMO. I can’t even remember the last time I needed to use an energy cell.

Does it get that much better? Because now, I'm getting out of my SRV, and by the time I draw my weapon, turn on my shield, and take two steps, it's at 96%. Not exaggerating. I creep up to cover on the edge of the settlement, fight for a few minutes, then turn around and run back to the SRV to recharge.

 

[Feanor]

Yep. I visit the ammo stack waaaay more often than I visit the charge point.

To carry this to the absurd, then Shirley (nice gal) we should make all ammo caps unlimited or larger for "fun"? Why does my 30th century shot gun hold less ammo than a standard pump action (5'ish)? Or a semi-auto shotty (12'ish)? Did we lose some tech know how in the centuries (hur dur)?

If anything makes my eye twitch it'd be "Why does my 3 shot shotgun only reload 2 barrels?". Pls Frontier, have you not heard of pump action shot guns?

You put fun in quotes, as if it's unreal, or absurd. Yes, who would play a game to have fun?

 

[metatheurgist]

You put fun in quotes, as if it's unreal, or absurd. Yes, who would play a game to have fun?

Again, there is no universal definition of fun.

 

[Feanor]

Er...actually, there is. https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?scope=Entries&q=fun

But you're taking this too seriously. I mean it in good humor.

 

[SlickPBW]

Does it get that much better? Because now, I'm getting out of my SRV, and by the time I draw my weapon, turn on my shield, and take two steps, it's at 96%. Not exaggerating. I creep up to cover on the edge of the settlement, fight for a few minutes, then turn around and run back to the SRV to recharge.

Yes. Try it.

 

[Feanor]

I will, thanks. Have to do the on-foot engineer grind first, with the battery as-is.

I timed it: 4 minutes and 20 seconds from 100% to 0 with the shields on. It drops 1% every three seconds.

 

[Jmanis]

I was just about to go back and edit, and say, "Now somebody say, 'It's about game balance.'" It's always the first thing someone says.

game balance < fun

I would disagree entirely.

The lack of balance in the game in general is what ruins the fun for me these days.

I timed it: 4 minutes and 20 seconds from 100% to 0 with the shields on. It drops 1% every three seconds.

Then don't have your shields on when you don't need to Considering how strong the suit shields are by contrast to rechargeable ship-portable systems (more than 33% of a stock sidewinder's shields), they shouldn't last long at all.

 

[Feanor]

You need to have your shields on when you're in combat. And combat tends to last more than 4 minutes and 20 seconds.

 

[Feanor]

I would disagree entirely.

The lack of balance in the game in general is what ruins the fun for me these days.

Then don't play.

 

[Jmanis]

You need to have your shields on when you're in combat. And combat tends to last more than 4 minutes and 20 seconds.

Sounds like you're having difficulties tbh. Would be interesting to see your fit/tactics. For most non-CZ stuff, you should be able to get by with just short bursts of shield activation. For CZs, there's a variety of tactics you can employ to stay in the fight without shields and still get kills, in order to maximise longevity.

Then don't play.

For the things that are unbalanced, I don't, because they're not fun.

 

[SlickPBW]

I will, thanks. Have to do the on-foot engineer grind first, with the battery as-is.

I timed it: 4 minutes and 20 seconds from 100% to 0 with the shields on. It drops 1% every three seconds.

The mod increases battery capacity by 50%. You should almost always be able to finish your business or find a charging port before you run out of juice AND not be overly constrained by your battery. Without needing to use an energy cell - use those during intense combat. During combat, assuming you know the locations of everything at every settlement layout (if not, prioritize learning), recharge and rearm at the same time to maximize pew pew.