The general consensus seems to be that it would make for a valuable, non-overpowered exploration tool as long as it takes a while to repair damage. A solution could be that hardpoints must be retracted in order to use the AFMU and that critical modules such as thrusters take an extended amount of time to repair (eg. 10 seconds per damage percentage) to avoid it from being useful in combat.
23,000 LY And A Mistake: Would Fully Functional AFMU's Be Overpowered?
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The general consensus seems to be that it would make for a valuable, non-overpowered exploration tool as long as it takes a while to repair damage. A solution could be that hardpoints must be retracted in order to use the AFMU and that critical modules such as thrusters take an extended amount of time to repair (eg. 10 seconds per damage percentage) to avoid it from being useful in combat.
I've done that and learned the hard way: Always Scan Before Scooping.
Rather base the time used on size (class) and quality (rank C, B, etc) of the gear being repaired than a flat percentage, and then take into account size&quality of the AMFU itself... Could also make it so that e.g. C-rank AMFU can't fix A-rank gear to full capacity, AMFU being "lackluster" for such a job, where as A-rank AMFU would have no problems. Maybe even degrade gear quality if fixed too many times with not-good-enough AMFU...
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The parameters exist where certain hardware failures result in "Game Over" versus complete destruction say in Combat. Offering an Auto Field-Maintenance Unit which does not repair these items makes the unit relatively worthless and does not balance the game very well. Likewise running out of fuel? Got a Fuel Scoop and use if often? That is balance. Currently the AFMU doesn't have that.
Mining materials for the AFMU sounds like a good idea to me. Makes it worth it to scan those asteroid belts once in a while.
Also to repair the hull and thrusters you should have to find a suitable place to land before you can do that. I hope that comes with planetary landings. That could also add further survival necessities like refreshing water supply at water planets and find organic matter to turn into food. A bit more to do than scan and move on.
Also to repair the hull and thrusters you should have to find a suitable place to land before you can do that. I hope that comes with planetary landings. That could also add further survival necessities like refreshing water supply at water planets and find organic matter to turn into food. A bit more to do than scan and move on.
The AFMU is already self limiting because it can only repair a limited amount of damage before needing to be recharged, so I see no problem with it also being able to repair those parts of the ship it currently can't. It just adds to the dilemma that you already have in picking which parts of the ship you want to expend its resources on. I'm not even against some sort of recharge mechanics based on mining or other form of resource gathering as long as this is not something that is an instant recharge. The AFMU recharge in the wild yonder from asteroids (or however this is implemented) should take effort and be time consuming just to stop people from abusing it in combat situations as an instant fix to keep their ships going for longer.
Can't you follow directions? It says to post why, not post post why!
I really like this idea. Mining to top it up would be great, finally some use for some of the lower end ores.
I think so long as it takes time and can't be used in combat it would be good to improve the modules usefulness.
The only counter to the argument I can think of is it removes a cash sink from the game.
As a tool for explorers, it would be invaluable. And I agree, the best way would be to make it that it is practically impossible to use in combat. If you want to jump out of combat, lick your wounds and go back fine, but it shouldn't be an auto heal button for PvP, rather a tool to allow deep space exploration.
In relation to scooping at T Tauris, today I was distracted by singing a song while scooping, and decided to activate my frame shift while I was scooping... that was a fun 199% heat, I think I actually felt it.
In relation to scooping at T Tauris, today I was distracted by singing a song while scooping, and decided to activate my frame shift while I was scooping... that was a fun 199% heat, I think I actually felt it.
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Quite. There's no reason an auto-repair should only be able to repair modules that don't matter. Else why would you have one, right now? Explorers need to go deep and, well, explore, huge distances away.
Repair to them should be very slow, hardpoints in, only out-of-combat. That balances out any reason to limit it. I don't even know why the limiting is in place, perhaps to avoid someone using them to repair damage from combat. So make it so they can only repair critical modules to a limited exlike 50% hull (depending on class, so maybe 40% for D, 75% for A, that kind of thing?)
Should it be able to repair itself, or should you need two of them for that to repair each other, if at all?
Repair to them should be very slow, hardpoints in, only out-of-combat. That balances out any reason to limit it. I don't even know why the limiting is in place, perhaps to avoid someone using them to repair damage from combat. So make it so they can only repair critical modules to a limited exlike 50% hull (depending on class, so maybe 40% for D, 75% for A, that kind of thing?)
Should it be able to repair itself, or should you need two of them for that to repair each other, if at all?
I don't think the AFMU should be able to repair the hull. Maybe some small critical patches on the hull but nothing more (i don't see how AFMU can repair the glass integrity of your canopy for example).
However it should be able to repair all the modules this including the FSD and thrusters. The repair should take time and should not be instant.
And yet, there should not be "always repairable" damages on your modules. In certain conditions some of the modules should be considered dead and not repairable by the AFMU.
For example, taking heavy damage from heat should fry most of your ship circuits beyond field repair. Maybe even possibility to fry your AFMU as well. S*** happens...
I also like the idea to be able to replenish the ammo by mining. This will really provide longer maintenance of your ship out there if you don't do anything stupid.
P.S. - I currently do not have any explorer experience but i am saving for my ASP and once i got the cash i am going out there. It looks like fun even if the AFMU cannot save your FSD and thrusters.
However it should be able to repair all the modules this including the FSD and thrusters. The repair should take time and should not be instant.
And yet, there should not be "always repairable" damages on your modules. In certain conditions some of the modules should be considered dead and not repairable by the AFMU.
For example, taking heavy damage from heat should fry most of your ship circuits beyond field repair. Maybe even possibility to fry your AFMU as well. S*** happens...
I also like the idea to be able to replenish the ammo by mining. This will really provide longer maintenance of your ship out there if you don't do anything stupid.
P.S. - I currently do not have any explorer experience but i am saving for my ASP and once i got the cash i am going out there.
It looks like fun even if the AFMU cannot save your FSD and thrusters.
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Sorry to hear, OP. I am a explorer myself and know how you must be feeling.
Still, i can't support the idea.
What's the primary skill of an explorer ?
Scanning ? Navigating ? Knowledge of profitable astronomical bodies ?
None of these in my opinion.
It's keeping your ship out of trouble, keeping the rate of errors low.
Knowing when to log, pacing yourself, concentration, judging when to call it a day and to start the return trip (a situation you find yourself in now).
I faced the same decision not long ago, at 78% hull and 10.000ly from home....i went home, knowing that more errors where bound to happen.
A FMU as suggested would take the sting out of exploring, for me personally, it might possibly be enough to quit it altogether.
Edit: completely disagree about the current FMU being useless. It repairs things like life support, shield modules, FSD, sensors. All critical systems.
Still, i can't support the idea.
What's the primary skill of an explorer ?
Scanning ? Navigating ? Knowledge of profitable astronomical bodies ?
None of these in my opinion.
It's keeping your ship out of trouble, keeping the rate of errors low.
Knowing when to log, pacing yourself, concentration, judging when to call it a day and to start the return trip (a situation you find yourself in now).
I faced the same decision not long ago, at 78% hull and 10.000ly from home....i went home, knowing that more errors where bound to happen.
A FMU as suggested would take the sting out of exploring, for me personally, it might possibly be enough to quit it altogether.
Edit: completely disagree about the current FMU being useless. It repairs things like life support, shield modules, FSD, sensors. All critical systems.
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if it's geared in such a way that it's not a quick-fix in open combat, i think it would be a great idea.
i've avoided buying one so far, because all the things it *does* currently fix are the things i can survive without while i limp home to a starport, and repair them there.
** double points if it can repair Life Support quicker than the air can expire from a busted canopy
i've avoided buying one so far, because all the things it *does* currently fix are the things i can survive without while i limp home to a starport, and repair them there.
** double points if it can repair Life Support quicker than the air can expire from a busted canopy
Added some data thanks to you guys.
Thank you all for your input! Here is the general consensus so far:
1. Yes, the AFMU should repair critical systems such as the hull and the thrusters.
2. It should not be able to be used in combat, we have shield cells for such matters. (See 3-4)
3. It should take a while to repair the critical modules.
4. To repair modules, hardpoints should be retracted to prevent combat usage.
5. An idea pitched by CMDR Anikaiful was that you should be able to mine "ammo" for the AFMU, making long distance deep space explorations not something limited by how long you can avoid hull damage.
Furthermore, exploration as a whole could use some upgrades.
1. A Sell All button.
2. "Discovered by" tag.
3. Increased profits, I make more trading in a Type 7 than I do actually selling my exploration data.
4. More incentives, missions, etc.
5. Better visuals of astronomical objects, such as pulsars and black holes.
6. Better statistics of objects discovered (eg. Black Holes: 13, Neutron Stars: 5).
7. Route tracer, perhaps exportable to external applications. See your grand tour in a 3D representation.
8. Better route planning that doesn't take minutes to load.
9. Easy way to acquire system coordinates.
10. More exploratory ships, perhaps some limited to advanced explorer ranks such as Ranger.
11. An AFMU that actually repairs the important things.
12. An object scanner loading bar, such as the KWS.
13. Level 2 and 3 detailed scans.
Thank you all for your input! Here is the general consensus so far:
1. Yes, the AFMU should repair critical systems such as the hull and the thrusters.
2. It should not be able to be used in combat, we have shield cells for such matters. (See 3-4)
3. It should take a while to repair the critical modules.
4. To repair modules, hardpoints should be retracted to prevent combat usage.
5. An idea pitched by CMDR Anikaiful was that you should be able to mine "ammo" for the AFMU, making long distance deep space explorations not something limited by how long you can avoid hull damage.
Furthermore, exploration as a whole could use some upgrades.
1. A Sell All button.
2. "Discovered by" tag.
3. Increased profits, I make more trading in a Type 7 than I do actually selling my exploration data.
4. More incentives, missions, etc.
5. Better visuals of astronomical objects, such as pulsars and black holes.
6. Better statistics of objects discovered (eg. Black Holes: 13, Neutron Stars: 5).
7. Route tracer, perhaps exportable to external applications. See your grand tour in a 3D representation.
8. Better route planning that doesn't take minutes to load.
9. Easy way to acquire system coordinates.
10. More exploratory ships, perhaps some limited to advanced explorer ranks such as Ranger.
11. An AFMU that actually repairs the important things.
12. An object scanner loading bar, such as the KWS.
13. Level 2 and 3 detailed scans.
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