Drones coming for powerplay

[Space Ranger]

"The collection drones have two modes of operation. The first is a targeted mode where you select something to collect and fire the drone which then collects the cargo or mining chunk and returns it to the ship – make sure that your cargo door is open! This will consume the drone. There’s also an area collection mode so when fired without a target the drone will collect what it can within a radius before it expires."


It doesn't make sense that the "drone is consumed" .. what, it just explode for no reason after its done collecting?
No, put is so that it uses the ship fuel, and it should at least be a internal class 2 for 1 drone.

Higher rating = better fuel consumption
Higher class = +1 drone

That way a mining anaconda can strip the shield and have 7 drones working at a time (class 8).. A rating E would use 1 fuel pr drone (i believe a sidewinder as the smallest ship has a fuel tank of 4), a rating A drone would use 0.25 fuel pr drone etc.

As for the pirating part, having more drones would mean collecting canisters that much faster and be on your way..

I think that having the fuel consumption would balance things out a lot more then having the drone consumed, as it would force people to think before using them (do i have enough fuel to get back to the nearest station or fuel-able star? and as such would sometimes still have to go with the old manual cargo hatch). also, it makes more sense then the drone just disappears.

Let me know that you think of my idea, or if you have your own idea of this topic

 

[mossfoot]

Most players moaning about the 'boredom' of current mining usually refer to the process of scooping fragments. While this requires at least a little bit of skill (if you want to be efficient that is) I totally fail to see how it'll be more interesting/challenging/not boring/whatever if you automate the mining process via drones. In the case I missed something crucial I'll be thankful for anyone proving me wrong here.

I'd say it's simple enough - it's not that you can't do it, it's that from an effort/reward standpoint it's pathetic compared to trading or bounty hunting. Drones would speed up the mining process to make it a worthwhile sub occupation. Same for piracy.

In Elite, time is money

 

[xondk]

Most players moaning about the 'boredom' of current mining usually refer to the process of scooping fragments. While this requires at least a little bit of skill (if you want to be efficient that is) I totally fail to see how it'll be more interesting/challenging/not boring/whatever if you automate the mining process via drones. In the case I missed something crucial I'll be thankful for anyone proving me wrong here.

Mining isn't that profitable really, and so spending time running around after every little piece that is spinning off somewhere becomes annoying as heck, like having to wander all over the places picking up pennies. Or at least this is my impression.

 

[Hexicube]

(relating to 1.3) Drones should collect multiple items, and then be scooped themselves

Looking at the 1.3 dev update, drones are expected to be added but are effectively consumables to speed collection of canisters/fragments. As it stands, it's basically paying to have cargo collected for you because of them expiring, which also means you have to eventually go back (potentially before you fill your cargo).

I propose that instead, the drone should collect up to a specific amount of canisters/fragments (either number of them such as 5, or max mass such as 5t with fragments being at 50% purity so you can collect 2.5t of refined ore), then sit waiting for you to scoop the drone up and send it out again to collect more. That way, the tedium of scooping many items is reduced (up to 80% if the previously mentioned values are used), but you're still required to be good at scooping to save time, it also leaves the drone open for theft by another ship (maybe they could sell it on the black market too?), and failing to scoop properly (destroying the drone) would be very punishing as you'd need to get a new one. It could also require refuelling, but realistically the amount it would need would likely be negligible unless it was moving absurdly fast because of how light it is (your ship is pretty damn heavy, the drone would likely be 1t plus a potential 5t).

 

[bossbrigand]

This makes a lot of sense. I'd do it this way, personally.

 

[gary.brain]

Or at least have different version / size of drones depending on the ship.

The bigger the ship the more they can collect due to the cargo scoop size. Just like the refinery.

 

[Hexicube]

Or at least have different version / size of drones depending on the ship.

The bigger the ship the more they can collect due to the cargo scoop size. Just like the refinery.

Don't see why not, but it shouldn't be too easy for larger ships imo. Something like a T9 should still have to do a lot more scoops than a hauler, for instance, just not as many as is currently required.

 

[mossfoot]

Looking at the 1.3 dev update, drones are expected to be added but are effectively consumables to speed collection of canisters/fragments.

You gotta wonder about this... you're using refined metals to go collect unrefined metals, but using up the refined metals in the process? If it's consumed (as in scrapped) shouldn't that drone count as a bit of spare aluminum at least?

 

[Commander Dini]

In Elite, time is money

Depends. For me time means greater skill.

 

[Hexicube]

These arguments are not new to me but how can pushing a button to fire up a drone be any more entertaining or just more fun, just because it's faster?
Also, how long do you expect this fun factor of the new toy being persistent?

There's nothing wrong with a feature added to help reduce the tedium of an activity that has a lot of grinding. There's nothing particularly fun about trading yet players do it in order to build up credits to bounty hunt, adding drones for mining (and piracy, but that's already fairly profitable) basically improves the rate of monetary gain as well as makes it more based on finding a good asteroid instead of collecting bits of that good asteroid.

 

[mossfoot]

There's nothing wrong with a feature added to help reduce the tedium of an activity that has a lot of grinding. There's nothing particularly fun about trading yet players do it in order to build up credits to bounty hunt, adding drones for mining (and piracy, but that's already fairly profitable) basically improves the rate of monetary gain as well as makes it more based on finding a good asteroid instead of collecting bits of that good asteroid.

Yeah, a mineral scanner would be nice too, but short of that, this is correct.

A drone won't be any more "fun" than landing on a docking pad for the thousandth time. It's a tool that makes a process more efficient, and cuts down on the feeling of a grind with little payoff. Seems pretty straight forward to me.

Would you rather unload cargo at a space station one ton at a time? Or make it so you have to enter a planet's gravity lock before you can scan it while exploring? If something is too slow and inefficient compared to other things, it stands out as boring. It's not about making it exciting, just less grindy.

 

[Hexicube]

But what next? Trading drones? Pirating drones? Exploring drones?
If this sounds ridiculous to you, why not? Where is the justification?
There are tedious aspects in any of the current professions!
So why not just creating a big button that does all activities for you while you finally can do something else, like some outdoor activities?
Yeah true, gaming must be soo boring...

Trading/Exploration drones would need to have an FSD installed to account for the distance (at that point you may as well hire people in sideys), pirating drones would need to be able to attack a target and withstand attack (again, hiring would be better). With cargo collection, it's actually pretty simple to make an automated drone do that, it doesn't need any advanced tracking systems, advanced systems, or anything of the sort, it merely has to attach onto a designated target and tug it around to the next one.

It's not like you can't balance it either, I've even suggested that the drone should require scooping itself instead of expiring, so you scoop less instead of simply not scooping.

Additionally, I would assume you have an issue with the docking computer, since that's a button that does the complex task of docking for you?

[edit]

Yeah, a mineral scanner would be nice too, but short of that, this is correct.

A drone won't be any more "fun" than landing on a docking pad for the thousandth time. It's a tool that makes a process more efficient, and cuts down on the feeling of a grind with little payoff. Seems pretty straight forward to me.

Would you rather unload cargo at a space station one ton at a time? Or make it so you have to enter a planet's gravity lock before you can scan it while exploring? If something is too slow and inefficient compared to other things, it stands out as boring. It's not about making it exciting, just less grindy.

It sounds like you're against my post, yet agree with it's point that cargo scooping should be less tedious and time consuming? Also, docking is actually somewhat fun, at least in my opinion, because you can do it as fast as you're capable of.

 

[Tinman]

Most players moaning about the 'boredom' of current mining usually refer to the process of scooping fragments. While this requires at least a little bit of skill (if you want to be efficient that is) I totally fail to see how it'll be more interesting/challenging/not boring/whatever if you automate the mining process via drones. In the case I missed something crucial I'll be thankful for anyone proving me wrong here.

Mining is fine in smaller ships. The problem is that it doesn't scale with bigger ones. Filling up a Hauler/Adder is one thing. Filling up a Type 9 by scooping individual rocks another all together. Drones will help with this.

 

[mossfoot]

It sounds like you're against my post, yet agree with it's point that cargo scooping should be less tedious and time consuming? Also, docking is actually somewhat fun, at least in my opinion, because you can do it as fast as you're capable of.

Oh, I agree, docking is fun. But they do have a docking computer available. Doesn't mean you have to use it. And you don't have to use drones if you don't want to.

Yes, cargo scooping should be less tedious, so why do you not see that that is exactly what the probes are doing? Seems to me like it'll speed things up immensely. Ergo, less tedious and time consuming.

 

[Hexicube]

Oh, I agree, docking is fun. But they do have a docking computer available. Doesn't mean you have to use it. And you don't have to use drones if you don't want to.

Yes, cargo scooping should be less tedious, so why do you not see that that is exactly what the probes are doing? Seems to me like it'll speed things up immensely. Ergo, less tedious and time consuming.

...I do see that is exactly what the probes are doing? Are you directing this at me or the OP?

 

[mossfoot]

...I do see that is exactly what the probes are doing? Are you directing this at me or the OP?

I do believe some confusion is occurring, yes

 

[CrimsonED]

ive mined 1 month. i really really will love them

 

[carniak]

"Ron Paul 3301": Seriously folks? Having to pay for something doesn't mean it's a tax on gameplay.

I need some help understanding the mentality behind the folks arguing that cargo drones are another "tax on gameplay." With FD's announcement about Cargo Drones today, we seem to be getting a lot of feedback from players on the "cost" of the drones.

Most incredulous are those who are calling drones costs a "tax on gameplay." Seriously folks?

 

[Vasious]

Cargo scoop is still free

 

[thehairymob]

Good also for those who run out of fuel deep out in the dark exporing. Another explorer with this fitted could come to their aid and save them from self distruct. I think it could be good all round in the game play for a lot of us not just miners.