Make A-rated Sensors and Life Support Relevant

[Sergei Pavlov]

Right now, there's little benefit from outfitting A-Rated Sensors and Life Support. I personally do, and I know some others as well, but it's mostly because we are OCD (everything must be A-Rated!) or for RPGing purposes.

Here are my suggestions:

Sensors

They have an arc of effect and scan time based on their rating, and provide a tracking bonus to gimballed and turreted weapons:

E = 20º forward, 5 seconds. -10% tracking ability.
D = 45º forward, 4 seconds. -5% tracking ability.
C = 90º forward, 3 seconds. +0% tracking ability.
B = 180º forward, 2 seconds. +5% tracking ability.
A = 360º, 1 second. +10% tracking ability.

Numbers are just placeholders, but you get the idea. A-Rated sensors would be very useful to quickly scan ships behind us, and decide whether they are a threat. They would also be a no-brainer when using aim-assited weapons. Also, after 2.1, sensors would be extremely useful to get scanning data. I would make it so they also work in SC.

Life Support

This is an odd one. It's the only module that provides its benefit when it fails. I would turn it into a system that defends the ship against everything not directly related to Shield and Hull damage. In the current state of the game, this basically means Heat, but in the future it could include things like Radiation, EM fields, etc. Protection against heat makes this module useful for silent running builds, and a must-have for explorers, as it should be. We could change the name of the module to:

Environmental Support

E = -10% Heat absortion. Oxigen when cockpit is breached: 7.5 minutes.
D = -5% Heat absortion. Oxigen when cockpit is breached: 10 minutes.
C = +0% Heat absortion. Oxigen when cockpit is breached: 15 minutes.
B = +5% Heat absortion. Oxigen when cockpit is breached: 20 minutes.
A = +10% Heat absortion. Oxigen when cockpit is breached: 30 minutes.

Edit: When the module is damaged/destroyed, oxigen will last for 5 minutes.

Let me know what you think.

 

[Nerwan]

Right now, there's little benefit from outfitting A-Rated Sensors and Life Support.

You say that but until 2.1 came along they were massive.. Virtually every silent running hull tanker was doing PVP with A rated life support and sensors.. Less of a thing in 2.1 if SR truly is nerfed.. although it is still viable in certain configurations so we'll see...

 

[GammaZ]

Also making life support reduce ship heat makes no sense. It is life support system, not ship cooling system. If anything it should dump even more heat into ship cooling system while trying to keep survivable temperature inside the cockpit.

 

[Saxual]

The ships are comically weakened imo. Sacrifice weaponry or utility for internals. Why? It's illogical. Why not yank a bigger power supply from a higher class ship that has a little more power? And while we're at it why is the cargo space optional? Why can't we choose to do something alternate with it? Ammo space, additional hardpoint fabrication, additional fuel pods(< that one is already in the game why not implement more like it?)

 

[Bacalao]

Also making life support reduce ship heat makes no sense. It is life support system, not ship cooling system. If anything it should dump even more heat into ship cooling system while trying to keep survivable temperature inside the cockpit.

Many things make no sense if you decide they don't. There is nothing that precludes the life support working in concert with the cooling systems of the ship and his idea makes sense. The ship stays cool, the pilot stays alive longer, in the absence of any internal module dedicated to cooling the ship why shouldn't the life support system take that role. Would make for some more interesting builds and choices.

You say that but until 2.1 came along they were massive.. Virtually every silent running hull tanker was doing PVP with A rated life support and sensors.. Less of a thing in 2.1 if SR truly is nerfed.. although it is still viable in certain configurations so we'll see...

"Virtually every silent running hull tanker [pre 2.1 in PvP]" still accounted for an almost insignificant amount of total playtime, lets act proportional to the activity taking place shall we?

 

[Red Anders]

Also making life support reduce ship heat makes no sense. It is life support system, not ship cooling system. If anything it should dump even more heat into ship cooling system while trying to keep survivable temperature inside the cockpit.

It makes sense in the respect that A rated modules are simply more heat-efficient than lower rated ones.

You have to equip a life support, you don't have the option of flying without one so any comparison of heat levels is by definition made with reference to a ship which includes a lower rated life support. The ship would run colder still with no life support at all than with an A rated one, but you don't have the option of simly not fitting one at all.

 

[Darrett]

The proposed modification to sensors would make everything except A worthless.

Wouldn't bother me, I run A sensors on everything because I like being able to target from longer distances and pick up weaker signal sources from SR.

 

[jasonbirder]

I've often thought that ALL sensors should only have a 180 degree forward arc...

 

[The Wallet Inspector]

Having Detailed surface Scanner reveal POI's would be nice.. at least making more exploration modules/sensor upgrades. Increased FOV for the targeting system is a great idea + rep

 

[Nerwan]

"Virtually every silent running hull tanker [pre 2.1 in PvP]" still accounted for an almost insignificant amount of total playtime, lets act proportional to the activity taking place shall we?

Well, even if you want to say PVP represents a tiny minority (no idea if this is true), Hybrid builds are very popular among PVEers using the FAS with bi-weaves etc.. So the same applies.

 

[Eloy]

OP they maybe not be relevant to you ... but maybe for others.

 

[FredTA]

Oxygen...oxygen.

Sorry xd, I actually agree, I do think sensors should make more of a difference, having faster scan times with better sensors would be great

 

[bamber]

Why "A" Rate a sensor?

"A" rated sensors are a basic requirement if you are (like me) a Surface scavenger - makes a MASSIVE difference having an A rated scanner

Also anecdotally from others A rated sensors help hugely when Bounty Hunting in a asteroid field


why "A" Rate life support

Quite often I mine outside of the bubble - when I do that Extra time I get from the life support has saved me when things go bad
.
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This is an odd one. It's the only module that provides its benefit when it fails.

Why is it odd?

In my house I have a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, smoke detectors and co2 detectors, my car has anti lock brakes, airbags and another first aid kit and seat belts

They only provide benefit when something fails but I would remove or change any of them.

 

[FredTA]

Why "A" Rate a sensor?

Why is it odd?

In my house I have a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, smoke detectors and co2 detectors, my car has anti lock brakes, airbags and another first aid kit and seat belts

They only provide benefit when something fails but I would remove or change any of them.

I think he means "odd" in the sense that it's different from the other modules, not odd in the sense that it's different when compared to today's standards (1,000 years ago in the real world, not a video game)