Hull repair limpets: has sense been pre-applied?

[Bunkerkind Anni]

Speculation! Maybe they need a vast amount of power & our ships fall well short of said power.
How's that for on the fly lore?

ok, why does my suite have that magic pop-up helmet, that cannot keep me alive, lets me stand up after the air is gone, go to the airlock behind my seat and fly the ship from a secondary console via screen.
instead i have a life support system , with several tonnes of mass, that will keep the bridge crew alive for max 25minutes.

i mean, ANYTHING about the canopy is unrealistic, from the way life support works, the way the HUD disappears or how that thing blocks megajoules of mass or energy away from the pilot
having it repaired by a magically built drone wouldn't bee any more un-immersive...

 

[yodajedifishmaster]

we will be able to create limpets from synthesis,
and also wie a hand full of materials, you can refill several tons of C4 cannon ammo (there is another topic where someone calculated how much that isd)

with the glass of the canopy - its already a wonder why we can't have the same forcefield saving us from space, that is keeping the air preassure up in starports

i would assume thats because if we could generate that many TeraJoules our shield would be invincible also.

 

[Frenotx]

Galloping galaxies ... he's back!!!

Heh. Only a little. Just checking up on things.

 

[CMDR Pugwash]

As an explorer who is prone to hitting things this is a great idea. I would prefer it if you had to land and evacuate your ship whilst the repairs are performed. It would be cool to watch and solve your PvP concerns,

 

[Bdragon4]

I didn't bother to read all 6 pages of replies, but I was under the impression that repair limpets would be like fuel limpets: You carry repair supplies in your cargo and use the limpets on other ships. You have to lower your shields to get repaired too. oh, and one limpet only repairs 2.5% hull. I figured the idea was for emergency rescue missions, not RPG style "healing".

 

[Taluss]

OP this is very easily solved with 2 steps:

1) Make hull repair limpet controllers sufficiently heavy, so they are balanced against speed/jump range.

Oh gosh no they'll be useless to explorers if FDev makes them heavy.

But if they where light, could be synthesized and turn off all systems except powerplant, life support and ofc the controller they would be balanced well for both Exploration and PvP.

 

[cheesenbiscuits]

They're designed for explorers imo. So the effects on combat will be minimal more than likely.
Surely the op argument is based on a balancing issue that may or may not exist?

 

[Vasious]

Actually the Devs said they will, in the stream.

Ah cheers, I missed that

wonder if that will be the behavour if you dont target anything, they default to trying to repair yourself.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

But if they where light, could be synthesized and turn off all systems except powerplant, life support and ofc the controller they would be balanced well for both Exploration and PvP.

I'm not sure a limpet which turns off every subsystem except power and life support would be considered "balanced" in PvP even if it can be countered with point defence and ECMs. We'd have wings of people waiting outside every CG station making sure everyone had very repaired hulls...

 

[Gandalf06]

Hi All
i have to say, I think repair limpets are a terrible idea and are really not necessary for explorers and remove another element of risk from the game.
I would suggest that at least 95% of hull damage is down to pilot error and can easily be avoided if you're paying attention. This is just another attempt to take away responsibility for your own actions. If you make a mistake like fouling up a landing or crashing into stars then there should be repercussions that aren't simply waved away by some magic healing potion.

Regards
G

 

[Vingtetun]

It opens up npc repair missions though. Find and repair a damaged ship. To go with the rescue contact coming in 2.4

 

[Jack Schitt]

I would suggest that at least 95% of hull damage is down to pilot error and can easily be avoided if you're paying attention.

True to some extent (thruster and jet cone bugs notwithstanding). But the historical problem with exploration is not the risks, which are low, but the punishment, which can be brutal. A single mistake landing on a high-G world or fumbling the heat sinks jumping into a bunch of stars and at best you can be looking at a very careful limp back to the bubble, or at worst an instantaneous loss of a ship, potential credits, rank progression and First Discoveries. Months of game-time invested. It's like playing Russian Roulette with a 100,000-barrel gun. The odds are very much in your favour but the cost of losing is enormous.

Along with the limpets I'd like to see more things than can slowly erode the hull, as I think someone further up the thread suggested, so that limpet use becomes a sort of routine maintenance for long-term exploration in the same way that regular AFMU use is required for repeated NS boosting.

As for the PVP element, I guess one answer would be to force a reboot or module shutdown on the receiving ship but only if that ship's commander has switched to "repair mode" through the Functions menu, otherwise the limpet does nothing. Stops them being effective mid-battle, and prevents random limpet griefing.

 

[Gandalf06]

True to some extent (thruster and jet cone bugs notwithstanding). But the historical problem with exploration is not the risks, which are low, but the punishment, which can be brutal. A single mistake landing on a high-G world or fumbling the heat sinks jumping into a bunch of stars and at best you can be looking at a very careful limp back to the bubble, or at worst an instantaneous loss of a ship, potential credits, rank progression and First Discoveries. Months of game-time invested. It's like playing Russian Roulette with a 100,000-barrel gun. The odds are very much in your favour but the cost of losing is enormous .

If you instantaneously lose your ship then I don't think limpets are going to help you much. I think if you have to carefully limp back to a star base then that's just a risk you take exploring and part of the "thrill" is actually making it back
Landing on a high g planet is the pilots decision and he/she really should have practiced that close to repair facilities before attempting it thousands of light years from civilisation.

Sorry, but I just think travelling thousands of light years into the black should entail enormous risks and if you foul up and lose then that is just part of the game.

Regards
G

 

[Xious]

I don't see any problems with Hull Repair limpets... seems like a great idea.

 

[Jack Schitt]

If you instantaneously lose your ship then I don't think limpets are going to help you much.

They might if your hull was already at 60% due to an earlier incident. The voice of experience here.

Sorry, but I just think travelling thousands of light years into the black should entail enormous risks and if you foul up and lose then that is just part of the game.

Fair enough. I just think it's at odds with the rest of the game, where the punishment for the occasional bout of idiocy is rarely so catastrophic as it is for exploration. But perhaps that's what makes it special.

I certainly won't be leaving for my next major jaunt until I've seen whether repair limpets are a worthwhile investment. I don't trust my half-asleep late-night piloting skills nearly enough not to take advantage if FD implements something useful. But who knows - the limpets might have so many drawbacks in terms of power or mass or ammunition that even long-jump explorers forego them and they only find a niche in rescue missions.

Looking forward to the beta either way.

 

[Gandalf06]

Oh I'm reasonably sure I'm in the minority with my opinion of it it's going to happen whatever, so like you I'm interested to see how it'll be implemented

Regards
G

 

[[VR] Deggial]

My two (not so new, I have to admit) thoughts regarding explorers. I'll just throw them into the discussion as an additional voice, if FDevs happen to read it.

1) Even if there isn't much risk for (not self-inflicted) dammage at the moment, it doesn't mean that this won't change in the future. Actually, the availability of a repair possibility migth empower FDev to implement more harmful things in the void.
I would like to see this possibility getting real now !

2) The downside is, that the existence of limpets for this task makes space legs EVA less likely (at least for the immediate to mid-term future). And even if FDev finally would implement such a game mechanic, people will have gotten used to the convenient limpet functionality and question the need for a change.
Personally, I applaud the introduction of the repair limpets, but would like to see them as an interim solution that is clearly communicated as such (so nobody will be unpleasantly surprised) and that will be replaced at some point in the (probably distant) future - no matter how much the forum will complain.

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

It opens up npc repair missions though. Find and repair a damaged ship. To go with the rescue contact coming in 2.4

would be nice
but currently there is no visible benefit from that.
If you didn't know - if you drop into a distress call, you might find a npc crying in chat that his fuel is empty.
you can help him with a fuel transfer limpet, but then they will just engage their hyperspace drives and jump away - no thank you, no visible benefit like reputation gain.

those fuel limpets dont work if the damaged ship is a battlecruiser - but maybe repair limpets will.


my biggest concern regarding those new repair limpets is simply the fact that is AGAIN another internal module that does basicly the same as all the others - allow me to deploy an autonomous drone that can either transport something from my ship to another (fuel, repair), or the other direction (prospector, hatch breaker, collector). they all use the same "ammo" and the only difference is a command code uploaded to them.

 

[Karlos Ploryman]

would be nice
but currently there is no visible benefit from that.
If you didn't know - if you drop into a distress call, you might find a npc crying in chat that his fuel is empty.
you can help him with a fuel transfer limpet, but then they will just engage their hyperspace drives and jump away - no thank you, no visible benefit like reputation gain.

those fuel limpets dont work if the damaged ship is a battlecruiser - but maybe repair limpets will.


my biggest concern regarding those new repair limpets is simply the fact that is AGAIN another internal module that does basicly the same as all the others - allow me to deploy an autonomous drone that can either transport something from my ship to another (fuel, repair), or the other direction (prospector, hatch breaker, collector). they all use the same "ammo" and the only difference is a command code uploaded to them.

Hello,

I understand the game(ey) reasons for specific limpet function modules, although logic-vise its stupid...
As you have allready written, one limpet controller with various software packages to be uploaded into launched limpet should be sufficient.


Yesterday evening, I was quite tired when I started my game session. I was in my Corvette and I took 2 "liberate" missions, just to find out, that I forgot to outfit hatchbreaker limpet controler (mission USS allready spawned). I traveled 5 jumps to the nearest hi-tech and got one, only to find out (allready inside the mission USS), that I forgot to buy limpets!
In the mission target system, there were only outposts in space. Luckily enough there was one planetary outpost, where I finally got those damn limpets.


Another attempt, again SuperCruise to the target body, again wait for USS spawn, finally - my target is ahead and I am equipped with 16 limpets (I know i know, but I am supercarefull now and have high stock of SCBs and Hull Reinforcements). That damnded DiamondBack Explorer was equipped with Point Defence and he was taking out one limpet after another... "GodKnowsHowMany" minutes later, without destroying the target, I ended out of limpets, 4/6 mission cargo. Time window for both missions was overdue and no more USSes spawned.

I quit the game and went to sleep :-D Next time I will try these missions again, BUT I will take 256 limpets !!!

Have a splendid day, fly dangerously! Karlos

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

Hello,

I understand the game(ey) reasons for specific limpet function modules, although logic-vise its stupid...
As you have allready written, one limpet controller with various software packages to be uploaded into launched limpet should be sufficient.


Yesterday evening, I was quite tired when I started my game session. I was in my Corvette and I took 2 "liberate" missions, just to find out, that I forgot to outfit hatchbreaker limpet controler (mission USS allready spawned). I traveled 5 jumps to the nearest hi-tech and got one, only to find out (allready inside the mission USS), that I forgot to buy limpets!
In the mission target system, there were only outposts in space. Luckily enough there was one planetary outpost, where I finally got those damn limpets.


Another attempt, again SuperCruise to the target body, again wait for USS spawn, finally - my target is ahead and I am equipped with 16 limpets (I know i know, but I am supercarefull now and have high stock of SCBs and Hull Reinforcements). That damnded DiamondBack Explorer was equipped with Point Defence and he was taking out one limpet after another... "GodKnowsHowMany" minutes later, without destroying the target, I ended out of limpets, 4/6 mission cargo. Time window for both missions was overdue and no more USSes spawned.

I quit the game and went to sleep :-D Next time I will try these missions again, BUT I will take 256 limpets !!!

Have a splendid day, fly dangerously! Karlos

nice story.
given the informations we got, only a single one of the issues you have faced may be solved -> synthesis of limpets.
my corvette is far from fully equipped, and currently i have one collector, and one fuel transfer limpet.
sometimes i wished i could replace one fighter in my bay with a scavanger drone...

and on the topic - repair limpets will be super beneficial for my gamestyle, because i prefer hull-tanking over SCB spamming.
even if they are useless IN combat, they will allow me to repair my hull inbetween battles without having to dock.
this opens up combat places that are far away from