Synthesis - add a "synthesising time" to all recipes

[StiTch]

Top of the morning.

The proposal is simple, and based off some fairly reasonable concerns about chaff/heat sink synth, but ultimately could improve the landscape of all synthesis.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...nk-and-Chaff-Synthesis-destroys-FDEVs-balance

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/371120-2-4-death-optional


The proposal itself: synthesis should take time to produce your resource, and only one resource can be synthesised at a time.

Why: firstly as a counter to heat sink/chaff synth spamming. We don't need players in PvE OR PvE loading their 'vette internals almost entirely with SCBs, 7 modded boosters, a single heat sink, and using that single heat sink launcher as protection against the SCBs...and we don't need players in either field loading a 900 m/s iCourier with a single chaff launcher, and effectively becoming impossible to hit until they run out of resources.

I am indeed aware resources are required but after all my engineering, I have the mats required to spam ammo synths like they're going out of fashion. The same will likely be true here - and gives a somewhat rubbish advantage to anyone that's played long enough to build them up.

Which leads me onto the second part of "why": in part, it restores the balance between kinetic and thermal weaponry. Ammo was intended to be an offset to kinetic weapons, which aside from being non-hitscan, are vastly superior. By requiring time to generate ammunition, it's not as simple as getting to the point you have plenty of resources and then forgetting kinetic weapons ever had ammo until you need to hit the synth button...especially in a larger ship using multiple.


As someone that inherently avoids betas in all forms, please schlap me on the head if I have already missed something implemented to resolve this. If not - let's have some common sense/foresight, folks.

I'd also like to see cannons get a little more ammo on top of this, as they don't have the "oomph" in comparison to MCs to justify a relatively meager ammo store, but that's a different discussion for a different thread

EDIT: Suggestion has been put forward within other topics by other CMDRs, including the lustrous CMDR_Cosmicspacehead and Crimson Kaim.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Oi. Stole my idea. Lol

 

[StiTch]

Oi. Stole my idea. Lol

If you look through various thread histories this was discussed fairly early, though incidentally I was opposed to it at first...I mentioned something about re-inventing the wheel a couple of times.

When I realised that affecting ammo synth too could be a good thing I became quite eager to see how it would turn out. Actually, restoring balance to the kinetic/thermal divide is now the greater part of my hopes - I don't care how heat sink/chaff synth is moderated, as long as it is moderated SOMEHOW (surely no-one thinks instant, nearly unlimited, on the spot generation of heat sinks and chaff can be a good idea?)

EDIT: Either way, adding a note to OP to recognise you too have proposed this, as well as Crimson Kaim for recommending it on my thread and inadvertently jumpstarting my brain into realising it's a totally wicked idea.

 

[metatheurgist]

Not only that, there should be a synthesis module. Speed and capacity increasing with size.

 

[StiTch]

Not only that, there should be a synthesis module. Speed and capacity increasing with size.

Hm, I thought of it as a core module at one point as it goes. As with life support, probably a one-class module based on the ship, but with varying ratings allowing for faster production.

It could be an optional module, but I get the feeling too many would see synth as an essential part of gameplay.

Either way - definitely considerable, but it would be a potentially far greater discussion than this that needs to happen separately, and doesn't actually resolve the issue outlined in OP.

 

[CMDR Ahab]

Speaking as an Explorer who actually likes pew pew, I'd be okay with this. Just means a bit more forward planning required.

But please, no more internal modules (unless they were core internals) just to be able to synthesise stuff.

 

[Rozete]

pure timesink i would hate
but

Not only that, there should be a synthesis module. Speed and capacity increasing with size.

yea, i would like to see module. something similar to amfu, but for synth.

 

[StiTch]

But please, no more internal modules (unless they were core internals) just to be able to synthesise stuff.

Yeah, tbh it's my feeling too. I would, at most, be happy seeing it as a weightless core module that basically gives you a synth time / power consumption offset.

pure timesink i would hate

It's not really a timesink unless you let yourself run out of ammo and want to re-synth the lot instead of going back to station for a reload. Regardless the question that ultimately appears around this is "how long would such synths take?"

IMO, that's the kinda detail a dev comes up with an answer for. The suggestion here is just an idea, and the finer details on design/implementation of any suggestion are best sorted out by those with both a view of the bigger picture, and a greater understanding of the finer game aspects.

I'd personally like to think a full-on warship such as the 'vette, fully loaded with MCs, would take a few mins to reload the full compliment - assuming the hypothetical CMDR in this situation completely forgot to do any synth before he ran out of ammo.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

If you look through various thread histories this was discussed fairly early, though incidentally I was opposed to it at first...I mentioned something about re-inventing the wheel a couple of times.

When I realised that affecting ammo synth too could be a good thing I became quite eager to see how it would turn out. Actually, restoring balance to the kinetic/thermal divide is now the greater part of my hopes - I don't care how heat sink/chaff synth is moderated, as long as it is moderated SOMEHOW (surely no-one thinks instant, nearly unlimited, on the spot generation of heat sinks and chaff can be a good idea?)

EDIT: Either way, adding a note to OP to recognise you too have proposed this, as well as Crimson Kaim for recommending it on my thread and inadvertently jumpstarting my brain into realising it's a totally wicked idea.

I've been plugging the Synthesis time for a while, but I don't know if I was the first. Lol

Anyhoo, my thread is over here, if you fancied a look.

It contains most of what's already mentioned, plus a few bits I thought of a while ago, but never posted.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[Rozete]

im in favor of optional module, because there are multiple things to consider. time alone is something that does not require any effort from my part. aye, it will add sort of balance, but in a boring way. too simplistic..
..we can overcharge our ships, but power is wasted or used without any management at all. i have ships that need more then 150% power, im managing it, its fun. it already takes a bit of time to switch stuff on/off, booting etc
synt.module could take place of one of the hrp/mrp, for example. add stupid amount of mass to stock one; let it be engineered lightweight for explorers with delayed synth times..

 

[StiTch]

I've been plugging the Synthesis time for a while, but I don't know if I was the first. Lol

Anyhoo, my thread is over here, if you fancied a look.

It contains most of what's already mentioned, plus a few bits I thought of a while ago, but never posted.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

Ah, did not know you actually created a thread less than an hour before mine. My apologies. Some good stuff in there.

im in favor of optional module, because there are multiple things to consider. time alone is something that does not require any effort from my part. aye, it will add sort of balance, but in a boring way. too simplistic..
..we can overcharge our ships, but power is wasted or used without any management at all. i have ships that need more then 150% power, im managing it, its fun. it already takes a bit of time to switch stuff on/off, booting etc
synt.module could take place of one of the hrp/mrp, for example. add stupid amount of mass to stock one; let it be engineered lightweight for explorers with delayed synth times..

You might have a fight on your hands to get it as an optional module Either way, that's really a separate consideration. Wherever synth ends up, I simply want to see some sense applied to prevent cheese tactics before they're released.