A compromise for Limpets

[EWanderer]

So as the Surface Scanner triggered a lot of uproar, when it was decided to offer infinite Ammunition(which I am totally for and would never change it) my head rolled this idea up:

Currently every Limpet Job has a different Controller and the each control their own conglomerate of Tasks. Why not make it so, that Limpets would try to return after their Job is done and be refitted by the limpet controller with new fuel and tools. short: Limpets are reusable and stored inside the limpet controller, much like a refinery has bins, to save on cargo space. Limpets could of course become destroyed or not make it back in time(although I would still allow for a pickup to save them), in which case spare limpets from the cargo bay should be drawn in as an replacement.

Now we have a much smaller consumption of limpets over all and could in theory fly indefinitely around without having to worry ever about running out of limpets and having them to re-synthesize them. If FDev want to impose a Limit, they could give all Limpet Controllers a Maximum number of Refurbishes for Limpets(Analysis Kits for Prospectors, Cutting Tools for Hatchet Breaker, Claws for Collectors and so forth), which could be replenished by synthesis or at stations.

I think it would be a fair compromise between realism and gaminess, which was brought in by Surface Scanner Probes, and also explain why limpet controllers had a limit on how many could be active at the same time, seeing how they become programmed after getting fired.

It would of course require the ability to recall a limpet via Contacts into the Ship in Case of Collector, Prospector, Recon, etc. but that shouldn't be that hard.

 

[Daynen]

My main gripe with limpets is that they remain cargo; any solution that reduces my time in "advanced maintenance" (and let's be honest: restocking limpets isn't "maintenance") is good in my book. I've long since felt that limpet controllers should logically include limpets and that the "max limpets" should simply be the number of limpets included--which were less lemming-like and returned to your controller once their tasks were done to repair, recharge or whatever. Replacing destroyed limpets would actually be the same as any repair and the limpets' individual cost should naturally rise to compensate, commensurate with the size and grade of their controller, naturally. Synthesis would also have to be scaled to size and grade though.

 

[Davetiger]

I think the limpet slot should hold limpets i have to give up cargo space for the limpet controller shouldnt it hold limpets as ammo like missles do? I feel like it should

 

[CMDR Duk'ath Lo'makh]

All of these would be an awesome uplift to the whole limpet system. I recently started getting more into the mining thing and exploration, so I've been retrieving a lot mats and a lot of items just floating in space. I even-more-recently discovered that limpets will retrieve everything in an area, until they expire, if you adjust your filters first and then release them without actually targeting an individual object.

As mentioned above; It would be great to have a limpet controller capable of controlling all the different type of limpets. The controller would also house the limpets, such as ammo works. And the controller would only be capable of holding so many of each limpet.

Such great ideas guys!

 

[Lestat]

I would like to hear a build that requires so many Collector types? I can see using 3 or 4 of them but not all of them at the same time.

 

[DiabolusUrsus]

I think limpet controllers storing their own limpets sounds good, but are we confident Frontier would give each controller an adequate number of limpets?

Depending on how it's balanced we may find ourselves needing to sacrifice entire cargo racks for larger limpet controllers, at which point we're in a worse situation because we can't fill that cargo space as we use limpets.

For example, a 3A prospector controller is more than enough for core mining, but would it be enough for dual hotspot mining? Maybe not. Reusable limpets could help, but I think it'd be frustrating for mining runs to get cut short by running out of working limpets after a few mishaps.

IMO it might be simpler to just streamline the process for restocking limpets. Perhaps setting a desired minimum stock and adding an "unload limpets" to the main services panel? That way you can auto-restock limpets or quickly refund them to switch ships.

 

[CMDR Foulksey]

You could simplify further I suppose.

Limpets as a resource, the amount of stores you have determined by the size of and number of controllers you have fitted. Say, 100 for the biggest controller and 25 for the smallest. Stores replenished in the same way you refuel and rearm. Maybe you could restrict the type of limpet available in each controller only to the specific controller type.

Either way it'd be better than lugging 220t of the buggers halfway across the galaxy to do hotspot mining.

 

[DiabolusUrsus]

You could simplify further I suppose.

Limpets as a resource, the amount of stores you have determined by the size of and number of controllers you have fitted. Say, 100 for the biggest controller and 25 for the smallest. Stores replenished in the same way you refuel and rearm. Maybe you could restrict the type of limpet available in each controller only to the specific controller type.

Either way it'd be better than lugging 220t of the buggers halfway across the galaxy to do hotspot mining.

Yes, agreed. I don't think there's any need to force controllers to use different pools of limpets; just let them "reload" from the common pool.

This would make them much less annoying to use, and it would be harder to accidentally leave base without stocking up.

 

[Lestat]

I think limpet controllers storing their own limpets sounds good, but are we confident Frontier would give each controller an adequate number of limpets?

Depending on how it's balanced we may find ourselves needing to sacrifice entire cargo racks for larger limpet controllers, at which point we're in a worse situation because we can't fill that cargo space as we use limpets.

For example, a 3A prospector controller is more than enough for core mining, but would it be enough for dual hotspot mining? Maybe not. Reusable limpets could help, but I think it'd be frustrating for mining runs to get cut short by running out of working limpets after a few mishaps.

IMO it might be simpler to just streamline the process for restocking limpets. Perhaps setting a desired minimum stock and adding an "unload limpets" to the main services panel? That way you can auto-restock limpets or quickly refund them to switch ships.

See me doing Void Opal in my Python. I use 1 3A Collector and 1 3A Prospector. I can add Another Collector with the New Module slot they added. Or Fuel transfer or hull repair and still have 224 Cargo. I could also remove a 64 cargo rack and remove 32 cargo rack and still have 128 cargo space and have 3 Module slots to use whatever floats my boat. But I stick to my Mining Python is a specialised ship all it dose is mine ore.

Now if I wanted just to explore USS. I would make a multipurpose ship. I would have all the collector type that I need and not waste it on collectors that not needed. 64 128 cargo rack full with Limpets and basic minerals Nickle and Iron to synthesis Limpets.

We also have to factor into ship size. If you have a ship like a sidewinder and want all the collector types. Stop fooling your self you need a larger ship and pick wisely on what you need.

 

[DiabolusUrsus]

Snip

I don't know how you managed to misinterpret what I said so spectactularly, but I'm nevertheless impressed by your creativity.

 

[Cross]

I'm pretty down with the idea of replacing the disposable mass piles of limpets with a small (integrated) number of reusable drones, instead. Frontier would have to fix that whole "fragment clipping inside asteroid murders all your collectors" problem first, though.

 

[Masta Squidge]

Here's a thought, valid or otherwise. As it stands now, they are just an expense, and a very tiny one at that. They require very little care or thought to use and from an immersion standpoint leave a ton of litter and debris all over creation.

So:

• Fix the fragment clipping nonsense (duh).
  
  
• Slightly improved pathfinding.
  
  
• Whatever number of limpets your controllers can control, plus that number twice again in "spares". Controller can operate 3 at a time, and carries 9 total for example.
  
  
• Limpets are reusable and refuelable.
  
  
• They are purchased as ammo during restock.
  
  
• Refuel them from the ship's fuel tank in some small quantity, say .01 ton per limpet for the current life duration. 100 limpets would cost 1 ton of fuel to use to duration in exchange for the essentially meaningless number of credits they cost.
  • This would actually mean something to commanders. Even us big time miners rarely go through more than maybe 300 at a crack. 3 tons wouldn't hurt anyone but would force you to consider their use a little bit.
    
• Allow the controllers to automatically repair "damaged limpets" (and call them that) after recovery for another .01 ton of fuel per. This encourages responsibly and carefully using them a little bit more.
  
  
• Allow other limpets to recover damaged ones.

For bonus fun, you could randomly litter them about asteroid fields, combat zones, and other things that would sensibly have had commanders using them. Let commanders collect them as "ruined limpets" to be sold as a commodity "for spare parts". Call it a "cleanup initiative" by the pilots federation for "decades of irresponsible littering" and offer a bit of reputation or something.

 

[CMDR DragonHorn]

Limpets are very slow and have terrible pathing, too many suicides. Since there's no hope of improving that, limpets must be endless, just like DSS probes. It makes virtually no sense for limpet to occupy cargo slot. But having them as ammo won't do either, because when I go mining, I pack up to 500 limpets. I don't think any mag would be able to house that many...

 

[MajorM3ss]

So as the Surface Scanner triggered a lot of uproar, when it was decided to offer infinite Ammunition(which I am totally for and would never change it) my head rolled this idea up:

Currently every Limpet Job has a different Controller and the each control their own conglomerate of Tasks. Why not make it so, that Limpets would try to return after their Job is done and be refitted by the limpet controller with new fuel and tools. short: Limpets are reusable and stored inside the limpet controller, much like a refinery has bins, to save on cargo space. Limpets could of course become destroyed or not make it back in time(although I would still allow for a pickup to save them), in which case spare limpets from the cargo bay should be drawn in as an replacement.

Now we have a much smaller consumption of limpets over all and could in theory fly indefinitely around without having to worry ever about running out of limpets and having them to re-synthesize them. If FDev want to impose a Limit, they could give all Limpet Controllers a Maximum number of Refurbishes for Limpets(Analysis Kits for Prospectors, Cutting Tools for Hatchet Breaker, Claws for Collectors and so forth), which could be replenished by synthesis or at stations.

I think it would be a fair compromise between realism and gaminess, which was brought in by Surface Scanner Probes, and also explain why limpet controllers had a limit on how many could be active at the same time, seeing how they become programmed after getting fired.

It would of course require the ability to recall a limpet via Contacts into the Ship in Case of Collector, Prospector, Recon, etc. but that shouldn't be that hard.

Limpets need love too , right?

 

[MajorM3ss]

Limpets are very slow and have terrible pathing, too many suicides. Since there's no hope of improving that, limpets must be endless, just like DSS probes. It makes virtually no sense for limpet to occupy cargo slot. But having them as ammo won't do either, because when I go mining, I pack up to 500 limpets. I don't think any mag would be able to house that many...

I like the idea of a multi role controller.....see my post regarding this, it could be transposed to larger modules, but my original idea was for class 1 or 2, for use when exploring, or for new players in small ships to save rebuy costs .