Literally - why is it that limpet controllers only come in odd sizes - 1, 3, 5, etc. I find it frustrating to have a size 1 repair limpet controller in my spare size 2 slot, especially since I use this repair limpet for myself, so I don't need more limpets, but I could really use more repair capacity than what I get from the lowly size 1 controller. Same goes in other ships where I have size 3 collector controllers in size 4 slots, because that's the slot I have available. What's the reasoning here?
Why are limpet controllers odd?
- Thread starter Old Duck
- Start date
Odd indeed
Because FD.
My guess would be that it's all done in pursuit of the fabled "balance".
You take two ships that are, ostensibly, similar and you'll realise that a ship with mostly odd-sized slots is actually going to be useful for different things than a ship with mostly even-sized slots.
By way of example, it's why the T9 can be a more attractive mining ship than the T10, even though the T10 is superior in a bunch of ways.
I guess it'd be nice if FDev did just create a heap of modules in all sizes but I can see why they haven't and it's kind of fun (for me, at least) to plan a build that successfully overcomes all the compromises and limitations of a given ship.
Sometimes it's not good to give people everything they might want. It creates an opportunity to reward people for thoughtfulness and ingenuity.
Course, it wouldn't hurt if some ships were deliberately a bit more biased toward the roles that they're apparently intended for - if, for example, the AspX and DBX (the clue's in the name) had more slots that were useful for exploration.
As I've said before, I think it might be a good idea if, as well as the default slot-capacities for ships, FDev made slightly modified versions available as a reward for achieving various things related to, say, exploration, combat, trade and mining.
You take two ships that are, ostensibly, similar and you'll realise that a ship with mostly odd-sized slots is actually going to be useful for different things than a ship with mostly even-sized slots.
By way of example, it's why the T9 can be a more attractive mining ship than the T10, even though the T10 is superior in a bunch of ways.
I guess it'd be nice if FDev did just create a heap of modules in all sizes but I can see why they haven't and it's kind of fun (for me, at least) to plan a build that successfully overcomes all the compromises and limitations of a given ship.
Sometimes it's not good to give people everything they might want. It creates an opportunity to reward people for thoughtfulness and ingenuity.
Course, it wouldn't hurt if some ships were deliberately a bit more biased toward the roles that they're apparently intended for - if, for example, the AspX and DBX (the clue's in the name) had more slots that were useful for exploration.
As I've said before, I think it might be a good idea if, as well as the default slot-capacities for ships, FDev made slightly modified versions available as a reward for achieving various things related to, say, exploration, combat, trade and mining.
Presumably because they don't want them to be super efficient at 1-size-1-limpet, especially for collectors, and you can't have half a limpet. (Except when it's smacked into something again).
For some like repair limpets you could concievably have eg. a size 2 controller that controls one limpet better than a size 1, but it's hard to see how that could extend meaningfully to propsectors say.
For some like repair limpets you could concievably have eg. a size 2 controller that controls one limpet better than a size 1, but it's hard to see how that could extend meaningfully to propsectors say.
The flaw in this logic is that limpets are used for many different things, yet all limpets are "odd". Your thinking would make sense if mining-based limpets were odd and combat-based limpets were even, for example, but why handicap a bunch of ships from maximizing anything limpet-related?
It seems more likely to me that Frontier was just being lazy rather than clever, but I'm willing to be proven wrong.
Theoretically they could have just did a 1 to 1 size to count scheme - size 1 = 1 limpet, size 2 = 2 limpets, etc. It's not like ED can't handle a dozen limpets flying around. Regarding repair limpets, I often go with a bigger controller not because I want a bunch of limpets (you can only use one at a time per ship), but rather that one size three limpet repairs a heck of a lot more than one size one limpet.
FWIW, if you have the spare slots, it's definitely better to fit 2x C1 Prospector Controllers instead of a single C3 module cos it means you can use one controller until you find a juicy 'roid and then you can switch to the other controller and launch a bunch more limpets without the original Prospector expiring.
It is a bit of a luxury though.
Let's take my size 2 repair limpet controller example. It would still control just one limpet, but it would have improved repair capability. See my last post above this one for clarification.Cause there is no such thing as half a limpet
I guess the whole thing would just become too complicated if FDev tried to second-guess every possible configuration of every ship for every purpose so, instead, they set some "ground rules" and then work within them.
Let's face it, the difference between a good and not-so-good build can often be judged by how many undersized modules are fitted to a ship.
Clearly, there's a basic premise of "not every module is perfect for every slot so it's up to players to minimise the compromises they need to make" at work and I don't doubt FDev have imposed that deliberately.
See, this does seem sensible to me.
The whole "half a limpet" thing isn't really a justifiable explanation.
If FDev wanted to, they could certainly give, for example, odd-sized Collectors a 3-minute lifespan and even-sized Collectors a 5-minute lifespan.
Similar thing with Repair limpets, or whatever - just make the even-sized modules slightly better in some way.
Course, if FDev did that, we'd probably still be having this conversation but it'd be "How come an odd-sized controller is worse than an even-sized controller?!" instead.
Which, again, would boil down to certain ships being more suitable than others for certain things.
It won't be a problem.
The vast majority of my discarded limpets are stuck inside lumps of asteroid, where they can't harm anybody.
Because Braben willed it and thus it is so...
Ha! Indeed. This is one of the reasons (amongst others) that I’ve always preferred the Viper4 over the Cobra3, you can create ‘neater’ builds with the V4’s class 3 slot...
I don’t think it would break the game at all if they introduced even limpet modules and it simply went...
Class 1 = 1 limpet
Class 2 = 2 limpet
Class 3 = 3 limpet
Etc....
It’s not so bad as it is with salvaging and mining but piracy can be really painful if you don’t have enough limpets working for you.
I don’t see us getting tractor beams, although if you look at the way guardian slf’s hold themselves together maybe there’s some wiggle room for that after all...
But if not, a limpet controller re-work would be very welcome, especially if we can engineer the module to our own specification.
I don’t think it would break the game at all if they introduced even limpet modules and it simply went...
Class 1 = 1 limpet
Class 2 = 2 limpet
Class 3 = 3 limpet
Etc....
It’s not so bad as it is with salvaging and mining but piracy can be really painful if you don’t have enough limpets working for you.
I don’t see us getting tractor beams, although if you look at the way guardian slf’s hold themselves together maybe there’s some wiggle room for that after all...
But if not, a limpet controller re-work would be very welcome, especially if we can engineer the module to our own specification.
Because prime numbers are odd, except for 2 - she is the oddest among the prime numbers.
I only buy an even amount of limpets due to the controllers always being odd. The universe demands balance.