Reintroduce specialized optional slots

[DemiserofD]

Way back in the day, some ships had specialized optional slots for things like passengers. Unfortunately, having these slots completely restricted made these ships useless at anything else, so ultimately, they were removed.

What if these slots were reintroduced, but in a different way?

Rather than being completely restricted to just that type of module, what if instead, they could fit modules of +1 or +2 size?

So, for example, a Beluga could have its c3 slots upgraded to passenger slots, meaning they could hold c3 of any module, or c4 or c5 passenger slots?

A corvette, by contrast, could now equip c3 modules in its c5 military slots.

The Asp Scout could have some of its modules upgraded to military slots, allowing it much greater combat capability without buffing it in other ways.

In this way, weak ships could be buffed in specific ways, while strong ships would just get small bonuses to their versatility.

You could have focused slots for cargo, exploration, combat, and passengers. Maybe mining, too, now that I think about it. They wouldn't pidgeonhole the ships, but WOULD make them slightly better at specific roles.

Thoughts?

 

[HRDiagram]

In principle, I like the idea, it would give more character to the ships, making them shine in a specific role for which they were meant for, while still being able to perform any other role in the same capacity they have now.

On the other hand, I fear the amount of convolution/complication that the implementation of dual function slots could imply. Not necessarily the coding, but my concern is that the UI would be messy or confusing.

In any case, we would end up with new weekly requests to equalise the slots values, to remove limitations, etc. (like passenger slots eventually converted into general slots): this time the complaint would be "Why is my passenger value 5 and normal value is 3? Raise them all!!1!", etc.

The usual stuff.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Really FD needed to make gameplay for the passenger slots because without them you have cruise liners outperforming dedicated combat vessels. The classic is the Orca, which is now a better FAS. By homogenizing ships FD have just made some obsolete.

The Asp Scout just needs a ground up rework too. Slots won't sort out its slow speed for example, which is the primary weakness of the ship.

 

[CMDR Rabbit]

My only real quibble with this is how resized/outsized mods would affect any eventual implementation of ship interiors (well i can dream right? ).

Its not an insurmountable problem by any means, just one more potential hurdle in front of me being able to cut my way into those floating derelicts in USSs and loot their insides!

 

[Ian Skippy]

All slots should be categorised. Strictly. This "every slot should do everything" made most ships largely redundant and the room for new ships tiny.

Oh well, that ship sailed long ago. Pointless variations of generic ships, with unlimited shield boosting but convoluted limpet management. It's a unique design, that's for sure.

 

[Northpin]

All slots should be categorised. Strictly. This "every slot should do everything" made most ships largely redundant and the room for new ships tiny.

Oh well, that ship sailed long ago. Pointless variations of generic ships, with unlimited shield boosting but convoluted limpet management. It's a unique design, that's for sure.

I kinda liked more the " fixed outfitting" in the original Elite

Now in ED, each ship is like an IKEA PAX Wardrobe system.

 

[Ian Skippy]

I kinda liked more the " fixed outfitting" in the original Elite

Now in ED, each ship is like an IKEA PAX Wardrobe system.

Well, I do like the idea of having your own unique ship of sorts. But the "every ship can be anything" makes everything blend together in a way. Completely fixed would take a lot of fun out if the game for me, but thats just my opinion.