[2.4 Beta] Heatsink Synth

[Micha]

Firstly, great it's been included.

However, not great that it requires "manufacture materials" to synth a heatsink.

The request to synth heatsinks came primarily from the exploration community. By requiring "manufactured materials" you may as well have just upped the ammo in the heatsink launcher as explorers have no way to gather these materials once outside colonised space.

In fact, as it stands, it's more a buff to PvP/smuggling than exploration.

Which raises another point - synthing should take time/energy/heat as otherwise it can be spammed during dangerous situations (ammo during combat, heatsinks while overheating, SRV repairs while falling down a cliff).

 

[YinYin]

I think this is better off over here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php/214-2-4-Beta-General-Discussion

 

[Micha]

Possibly; wasn't sure since the bug-reporting forum said to use the suggestions forum.. not sure which is more likely to get dev attention

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I suggested a while back that all synthesis should take time to complete.
Things like FSD boosts should be virtually instant, but PvP centric things like heat sink, chaff, SCB (if we get it) synthesis should take several minutes.

This would make no difference to an explorer, they would simply synthesise more when they run out, but would make them useless in combat, unless said combat was going to last some time.

Also, I agree with the OP, it should require elements to synthesise heat sink ammo, not manufactured materials.

 

[Micha]

Yep, we've been discussing for ages that synth should take time and/or use lots of power (forcing you to shut down systems) and/or generate lots of heat.

Basically you should be required to be in a safe place to perform synthing for items which are needed during combat or during danger.

Fair Enough:
* Insta-Synth SRV refuel or FSD boost

Ridiculous:
* Synthing ammo during combat
* Synthing heatsinks while cooking near a star
* Repairing SRV while tumbling down a cliff (or being shot by a skimmer)

 

[DocLooshkin]

Hello, Micha.

I agree with the main suggestion - and with the rather larger, secondary point that synthesis - particularly of things that can impact combat and other time-critical activities - should be expected not to be instant.

Repairs are my main bugbear in this area, if slightly off the main topic. The word "placeholder" is somewhat overused, here on the forum, but I look at repairs of anything in ED and I can't honestly say I've ever seen them as anything else. They're just too quick and easy, by far.

The most complex repair, at this moment, gives us nothing more than a brief sound-effect and a stat-change. It's a long, long way from excellence. Surely, FD must have some plans to do this better, at some point.

I suspect that as the rest of the game is fleshed out - once we have interiors to walk around in, once we have pilot avatars literally standing right next to ships and SRVs while they're being repaired - FD will see how weak it looks and want to do more. Presumably, they'll be looking again at synthesis in general, at the same time.