Built-in limpet controller for all ships!

[Teh Smoo]

Give every ship a built-in smart limpet control system, good for one limpet. Grade E-A in core systems. You still need cargo racks for limpets, unless limpets become ammo.

In the ship menu, you would configure what type of limpet it fires.

Optional slots would add more limpets, so you would still need these for limpet-heavy activities.


For instance, a mining ship would still take as many optional slots full of limpets, have 2 prospectors and the rest collectors and cargo and whatever, configured in a ship options tab, and fire groups.

Other ships might bring along a few limpets, for collection/fuel/repair/hatch-breaking purposes. Or that ship-stabilizer idea someone came up with, which is niche enough that it would never be worth a module of its own.

 

[Lestat]

See this is where choice comes in. You either want them or not. As a trader would you use them?

 

[Allchemyst]

Hell buddy, remember how ED refuses to even give us the auto-docking computer as part of the ship's software, and think about the odds of getting limpet controllers as part of the ship's main frame. Makes me giggle a little.

Personally, I think I'd rather have FD turn the extremely obnoxious, nonsensical limpet controllers we have now into something actually worthwhile.

By which I mean : No class 7 controllers (seriously?!?), more than a max. of 4 limpets active, non-single-use targeted cargo limpets, I could go on...

Usually, threads like this stem from the - absolutely correct - sentiment that the current "choice" is a non-choice, game-wise, and that the proposed setting is very, very underwhelming : If you're a miner, a pirate or a fuel rat and you want to function worth half-a-damn, you have to use controllers, and in any other situation, you just don't take them at all. The real problem is that those roles are forced to use modules so bloody dysfunctional (once again, a 128t Class 7 cargo controller for just 4 limpets? That's not a fair deal!) it hurts to outfit them.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I've suggested similar before.

My idea was just a multipurpose limpet controller.
You use the modules tab to set it's mode, it quickly reboots, killing off all active limpets, then comes back online allowing the new mode.
The multipurpose limpet controller is all round less effective (less active limpets, shorter range, more power use, heavier) than a dedicated, but is more versatile.

Or something like that.

Copied from my ship stabilization limpet controller idea.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[Spacegamejunkie]

Automatic mode controller, If you have a active prospector limpet, and fire at another Asteroid, the first one dies.
However if you start firing mining lasers, DUH !!, it fires Collectors, what is so hard about that ?
Why do we need more than one controller anyway ?

Just another way to Nurf our ships module space, Bad enough we are forced to put size 3 stuff in size 4 or Larger Slots.

We need the ability to Split Slot Size to allow our most efficient use of space.
Like One size 6 slot could be split into 2 size 3 Slots, for two controllers, ect.
OR
A system based on Total Space of all slots, where we can decide what size slots we want to use.

 

[Virandar]

I like the idea. Even though I'm not optimistic about it being implemented.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

After some more thought, I'd really like the OPs idea.

Built in, like the data link scanner. Only controls 1 limpet at a time, at a maximum range of 500~m.
Functions or modules menu is used to change its function, with the exception of hatch breakers, or if they become a thing, tracking limpets.
Basically, fuel, collection, or prospecting limpets only.

It would allow for PvE type stuff, like NPC fuel rescues to be done on the fly, seems as there is no use for fuel limpets beyond fueling players, so no reason to carry a fuel limpet controller.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[Shadowdancer]

Maybe a controlled number of specialised controller slots on some ships to further specialisation. The combat-oriented ships would be alright with a single slot really or even none (because let's be honest here, it will be hatch-breakers). More multi-purpose ships could take two or three to enable mining or rescue without impinging on versatility too much. Like with passenger cabins or military slots, players could still decide to sacrifice generic slots on more controllers.

 

[Velixar]

Why would I use this on my type 9 trader?

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Why would I use this on my type 9 trader?

I dunno, you tell me. Lol

If you stop by a USS loaded with materials to pick up? Or stumble across a stranded NPC.