Changes to sensors/scanners and computers/controllers

[KayAitch]

The way sensors, scanners, computers and controllers work currently is more than a little odd:

• Sensors is a built-in module that scales with the ship. For some reason sensor arrays for very large ships way many times what the exact same sensors would weigh on a small ship.
• Scanners use up an internal slot.
• Detain scanners also use up an internal slot.
• Docking computers are somehow insanely heavy despite being really dumb.
• Collection, prospect, hatch-breaker and fuel transfer controllers each take up another slot.
• Frame wake scanners are yet another
• Cargo and bounty hunting scanners are external and take up a slot each.

The difference between most of these is software, and that shouldn't weigh anything.

So a suggestion for a slightly richer model that makes more sense:

Ships get three new built-in internal modules, replacing the sensors. Each of these has sub modules in the same way that the SRV bay does:

Long range sensors
These replace the discovery and detail scanners and add new functionality:
E: 500LS no slots
D: 1000LS 1 slot (light)
C: 2000LS 1 slot
B: 3000LS 2 slots (heavy + low power usage)
A: 10000LS 2 slots

Ships with Scout in their name would get 1 extra slot for C, B and A
Ships with Explorer in their name would get 1 extra slot for E and D, and 2 extra for C, B and A

The available upgrade slots can hold:

• Stellar Scanner - increases income (2x-3x) from scanned main sequence stars. Slows scan time.
• Degenerate Scanner - massively increases income (20x-30x) from scanned stellar remnants (Neutron stars, white dwarfs, black holes). Slows scan time.
• Planetary Scanner - increases income (2x-3x) from scanner planets. Slows scan time.
• Bio Scanner - massively increases income (20x-30x) from any planet with life on it. Slows scan time.
• Range Booster - increase range to infinite (like the current Advanced Discovery Scanner). Doubles scan duration.
• SC Ship Scanner - increases ability to find and identify ships in SuperCruise, WANTED and ENEMY ships immediately show up as such before being scanned.
• Fast Scanner - halves scan duration

Close Range Sensors
These replace the traditional sensors and all types of utility hardpoint scanner.
E: 2.5KM no slots
D: 3KM 1 slot (light)
C: 4KM 1 slot
B: 5KM 2 slots (heavy + low power usage)
A: 7KM 2 slots

Any ships with a combat or piracy focus would have extra slots.

The available upgrade slots can hold:

• Cargo Scanner - tells you what the ship's current cargo is
• Local Bounty Scanner - required to find and claim any local bounty
• Galnet Bounty Scanner - finds any bounty anywhere (like the current KWS)
• Frame Wake Scanner - similar to the current wake scanner
• Fast Scanner - halves scan duration

Ship's Computer
This would be a single module that covers all software upgrades and functionality.
E: no slots
D: 1 slot (light)
C: 1 slot
B: 2 slots (heavy + low power usage)
A: 2 slots

Multirole and large ships would get more slots. Combat ships would have fewer than the equivalent multirole.

The available upgrade slots can hold:

• Docking computer
• Collection limpet controller
• Prospecting limpet controller
• Cargo hatch breaker controller
• Fuel transfer limpet controller
• Stellar Database - adds 20% to all exploration scan cash, and is required to get First Discovered and your name on a planet.
• Turret Controller - required to have any turrets, would have a rating that governed the number of turrets it could control.
• Planetary approach suites would go here too, but as a 'free' extra module for Horizon players.

All of this would make for some interesting choices - smaller ships could be explorers, but all explorers would have to make some choices about what they want to be searching for. Combat and multirole ships could be have very different software and both pirates and bounty hunters would have some interesting balance choices to make when they kit their ships.

 

[ModZero]

I really like this. It has an obvious issue of dramatic incompatibility with the current model (i.e. what to do with someone's Asp that's floating in the middle of nowhere), but it's much less weird than the current system.

I'd consider making some slots (1-2) just a basic part of the ship, and having internal modules that provide extra slots. Also an "amplifier" plug for the long range scanners that would increase range. So a ship would have an intrinsic sensor range (say, Ri), and both the scanner and amplifier plugs would have multipliers (say, Rs and Ra), to scan range would be Ri*Rs*Ra. Or instead of scanner multiplier they would be a curve relating scan speed to distance, if you want it really complicated ;-)