Imagine a warehouse that threw away its forklifts after loading and unloading the trucks for the day. Insane, right? Yet this is exactly what we do in Elite Dangerous. I know I'm beating a dead limpet, but we really need:
PERMANENT LIMPETS
The limpets remind me of very expensive, automated forklifts, and we should not be throwing them away. I've looked at them up close, these are way more than just disposable beer cans! Our limpet "controllers" should actually be "limpet hangars", with the size slot determining how many limpets we get. A size 3 slot holds 3 limpets, a size 5 slot holds 5, etc. This would make limpets like the SRV or SLF. Give them a similar UI interface so we can retrieve them when done, and perhaps give them different tasks - for example, target a specific material to gather or an asteroid to prospect. For the sake of gameplay, make them indestructible (Nav Beacon metal), however you could make it so they can be accidentally abandoned, thus lost if you're not careful and requiring replacement.
I bring this up as someone who wanted to do deep space (Bubble > 1KLY) mining but decided against it because of the current situation with limpets. Add the fact that the current system is pure nonsense logic (see first sentence), topped with the reality that Frontier realized that infinite probes made for the best gameplay, and you'll see my proposal is just plain common sense (and not a new idea).
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to throw away this laptop because it has served its one-time purpose. Thankfully I have 100 more in my closet in case anyone wishes to engage in dialog. Doesn't leave much room for clothes, however....
PERMANENT LIMPETS
The limpets remind me of very expensive, automated forklifts, and we should not be throwing them away. I've looked at them up close, these are way more than just disposable beer cans! Our limpet "controllers" should actually be "limpet hangars", with the size slot determining how many limpets we get. A size 3 slot holds 3 limpets, a size 5 slot holds 5, etc. This would make limpets like the SRV or SLF. Give them a similar UI interface so we can retrieve them when done, and perhaps give them different tasks - for example, target a specific material to gather or an asteroid to prospect. For the sake of gameplay, make them indestructible (Nav Beacon metal), however you could make it so they can be accidentally abandoned, thus lost if you're not careful and requiring replacement.
I bring this up as someone who wanted to do deep space (Bubble > 1KLY) mining but decided against it because of the current situation with limpets. Add the fact that the current system is pure nonsense logic (see first sentence), topped with the reality that Frontier realized that infinite probes made for the best gameplay, and you'll see my proposal is just plain common sense (and not a new idea).
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to throw away this laptop because it has served its one-time purpose. Thankfully I have 100 more in my closet in case anyone wishes to engage in dialog. Doesn't leave much room for clothes, however....
