Electronics Module & Pooled Limpet Storage

[Nadreck]

Two somewhat related issues:

I'm not a big fan of "splitters" in general, as I think the various combinations of internal modules help to give different ships some individual "character". But the shortage of size 1 slots, in particular, is dire. If you want to go exploring in an Imperial Cutter, and carry the customary ADS/DSS combo, you'll have two size 1 modules in a size 4 and a size 5 slot (room for 48 tons of cargo in cargo racks). And there is now a bewildering variety of limpet controllers that I will never use, limpets would be great multipurpose tools if I could somehow equip all the controllers for them!

So I think there is now an urgent need for "splitters" that create size 1 slots in particular. I propose an "Electronics Module" available in 3 sizes:

Size 3: contains 2 size 1 slots.
Size 4: contains 3 size 1 slots.
Size 5: contains 4 size 1 slots.

These probably should be restricted to exclude things that don't qualify as "electronics", such as cargo racks or fuel tanks. It wouldn't be game-breaking to allow those, but it would be rather silly. Good uses include scanners, docking computer, and small limpet controllers. The size 1 Guardian FSD Booster would also be eligible (it only adds 2ly, so no big deal).

So what would you use the bigger limpet controllers for? Well, apart from controlling more limpets at a time, they could provide limpet storage (as many have suggested), and I've had an idea about that.

At present, all storage from cargo racks is "pooled", you don't have to assign cargo to individual racks (as you do with passengers in passenger cabins). I propose that each of the larger limpet controllers provides 3/4 of the storage capacity of a cargo rack of that size, and that this is pooled to create a shared cargo space for limpets only. Whenever you use "restock", you fill up any unused limpet storage with limpets that can be used by any limpet controller you have, and you still have the option of buying additional limpets to store in your general cargo hold if you want to.

So a size 3 limpet controller gives you 6t of limpet storage. If you have two different size 3 controllers, you have 12t of limpets usable by either controller (plus whatever size 1 controllers you have), plus whatever extra limpets you have in your cargo hold.

 

[Nadreck]

Actually these would be quite easy to implement, as the introduction of the Electronics Module would have no effect on existing ships at all: it simply becomes a new option during the next outfitting session (if the module is available at that station). And the proposed changes to limpets would only have one discernible immediate effect: ships with limpet controllers larger than size 1, with limpets still onboard, would suddenly find more cargo space as some limpets get shunted into limpet-only storage. The actual limpets would work exactly as before.

But I would like to add an additional request: the shortlist of modules permitted in an Electronics Module should include the Electronics Module itself (plus all larger versions of permitted size-1 modules, such as limpet controllers). That sounds odd at first, as the smallest one is size 3 and there's no way of "nesting" them. But the reason is that it then becomes easy to introduce dedicated exploration ships in future (I gather there is talk of this) with a reserved internal slot that can only be used for an Electronics Module OR the sort of module that an Electronics Nodule can itself contain, no need to maintain separate lists of permitted module types (we already have two of those, for restricted military slots and restricted passenger-cabin slots: we'd only need one more type of restricted slot).

Given FD's tradition of providing us with stock ships that are functional but "gimped" (e.g. undersized cargo racks in freighters), there might be an exploration ship with a locked size-4 slot containing just an Intermediate Discovery Scanner, or possibly a size 3 Electronics Module with an IDS and a DSS. It will be up to the player to upgrade this to a size 4 Electronics Module with ADS, DSS, and something else.

Arguably the size 1 AFMU might qualify as "electronics". This too would be handy for explorers, carrying out running repairs on the FSD after neutron-scooping (especially if they've stocked up on materials for AFMU-ammo synthesis, so they can manage with a small ammo magazine). And if so, that's another reason for having this new category of reserved modules: so that if you have an exploration ship with a reserved module slot, you could choose to stick a bigger AFMU in there if you wanted to (or a bigger limpet controller or whatever: maybe even a bigger Guardian FSD Booster). If FD don't want to allow this option for a specific ship design, they could simply provide several locked size 1 slots for adding "electronics" directly without using the new module.