Engineers Engineered fuel tanks?

Matt Harpring · Sep 25, 2016

Anyone know if the new engineers have fuel tank mods?

I'm hoping we can mod a fuel scoop into our fuel tanks at some point. That and a combo ADS/DSS and I'd be able to fit all the gadgets I want into my spec ops/recon Imperial Courier (still hoping for some buffed sensors/scanners though) Would this be balance breaking? You can tell me I'm ridiculous, I'm already well aware.

Anybody else have any other ideas for neat fuel tank mods?

If it turns out I'm a lunatic and nobody cares about fuel tank mods, we can use this thread to speculate about meta drives. One of the cooler theories I've heard (from one of the mystery megathreads) has to do with a meta alloy fuel tank as a way of containing anti-matter fuel, making the meta drive an analog to the military drive. I've only been aware of the elite universe since June 2015 so all the legacy lore stuff and the (psuedo?) science behind it all is super interesting, I could listen to it all day.

Pville_Piper · Sep 26, 2016

You're a lunatic...

Actually, I've always wanted to take my size 4 fuel tank on my FAS and make it a fuel scoop and then make the 5 cargo hold and make it a fuel tank.

Matt Harpring · Sep 26, 2016

Wow I never even thought of that. That would make for some interesting possibilities. Is it possible you're a lunatic too?

I was selfishly shooting for the internal compartment space so I can stuff an FSD interdictor and a SCB in an explorer Icourier.

I was thinking like compressed fuel tanks that hold more but are heavier. But your idea is way more intriguing.

Pville_Piper · Sep 26, 2016

Who are you calling a lunatic?!!!

[wacky][wacky][wacky][wacky][wacky][wacky][wacky]

Limoncello Lizard · Sep 26, 2016

Shoot a ship with a couple of grams of antimatter and you are going to die from the explosion at a mere 2 km away.

Matt Harpring · Sep 26, 2016

I'm just asking questions!

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Limoncello Lizard said:
Shoot a ship with a couple of grams of antimatter and you are going to die from the explosion at a mere 2 km away.

That sounds way more realistic. Although it would probably be a pretty cool explosion before it consumes your ship. Hopefully grade 5 focused lasers come out soon.

How was that explained in the earlier elite/frontier games with military drives? Or am I totally off on the way their fuel works ("works")?

Limoncello Lizard · Sep 26, 2016

If you want an improved fusion reaction, Helium 3 fuses with about 4 times the energy output than hydrogen per mass. It's a tad rare on Earth, but a modified fuel scoop could get some from a star.

Matt Harpring · Sep 26, 2016

Is helium 3 present in high energy particle jets fron neutron stars? We're kind of vaguely getting an improved reaction mechanic.

RamirezKurita · Sep 26, 2016

Limoncello Lizard said:
If you want an improved fusion reaction, Helium 3 fuses with about 4 times the energy output than hydrogen per mass. It's a tad rare on Earth, but a modified fuel scoop could get some from a star.

Rather than coming from a star, a better source for Helium 3 would likely be the exhausts on our ships as they rely on fusing hydrogen to produce energy then vent the exhaust to produce thrust. In that case, why not instead add some power generators that allow for multiple stages of fusion to occur, operating at much greater fuel efficiencies at the cost of increased mass and reduced power output? I could see some traders and explorers loving the extra fuel efficiency, while military ships would continue to opt for the higher power output of the single stage fusion reactors.

Niewitch · Sep 26, 2016

yes, i would gladly see, fuel tank capacity mod and light weight mod

xondk · Sep 26, 2016

Matt Harpring said:
Anyone know if the new engineers have fuel tank mods?

I'm hoping we can mod a fuel scoop into our fuel tanks at some point. That and a combo ADS/DSS and I'd be able to fit all the gadgets I want into my spec ops/recon Imperial Courier (still hoping for some buffed sensors/scanners though) Would this be balance breaking? You can tell me I'm ridiculous, I'm already well aware.

Anybody else have any other ideas for neat fuel tank mods?

If it turns out I'm a lunatic and nobody cares about fuel tank mods, we can use this thread to speculate about meta drives. One of the cooler theories I've heard (from one of the mystery megathreads) has to do with a meta alloy fuel tank as a way of containing anti-matter fuel, making the meta drive an analog to the military drive. I've only been aware of the elite universe since June 2015 so all the legacy lore stuff and the (psuedo?) science behind it all is super interesting, I could listen to it all day.

2.2 has engineer fuel scoops last I checked patch notes..

Niewitch · Sep 26, 2016

xondk said:
2.2 has engineer fuel scoops last I checked patch notes..

yes but mods is pathetic, no one wants more integrity in their fuel scoops. It needs speed, range and light weight mods

Iskariot · Sep 26, 2016

Niewitch said:
yes but mods is pathetic, no one wants more integrity in their fuel scoops. It needs speed, range and light weight mods

Uhmm.... What use will a fast fuel tank be to you.
Your not traveling in your fuel tank.... I hope

.

But mods for reducing mass seem a logical thing to have.

Matt Harpring · Sep 26, 2016

Iskariot said:
Uhmm.... What use will a fast fuel tank be to you.
Your not traveling in your fuel tank.... I hope .

But mods for reducing mass seem a logical thing to have.

Aren't fuel scoops weightless already?

EDIT:
Fuel scoops are weightless! Fuel tanks are not.

Niewitch · Sep 26, 2016

Iskariot said:
Uhmm.... What use will a fast fuel tank be to you.
Your not traveling in your fuel tank.... I hope .

But mods for reducing mass seem a logical thing to have.

Iam talking about fuel scoops

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Matt Harpring said:
Aren't fuel scoops weightless already?

EDIT:
Fuel scoops are weightless! Fuel tanks are not.

Actually you are right. Fuel scoop is weightless. So it needs then only range and speed mods. But fuel tank needs lightweight and capacity mods

Matt Harpring · Sep 26, 2016

RamirezKurita said:
Rather than coming from a star, a better source for Helium 3 would likely be the exhausts on our ships as they rely on fusing hydrogen to produce energy then vent the exhaust to produce thrust. In that case, why not instead add some power generators that allow for multiple stages of fusion to occur, operating at much greater fuel efficiencies at the cost of increased mass and reduced power output? I could see some traders and explorers loving the extra fuel efficiency, while military ships would continue to opt for the higher power output of the single stage fusion reactors.

That's a really interesting idea. Instead of just heat efficient PP we can have a fuel efficient one too.

Edit:
To combine 2 ideas here, maybe even an adapter to filter out helium 3 created by the ongoing fusion reaction and funnel it back in to your fuel tanks as like an accelerant? You can supercharge your own FSD after a period of collection. Would be like a 1 long jump after a set amount of gameplay.

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Niewitch said:
Iam talking about fuel scoops

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Actually you are right. Fuel scoop is weightless. So it needs then only range and speed mods. But fuel tank needs lightweight and capacity mods

Or perhaps maybe a mod to include a fuel scoop adapter inside the tank housing at the cost of fuel capacity and scoop class?! Pretty please!

I'm happy to see other people interested. It's one of the last areas to get a pass from engineers, hopefully we get some awesome upgrades.

Niewitch · Sep 26, 2016

Matt Harpring said:
That's a really interesting idea. Instead of just heat efficient PP we can have a fuel efficient one too.

Edit:
To combine 2 ideas here, maybe even an adapter to filter out helium 3 created by the ongoing fusion reaction and funnel it back in to your fuel tanks as like an accelerant? You can supercharge your own FSD after a period of collection. Would be like a 1 long jump after a set amount of gameplay.

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Or perhaps maybe a mod to include a fuel scoop adapter inside the tank housing at the cost of fuel capacity and scoop class?! Pretty please!

I'm happy to see other people interested. It's one of the last areas to get a pass from engineers, hopefully we get some awesome upgrades.

agree

there is also very neat feature
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/293270-Module-slot-adapters

Iskariot · Sep 26, 2016

Niewitch said:
Iam talking about fuel scoops

Oooh. LOL okay.

Matt Harpring · Sep 26, 2016

Niewitch said:
agree

there is also very neat feature
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/293270-Module-slot-adapters

I used to root for that pretty hard. When I first started playing, it confused me why that wasn't possible. The argument that I see against it a lot (and without any critual thought tend to agree with) is that hull strength modules would be abused. Not to say theres not a way to balance it. Honestly, I'd take any solution that can get me more gadgets inside my ship.

Niewitch · Sep 26, 2016

Matt Harpring said:
I used to root for that pretty hard. When I first started playing, it confused me why that wasn't possible. The argument that I see against it a lot (and without any critual thought tend to agree with) is that hull strength modules would be abused. Not to say theres not a way to balance it. Honestly, I'd take any solution that can get me more gadgets inside my ship.

That would be easily balanced so that 2 x class 1 hull mods is less strenght than 1x class 3 mod, and so on