Exploration: Restricted Exploration Slots
- Thread starter Sylveria
- Start date
Well, all jokes aside (excluding things that no other ship currently has anyway)
They could include all things that an Explorer uses, such as scanners, fuel scoops, AFM's, planetary vehicle hangars, etc. as options for these slots.
It's not too far-fetched an idea. As I said, military ships get their own little reserved slot, so why shouldn't exploration ships?
They could include all things that an Explorer uses, such as scanners, fuel scoops, AFM's, planetary vehicle hangars, etc. as options for these slots.
It's not too far-fetched an idea. As I said, military ships get their own little reserved slot, so why shouldn't exploration ships?
As per the title.
Military ships, in addition to having the benefit of armor, shield, weapons and the usual fare, also get "Restricted Military Slots" as an added bonus.
It's time Exploration ships got some love.
I'm rather surprised they didn't do this. But I also get the impression that the military-specific slots came well after the fact and they haven't worked out revamping everything else in the same way.
At the same time it would put a crimp in the thought of you can explore the galaxy in anything you want.
I still like it... It seems natural given we don't expect E-2D Hawkeye to be doing the same sort of military role as an F-14 Tomcat.
I think it's because under the general "optional internal" outfitting module, you need plenty of HRPs etc. on a combat build at a large size, but if you just give people extra standard internals you'd end up with the FAS being an excellent trade ship or multirole. So the restricted slots are needed to get non-multirole combat ships.
However, exploration modules - fuel scoop aside - generally don't need large slots, so if you want a ship to be good at exploration but not at other roles, you just give it lots of small internals and not many large ones. Something like 5-3-2-2-2-1-1-1 could carry every conventional item of exploration equipment, plus all the more common optional ones, but would be pretty useless at trading (<60t space) - and utility/hardpoint count could rule it out for combat too. So there's no need to have specifically restricted slots to build an exploration-focused hull - may as well just add an extra open size 1 or 2 slot if you think it doesn't have enough (as they did for the DBX a while back).
I agree that the size of the slots themselves wouldn't matter- excepting the Fuel Scoop, or perhaps even AFMS, but beyond that it still makes a compelling argument that military ships have an unfair advantage vs exploration ships in that they even gained extra slots to begin with, let alone what they're able to stuff in them.
Totally agreed here, too. In fact, the T series could also use a lot more love, considering most people just use a Python, Anaconda or Cutter instead of trade ships for hauling now.
I argee, that the slots mentioned are HIGHLY needed. After repair drones only Conda can carry all. What's needed in exlporation:
Scoop
AFMU
Hangar for rover
2 scanners
Shield (YES! - if you are landing on high G planets, it must be)
Repair drones are adding TWO slots - not only controller, but cargo bay for storing the drones aftes synthesis.
Such number of bays - only python, conda, cutter. Maybe, clipper, but only 8tn of fuel... The bay will be useful 4 AFMU, or scanners
Scoop
AFMU
Hangar for rover
2 scanners
Shield (YES! - if you are landing on high G planets, it must be)
Repair drones are adding TWO slots - not only controller, but cargo bay for storing the drones aftes synthesis.
Such number of bays - only python, conda, cutter. Maybe, clipper, but only 8tn of fuel... The bay will be useful 4 AFMU, or scanners
You already have all that, then.
I don't think you understand what it means.
Adding 256 tonnes to a T9
Adding 128 tonnes to a T7
Adding 64 tonnes to a T6 (maybe Keelback)
Adding 32 tonnes to an Adder
Adding 16 tonnes to a Hauler
Improving the cost-to-cargo ratio of the key trading ships, that's what it means.
Ah I see. Yes, I do agree the ratio is completely lopsided compared to multifunction ships (some of which have Mil slots too (ahem... Anaconda) that can hold comparable cargo, weapons, armor, shields and STILL rival a T-series ship.
Here's lookin at you...
...Python
...Anaconda
...Cutter
(off the top of my head)
My view is they either get rid of the mil slots or they bump the others so they're no longer considered "second best" to the multifunction ships.
I really don't see the detailed surface scanner as "necessary" for anything. It doesn't change what data you get nor the way you interact with anything in the universe; all it does is increase the payout of your data. It's a module tax. It really should have just been folded into the advanced scanner, but I digress.
The best thing that exploration ships could receive is...a reason to explore besides credits. A little motion in the universe would make scanning worthwhile, especially if some stellar event drastically changes the nature of a system. We need mobile events like comets, meteor showers, solar storms or asteroid field collisions to keep the universe interesting and make new scans worthwhile. We need factions making changes and doing things in these systems that necessitate us scouting them out from time to time to keep our own factions up to date. Hell, even the loss of a star would be worth checking out if it means we get to see the damn thing go supernova. As it is, exploration exists only to tempt us with the chance at naming something, show us some pretty sights along the way and make us a (comparatively) paltry sum of money for the time. What happens when the first two lose their lure? What do we do once we've seen it all and named it all? The pretty sights and low paycheck alone won't draw nearly as many explorers as one might think; we need activity in the universe to keep those lightweight, mobile scout ships relevant; otherwise all the stuff we're asking for will become meaningless in time.