Have Optional Fuel Tanks increase Jump Range by boosting max fuel per jump

Nitross

N
I have been playing only for a few months, so I apologize in advance if this isn't a new idea for the veterans here.

One thing I noticed in the game, is how some things like some ships (#freekeely) or components seem to miss their purpose.

Optional Internal Fuel Tanks (and to some extent, larger fuel tanks in general) come to mind in this case.

It would seem to me that the point of an extra Fuel Tank would be to travel longer / further, but the weight of the extra fuel it carries actually shortens your max jump range and affects your route planning negatively.

It is to such a point that Explorers even prefer to fit smaller tanks and simply use better fuel scoops to go to farther destinations in less jumps.

Because of this, I suggest that Optional Internal Fuel Tanks grant a boost to FSD jump range. This would be explained by an increase of the max fuel per jump your ship can use, due to extra fuel management (more injectors allowing for a longer "burn"?) the component could bring. I think the boost should at least be just enough to negate the weight of the extra fuel the tank adds, allowing to plan the same jumps you would before adding the tank.

This, in my opinion, would allow the extra fuel tanks to fulfill their intended design of allowing for longer trips out in the black.
 

damon8r351

damon8r351
I know Elite likes to play it fast and loose with the physics of space travel, but that's a bit much. I can swallow unexplained FTL communication, lack of time dilation, etc, but bucking the immutable rule of more mass=less go is stretching it.
 

Nitross

N
True, it may be a bit of a stretch in terms of physics, and I can't really argue for or against that aspect since it's not my area of expertise.

But, in terms of game design, if an element is left unused then it is missing it's purpose.

As it is, I suspect extra fuel tanks are probably used only by people like the Fuel Rats. But, I can only guess since what I found on the web about them is to forget them and use a fuel scoop instead.

As options to customize your jump range beyond a bigger FSD drive and managing mass lie only with engineers, I thought it could be one way to make the fuel tanks a more attractive optional internal choice.

Would there be another way to make them more relevant for usage? Do you have a suggestion of your own? I'd love more ideas on the subject; mine is only one way.
 

Allchemyst

Allchemyst
Nitross said:
True, it may be a bit of a stretch in terms of physics, and I can't really argue for or against that aspect since it's not my area of expertise.

But, in terms of game design, if an element is left unused then it is missing it's purpose.

As it is, I suspect extra fuel tanks are probably used only by people like the Fuel Rats. But, I can only guess since what I found on the web about them is to forget them and use a fuel scoop instead.

As options to customize your jump range beyond a bigger FSD drive and managing mass lie only with engineers, I thought it could be one way to make the fuel tanks a more attractive optional internal choice.

Would there be another way to make them more relevant for usage? Do you have a suggestion of your own? I'd love more ideas on the subject; mine is only one way.
Click to expand...


If you're using plasma accelerators or railguns with the fuel-ammo engineer perk, your fuel tanks essentially turn into ammo stores. Very powerful on medium and large ships. Coupled with a fuel scoop, you can last indefinitely in systems that don't even have large landing pads.

But beyond that, yeah, they're not that useful. Then again, they're just big canisters - not all modules need to be immensely useful all the time.
 
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Chrystoph

Chrystoph
Sorry, I think you are suggesting a broken mechanic. My reason is that the logic you put forth would ignore the amount of fuel a ship consumes from the primary tank.

Why would adding another tank suddenly give you more range when you aren't using all of the fuel in the primary in the first place?
 

GJ51

GJ51
Hmmm....

Probably doesn't remember when 39LY was the most you could get out of an Anaconda stripped for exploration.

Engineers
Jumponium
Neutron Highway

Never enough...
 

Chrystoph

Chrystoph
What I had rather see is the ability to mount a one shot modification to the FSD that allows you to jump into deep space and a device that can be emplaced to create the sort of gravitational anchor needed for a regular ship to propagate to that location.

That combination would allow you to make bridge locations which could also serve as congregation points, especially if you could emplace an outpost.
 

colprice2002

C
I've used additional fuel tanks - the jump range is reduced, but you can do a lot more jumps!
Mostly i use them for medium range trading/taxi missions (rare trading routes). Although fuel scoops give an infinite range, they occup a large module slot - unless you want to spend ages refuelling. The additional tank allows me to use a larger cargo module and still reach my destination.
 

Skatez69

S
Surely the amount of fuel an engine can burn in a single jump is down to the engine not the tank? Having additional tanks just gives it more of a pool to pull from.
Perhaps a bad analogy, but if I add an additional fuel tank to my car, it's not going to suddenly make my engine go faster since it can drink more fuel. The only thing it's going to do is increase the range.
Sorry, no, I think it's fine as it is.
 

MBaldelli

MBaldelli
I'm late to chirp in on this but... what?

There is positively no point to a larger/additional fuel tank in Deep Space Exploration as you're not charting the great unknown in the Deep Black because of range, but because of the unexplored. The primary fuel tank is more than enough, and a large fuel scoop will more than adequately refill the fuel tank in record time if you've mastered the ability to fast skim the KGBFOAM stars without overheating.

Not to mention when you get past the cherry picking, you're not doing the surveying for the range, but the economy when you're scanning butt-tons of stars (and planets and moons) in order to get your name plastered into the First Discovered By part of the System window.

It's also not as though you're going to be using the tanks to getting to Colonia. Fuel Scooping or using the Hurt Highway (AKA Neutron Star Highway), you've got the range going for you too. For the former it'll be better for having Farseer or Martuuk engineer the crap out of your FSD. For the latter, Neutron Boosting makes it superfluous.

Overall, I'm not seeing any benefit for your suggestion. Especially when I've mastered fuel scooping not to burn up around a star.
 
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