idea: new optional internal - 'module carrier' (QoL)

Vortex-XIII

Vortex-XIII
How about having a 'module carrier' optional internal module?
With which we can store and carry around an unequipped module?

Say, with a size 6 'module carrier' we can equip 1 size 5 (or lower) module of any type (weps, shield-gen, thruster, etc) to it - without having it active, of course.
Would also serve as an explanation how modules are transferred to outposts (well, within reason).

Personally, my primary use-case would be carrying additional shields and internal modules around to engineers, so I don't have to do dozens of jumps in a combat ship to mod the armour.
Maybe also a support ship (ferrying modules for a second loadout to a CG system).

For the sake of argument, utilities = size 1.
Armour... that's a tough one.... size 3 for small ships, 5 for medium, 7 for big? (to be stored in a 4/6/8 'module carrier').


PS: we already have 'sub-modules' - SRVs and fighters .... so maybe that logic can be adapted to this?

PPS: going overboard, storing multiple modules in one carrier would also be nice. eg. 2x size 3 in a size 7 carrier, or 6 utilities in a size 7 .... but I believe that would require too many changes
 

AdmiralTigerclaw

A
+1 from me on this as well.

Though, from a perspective of imagining it as a schematic in a CAD prodject, the odd shapes of modules for different systems might require different volumes to ensure they FIT.

For example, I don't imagine a class 3 fuel scoop assembly to be the same shape and size as a class 3 power plant. Something tells me the power plant is going to be both bigger, and more cumbersomely shaped than the fuel scoop. After all, one's a fusion reactor, the other's effectively a Bussard Ramscoop.

Then again, modules of certain classes may conform to the volume of a chassis assembly, thus why they are rated as a 'class'. A power plant may occupy a volume of 3 meters long, two meters wide, and a meter tall. But it fits in a 3 x 2 x 2 chassis that fits in an equally-sized slot. Meanwhile the fuel scoop may be 1.5 meters long, two meters wide, and half a meter tall, too big for an arbitrarily sized class 2 chassis, but small enough to go into the class 3 chassis.

And chassis conformity may explain why certain modules that shouldn't be very big, weigh insane amounts. Sensors are all more or less the same size in terms of electronics. Just the bigger guys have a large emitter that takes up volume. And module chassis, instead of having unevenly distributed weight because of mismatched sizes, has filler, making it a brick made of metal (and thus, also increasing integrity.)


That being said, I'll reiterate I'd be on board with this. Though I would like to see engineering altering the sell value of a module. Make module carrier modules useful (because otherwise it's kind of niche and would be swapped out for something else after you ran your errands) in that you can buy a module, load it up, fly to get it engineered, and SELL the module for profit above it's base value. Imagine, a level five engineered FSD with an additional 50% boost to its range. Consider how VALUEABLE a player treats that thing. Imagine how much the fictional people of the universe would pay for that.


The main thing to figure out though, will be the ratios for smaller modules going in the module carrier. Would we be talking "Two threes go in a six, and three twos go in a six, or four twos go in an eight" ? Actually, I'd just go with that for simplicity. You can fit any smaller size module into a larger size, and the number you can fit is based on how well the combined 'values' of the class go into the whole number. (You can fit a class four, and two class twos in a class 8 slot) Only thing is that the modules must ALWAYS be at least one class-size smaller than the transport slot size.

And of course, you get the tonnage penalty of the classes you load up.
 
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Vortex-XIII

Vortex-XIII
all true.
but, given that the module 'metrics' are quite simplified at the moment, I decided to put the focus on "1 per carrier".
PS: like the suggestion about engineering effects to module value :)
 
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