Limpet Controllers containing Limpets as "Ammunition"

[O'Roarke]

Right now Limpets are handled a bit obscurely in the restock screen.

A simple class 3 limpet controller requires a certain amount of tonnage in it's slot; and typically it's less then a fully filled cargo rack could hold.
It's curious how a 7A Collector Controller can handle only double the limpets of a 3A Collector Controller at only a moderately longer range.

Having limpets being ammunition of a controller will make reloading simpler, and will cause micromanagement of ship's inventory out in space to be simpler.
Of course, hardcore Elite players might complain it will lower the skill cap in doing so.

Maybe a class 3 controller could carry 4 one-tonne limpets?
And a class 7 controller could carry 64 one-tonne limpets?

Maybe vary the amount of limpets a controller can carry by it's rating (E to A)?
Perhaps engineering blueprints can be added to tweak this capacity?

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

+1

I'd like limpets to be ammo based.
Collecting stuff is a major part of the game since engineers, and in order to use collection limpets, you need both the limpet controller and a cargo rack, which some ships just don't have space for, or do, but can only hold a tiny amount of limpets.

I would suggest a 7A Collection Limpet Controller can hold about 120~limpets.
5A can hold 60 limpets
3A can hold 30 limpets
1A can hold 15 limpets

Limpet synthesis should refill a set amount per grade.
G1 (Basic) refills 10
G2 (Standard) refills 30
G3 (Premium) refills 60

I'm not entirely sure what ammo capacity would work best for the other limpet controllers.

 

[Boff'in]

Having the small ships and limpets as cargo becomes increasingly frustrating in these circumstances, as well as in mining.

Limpets just eat up space as well as the controllers.

Having a universal Limpet launcher and/or a Magazine (limpet controller have their own cargo bay for limpets) would clear things up.

But I would have to weigh in (pun intended), your limpet is a one-tonne cargo unit.
So by that logic, the internal space for limpet storage of the limpet controller would have to be 1 cargo unit per Limpet
meaning the avionics must also have weight.

Using the Cargo Rack Size as a template, then deduct the controller "avionics" as overhead, we actually have a weight disparity in many of the Limpet controllers.
So from that, we have a magazine size.

Additionally if you want to have the "generic" Limpet controller, I've put in the avionic slots, with the caveat of you have to physically BUY the lower Size Modules.
So each Limpet controller has
- Cargo
- Avionics.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Y7Rb8VUPaxAmdg2YnZKAoL5DAw09iLkT4xh1WxBRix0/edit?usp=sharing

So you could then BUY a 7A, remove the avionics. giving you space for a single 5A Collector, and 32 limpets.
or
Buy a class 3A Collector and Class 1A prospector and Class 1A Recon Limpet and 32 Limpets

Or in My Adder, I can buy a Class3A Limpet Controller, and fill the avionics with
1E Prospector
1E Collector,
and accumulated each of their 1 unit magazines, giving me a "inbuilt" cargo-rack for limpets of size 2 for that module.
Providing far more flexability for miners and explorers.
But then you get the weight and power drain, since the Large Module counts as 1 Module, so all the smaller Limpet Avionics are turned on (power-draw) at the same time.