Limpets need to be indestructible, or have their pathfinding fixed.

[Erufen Rito]

Picture this. You just popped open a rock, and there are 14 fragments floating about. You fire your limpets, and position your ship, only for 90% of them to die within the next minute due to their bad pathfinding. So you release more limpets, only for them to continue to die because they keep crashing into the rock.

What is the purpose of having limpets destroy themselves? They are so insignificantly cheap, that the solution is to carry more limpets, and dump them as you need to.

But why? What is the reasoning behind that? Why can't the limpets just be indestructible instead of throwing more limpets at the problem?

 

[KylePanarid]

I gotta agree, this is a real issue. Makes using the collectors very frustrating. Would be better if they just get 'stunned' when they hit something, but then become a object that can be picked up again by another collector. Or make synthesis for creating limpets cheaper. 1 iron and 1 nickel should make you 4 limpets rather than 10 of each.

 

[Pat Healy]

Good call out, and I'd elect to fix the pathfinding. The crude drones and self-driving cars we have now can do relatively complex pathfinding. With another 1500 years for the AI to develop, I'd have to think that a drone dumbly crashing into a rock would be a .01% kind of likelihood.

 

[ZeroAi]

Picture this. You just popped open a rock, and there are 14 fragments floating about. You fire your limpets, and position your ship, only for 90% of them to die within the next minute due to their bad pathfinding. So you release more limpets, only for them to continue to die because they keep crashing into the rock.

What is the purpose of having limpets destroy themselves? They are so insignificantly cheap, that the solution is to carry more limpets, and dump them as you need to.

But why? What is the reasoning behind that? Why can't the limpets just be indestructible instead of throwing more limpets at the problem?

+ 1

Agreed!

 

[Deleted member 110222]

Piracy.

 

[zombieapocalypse]

Not necessarily indestructible but certainly tougher and with significantly-improved pathfinding

 

[Arvel Yael]

They are indestructible. They can burrow cleanly through an asteroid and fly out the other side into the distance.

They're just a bit... Intermittent about it .

 

[Erufen Rito]

Piracy.

When was the last time your hatch breaker limpet killed itself?

 

[Deleted member 110222]

When was the last time your hatch breaker limpet killed itself?

A lot. But do you still want the chance to shoot down my limpets when I try to steal your cargo anyway?

 

[Vandaahl]

How about...



...tractor beams!

 

[Arvel Yael]

How about...



...tractor beams!

That would be quite awesome!

 

[CMDR Yates]

I don't mind it the way it is. You have to factor in a certain amount of limpet shrinkage, but trying to work out the best parts of the rock to mine to minimise the number of limpets destroyed by spinning cliffs is part of the "fun". I wouldn't MIND if it was fixed, but as it is, it's about the only reason to even both keep your eyes open during laser mining.

I wish fragments wouldn't get stuck in the rock, though. Or would just despawn when they did. When that happens, it's an easy way to lose all your limpets if you're not careful. And it's due to an actual bug, not just wonky pathfinding.

 

[Erufen Rito]

A lot. But do you still want the chance to shoot down my limpets when I try to steal your cargo anyway?

Are you sure it didn't get shot down? After all, they are flimsy.

But if we are going to be splitting hairs to this ridiculous level, i am obviously talking about collector limpets. if the game can make that distinction, so can you.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

Are you sure it didn't get shot down? After all, they are flimsy.

But if we are going to be splitting hairs to this ridiculous level, i am obviously talking about collector limpets. if the came can make that distinction, so can you.

Why should your limpets be invulnerable and not mine?

I can see your distinction. It is wrong.

I read your OP as "I want things made easier."

And I mean it's pretty hard to argue against how I'm reading that I suspect.

You said it yourself anyway. The limpets are cheap. Very cheap. You can pay for for a month's supply simply by passing through a system you've never visited yet thanks to exploration data selling.

You can even make new limpets on the fly thanks to synthesis.

The inconvenience of having a limpet occasionally crash into a rock is pretty much the only challenge miners face.

Also, after a big mug of coffee and thinking about this thread over a bacon sandwich, I realised that there may very be a critical flaw in your idea. A flaw that means should limpets be made invulnerable, (they shouldn't and probably won't), then you may often find yourself completely unable to use your collector at all!

Let me explain. The issue with limpets is not they are easily destroyed. It's bad AI. Here's the thing... If a limpet is indestructible and it gets stuck on a rock, which is what would happen when it inevitably collides... That limpet becomes dead weight. And you can't get rid of it. Now you have to wait 12 minutes to replace it.

They are quite literally disposable.

One final thing.

The limpets you use as a miner are exactly the same as what I use as a pirate. The only difference is the software they are coded with.

Physically they are identical as they are all purpose drones.

If yours are invincible, why aren't mine?

This suggestion of yours is, in my opinion, rather flawed and, as I said, this does all sound to me like a desire to have an already easy activity made easier.

Frankly this game needs more challenge, not less. Sticking to the status quo is agreeable, I suppose.

 

[Kloppage Time]

Preface: The following post relates solely to standard surface mining, not deep-core explosives - I have never tried the latter & never will, therefore any concomitant standpoints would be rather like Hillary Clinton pontificating on foreign policy or faithful & virtuous spouses.

I don't wish to appear smug (not entirely true, dat) but I encountered no such problems with the limpet mechanics; if one learns to orientate one's ship, aiming at the rotational hub of each asteroid, then the limpet "mortality rate" from collisions is very low. To clarify, I have only mined for about 4-5 hrs in total - as it transpired, this is roughly 4-5 hrs longer than I would have preferred - in order to access Selene Jean (if one will pardon the expression) hence an experienced miner should have absolutely no trouble learning the technique.

Even as a complete novice, I found the visual-spatial discipline of locating a three dimensional rotational axis straightforward after a couple of attempts; one should view & assess the roid for a few seconds, then find the optimum ship orientation where the surface zone bides in the same location while the rock rotates, give or take; if one has marginally misjudged this, apposite thrusting can mitigate limpet imperilment.

I'm sure some players might struggle somewhat to expedite the aforementioned process in as short a timeframe & might require additional trial & error, but the technique is eminently possible - I recorded a vid where ALL of my limpets endure for their designated lifespan (lost like tears in the rain...time to die!) which meant that 40-odd limpets were pretty much all I needed for each run in my Asp with approx. 100 cargo capacity & I had to jettison some limpets to free-up space as my refinery produced the saleable metals, minerals etc.

Just my take on the extant mechanics, OP.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

Preface: The following post relates solely to standard surface mining, not deep-core explosives - I have never tried the latter & never will, therefore any concomitant standpoints would be rather like Hillary Clinton pontificating on foreign policy or faithful & virtuous spouses.

I don't wish to appear smug (not entirely true, dat) but I encountered no such problems with the limpet mechanics; if one learns to orientate one's ship, aiming at the rotational hub of each asteroid, then the limpet "mortality rate" from collisions is very low. To clarify, I have only mined for about 4-5 hrs in total - as it transpired, this is roughly 4-5 hrs longer than I would have preferred - in order to access Selene Jean (if one will pardon the expression) hence an experienced miner should have absolutely no trouble learning the technique.

Even as a complete novice, I found the visual-spatial discipline of locating a three dimensional rotational axis straightforward after a couple of attempts; one should view & assess the roid for a few seconds, then find the optimum ship orientation where the surface zone bides in the same location while the rock rotates, give or take; if one has marginally misjudged this, apposite thrusting can mitigate limpet imperilment.

I'm sure some players might struggle somewhat to expedite the aforementioned process in as short a timeframe & might require additional trial & error, but the technique is eminently possible - I recorded a vid where ALL of my limpets endure for their designated lifespan (lost like tears in the rain...time to die!) which meant that 40-odd limpets were pretty much all I needed for each run in my Asp with approx. 100 cargo capacity & I had to jettison some limpets to free-up space as my refinery produced the saleable metals, minerals etc.

Just my take on the extant mechanics, OP.

I jettison limpets every time.

I think that OP is exaggerating. Dare I say he should provide a video? OBS is free.

 

[Erufen Rito]

Why should your limpets be invulnerable and not mine?

I can see your distinction. It is wrong.

I read your OP as "I want things made easier."

And I mean it's pretty hard to argue against how I'm reading that I suspect.

You said it yourself anyway. The limpets are cheap. Very cheap. You can pay for for a month's supply simply by passing through a system you've never visited yet thanks to exploration data selling.

You can even make new limpets on the fly thanks to synthesis.

The inconvenience of having a limpet occasionally crash into a rock is pretty much the only challenge miners face.

Also, after a big mug of coffee and thinking about this thread over a bacon sandwich, I realised that there may very be a critical flaw in your idea. A flaw that means should limpets be made invulnerable, (they shouldn't and probably won't), then you may often find yourself completely unable to use your collector at all!

Let me explain. The issue with limpets is not they are easily destroyed. It's bad AI. Here's the thing... If a limpet is indestructible and it gets stuck on a rock, which is what would happen when it inevitably collides... That limpet becomes dead weight. And you can't get rid of it. Now you have to wait 12 minutes to replace it.

They are quite literally disposable.

One final thing.

The limpets you use as a miner are exactly the same as what I use as a pirate. The only difference is the software they are coded with.

Physically they are identical as they are all purpose drones.

If yours are invincible, why aren't mine?

This suggestion of yours is, in my opinion, rather flawed and, as I said, this does all sound to me like a desire to have an already easy activity made easier.

Frankly this game needs more challenge, not less. Sticking to the status quo is agreeable, I suppose.

huh. i read this entire reply as "i don't know what im talking about, i'm just being contrarian".

Its a simple concept: function. You are obviously confused as to what "collector limpets" are, when compared to "hatch breaker limpets". If I ignore the description of their function, and focus solely on the word "limpet", I can understand why you are unable to differentiate them.

The only difference is the software they are coded with.

Uh yes. The entire game is code. Big brain realization here, so bear with me: add more code to have different properties like gasp hatch breaker limpets vs fuel transfer limpets vs probe vs collectors. Unless you mean to tell me that a prospector limpet can also transfer fuel.

If yours are invincible, why aren't mine?

I have not ever been shot at or held at ransom by an asteroid. Not once. They are different things, for different purposes. If your eagle can straightline at 400ms, why can't my fedvette? they are both ships after all, with engines.

If you honestly think that deploying more limpets is less easy than not deploying limpets, we have an entirely different understanding of the concept "difficult".

But why am I bothering with you. I don't recall asking for anyone's opinion, and you are in no position to say what is or isn't a good idea, given your evident lack of understanding and unwillingness to separate concepts. Learn to respect the argument instead of stomping your feet down with your incorrect, malformed and unwanted opinion.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

The fix for Limpets isn't too difficult :

• make them ignore own Ship Shields/Hull (cue the Type-10 Miner notorious for frequently killing its own Prospector Limpets)
• for Core Mining, make them ignore Ship movement until they're very close (that's what currently overrides their obstacle evasion and kills them very effectively) but instead focus on not crashing into Asteroid pieces when still at a distance
• also for Core Mining, remove their unneeded perpendicular movement directly after picking up a fragment very close to an Asteroid (the motion right after picking up the fragment very often kills them and to add insult to injury is what propels fragments into Asteroid pieces)... but make them move away from the obstacle first
• for conventional Mining, add the collision avoidance (they currently either seem to ignore standard asteroids entirely like in old times or can't handle Asteroid rotation, most notable on rotating Icy Asteroids that are less smooth and often have large protruding parts)

That'd remove 99% of all Collector Limpet suicides.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

huh. i read this entire reply as "i don't know what im talking about, i'm just being contrarian".

Its a simple concept: function. You are obviously confused as to what "collector limpets" are, when compared to "hatch breaker limpets". If I ignore the description of their function, and focus solely on the word "limpet", I can understand why you are unable to differentiate them.


Uh yes. The entire game is code. Big brain realization here, so bear with me: add more code to have different properties like gasp hatch breaker limpets vs fuel transfer limpets vs probe vs collectors. Unless you mean to tell me that a prospector limpet can also transfer fuel.


I have not ever been shot at or held at ransom by an asteroid. Not once. They are different things, for different purposes. If your eagle can straightline at 400ms, why can't my fedvette? they are both ships after all, with engines.

If you honestly think that deploying more limpets is less easy than not deploying limpets, we have an entirely different understanding of the concept "difficult".

But why am I bothering with you. I don't recall asking for anyone's opinion, and you are in no position to say what is or isn't a good idea, given your evident lack of understanding and unwillingness to separate concepts. Learn to respect the argument instead of stomping your feet down with your incorrect, malformed and unwanted opinion.

You ask me to respect your argument.

Then end with... That.

You just contradicted yourself and confined you want people blindly agreeing with you.

No point for me to continue here as this thread was clearly DoA.

 

[Shir]

You just have to learn how to position the ship to avoid collisions. At first I had the same problem, limpets getting destroyed all the time. Watching a few videos, and by practicing, I got better, and now I very rarely if ever lose limpets.

Shoot at the edge of the asteroid, and point the belly of the ship away from it. Try to picture the trajectory of the limpets. It becomes a challenge after a while, and as frustrating as it is in the beginning, it actually makes mining more interesting.