Limpets should not self destruct just because you had something targeted

I can't think of a single reason why a limpet should explode after one use just because you had something targeted, it's pretty much 99.9% of the time unintended, and results in unnecessary tedium.

The only rationale I can possibly think of is you specifically want to pick up an item or two for specific missions but NOT pick-up other items, but this is probably a rare use case.. In which case you can do one the following instead that would be much more intuitive:

1) Initial target of collectible, launch limpet, grabs that item, after retrieval the limpet simply inserts itself back into your cargo hold (assuming you still have room), limpets still degrade and self destruct over time, even after they've been back in your cargo hold with this mechanic.

2) A submenu under contacts so that you can control limpet behavior for this very unique use case. Default behavior when nothing is targeted on initial limpet launch should still be "Collect all around me" though.

3) A submenu under contacts so that you can select a collectible to be harvested or ignored by limpets. Default behavior when nothing is targeted on initial limpet launch should still be "Collect all around me" though.

I realize not the most pressing issue, but likely felt by everyone getting into mining and material collection... so yeah, basically everyone :)
 
Also, I was under the impression limpets targeted at a specific item move faster.
I don't know whether that's the case but if it is having the limpet be single use seems a reasonable balancing downside.

However I agree with the OP that it would be preferable (for me) for them to return themselves to the cargo hold, or at least be able to optionally choose to. I tend not to use limpets unless I will get good 'value' out of them, but it is a little frustrating to want to collect a bunch of mats at the end of a battle but not be able to target them to figure out which clump has the juicy stuff or how far away separate clumps are without risking 'wasting' a limpet on just one item.

My solution to use them sparingly feel sub-optimal but I tend to manufacture them 4 at a time if I feel the need rather than taking them with me which may not be the way FDev want limpets to be used.
 
Yeah, this IS a weird feature, and unnecessarily annoying. Honestly everything about how limpets are implemented is a bit obnoxious.

I've petitioned for limpet controllers to be replaced with limpet bays, which have a stockable limpet "ammo" based on size and rating. This way you could gather mats if you had no cargo rack but not actual cargo. Would make limpets MUCH more convenient.
 
A directly targeted limpet is significantly faster and very useful if you are, for example, trying to snatch four black boxes from a dozen floating canisters before the half-dozen pirates 'boil you up'. The trade off is that it is single-use.

1. That is possible but would require the game to track each Limpet in your ship as a discrete item with it's own 'health', know which exact limpet you'd decided to launch and which exact limpet you'd sold at a station.
2. That's how it works now. If you have a collectable object targeted it's single-use, otherwise it keeps collecting for it lifetime.
3. That's how it works now, with the caveat that a way to manage the Ignore List would be useful.
 
A directly targeted limpet is significantly faster and very useful if you are, for example, trying to snatch four black boxes from a dozen floating canisters before the half-dozen pirates 'boil you up'. The trade off is that it is single-use.

1. That is possible but would require the game to track each Limpet in your ship as a discrete item with it's own 'health', know which exact limpet you'd decided to launch and which exact limpet you'd sold at a station.
2. That's how it works now. If you have a collectable object targeted it's single-use, otherwise it keeps collecting for it lifetime.
3. That's how it works now, with the caveat that a way to manage the Ignore List would be useful.
3. YES YES YES better control of the Ignore List is vital! The number of time my damn limpets have "accidentally" picked up some stolen or illicit cargo and gotten me in trouble at a RES is.... well.... and on that it would be fine if what we had was access to the limpet controller settings and could tell it "all salvage" "legal salvage only" or "no salvage (mats and resource [mining] chunks only)"
 
I only ever use targeted/suicide mode by accident.

Speaking just for collection limpets, I would prefer it if they did away with the speed difference in single and multi. Or atleast make the limpet speed engineerable.
 
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