Mining Lasers Equiped SLF

[AskedQuestion]

Hello everyone. I think it is a simple thing that will add more to the gameplay and Multicrew.

See... I love mining in my fat boat. I mine in random locations, not HazRes. But if a friend wants to join me, except for the 1-2 NPCs spawning with the instance, he would have nothing to do at all.

Meanwhile, if my SLF had mining lasers equiped, even just one, he could prospect for me. Firing at rocks and analyzing the content of the chunks (simply by targeting them, old school way).
It wouldn't "unbalance" mining at all, it would simply add an activity in Elite to do with a friend through Multicrew. It would actually be a new field for the MC mechanic.

Best regards.

(Edit, reddit post : https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/6s0x0w/easy_to_implement_new_little_multicrew_game/)

 

[Fett_Li]

This is a great idea! Nothing to add.

Must be a great player group that comes up with this kind of ideas.

 

[grimreaper]

good point! never even thought about a buddy mining with me.

 

[bliss]

The ship launched fighters don't even need a mining laser loadout, just apply mining laser behaviour to the existing weapons on top of their existing behaviour (similar to a special effect on a weapon from an Engineer).

 

[AskedQuestion]

The ship launched fighters don't even need a mining laser loadout, just apply mining laser behaviour to the existing weapons on top of their existing behaviour (similar to a special effect on a weapon from an Engineer).

Or that... yes.

Point being it wouldn't be very hard to implement imho, but will open a new activity. It's a nice -"programming time" investment on gameplay profit- ratio.

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

i think i suggested that from day one of the multicrew beta

a taipan with a mining lance equipped would be enough for me

 

[Cosmo]

Seconded, please improve Multicrew!

 

[C'tri]

There are 3 things that would greatly improve multicrew & mining

1. SLFs for mining - easy win
2. Multicrew trading rewards increasing with trade rank (like BH & combat rank) - moderate win
3. Gunners being able to aim prospectors - difficult win


I'd be very happy with any of these.

 

[Mu77ley]

This is a great idea! Nothing to add.

Must be a great player group that comes up with this kind of ideas.

Nice idea, but not exactly easy, as you'd have to take into account non-multicrew usage of this ability as well.

So it would need entirely new AI behaviours for NPC pilots need to be written and tested to allow them to select and prospect asteroids.

Plus of course there will need to be a more visible way of flagging which 'roids have been prospected, so the player can easily find them afterwards (so, UI work at the very least).
Then there's the mining laser models for the fighters if the current ones don't work (or fit), etc.

So, yes, nice idea. But it's not exactly a quick and easy thing to do.

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

Nice idea, but not exactly easy, as you'd have to take into account non-multicrew usage of this ability as well.

So it would need entirely new AI behaviours for NPC pilots need to be written and tested to allow them to select and prospect asteroids.

Plus of course there will need to be a more visible way of flagging which 'roids have been prospected, so the player can easily find them afterwards (so, UI work at the very least).
Then there's the mining laser models for the fighters if the current ones don't work (or fit), etc.

So, yes, nice idea. But it's not exactly a quick and easy thing to do.

no, for implementation you just need to fit those fighters with the mining lance
so npcs can use it for regular combat as any other slf.

the physical model of the laser doesn't matter either, as those weapons on the slfs are all look the same anyway.

even just having the option of a mining-lance slf would make a huge improvement, since you go mining with a ship that has not a single mining laser equipped.

 

[AskedQuestion]

Nice idea, but not exactly easy, as you'd have to take into account non-multicrew usage of this ability as well. So it would need entirely new AI behaviours for NPC pilots

Hello.

As mentionned just above this post, there are ways to make it exclusively MC, without involving NPC programming at all

I really don't see how it could take more than 30-45 minutes for one programmer to do, and that's accounting my programming ignorance.

Open SLF file, remove 1 beam laser, fit G1 mining laser, save file. I'm joking of course, but not THAT much. And that's just one of the ways brought up.

Have a good one.

 

[Mu77ley]

Hello.

As mentionned just above this post, there are ways to make it exclusively MC, without involving NPC programming at all

I really don't see how it could take more than 30-45 minutes for one programmer to do, and that's accounting my programming ignorance.

Open SLF file, remove 1 beam laser, fit G1 mining laser, save file. I'm joking of course, but not THAT much. And that's just one of the ways brought up.

Have a good one.

Only supporting MC would be complete a waste of time, it would be better to support the idea fully, which takes time.

As someone who spends every work day coding, I would be surprised if even an experienced developer could find all the bits in the code base that would need touching to make these changes in only 30-45 minutes. That's unless they are actually working on that specific area of code already.

Then there would be several hours of thinking through the problem to see what impact changes to those bits of code could have. Then the time to make those changes (which may mean refactoring other parts of the code to keep it clean and maintainable).

Then there's lots of testing to ensure a) the changes work, and b) they haven't broken anything else.

Then the changes would be submitted for code review so another developer can go through it to ensure there are no other issues with the code.

This of course may be multiplied if multiple teams need to be involved (AI, UI, Gameplay, etc.).

Only then can it go to QA for final checks before it could be ready to go into the next live build.

In an ideal world would estimate at least 1-2 weeks for the whole process, with 2 weeks more realistic depending on how (internally) complex the changes are.

Of course, this would only happen if the idea got approved by the designers, and then it would need to be scheduled in to all the other work the teams already have on their plate. This could take months.

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

Only supporting MC would be complete a waste of time, it would be better to support the idea fully, which takes time.

As someone who spends every work day coding, I would be surprised if even an experienced developer could find all the bits in the code base that would need touching to make these changes in only 30-45 minutes. That's unless they are actually working on that specific area of code already.

Then there would be several hours of thinking through the problem to see what impact changes to those bits of code could have. Then the time to make those changes (which may mean refactoring other parts of the code to keep it clean and maintainable).

Then there's lots of testing to ensure a) the changes work, and b) they haven't broken anything else.

Then the changes would be submitted for code review so another developer can go through it to ensure there are no other issues with the code.

This of course may be multiplied if multiple teams need to be involved (AI, UI, Gameplay, etc.).

Only then can it go to QA for final checks before it could be ready to go into the next live build.

In an ideal world would estimate at least 1-2 weeks for the whole process, with 2 weeks more realistic depending on how (internally) complex the changes are.

Of course, this would only happen if the idea got approved by the designers, and then it would need to be scheduled in to all the other work the teams already have on their plate. This could take months.

and why?
it doesn't even need "coding" to implement an SLF variant with a mining lance equipped.
the NPCs don't need to do anything different then with fixed laser slf,

i repeat - this would already be an improvement with and without multicrew.
it doesnt require NPCs doing the mining just to release it.
They have released Multicrew already without NPCs, so why should we wait another year for something that could be implemented next thursday ?

 

[Mu77ley]

and why?
it doesn't even need "coding" to implement an SLF variant with a mining lance equipped.

You can't possibly know that without access to the source code and an understanding of how the core game works right now.

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

You can't possibly know that without access to the source code and an understanding of how the core game works right now.

if creating a new variant of an existing ship, without any visual differences except the weapon FX, is more then copy&paste of a database entry,
then there is more then one thing wrong with the game.

especially when the game is based around modular ships where the player can swap out modules freely.

 

[Mu77ley]

if creating a new variant of an existing ship, without any visual differences except the weapon FX, is more then copy&paste of a database entry,
then there is more then one thing wrong with the game.

especially when the game is based around modular ships where the player can swap out modules freely.

My point still stands.

It's easy for non developers to claim how easy something should be, as they don't really understand the possible ramifications.

 

[Konnivar]

Only supporting MC would be complete a waste of time, it would be better to support the idea fully, which takes time.

As someone who spends every work day coding, I would be surprised if even an experienced developer could find all the bits in the code base that would need touching to make these changes in only 30-45 minutes. That's unless they are actually working on that specific area of code already.

Then there would be several hours of thinking through the problem to see what impact changes to those bits of code could have. Then the time to make those changes (which may mean refactoring other parts of the code to keep it clean and maintainable).

Then there's lots of testing to ensure a) the changes work, and b) they haven't broken anything else.

Then the changes would be submitted for code review so another developer can go through it to ensure there are no other issues with the code.

This of course may be multiplied if multiple teams need to be involved (AI, UI, Gameplay, etc.).

Only then can it go to QA for final checks before it could be ready to go into the next live build.

In an ideal world would estimate at least 1-2 weeks for the whole process, with 2 weeks more realistic depending on how (internally) complex the changes are.

Of course, this would only happen if the idea got approved by the designers, and then it would need to be scheduled in to all the other work the teams already have on their plate. This could take months.

That didn't stop them from shoehorning in multi-crew mining to begin with.

Current Multicrew Mining positives:

• Deploy SLF for mothership defense in RES
• One gunner position that allows for 360* degree mining so pilot can focus more on ship positioning
• Pilot has some company to talk to

*dependent on mining laser position


Current Multicrew Mining Negatives:

• Nothing for second MC member to do when not mining in RES
• Gunner can only deploy prospectors off the bow of the mothership**
• Minimal profits compared to combat MC
• Crewmembers must wait for goods to be sold to receive reward
• No physical benefit for Helm

**This is a feature that was promised along with 360 degree scanners (KWS, Wake)




The fix for each of the negatives is pretty obvious:

• A deployable mining shuttle/modified fighter; maybe even remove the utility slot to house a set number of prospectors
• Give us the 360 degree deployable prospector limpets we were promised
• Pay a portion of each ore's value as it is refined based on trade rank
• While a crewmember is aboard and in the gunner position collector limpets receive a passive speed buff allowing for faster material collection, and rock yields are increased.

TL/DR: I love the idea of a deployable shuttle/fighter that has the ability to help mine/prospect.

 

[Gorrister]

Hello everyone. I think it is a simple thing that will add more to the gameplay and Multicrew.

See... I love mining in my fat boat. I mine in random locations, not HazRes. But if a friend wants to join me, except for the 1-2 NPCs spawning with the instance, he would have nothing to do at all.

Meanwhile, if my SLF had mining lasers equiped, even just one, he could prospect for me. Firing at rocks and analyzing the content of the chunks (simply by targeting them, old school way).
It wouldn't "unbalance" mining at all, it would simply add an activity in Elite to do with a friend through Multicrew. It would actually be a new field for the MC mechanic.

Best regards.

(Edit, reddit post : https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/6s0x0w/easy_to_implement_new_little_multicrew_game/)

Great idea.

 

[Teh Smoo]

Well, SLFs make ammo for their weapons from nothing, what if they got a single limpet that they also make from nothing?

This a massive mining bonus- NPCs can't do it properly, but a ship with 2 miner SLFs could concentrate on just collector limpets, and let the SLFs do all the prospecting/shooting.

It's not like mining is great money as it is, this would let 2 SLFs do a lot of prospecting, and the help just scoops. Or a single-player helm with a NPC crew lets the NPC drive and follow them around, switching back to drop more limpets.

 

[AskedQuestion]

what if they got a single limpet that they also make from nothing? [...] This a massive mining bonus-

This is not related to what was proposed in the OP... Why drawing conclusion on something which hasn't been brought up by the OP in the first place ? I don't understand.