I've been thinking on the upset explorers are expressing about carriers since the reveal stream last week, their greivances split into two categories, no universal cartographics onboard to enable them to offload exploration data, and carriers potentially being a pain to refuel on longer journeys. It is this second concern that I'm addressing with this suggestion.
I'm suggesting a new carrier upgrade be created, as an additional expansion of the carrier, which would be a Tritium Synthesiser. As its name suggests it would make Tritium. How I propose this would work is if an explorers ship transferred hydrogen fuel from its tank to the carriers Tritium Synthesiser's feed tank, the synthesiser would then slowly convert raw naturak hydrogen into its Tritium Isotope by means of partial fusion reaction. This new module / carrier would prevent explorers / expeditions from having to work on mining, or load their carrier to the maximum. It would also offer a new playstyle for Player Carriers, where an enterprising CMDR could configure their carrier with a Synthesiser, to make tritium for sale to other players available through the carriers commodities market.
Controls / Parameters that could be used as controls to "balance" the Tritium Synthesiser include:
I'm suggesting a new carrier upgrade be created, as an additional expansion of the carrier, which would be a Tritium Synthesiser. As its name suggests it would make Tritium. How I propose this would work is if an explorers ship transferred hydrogen fuel from its tank to the carriers Tritium Synthesiser's feed tank, the synthesiser would then slowly convert raw naturak hydrogen into its Tritium Isotope by means of partial fusion reaction. This new module / carrier would prevent explorers / expeditions from having to work on mining, or load their carrier to the maximum. It would also offer a new playstyle for Player Carriers, where an enterprising CMDR could configure their carrier with a Synthesiser, to make tritium for sale to other players available through the carriers commodities market.
Controls / Parameters that could be used as controls to "balance" the Tritium Synthesiser include:
- Yield / Hydrogen to Tritium Ratio- how much tritium is generated from a given amount of hydrogen fuel
- I'm thinking as a starting point 3 tonnes of Hydrogen to one of Tritium, given that Tri denotes 3
- although this could be balanced up or downards based on internal and or beta testing & feedback
- I'm thinking as a starting point 3 tonnes of Hydrogen to one of Tritium, given that Tri denotes 3
- Time / Speed of synthesis- How long does it take to synthesise a tonne of Tritium from its feedstock of Hydrogen Fuel
- make it too slow at producing Tritium and it will be unviable for explorers to use carriers on expeditions
- make it too fast and noone will use any other source for tritium negating a lot of gameplay mechanics
- Purchase price - don't want to make this too expensive that noone will use it, or so cheap it will be the meta for carrier load outs
- Maintenance costs - As this is a new facility on the carrier, it would need a crew member, thus incut crew costs, and add to the carriers up keep but:
- make it too expensive to maintain and it will be unviable for explorers to use carriers on expeditions
- make it too cheap to maintain, and noone will use any other source for tritium negating a lot of gameplay mechanics
- Consider "Stacking" synthesisers: there could be a case for stacking multiple synthesisers within the game for certain gameplay such as a new division fo the fuel rats, and or a new player to player economy, where this comander or that squadron has a carrier that produces tritium, which could be used as currency in diplomacy between playergroups.