New module/hardpoint type for pirating. - Suggestion

Hello,

Recently I started a thread on the steam forums about a new module type or hardpoint we could use to stop the inertia of a drifting ship with the purpose of making pirating a more natural and enjoyable experience.
While I do believe that FDev is most qualified to decide what modules/hardpoints should be added to the game, one user suggested a wonderful idea which I would like to share with you.

Here is the link to the thread: https://steamcommunity.com/app/359320/discussions/0/1643169167162126299/?tscn=1563977458
The suggestion of the CMDR was selected as the answer to the thread.


For those that are not interested in the whole thread on steam, or are reluctant to click the link, I will post it here:


New kind of module for piracy.

Hi, I was asking myself why there isn't a module that makes you able to stop a target ship?

As of right now, bringing the target to a stop is very tedious and challenging. But most of all, it's immersion breaking. You'd think there is some sort of harpoon-like device a pirate can use when the target has no shields.

Is this intended as a feature by FDev - to bump and/or shoot ships until they lose inertia?


(Some people pointed out that a harpoon-like device would make pvp worse, but no one came up with a better alternative until...)

Originally posted by ReeNoiP:
I think something like "counter inertia limpets" would be a good addition and make piracy more viable.

Make them not work when the ship is under thrust so they don't become the ultimate trolling equipment or affect combat too much.

That way you still have shoot out the drives and you give up a module slot to avoid the loot getting spread out over several km.

Higher inertia would require more limpets to stop, so you would need a bigger module to stop the larger ships.


- As stated by the user, accelerating would damage the limpets and make them brake off (same would apply to the harpoon if you fancy that design),
thus using them in a battle would make them useless unless the target ship can not use thrusters anymore.
This means that in pvp situations, this module can not be used to make ganking easier.
Edit: "We could also make use of one of the utility slots.
Doesn't need to be hardpoint or module..."
It just makes a pirate's life more immersive, having tools that we can work with.

Thank you for your time and for reading :) O7

CMDR Chlodulf Thrudbrun
 
Last edited:
I'd hate to have to carry yet another type of limper controller. How about making the hatch breaker slightly slow the target? So little that it doesn't matter to target that still has working drives.
 

Lestat

Banned
I've been asking for a poop gun for a few months now. One ton cargo canisters shot at a ship to temporarily gum up intakes/cover the canopy - with awesome graphic effects.

Cheap, effective, non-lethal. Perfect for pirates and traders. The traders would use the turdeted variety.
Just don't feed it beans or have stomach issues. I could say more but I would be kick off the forums. But it would be funny.
 

dxm55

Banned
What was that engineered experimental effect? Drag munitions?
I think that could be used to slow ships down, in addition to targeting their engines and FSD to prevent escape.

A specific kind of weapon to disrupt the drives would be a good thing for piracy.
But I betcha the gankers would probably make life difficult for all you cargo runners in Open.

Imagine going through all that trouble to get your G5 Dirty Drag drives. And then having it all rendered useless by this newfangled harpoon or drive disrupters.
Be careful of what you ask for. It could be turned against you.

:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
@Chlodulf: The idea that Piracy needs to involve bringing a target to point of rest does not actually fit well - the point is to steal cargo from other ships not force them to point of rest.

Should you feel the need to bring a target to point of rest then you can always target their engine sub module or use the Drag Munitions engineering option. If you are talking about an off the shelf drag-munition torpedo/missile that perhaps does significantly less damage itself then I can see at least a degree of logic regarding this being an option.
 
Personally, I'd prefer harpoons to just yet another limpet or another engineer special effect.

Harpoons could also be useful in situations beyond piracy, as they could be able to pick up materials and cargo canisters if they were to be made as a turret in a utility slot. This would let them pull double duty for pirates once they have taken out the cargo hatch as well as giving them uses in salvage and mining. Making them a utility also offers much-needed competition for shield boosters, so a thoroughbred combat ship wouldn't bother with them while a pirate would have to sacrifice some shielding.

Harpoons also offer escape methods beyond the basic "don't get hit" philosophy, as they could be made escapable by making them require a certain amount of kinetic energy (depending on harpoon grade and engineering) to break so a victim could break them by building up speed close to the aggressor before boosting away to provide sufficient shock to the harpoon cable to break it. For example, a single grade-A grapnel line might require a kinetic energy of 10 gigajoules to break (which is equivalent to a fully laden Dolphin flying at a relative velocity of 250 m/s); this number would then be adjusted more if multiple grapnel lines were used simultaneously so that multiple lines are required to even begin to lock down a T9 or Cutter (a fully laden Cutter boosts at over 300 m/s with stock A-grade thrusters, for a kinetic energy of over 100 gigajoules relative to a stationary target, which would require a pirate to either destroy their thrusters or to simply use the grapnels to slow the Cutter down while following them). We already have plenty of effects in the game that can only really be countered by not being hit, so having an alternative escape method provides some much needed variety.
 
Should you feel the need to bring a target to point of rest then you can always target their engine sub module or use the Drag Munitions engineering option. If you are talking about an off the shelf drag-munition torpedo/missile that perhaps does significantly less damage itself then I can see at least a degree of logic regarding this being an option.
Have you ever done that yourself? I'm asking because you don't seem to understand the actual issue. When drives are destroyed, the ship doesn't stop, but drifts away and usually pretty fast too. That is the problem we are trying to fix here with the suggestions.
 
Back
Top Bottom