Hi everyone,
I was messing around in Coriolis.io the other day messing around with exploration load-outs for different ships as a way to eat up some time whilst jumping through some rather dry systems out in the black. I went and started outfitting a Beluga for exploration, because the Saud Kruger(SK) line of ships just look like they would be cutting edge science and exploration vessels, and everything was going fine up until I started modifying the internal modules and I realized that all of the SK ships have dedicated optional internals for room/cabins that can only be used for Cabins and Cargo racks, none of which are particularly useful for exploration.
My first thought was that FDev really should free up one more module for free use like I'm assuming many other did. Then I thought "as nice as that would be it would detract from something that makes the SK line of ships unique", so the SK ships are the only ships that can equip luxury cabins and some of the optional internals can essentially only be used for "rooms". So what if instead we made a new "top of the line" room module for SK ships that gave them a unique advantage for exploration. Perhaps the SK ships could equip special research labs, or cartographic rooms. The research labs could do something as simple as provide a slight boost in credits for exploration data gathered whilst they were installed.
(Here I'm going to start splitting off from the base idea so forgive me)
I was also thinking a few days before that there isn't really enough incentive for explorers to go scan less valuable astronomical bodies suck as Jovians, Stars, Moons, Asteroid belts(which really shouldn't be worthless), Rocky worlds, and Icy Worlds. During most explorations (my own, and those I've come across) a vast majority of these bodies are simply ignored. What if the SK line of ships could equip modules that would make it profitable to go and scan these bodies.
Perhaps you could equip a lab that would allow you to go and take samples(mining ore using a laser and cargo hatch) from asteroid belts and planetary rings, and the value of the rings/belts could either substantially increase or maybe even decrease a little depending on what you find(you know so that there is a little risk/reward), or perhaps you could equip an analysis lab that would allow you to "fuel scoop" the upper atmosphere of Jovians with the same results. It would give a very detailed analysis of the atmosphere's composition and you could find a Jovian with a significant concentration of a rare gas increasing it's value. You could continue to do the same for Land-able bodies(collect samples), perhaps you could launch probes down to the surface of HMC, Metal-Rich, Icy, or Rocky planets and moons.
This think that this would really help not only to revamp exploration and help to break-up the monotony that can accompany exploration. But also provides a unique exploration advantage for ships that are otherwise very limited in their specialized use, and IMHO look like scientific research vessels.
I also don't think that this would necessarily make the SK line of ships king of exploration as they already have a few disadvantages when it comes to exploration and with the "science rooms" adding weight it would only provide further handicaps that would be a mitigating factor in keeping them from being OvP. Especially, given that the flagship of the SK fleet, the Beluga, is already ill-suited to planetary landings, especially on higher gravity planets.
This also made think about how other might see this as an unfair advantage to the SK line of ships especially since they are already the only ships that can equip Luxury cabins. So that made me think that it could be mitigated by providing a unique module for ships that have military compartments. Perhaps something such a back-up power plant that can power essential systems, such as just enough juice to power the FSD and Thrusters to escape from combat in a pinch. This could also have a dual use for exploration as it could have just enough juice to power life support and and AFMU so that the main power plant can be repaired.
This is just a really simple idea I threw together in a couple of days as a way to make the SK ships more useful without destroying an aspect of them that made them unique, as well as something that could be done to revamp exploration. I'd be happy to hear thoughts, criticisms, additions, and other feedback.
CMDR EliteKiller693, Wolves of Jonai
o7
I was messing around in Coriolis.io the other day messing around with exploration load-outs for different ships as a way to eat up some time whilst jumping through some rather dry systems out in the black. I went and started outfitting a Beluga for exploration, because the Saud Kruger(SK) line of ships just look like they would be cutting edge science and exploration vessels, and everything was going fine up until I started modifying the internal modules and I realized that all of the SK ships have dedicated optional internals for room/cabins that can only be used for Cabins and Cargo racks, none of which are particularly useful for exploration.
My first thought was that FDev really should free up one more module for free use like I'm assuming many other did. Then I thought "as nice as that would be it would detract from something that makes the SK line of ships unique", so the SK ships are the only ships that can equip luxury cabins and some of the optional internals can essentially only be used for "rooms". So what if instead we made a new "top of the line" room module for SK ships that gave them a unique advantage for exploration. Perhaps the SK ships could equip special research labs, or cartographic rooms. The research labs could do something as simple as provide a slight boost in credits for exploration data gathered whilst they were installed.
(Here I'm going to start splitting off from the base idea so forgive me)
I was also thinking a few days before that there isn't really enough incentive for explorers to go scan less valuable astronomical bodies suck as Jovians, Stars, Moons, Asteroid belts(which really shouldn't be worthless), Rocky worlds, and Icy Worlds. During most explorations (my own, and those I've come across) a vast majority of these bodies are simply ignored. What if the SK line of ships could equip modules that would make it profitable to go and scan these bodies.
Perhaps you could equip a lab that would allow you to go and take samples(mining ore using a laser and cargo hatch) from asteroid belts and planetary rings, and the value of the rings/belts could either substantially increase or maybe even decrease a little depending on what you find(you know so that there is a little risk/reward), or perhaps you could equip an analysis lab that would allow you to "fuel scoop" the upper atmosphere of Jovians with the same results. It would give a very detailed analysis of the atmosphere's composition and you could find a Jovian with a significant concentration of a rare gas increasing it's value. You could continue to do the same for Land-able bodies(collect samples), perhaps you could launch probes down to the surface of HMC, Metal-Rich, Icy, or Rocky planets and moons.
This think that this would really help not only to revamp exploration and help to break-up the monotony that can accompany exploration. But also provides a unique exploration advantage for ships that are otherwise very limited in their specialized use, and IMHO look like scientific research vessels.
I also don't think that this would necessarily make the SK line of ships king of exploration as they already have a few disadvantages when it comes to exploration and with the "science rooms" adding weight it would only provide further handicaps that would be a mitigating factor in keeping them from being OvP. Especially, given that the flagship of the SK fleet, the Beluga, is already ill-suited to planetary landings, especially on higher gravity planets.
This also made think about how other might see this as an unfair advantage to the SK line of ships especially since they are already the only ships that can equip Luxury cabins. So that made me think that it could be mitigated by providing a unique module for ships that have military compartments. Perhaps something such a back-up power plant that can power essential systems, such as just enough juice to power the FSD and Thrusters to escape from combat in a pinch. This could also have a dual use for exploration as it could have just enough juice to power life support and and AFMU so that the main power plant can be repaired.
This is just a really simple idea I threw together in a couple of days as a way to make the SK ships more useful without destroying an aspect of them that made them unique, as well as something that could be done to revamp exploration. I'd be happy to hear thoughts, criticisms, additions, and other feedback.
CMDR EliteKiller693, Wolves of Jonai
o7
