Possible change to Outposts?

[Firehawk894]

Hey all.

Was having a little discussion in the Fuel Rats and I brought up an idea that I've had for a while, which prompted a couple of people to give me the rare compliment of having a good idea

What if a small change was made to Outposts, that allowed a Large ship to pull up next to them and "dock" for refueling? You wouldn't have a landing pad or permanent place, and the only service would be refuelling (maybe external repair? Idk)

It would allow large ships caught off-handed to get emergency fuel instead of risking shutting down and exploding

 

[Fizzatron]

I've never thought about it, but I'd imagine that the fuel scoop works via the cargo hatch? If so, maybe it could also serve as the conduit to dock to an outpost to use it to refuel too? I know some may say attaching a fuel scoop makes OP's idea moot, but there's something to be said for using SCO and being caught out around a non-scoopable star that's also inhabited.

Though if that were to happen it's also likely to then wonder why we can't load/offload cargo as well, and at that point it may as well be a docking tether for everything. Which honestly, I wouldn't be against either.

 

[Jack Winter]

I suppose the outpost or one of their ships could use fuel and hull repair limpet when the service is requested?

 

[Firehawk894]

I've never thought about it, but I'd imagine that the fuel scoop works via the cargo hatch? If so, maybe it could also serve as the conduit to dock to an outpost to use it to refuel too? I know some may say attaching a fuel scoop makes OP's idea moot, but there's something to be said for using SCO and being caught out around a non-scoopable star that's also inhabited.

Though if that were to happen it's also likely to then wonder why we can't load/offload cargo as well, and at that point it may as well be a docking tether for everything. Which honestly, I wouldn't be against either.

I see it as an "emergency fuel" measure. You show up, get refueled and then it's "Right, here's enough to get you on your way, go to the nearest station that can accommodate you". Or the station could fire off specialised fuel limpets that carry a larger amount of fuel per load.

Or a small animation of a fuel line extending from the outpost to your ship.
The outpost ATC could explain that they don't provide any other services to large ships in an effort to stop large-class ships cluttering up their space

 

[metatheurgist]

There's already an event where NPC rescue will find you and fuel you. I think it'd be more interesting if they reinstated the 'Call for help' function they used to have and have these guys show up on request instead of semi-randomly (or by whatever witchcraft determines it now). To make it interesting you could of course have the signal attract unwanted attention. You could use this to fish for victims, there could be complications with authorities racing bad guys, scammers even, do players also get this signal. This sounds all too interesting for the blandness that is ED though.

 

[Dragsham]

Perhaps I'm missing the point, but isn't there a large pad on outposts? Only it's got a wrecked ship sat on it. Or at least some of them do.
Clear said wrecked ship and some outposts have a large pad. I recall some outposts being fitted with a large pad that functions too. Though l could be wrong.
That aside yes Op agree

 

[varonica]

Perhaps I'm missing the point, but isn't there a large pad on outposts? Only it's got a wrecked ship sat on it. Or at least some of them do.
Clear said wrecked ship and some outposts have a large pad. I recall some outposts being fitted with a large pad that functions too. Though l could be wrong.
That aside yes Op agree

Never seen an outpost with a large pad, it's almost a defining thing for Outposts, small and medium pads only. The main complaint about outposts not having large pads though isn't the fuel issue, it's the taking a delivery mission in a large ship and finding out after you get there it's an Outpost and doesn't have a large pad. The fuel thing is all but irrelevant, except for a very few players of course.

 

[DjVortex]

Perhaps I'm missing the point, but isn't there a large pad on outposts? Only it's got a wrecked ship sat on it. Or at least some of them do.
Clear said wrecked ship and some outposts have a large pad. I recall some outposts being fitted with a large pad that functions too. Though l could be wrong.

I think you are confusing outposts with surface settlements. An "outpost" is one of these:

 

[varonica]

I think you are confusing outposts with surface settlements. An "outpost" is one of these:

To be fair there are indeed, or were last time I checked, some outposts with wrecked ships on them, don't know if they still exist and don't know if they were blocking a large landing pad, so I don't think he is confusing them, but like all of us there are some things we learn after years of playing and then smack ourselves in the face and go "how have I now not known that forever?"

 

[yianniv]

To be fair there are indeed, or were last time I checked, some outposts with wrecked ships on them, don't know if they still exist and don't know if they were blocking a large landing pad, so I don't think he is confusing them, but like all of us there are some things we learn after years of playing and then smack ourselves in the face and go "how have I now not known that forever?"

That rings a vague bell, somewhere...

 

[aRJay]

To be fair there are indeed, or were last time I checked, some outposts with wrecked ships on them, don't know if they still exist and don't know if they were blocking a large landing pad, so I don't think he is confusing them, but like all of us there are some things we learn after years of playing and then smack ourselves in the face and go "how have I now not known that forever?"

I seem to recall seeing them, but my impression was they were on a plate like structure with no evidence of a pad and not enough thickness for a hanger.

 

[varonica]

I seem to recall seeing them, but my impression was they were on a plate like structure with no evidence of a pad and not enough thickness for a hanger.

Yeah, as if they came in damaged and missed the landing pad and were just sitting there all broken up, that's my recollection as well. Next time I visit an outpost I must have a good look around to see if they are still there.

 

[aRJay]

Yeah, as if they came in damaged and missed the landing pad and were just sitting there all broken up, that's my recollection as well. Next time I visit an outpost I must have a good look around to see if they are still there.

My impression was it was the outposts scrapyard.

 

[varonica]

My impression was it was the outposts scrapyard.

Oh you mean like the part in Wing Commander where they use the bulldozer to push the crashed ship and dead pilot into the scrap pit?

 

[varonica]

Ok done my check, still there, and that's definitely not a landing pad, just a flat platform sticking out the side of the Outpost!

 

[Jay8454]

Cool idea! It would be an easy implement; just an invisible proximity to the main landing pad that triggers fuel service. All easy coding! A simple addition like this could save large ships from shutting down or exploding in a pinch. Wouldn't even need a landing pad, just a quick refuel or maybe even external repairs?

 

[aRJay]

Well NPC rescue ships can repair us using limpets while sat right next to a Titan so stations and outposts having repair/refuel limpets available should be simple enough it just needs something to trigger the service.

 

[Kira Goto]

The main complaint about outposts not having large pads though isn't the fuel issue, it's the taking a delivery mission in a large ship and finding out after you get there it's an Outpost and doesn't have a large pad.

On that note (while not entirely/exactly related to subject), I have noticed that mission descriptions do state when you are headed to an outpost for a delivery once you select it to view the details.

But when you’re in your usual pattern and might be, say, in your medium ship while moving your large cargo hauler to the station, or were just doing things in a medium ship and happen to forget to read the fine print… well, it’s happened to me once a few weeks ago (and probably on at least one other occasion when I got back into the game following console transfer). Luckily, I had a spare Python with enough space to take the mission cargo once I’d offloaded the others, in that recent occurrence.

 

[Tunstan]

The E.D. Wiki page for Outposts says,

"Outposts, sometimes called Orbital Outposts to distinguish them from ground-based facilities like Surface Ports and Settlements, are relatively small and modular space stations. They differ significantly from the vastly larger Starports and Asteroid Bases, which are usually the major hubs within a system. Outposts have between three and five Landing Pads, no docking support for large ships, and minimal security emplacements and patrols. They also lack any rotating habitation structures to simulate gravity for occupants, and docked ships are held in place magnetically."