Reuse surface skimmers for hoverbike / utility drone / personal backup

[Rubbernuke]

We have several (well..three) sizes of skimmer drone. Why not use what they can do for new surface vehicles and gameplay?

1: Stinger- players can deploy this as extra firepower and is allied to the player - in essence an SLF for on foot.

2: Use this drone as the basis for a sub SRV size hoverbike that trades weapons/ cargo space for speed and agility:

3: Have skimmers pick up selected cargo / mats and take them back to the ship.

 

[Lori Jameson]

4: Ride the skimmer like Major Kong riding the bomb in Dr. Strangelove.

 

[zikolach]

there are several questions that must be answered internally

And one of these questions is when players are able to ride a skimmer

 

[Eeka]

Some of these drones could also help in reckoning the area and provide additional info in the radar. This would be very useful for exobiology and locating plants

 

[Gordon Freeman IV]

We have several (well..three) sizes of skimmer drone. Why not use what they can do for new surface vehicles and gameplay?

1: Stinger- players can deploy this as extra firepower and is allied to the player - in essence an SLF for on foot.

2: Use this drone as the basis for a sub SRV size hoverbike that trades weapons/ cargo space for speed and agility:

3: Have skimmers pick up selected cargo / mats and take them back to the ship.

I love this idea. Hover bike for plant scanning when

 

[Northpin]

I love this idea. Hover bike for plant scanning when

You mean hoverbike for perma SDP farming, right?

 

[Gordon Freeman IV]

Some of these drones could also help in reckoning the area and provide additional info in the radar. This would be very useful for exobiology and locating plants

Would. Be neat to have a "turret mode" like you can take the POV of your drone and control it within 3 KM of you. Although leaving your person vulnerable (you could be crouching behind a hill and see the settlement you are about to attack and scout it before engaging)

 

[Ethaidan]

And a Green Goblin suit skin please.

 

[St0rmFury]

I wanna ride a goliath.

 

[djadjok]

I wanna ride a goliath.

then do it =)

 

[St0rmFury]

then do it =)
View attachment 291808

 

[Ski'Thor]

Were you able to stay on that Goliath and had a site view tour?

 

[HRDiagram]

then do it =)
View attachment 291808

You managed to tame one?

Well done you, that's quite the achievement!

 

[djadjok]

Were you able to stay on that Goliath and had a site view tour?

Well, when my numerous attempts to ride on top of large Thargoids have failed I've switched to large skimmers =)
So far my best time "on top" of a Goliath is approximately 120 seconds - and that using external camera (usual sacrifices for screenies and video). I wouldn't name it "a tour" but that was quite a lot of fun.

 

[Insanerobert]

1: Stinger players can deploy this as extra firepower and is allied to the player - in essence an SLF for on foot.

While this would be in theory 1-time-1-use in combat (if you keep the explosive in there), it could also serve as an additional loot collector that follows the player if it's modified for components/items storage (like a personal floating locker) or just create another type and re-name it Stinger-4 for example . They could fill the role of a limpet on-foot and be carried on your back-pack - but I dislike the idea of having them as consumables, like the limpets (because re-fuelling and re-using is a strange concept in the year 3300).

However, I would personally favor a smaller variant of S-4 Sentry to aid people on foot-combat as well, that could shoot either a laser or a kinetic weapon (the kinetic gun would have to be re-armed though). The sentry should be viable only as an engineering modification for Maverick suits (and give them a support role in combat as well if desired) or as a deployable from SRV/ship once you're on foot (this might as well require some SRV module customisation that Frontier is not a fan of at this moment).

2: Use this drone as the basis for a sub SRV size hoverbike that trades weapons/ cargo space for speed and agility:

How about having this option as a different Hangar for planetary roles like a Skimmer Hangar or or even as a side option for SRV Hangar load-outs on planetary activities?

3: Have skimmers pick up selected cargo / mats and take them back to the ship.

This would actually be lovely for making material/cargo gathering easier on surface activities. Would also be nice to be paired with a 3rd type of SRV meant for transport and resource gathering, trading hull/shield XP and firepower for this ability. This way, the SRV/Skimmer combo will not be game-breaking, since you already have to secure the site first before deploying them to aid you in resource gathering. Will also give you the ability to do activities limited to SRVs only but on foot - for people who like to use their personal guns instead of a large, bulky SRV (but without making the SRVs obsolete either) if the Skimmer can be deployed and called from your ship.

 

[Cmdr. Numa]

Were you able to stay on that Goliath and had a site view tour?

ED has no code yet that makes you move within or on top a moving object. You can jump onto skimmers and goliaths, but when they move, you stay stationary and slide off.

 

[Ski'Thor]

ED has no code yet that makes you move within or on top a moving object. You can jump onto skimmers and goliaths, but when they move, you stay stationary and slide off.

That's the reason why I asked the question, since I'm not convinced, that it is not possible, yet

 

[djadjok]

ED has no code yet that makes you move within or on top a moving object. You can jump onto skimmers and goliaths, but when they move, you stay stationary and slide off.

I could say that this "yet" sounds even too optimistic for me in that phrase.

However it's not necessary "sliding off" - if goliath moves not too much/too fast/too far and one manages to predict those movements - or just being lucky enough - then with some practice one can manage to stay on top for a prolonged period of time - minutes - moving/jumping synchronously. Kind of "rodeo" game=) At least skimmers have the collision model for on-foot commanders (in contrast with Thargoid interceptors, where you just fall through or catch a CTD)

 

[Cmdr. Numa]

I could say that this "yet" sounds even too optimistic for me in that phrase.

That just represents my firm belief that it'll come in the next paid for DLC, together with ship interiors and connected gameplay.