Disclaimer: I don't personally have problems with long travel times in supercruise. It enables to feel the scale of space. I would just like the time spent supercruising to be a little more entertaining or have an alternative.
What if...
...we had a module which could let us deploy temporary navigation beacons at distant POIs such as secondary stars, planets, distant outposts etc?
Some details how it could work:
So main idea of having this module is to let player do meaningful activity (e.g. scanning primary star planet surface or complete missions), while probe is being deployed (if they wish to do it and sacrifice optional slot for the module as a tradeoff).
I see it to be potentially usable for many roles/activities. As one example - traders would get the opportunity to travel to the close proximity of the destination station if they managed to escape danger of being interdicted in the proximity of main star. But pirates at the destination POI on the other hand would know that there is some ship potentially incoming when they see deployed beacon.
What do you think? Would it break any gameplay mechanics? Would it work as intended? Can be exploited?
What if...
...we had a module which could let us deploy temporary navigation beacons at distant POIs such as secondary stars, planets, distant outposts etc?
Some details how it could work:
- The probe can be launched either from the FSS scanner or supercruise (directly targeting and pointing towards destination POI if it is discovered).
- The deployment time would be proportional (or equal) to travel time in supercruise with supercruise assist.
- As soon as the probe is launched in the direction of distant object one would get a counter at info panel with the time remaining to the deployment.
- The temporary navigation beacon would allow to initiate a single in-system hyperjump to its owner.
- UPD: it could be done in a way similar to interdiction mechanic - so one has to maintain a direction toward exit vector for a given time. In case of failure there would be an emergency drop leading to significant damage of FSD and a cooldown.
- Deployed beacon could be seen by nearby pilots (as POI) so they can drop at it and destroy (or wait for a ship to jump).
- After scanning deployed beacon they could also see the countdown timer and the ship signature (model/id).
- After performing a jump the player would
either appear in supercruise at the position of beacon (as after normal hyperjump) ordrop from supercruiseif there is any other pilot dropped at this POI (occupying POI instance). - Depending on module size there could be 1, 2 or 4 probes deployed at the same time (each with individual timer).
- Module class would affect the time deployed beacon would stay active, e.g. D class would let 15 seconds, so player would have to react immediately interrupting current activity to perform a jump, A class would allow a beacon to stay active for 30 minutes (similar to life support module).
- Module would have a probe capacity (to be replenished either at spaceport or from materials similarly to limpets).
- The owner can deactivate deployed probe remotely.
- The deploying probe would be shown to its owner at navigation panel (as POI, with countdown timer showing time to deploy)
- The deployed probe would be shown to all players (able to instance with probe owner), with remaining time after deployment (visible only to its owner).
- All deployed beacons would be deactivated on logoff (so would not be permanent objects as FC).
- Switching between ships and jumping to another star system would automatically remove/deactivate all deployed/deploying beacons in the current system.
- (Optionally) Deployed probe can be collected after performing a jump to replenish without spending materials. Or stolen by another commander.
So main idea of having this module is to let player do meaningful activity (e.g. scanning primary star planet surface or complete missions), while probe is being deployed (if they wish to do it and sacrifice optional slot for the module as a tradeoff).
I see it to be potentially usable for many roles/activities. As one example - traders would get the opportunity to travel to the close proximity of the destination station if they managed to escape danger of being interdicted in the proximity of main star. But pirates at the destination POI on the other hand would know that there is some ship potentially incoming when they see deployed beacon.
What do you think? Would it break any gameplay mechanics? Would it work as intended? Can be exploited?
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