You can check out another collection-centered thread here, the material collector limpet: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/430392-Material-Collector-Limpet-Controller
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With the new mining mechanics and general collection of materials and canisters in mind, I find it hard to say that collector limpets are an eficient or fast way of collecting stuff. Limpets waste a great deal of materials, cargo space and can't be deployed anywhere close to where ECMs or enemy point defense is used. ALso their max range and low speed often is in the way.
Thus, as an evolution of the limpet I'd like to present my newest invention: The collector drone. Unlike limpets, the collector drone is not launched from cargo space, but does instead occupy the SLF slot of a ship. It's specfically made to resist all kinds of ECM or point defense and has a good amount of shields and hull and due to the fact that it doesn't need weapons and a strong generator it has plenty of cargo space and is really maneuverable and fast.
The collector drone would be used on heavy salvage operations, mining operations or in combat zones to collect cargo, ores or materials. Of course, limpets can be used to support the drone. It has several long extendable arms and magnetic hooks to collect materials and can quickly grab multiple items and up to four canisters before having to go back to the ship to unload by docking to the cargo bay for a second to transfer all salvage. Speed would be around 500 m/s, and it would be a lot more maneuverable and collect faster than any limpet.
It has to make up for occupying the SLF-slot of course, so I think the fast collecting speed and capacity is a good trade-off. I thought about this specifically for ships that either want to get their cargo faster before getting away or for better-fitted ships that don't need an SLF to be effective in combat (big three, type 10 etc.). It has grappling hooks to grab ores in RES sites without going suicidal like so many limpets do. Generally, a pilot will have to decide if he wants to trade utility for more combat-flexibility, while possibly freeing an optional slot that would normally be used for limpets.
Thanks for reading, let me know what you think.
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With the new mining mechanics and general collection of materials and canisters in mind, I find it hard to say that collector limpets are an eficient or fast way of collecting stuff. Limpets waste a great deal of materials, cargo space and can't be deployed anywhere close to where ECMs or enemy point defense is used. ALso their max range and low speed often is in the way.
Thus, as an evolution of the limpet I'd like to present my newest invention: The collector drone. Unlike limpets, the collector drone is not launched from cargo space, but does instead occupy the SLF slot of a ship. It's specfically made to resist all kinds of ECM or point defense and has a good amount of shields and hull and due to the fact that it doesn't need weapons and a strong generator it has plenty of cargo space and is really maneuverable and fast.
The collector drone would be used on heavy salvage operations, mining operations or in combat zones to collect cargo, ores or materials. Of course, limpets can be used to support the drone. It has several long extendable arms and magnetic hooks to collect materials and can quickly grab multiple items and up to four canisters before having to go back to the ship to unload by docking to the cargo bay for a second to transfer all salvage. Speed would be around 500 m/s, and it would be a lot more maneuverable and collect faster than any limpet.
It has to make up for occupying the SLF-slot of course, so I think the fast collecting speed and capacity is a good trade-off. I thought about this specifically for ships that either want to get their cargo faster before getting away or for better-fitted ships that don't need an SLF to be effective in combat (big three, type 10 etc.). It has grappling hooks to grab ores in RES sites without going suicidal like so many limpets do. Generally, a pilot will have to decide if he wants to trade utility for more combat-flexibility, while possibly freeing an optional slot that would normally be used for limpets.
Thanks for reading, let me know what you think.
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