Hello everyone!
Wanted to make suggestions as I feel talking in private discort channels is not enough. Frontier developers raised question about the infinite number of probes for plannet scanning as they feel it's a bit of non realistic immersion breaking approach? (thats my take on it). Before you leave, lemme clarify: I see "reality" in games as a spectrum of options, balanced on the fun site. So please don't ragequit if you have different opinion! I want to have discussion, not screaming show.
Idea #1: REUSABLE PROBES
The idea is: You would shoot probes as shown on stream from Frontier developers. You would still have to use 5 or less probes, depending on skill, to map whole planet. The changes comes with simple fact: probes would not land, but stayed above the ground (not noticable change), but once you map the whole planet, you could recall those probes. Recalling should take less time than shooting them, due to faster travel because of fuel use. After the return they would refuel themselfs from the ship's fuel reserves.
Idea #2: Reusable automated probes.
Building on the previous idea, probes could be just set to map the planet by themselfs. This would be option for people who either dont have skill or dont enjoy the mechanics: Probes would fly themselfs to perfect location to map the planet, but it would take more fuel and more time. Its additional gameplay I am not keen on.
Idea #3 REUSABLE LIMPETS.
Look, I believe the idea of one time only probes is not good. I am suggesting to build AI a bit better and make those limpets reusable. I was in disbelieve how many times limpets headlessly rammed into near by asteriod for no apparent reason. Even robot from Boston dynamic can do backflips and parkour, so why do we have an AI in Elite Dangerous, 1300 years later, that is incapable avoiding stacionary asteroids, is beyond me.
Idea #4
Why do we need extra cargo racks, while the module controler (fuel/recon/repair/...) requires so much space? Can we please have controller modules that store those reuable limpets? 5E Fuel Transfer controller takes up as much space as 32 tons of cargo. As far as I know its just conputer that controls the extremly dumb limpets ... so sounds more like 1300 years back, not 1300 years in the future since we can do smart robot that can walk, or smart drones that can fly and kill today ....
What I want to achieve: I want to have a bit more immersion and bit more stuff to care about. The fuel consumption would be reasonably small (considering whole ship doesnt need much fuel to get out of the surfurace) aswell as it would require maintanance every few hundred times (not keen on that, could be interresting feature). Also I want possibility to add more gameplay features on top of it. >> I was hoping for (maybe even later down the road of development) similar mechanics as fighterbay/SRV bay, where you can choose different types of probes to load and take with you with perhaps probes that can scan people, or interresting sites? Probes that could deep scan system for maybe megaships far away? There is interresting gameplay that could happend with this change. Hopefully one day when we get more SRVs that can repair ships or ship parts, maybe we could repair probes in the launcher ... there is definatelly space for more imho.
Things I want to avoid: I DON'T WANT TIME SINKS OR GRINDING! I cannot stress this enough. Considering the sheer amount of planets exploreres have to scan for interresting "rumored" discoveries mentioned in codex. I don't also want too much fuel consumed, because it would also mean more time spent fuel scooping AND THAT'S NOT MY GOAL. Fuel scooping should be buffed 15-25% to eliminate unnecessary waiting times and to balance the probes Fuel scoops were not designed with the probes using fuel in mind, so thats why I suggest slight buff.
At this point I just offer option that would mean more things to do, so reusable probes for now (#1) with option to upgrade them for materials. THE IDEA #4 is my old nemessis from times when I was testing mining for a few days straight.
Wanted to make suggestions as I feel talking in private discort channels is not enough. Frontier developers raised question about the infinite number of probes for plannet scanning as they feel it's a bit of non realistic immersion breaking approach? (thats my take on it). Before you leave, lemme clarify: I see "reality" in games as a spectrum of options, balanced on the fun site. So please don't ragequit if you have different opinion! I want to have discussion, not screaming show.
Idea #1: REUSABLE PROBES
The idea is: You would shoot probes as shown on stream from Frontier developers. You would still have to use 5 or less probes, depending on skill, to map whole planet. The changes comes with simple fact: probes would not land, but stayed above the ground (not noticable change), but once you map the whole planet, you could recall those probes. Recalling should take less time than shooting them, due to faster travel because of fuel use. After the return they would refuel themselfs from the ship's fuel reserves.
Idea #2: Reusable automated probes.
Building on the previous idea, probes could be just set to map the planet by themselfs. This would be option for people who either dont have skill or dont enjoy the mechanics: Probes would fly themselfs to perfect location to map the planet, but it would take more fuel and more time. Its additional gameplay I am not keen on.
Idea #3 REUSABLE LIMPETS.
Look, I believe the idea of one time only probes is not good. I am suggesting to build AI a bit better and make those limpets reusable. I was in disbelieve how many times limpets headlessly rammed into near by asteriod for no apparent reason. Even robot from Boston dynamic can do backflips and parkour, so why do we have an AI in Elite Dangerous, 1300 years later, that is incapable avoiding stacionary asteroids, is beyond me.
Idea #4
Why do we need extra cargo racks, while the module controler (fuel/recon/repair/...) requires so much space? Can we please have controller modules that store those reuable limpets? 5E Fuel Transfer controller takes up as much space as 32 tons of cargo. As far as I know its just conputer that controls the extremly dumb limpets ... so sounds more like 1300 years back, not 1300 years in the future since we can do smart robot that can walk, or smart drones that can fly and kill today ....
What I want to achieve: I want to have a bit more immersion and bit more stuff to care about. The fuel consumption would be reasonably small (considering whole ship doesnt need much fuel to get out of the surfurace) aswell as it would require maintanance every few hundred times (not keen on that, could be interresting feature). Also I want possibility to add more gameplay features on top of it. >> I was hoping for (maybe even later down the road of development) similar mechanics as fighterbay/SRV bay, where you can choose different types of probes to load and take with you with perhaps probes that can scan people, or interresting sites? Probes that could deep scan system for maybe megaships far away? There is interresting gameplay that could happend with this change. Hopefully one day when we get more SRVs that can repair ships or ship parts, maybe we could repair probes in the launcher ... there is definatelly space for more imho.
Things I want to avoid: I DON'T WANT TIME SINKS OR GRINDING! I cannot stress this enough. Considering the sheer amount of planets exploreres have to scan for interresting "rumored" discoveries mentioned in codex. I don't also want too much fuel consumed, because it would also mean more time spent fuel scooping AND THAT'S NOT MY GOAL. Fuel scooping should be buffed 15-25% to eliminate unnecessary waiting times and to balance the probes Fuel scoops were not designed with the probes using fuel in mind, so thats why I suggest slight buff.
At this point I just offer option that would mean more things to do, so reusable probes for now (#1) with option to upgrade them for materials. THE IDEA #4 is my old nemessis from times when I was testing mining for a few days straight.
But its very interresting question!