Why are ships with larger fuel tanks arbitrarily worse with SCO?

DemiserofD

D
The Beluga has the largest fuel tank in the game; it's the only ship with a Class 7 fuel tank, and it's one of the only advantages of the ship over other ships, allowing it to go further without refueling.

Imagine my surprise, then, when it turns out Supercruise Overcharge is, for some unfathomable reason, based on fuel tank size and not FSD size? This means that for absolutely no reason, the Beluga can go exactly as far as a ship with a class 6 fuel tank - but it takes TWICE AS LONG to fuel scoop!

It also makes it quite clear that the stats in the FSD info on fuel consumption is a complete lie. The 7A SCO FSD says it takes 4.11 tons per hour, yet the exact same FSD takes 14000 tons per hour on the beluga, and 7000 per hour on the Cutter?

What's the deal, fdev?
 
Last edited:

Kira Goto

Kira Goto
I think the measurement indicated in the SCO stats is actually fuel per second (maybe, not completely sure on this) with a variable factor depending on the speed at which the ship is going in the overcharge mode. And apparently the tank size.

It is odd that the consumption does appear to be based on the fuel tank size but I'm not going to complain that the FDL is easy going on its SCO fuel use after I jump to wherever it is I'm fighting with it, despite a 4A drive with a size 3 tank.
 

Rat Catcher

Rat Catcher
So, if you put a C6 tank on the Beluga (a very sensible move, which is beyond the ken of some) does its fuel consumption adjust to fit?
 

Northpin

Northpin
DemiserofD said:
This means that for absolutely no reason, the Beluga can go exactly as far as a ship with a class 6 fuel tank - but it takes TWICE AS LONG to fuel scoop!
Click to expand...

There is no connection between fuel usage, fuel tank size, FSD/SCO size and fuel scoop time. They all depend on different things.
Fuel usage depends of power usage and in case of SCO it really depends on SCO parameters in that particular ship type.
Scoop time depends on scoop size and grade

Do you mean it takes twice as long to fill the tank? Ofc it does, since Begluga has no size 7 optional internals, but i does have a size 7 FSD and size 7 fuel tank
However, you dont have to fill the tank nor you are forced to use the size 7 fuel tank - you can use a smaller one.

DemiserofD said:
Imagine my surprise, then, when it turns out Supercruise Overcharge is, for some unfathomable reason, based on fuel tank size and not FSD size?
Click to expand...

Ever flew an Imperial Clipper? or Alliance ships? or Fed Bricks? Python Mk2 and maybe others? What Fuel Tank size have those ships? size 4? What FSD size? size 5?
Thank you

It seems they got it right
 

Unknown Zombie

Unknown Zombie
Unknown Zombie said:
From what I remember reading in another thread, SCO characteristics are determined by the stock size of the tank that the ship would normally come with, not the tank it currently has equipped.

Will look for it and link it here once found.
Click to expand...
@Rat Catcher Found it.

1724159141802.png


So, putting a smaller fuel tank in a ship that you intend to use for SCO is kneecapping yourself because it will still keep the characteristics determined by the base tank size.
 
Last edited:

Rat Catcher

Rat Catcher
Unknown Zombie said:
@Rat Catcher Found it.

View attachment 399826

So, putting a smaller fuel tank in a ship that you intend to use for SCO is kneecapping yourself because it will still keep the characteristics determined by the base tank size.
Click to expand...
Brilliant - I should have followed that topic a bit more, but never really got past the "Ship go ZOOM!!" bit of research into the SCO drive...
(That and I haven't added it as a permanent fixture to any of my fleet that the SCO drive wasn't designed for)
 

Nadreck

N
Looks like the Clipper might be good for that. Default size 4 16t tank, but could carry some big extra tanks, more than 200t of fuel.

Of course, that would leave you with basically no payload, and the inability to dock at Hutton.
 

Northpin

Northpin
Elpapo said:
SCO fuel usage should be tied to size and grade of FSD, not calculated by core fuel tank size.... Agreed, makes no sense at all.
Click to expand...

It does depend on FSD rate/size - but the fact that is also based on core fuel tank size helps ships that have fuel tanks smaller than the FSD size.

So it may make no sense from a technical perspective, but it makes sense from a gameplay perspective - else Python mk2 and all the ships with size 5 FSD and size 4 fuel tanks would have had a rougher time using SCO
 
Last edited:

alexzk

A
Northpin said:
So it may make no sense from a technical perspective, but it makes sense from a gameplay perspective - else Python mk2 and all the ships with size 5 FSD and size 4 fuel tanks would have had a rougher time using SCO
Click to expand...
Yes, and that could be expected :/ Otherwise we got limited fly distance, not dependent on fuel. This is weird.
 

Elpapo

Elpapo
Northpin said:
It does depend on FSD rate/size - but the fact that is also based on core fuel tank size helps ships that have fuel tanks smaller than the FSD size.

So it may make no sense from a technical perspective, but it makes sense from a gameplay perspective - else Python mk2 and all the ships with size 5 FSD and size 4 fuel tanks would have had a rougher time using SCO
Click to expand...
Yeah, but at same time, while it "helps" smallers ships, it obviously not helps bigger ships, and beluga being most affected, as it does "burns" twice as much fuel compared to cutter, while being quite lighter ship in terms of mass, but using same size FSD.

Again, since some ships already have some kind of SCO properties modifers, (new ships for example have better properties - wich are "bulid in"), so each ship, especially bigger ones should be carefully "tuned" in such way, so beluga should not burn twice as much fuel compared to cutter.
Fix would be simply change values for fuel consumption stats for big ships, even if for beluga only, so it would be more consistent with other big ones.
 

Northpin

Northpin
Well, Beluga has to take one for the team

Joking aside, they could do that indeed, unless it is intended that all ships to perform within certain limits - even Beluga which has the biggest fuel tank
 

Brrokk

Brrokk
Northpin said:
It does depend on FSD rate/size - but the fact that is also based on core fuel tank size helps ships that have fuel tanks smaller than the FSD size.

So it may make no sense from a technical perspective, but it makes sense from a gameplay perspective - else Python mk2 and all the ships with size 5 FSD and size 4 fuel tanks would have had a rougher time using SCO
Click to expand...
It looks to me like simplified programming; an easy way to ensure that no ships run out of fuel faster than intended. Now that it's been pointed out as being daft, maybe we'll get some change.
 
Last edited:

DemiserofD

D
On the whole it's not a terrible concept, the main problem is with ships that have unusually large tanks, like the Adder, DBX, AspX, Type-7, and Beluga.

Kinda ironic that the explorers actually end up the worst at exploring with the new FSDs, because their oversized fuel tanks end up achieving the opposite result.

Personally I'd be fine with them just slicing off the top and making the oversized fuel tanks operate the same as the class average. That way the small tanked ones can go the same distance as the medium tanked ones, while the oversized tank ones can go twice as far.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom