Echo Mande
0
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Posted - 2011.10.10 12:42:00 -
[1] - Quote
I'll take a swing at the dead horse.
Regardless of how the final result will look, be it a single structure or the current cloud of modules, changes ought to tbe made to how the various industrial arrays provide resources to players. What I propose is the following:
Instead of the current variety of different lab, manufacturing, shipbuilding, reaction and silo modules, there should be several sizes (call it small to XXL) of generic lab, manufacturing, shipbuilding and reaction arrays, each of which can be tailored to the wants and needs of the players by POS logisticians.
Each of the various arrays would have the capacity to install different types of modules, which would consume grid and CPU while providing one or more slots of one type (or other abilities) to users. Installing slots would take some time, but would not be permanent (uninstall slots to reconfigure the array) or maybe even require materials. For instance, a lab array could install modules to provide ME, PE, invention, copy or reverse engineering slots. Perhaps T1, T2 and T3 manufacturing slots could have their own modules, with 'incorrect tech' production in that slot being at least slower than optimal. The current penalties to POS T2 shipbuilding should be removed. Whether the array's hangar size is dependant on the array size or on the installed modules (perhaps an 'expanded hangar' module could be provided) is something that should be looked at.
Some current modules would be subsumed in the new setup and some new abilities could be added. For instance manufacturing arrays could have the ability to install some different 'refinery' modules (quick and dirty or slow and clean; with percentage cap removed), POS module building modules and even 'ore compression' modules (with a time penalty over the rorq). Similarly the various silos could be redone as modules in the reaction arrays, with each module representing a single silo. Shipyard arrays could have the ability to install ship maintenance array modules, with multiple modules representing a larger SMA.
While the arrays might not have a security requirement, installable modules would. For instance the current sov requirement for capital SMAs would vanish but XL and capital shipyard modules would need respectively sov<0.5 and player sovereignty to install. Moon harvesters (installable in/on reactor arrays) and possibly the entire reactor array would only be allowed in sov<0.4.
Whether these changes should or should not be carried through to the shield, ewar and weapons arrays is a matter for discussion. A large weapons array bristling with small guns has some appeal but might not be terribly efficient.
Commentary is very welcome. |