"When you use addon scanner - knowledge is your advantage, not firepower."

I disagree. Knowledge implies intelligence, there is no intelligence in choosing an add on scanner over a weapon.

" to provide a single specific port on every ship, ideally located near the center of mass, for items such as Radars, Scanners and Spoofers which are not otherwise used."

+1000 EPIC WIN.

I would be interested to know how equipment ports actually figure in the torque/rotational inertia calculation. If they are point mass objects, it matters little whether they are installed in a fighter, or a larger craft, given they are installed at the actual center of mass of the craft.

If they are not point mass objects, but instead parts with distributed mass (which is not as likely, I think, but entirely possible)it would affect very light ships a lot more than heavier ones.

Oh yeah. +|i²| to the OP.

This is a good idea but I can think of at least five different things that need to be implemented before this.. But ya, more customizable ships are always a plus.

Favrewebelieve, while I agree there are many things that are more important in the long term big picture... (economy, faction redux, etc... etc...)... this would go a long way towards customizable ships, which the lack of seems to be a fairly common complaint amongst newer players.

The long term big changes will be awesome when implemented will help a lot but, this is relatively simple... (by comparison)... and has the potential to help create a larger player base. Lets face facts, one of the more immediate problems VO has is the miniscule player base.

ryan reign: "Knowledge implies intelligence, there is no intelligence in choosing an add on scanner over a weapon."

That is one of the least intelligent statements I have heard in this thread so far. One weapon on target is worth far more than two or more blasting empty space. An add on that gives you valuable intel on when and where to apply a single weapon can be far more valuable than two weapons applied at the wrong time/place.

Perhaps we should take all comments on intelligence submitted by Serco rp'ers with a grain of salt.

"One weapon on target is worth far more than two or more blasting empty space."

And two to five weapons on target are far more valuable than one weapon on target with a weapons port sacrificed for a piece of equipment that tells you what your eyes and ears tell you.

"An add on that gives you valuable intel on when and where to apply a single weapon can be far more valuable than two weapons applied at the wrong time/place."

I generally use my eyes and ears to figure out what I'm being shot at with.

At any rate your inability to process data that you are repeatedly exposed to every time you engage in combat using your eyes and ears aside, I have to say your post is a credit to you and your writing skills.

It is as if The Art of War, Napoleonic strategy and Clausewitz and Jomini had been rewritten by a retired fortune cookie writer with Down's Syndrome. Good job, you're truly improving!

Rodas skill in forums is as underwhelming as his skill in VOs combat.

ouch!

/me hands Roda some salve for that savage burn.

i kinda like the idea outlined in the op, but i fear it'll never be made to function properly.

Ryan? Have you actually read any of those references? the art of war is available for free from project gutenburg.

Alana Eyes and BobTheWide have actually engaged in combat in vo? do they even play vo? there are many that would criticize the combat ability of others, but few who will back it with blasters.

the ion scanner is one of the lightest of add ons. suddenly every fighter in the game will have ion storm capability without sacrificing a weapon port. ion storms will become meaningless.

the ion scanner is one of the lightest of add ons. suddenly every fighter in the game will have ion storm capability without sacrificing a weapon port. ion storms will become meaningless.

Or, rather, the Storm Radar will actually be used.

While it is a good theory that one should be required to compensate for an addon with a removed weapon, in actuality, that is not what happens. What happens is that no one uses the addon because they would be forced to give up a weapon. This means that a huge majority of the entire game's population does not use any of the addon items now available.

I repeat myself; this would make all the Addons that are not used due to this by an overwhelming majority of the playerbase a viable choice, while being a way to increase ship customizability very considerably without needing to add a single addon, weapon, or ship to the game.

ion storms were always meaningless Roda...

I use ion storm radar extenders. I use cargo scanners. I sacrifice weapons ports for them, because it is worth it.

Right now, if you go hive hunting in an ion storm, you have to decide between an ion storm radar extender or an extra weapon. This makes hunting hive in an ion storm more interesting, regardless of your choice. If your suggestion is implemented, people will not even pay attention to if a hive mission is in an ion storm. they will have an extender mounted full time.

Right now, I special eqiup a ship to go hunt convoys. I hate blasting moths, just to figure out they are empty. So I pick a ship with the balance of scanning, killing, and cargo space in mind. You will fundamentally change that balance. Hunting heavy moths is somewhat challenging atm. It would be significantly less so if your suggestion is implemented.

You suggestion changes too many aspects of the game. ships would need to be rebalanced combat wise. light ships are already very popular, and arguably already the most deadly ship type in the game, and your suggestion benefits the light ship more than any other type.

A ship type that is already popular does not need enhancement.

If you do not think that add ons are worth sacrificing a port for, then enhance the add ons. changing ship designs to fix a perceived problem with add ons is ass backwards.

If the proposal was to let someone add as many add-ons to a ship as they wanted, you'd have a great point, Roda.

That's not what's being proposed.

You admit that you frequently bolt on more than one add-on. Thus, pilots would not necessarily have to stop choosing between add-on or weapon; they'd just get one freebie, as it were. So, since there's still a choice to be made, how much force does your objection really have?

Many ships have already been special designed with the current system. The raptor, greyhound, mineral moth, etc. These ships would lose much of their specialty.

How many people actually use a hornet for other than specialized cases. This is just one more thing that steals niche market from the hornet.

You want to add a free equipment port to heavy ships? I might not fight so hard about it.

You want to add a free equipment port to medium ships? You are really busting the hornets territory here, but it might not unbalance the game.

You want to add any kind of port to light ships? NO!

Light ships already are the dominant ship type in this game. They do not need any additional enhancement.

Looks like someone leans to the left since they don't support a proportional system where EVERY ship gets one free add on port.

But seriously, we all understand your point Roda. But you, and maybe a select few, actually sacrifice a weapon port for an add on. New players will never think it's better to use a add on instead of a weapon.

1) Many ships have already been special designed with the current system. The raptor, greyhound, mineral moth, etc. These ships would lose much of their specialty.

Incorrect. These ships will also have an additional add on port, so not only can the hound scan for cargo, but it also has a radar extender. etc.

2) You want to add any kind of port to light ships? NO!

There needs to be more add ons created that benefit heavy ships more, as well as light ships. This will create more diversity and customization, which is one thing that VO lacks.

i often put a storm extender on a greyhound now. A single megaposi is a serious weapon, and the philosophy that every other aspect of the ship is to bring the megaposi to target is a valid strategy.

if a light ship should get an equipment port, then a medium should get two and a heavy should get three or more. moth xc should get none.

using noobs as arguments of what ships should have is an unsatisfiable argument. noobs that can barely aim one weapon then go and stack 4 n2 on a hornet and then wonder why they can hit anything at all, and die alot. noobs are a poor standard of measurement.

i often put a storm extender on a greyhound now. A single megaposi is a serious weapon, and the philosophy that every other aspect of the ship is to bring the megaposi to target is a valid strategy.

I fly the same way when I'm pirating, with either a UC or an EXD feeding the Megaposi. However, if I could have my built in cargo scanner, a storm radar add-on, and a Raven/Megaposi rig, I wouldn't exactly whine that the Hound was no longer the preeminent hunter in the game.

I'll still whine about its insane repair costs, but that's another matter.

"using noobs as arguments of what ships should have is an unsatisfiable argument"

Ya your right, why make it easier for new players to understand. It's not like VO has an extremely small player-base or anything.

I'm sorry, Roda, but I'm beginning to find your arguments against this suggestion more and more surreal.

The entire point of giving every ship 1 additional port is to ensure that every ship is benefited exactly the same. It means that EVERY ship (Meaning, all light, medium, and heavy ships of every kind) will be able to carry a normal loadout, in addition to a single addon.

It does not mean they will be getting new weapons. It does not mean that they won't be able to mount additional addons if they choose to. The Hornet will not be losing any capabilities. It's really a very simple adjustment, in principal.