I request a new add-on item that turns capship hulks into scrap metal and perhaps recovers a part (or two, heh heh). My apologies if this request already exists. Thanks for yalls hard work and sacrifice keeping this great game going.
- VeXeD

+1 to salvage beams provided they also spit out salvage sss and what not. Perhaps with different beams being better at different items. And to be clear, the salvaged materials would need to cleaned up before being used.

Like a manu mission? 100 salvage sss for 10 normall sss? I +1 this too.

Here, have some idea vomit! (I really wish there were some way to create horizontal bars to separate components of the idea)

I don't strictly want to assume salvaging processes are going to be synonymous with mining beams. Rather, because of the complexity of a derelict, i'd assume a more complex procedure would be necessary. To that end, I vaguely remember the process of dereliction in Starpoint Gemini 2, and based on said fuzzy recollection i'd propose this different extraction process:

In order to clean up and extract valuable material from wreckage, <faction> created a deployable nanite/drone swarm/etc. When fired at a derelict, the bots will begin stripping and performing basic component reduction in order to convert chunks of the derelict's mass into manageably sized recyclable blocks, which can be converted at upgraded research stations into usable components.

Process:
When bots are fired at and impact a derelict/debris/etc, they begin to process it (if its a valid target for processing). Over time, if the salvage rate hits 100%, the derelict's 'salvageable mass' is reduced and a salvage crate of a certain type or quality is spawned nearby, where it can be picked up by the salvager (or stolen). This process is autonomous and does not require any input (or presence) of the salvager (though an inactive sector should remove salvaging mechanisms).

If a salvage nanite/bot/etc is fired again at the derelict, then the last process is dropped and the new salvaging operation immediately starts.

Derelict stations cannot be salvaged (unless they were once player-built stations) (because I hold out hope there might be explorable station innards. Its actually pretty fun to crawl inside of things in VO and I really wish there were more places and reasons to do this)

Upgrading stations:
A station can always process salvage and extract scrap metal or other low tier commodities, but in order to extract higher tier items, the station must have its recycler upgraded. This works as a procurement mission whos results are shared between all visiting pilots. The upgrades will decline by a tier over time (a week?), and (in the future) could be sabatoged through corporate/national warfare. I'm less interested in it being declined by usage, as I imagine someone may try to sit a bot at a station that just processes ores the instant it gets upgraded, but providing a time limit on how much you can process sounds rather depressing as a player.

Base recycler: Default, can only extract scrap metal and rarely low quality ores
Improved recycler: source commodities and ores from nearby to upgrade
Advanced recycler: source rare commodities and ores to upgrade
Experimental recycler: source manufactured items and processed goods to upgrade
Gravitic recycler: requires RHA, Sammic ore, and a gravity mine to upgrade
>>>Imagine someone using a gravity mine housing to create a sustained gravitic anomaly controlled like a CNC machine :P

Recycling Process:
Recycling crates of salvage *could* work via the mission system too, or it could get its own UI where you have a filtered inventory and you drag and drop how much/what type of salvage crate you want recycled. Either way, based on the level of recycler available at the station and the type/quality of salvage provided could result in different things popping out. What pops out is up to a venn diagram-like loot pool. Recycling salvage does NOT cost the player - the faction is happy to have less junk in the way of their travels.

Salvage Crates:
Crates of salvage are spawned in a number of types or qualities. EXAMPLES (most made with GPT because its really fun) of possible drop types are listed below:

○ Salvage (Scrap) - Raw chunks of metal mixed with destroyed components.
○ Salvage (Standard) - Moderately intact components and materials that can be used for repairs or repurposing.
○ Salvage (Premium) - High-quality components and materials that are in good condition.
○ Salvage (Rare) - Highly specialized or hard-to-find components and materials.
○ Salvage (Exceptional) - Top-of-the-line components and materials that are in excellent condition.
○ Salvage (Ore) - Chunks of mixed ores extracted from debris
○ Salvage (Contraband) - Components belonging to military or corporate assets

Salvaging mechanism:
tradeoffs of balance could be of "power", "salvaging rate", "decay rate", and "Quality"

Power:
For every 1 point of energy charge given to the fired nanite/drone/etc, they get 1 second of lifetime. If the lifetime expires before a salvage threshold is crossed, the nanites are wasted, so don't NOT charge these things. different salvage deployment methods could have different charge rates or capacities, from el cheapo scrap pullers to capital salvaging options. Or, there could be variants with preset charge rates deployed via self propelled ordinance.

Salvage Rate:
The rate at which the bots can extract "salvage" crates from the target derelict/debris

Decay Rate:
A derelict/debris's "completeness" is lowered by a factor increased or decreased by the decay rate. Basically, a "how much of derelict mass is converted to a single salvage crate"

Quality:
A modifier that increases or decreases the chance for any specific 'quality' of salvage.

Equipment styles:
I really only expect nanite swarms, but the others sounded cool too...

Nanite swarm:
Like a repair blaster, charges and fires nanites at an object. the nanites are programmed to begin stripping. Normal swarms are fairly average in all extraction stats.

Nanite nest:
A "mine" that serves as an advanced computer to locally manage advanced nanites. When dropped within range of a derelict, instructs its stored nanites to strip the target, using stored algorithms and pattern matching to greatly improve extraction quality.

Salvager bot:
A drone that, when charged, departs from the owner's ship to begin processing the targetted derelict. The drone doesn't carry salvage, but (provided it isn't destroyed) can return to the owner's ship and reconnect with the firing mechanism. VERY slow salvage rate in exchange for power efficiency and improved quality.

+100000000 to Luxen's ultra-detailed version. This would be a really end-game level activity though, so I'd add the license requirements for any salvage addons to be above 10 in all lics, and for the recycling process to be at conquerable stations (either new ones or the existing ones).

I don't agree that it *should* be end-game content, neccesarily; pilots at their peak could do it more efficiently, sure, but I think around the same time you begin accessing manufacturing (combat 5) is perfectly fine enough to open the possibility for a scavenger roleplay.

I also REALLY do not want this tied to conquerable stations. Sure, the conquerable stations are basically mass production facilities, which makes sense why they should offer recycling systems too, but I would rather keep salvage systems available everywhere. *maybe* we could have certain locations such as the conquerable stations as able to be upgraded higher or something, as a compromise? Like, most can only reach the "advanced" stage, but research stations in a nation's capital system(s) can reach experimental (on-station hands are more experienced and have better local funding), and conqs can take the dangerous upgrades involving ultra-rare materials.

+1 this all sounds really cool.

+1 Faction standing repercussions could also be added as a possibility.

Not nation standings but I would imagine that some of the mining corps wouldn't be too happy about the rise of recycling eating into the demand for raw ores and equipment.

Perhaps we could have an additional faction who's stations give the best returns/processing.

This should be a separate license, honestly.