Automatic Ship Docking for Docked Reactors

[XTFOX]

I came across a dilemma when trying to make a salvager with the new system. I wanted to have a ship with full FTL chambers, Heat Defense, and Mining however that takes up too much RC. Also I could make a reactor at least 50% smaller if I didn't have to power the Salvage beams.

Idea: A smaller reactor with both a docker and a rail to switch which ship was docked to which.

Design:
Ship A: Salvage ship with large reactor. Chambers: Heat Defense and Mining
Ship B: Reactor 50% smaller than Ship A. Chambers: Full FTL Tree

Switching Reactors:
From my understanding if Ship A is docked to Ship B then the reactor currently active is Ship B and vice versa. I want to use pickup points such that if Ship A undocks from Ship B then Ship B's docker will be on a pickup point attached to Ship A. So if I undock Ship A then Ship B immediately docks to it switching which reactor is active.

Gameplay:
For Travel: Ship A is docked to Ship B. Ship B reactor is active
On Arrival to a mining location: Undock Ship A. Ship B then hits the pickup point on Ship A and docks to it. Ship A reactor is now active.
After mining is complete: Undock Ship B. Ship A then hits a pickup point on Ship B and docks to it activating reactor for Ship B.

Does this sound like it would work?

EDIT: I was unaware that switching between reactors was possible when writing this. However the idea is still interesting in that you could have a "FTL Drive" that you could move from ship to ship when resources are scarce.

 

[NTIMESc]

Since both ships would always be docked to each other while operating, why not just build two reactors on one ship? Each reactor can have it's own chamber setup, and you can switch between them on the reactor menu, instead of shuffling docks and switching cores.

As to your question, "would this work?":
It would basically just be a transport ship with a docked mining ship. It would probably work, but not as well as you'd like compared to a single ship. If pickup points are lined up on both ships all the time, you would probably need to have only one enabled at a time.

 

[XTFOX]

Oh. I read somewhere that switching reactors did not currently work. Where in the interface is that?

 

[MChain]

In the reactor interface you can switch active reactor. Somewhere at the top.

As for such ship-jumping, you're not the first with this idea. It would work, but too many issues with such "warp core", since collisions will destabilize the system. Tried it on my clan miner. Either you get both entities simultaneously docked to each other (and a resulting glitchy ship) or collision mechanics throws the warp core away from the ship.

You could use an external warp drive though. Something alike to Syluire-45 from Star Wars. Don't thing it is worth it though.

 

[NTIMESc]

One thing I did notice about switching reactors (it does work, btw) is that it is excruciatingly slow.

You could use an external warp drive though. Something alike to Syluire-45 from Star Wars. Don't thing it is worth it though.

I built one like that for a Robotech VF-1j which worked pretty well, back when you had to actually build the jump drive. I'm thinking integrity would be a problem now.

 

[MChain]

Mostly not. I actually have a working Nimbus with a Syluire-ish ring, and no issues detected ;-). Well except the fact I had to build Nimbus as a stealth-recon-craft instead of a fighter, due to its tiny size. Found no place to fit the cannons xD

 

[ObiShawnKenobi]

You might as well have one big reactor and hook up any chambers you want to use on your ship. Instead of changing reactors, you can just revert the chamber effect and then use the other. It's what I have on my home station so I can switch from warp gate to interdiction to factory production.