Change how loot from pirates work and Cargo hatch

[aceface]

Loot from pirates should be dropped as a container that is physical, i.e. can be moved around. All the dropped items should be in there (reduce lag).

I think it's strange that you have to just ram into items to get them. That's why I think there should be a cargo scoop which you pick up the loot containers with.
- Basically its like a plexdoor.
- It can be opened/closed by binding it to a hotkey.
- When opened it will suck up items that touch it.
- The group of cargo scoop blocks should be linked to storages to actually have it take up items, otherwise it won't pick up anything.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

Lets not call it a cargo scoop though
Nice idea!

 

[jayman38]

I don't think we need anything new. I think this could be a secondary, passive function of salvage blocks. Just open a protective plex door and a wall of salvage blocks could automatically scoop up any floating items you run across and place them in a linked storage. Then, when you are tired of having to actually run into anything you pick up, you set up a pair of salvage computers, and make every-other salvage block linked to one computer, and the rest to the other, then link them up with a logic timer, so that they are always salvaging at a comfortable distance.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

I don't think we need anything new. I think this could be a secondary, passive function of salvage blocks. Just open a protective plex door and a wall of salvage blocks could automatically scoop up any floating items you run across and place them in a linked storage. Then, when you are tired of having to actually run into anything you pick up, you set up a pair of salvage computers, and make every-other salvage block linked to one computer, and the rest to the other, then link them up with a logic timer, so that they are always salvaging at a comfortable distance.

That would work too. I'm pretty much going to agree with anyone suggesting a way to pick up items from ships without flying into them

 

[aceface]

Lets not call it a cargo scoop though
Nice idea!

ok, cargo hatch.

 

[flpsantoss]

there is one problem, for that to work all dropped items should be made solid or the ship is only gonna pass direct at then if the scoop is not there. and the blocks being solid would be affected by the collision system, and there you go, an infinity lag

i think a more simple solution is to set a group of storage blocks as default placement for blocks when a ship pass trough then.

 

[vernes]

there is one problem, for that to work all dropped items should be made solid or the ship is only gonna pass direct at then if the scoop is not there. and the blocks being solid would be affected by the collision system, and there you go, an infinity lag

i think a more simple solution is to set a group of storage blocks as default placement for blocks when a ship pass trough then.

Or you apply whatever mechanism makes coreblocks pick up dropped items to a dedicated block.

 

[ltmauve]

http://starmadedock.net/threads/debris-items-and-nebula.4700/
Slightly different then what you were talking about here, but mine could be used for nebula as well.

 

[Drill_Sergeant]

Just have salvagers take the loor for you, much easier to implement and since all the salvager does is dematerialize blocks and materializes them im your inventory it would be the same system. Rather than a giant net.

 

[Viridis00]

I can't really get behind this suggestion because I think there's a simpler solution.

Loot shouldn't be dropped by ship entities on core overheat. All or most official pirate vessels should be required to have a storage unit somewhere on the ship or a docked external entity like a cargo box (storage surrounded by hull). Loot quantity would already be controlled by the current value in server.cfg. This way we don't have the sloppy system we have now and we'd actually have to leave our ships and peer into destroyed vessels. Or make use of pull beams to do something similar to the OP suggestion for floating external containers.

Even better, if the new dead astronaut animations imply anything, maybe we'll see lootable pirate bodies in the future too.

 

[Mr.Steam]

I agree with Viridis on this one. I think if you are going to get a bunch of loot from pirates you should at least need to go into the remains of the pirate vessel. If you totally obliterated the pirate vessel and destroyed the storage, well tough luck. I think getting loot from pirates it too easy already. One decent lock on missile and BOOM, several million credits worth of stuff compared to mining for a couple hours.

 

[Tajin]

Loot from pirates should be dropped as a container that is physical, i.e. can be moved around. All the dropped items should be in there (reduce lag).

Good point.

A very simple altnerate solution on picking it up would be as follows:

Treat the cargo-container like a storage unit, so you can simply open it to collect the contents.
HOWEVER, also make it so that salvage beams do not salvage the container directly but instead gather its contents.

The container should automatically disintegrate after a few seconds, if left empty.




This "lootbag" mechanic could in fact be applied to all dropped items, not just pirate loot.
- easier to handle
- less lag/fps problems
- less clutter
- can be pushed/pulled around
- can be salvaged as a simple way of picking it up with a ship
- destroying it means "bye bye loot", so be careful (good way to get rid of unwanted items)
- items dropped near an already existing container automatically get put into the container