Yes, I know, it's been discussed many times before. Considering the many added items that could be used in such a port, I feel it's time to revisit the concept.

So, the issue is that we have a huge variety of potentially interesting pieces of equipment, that no one uses because they take up a weapon port. The simplest and easiest way to change these items from useless fluff to potentially very useful items would be to give every ship 1 equipment port.

An equipment port on a ship could be used to mount things like Addon Scanners, Cargo Scanners, Cargo Spoofers, Storm Radars, Group Radars, and the proposed Target Spoofer could also be mounted on one.

This adjustment is fairly simple, but it would give players incentive to actually use these items, whereas presently no one bothers with them because they'd have to sacrifice a weapon.

I like it. Preserves balance by making all ships equally more useful. Not sure how easy this is, though. Addons have mass and ports are not simple things to just throw onto a ship model.

Yeah. I can see the benefit of this. For certain heavy ships, it might have to be an equipment port replacing an existing weapon port, to keep things balanced. I'd love to see stuff like this implemented for an equipment port.

-1

I think add ons should take a weapons port. I especially dislike strats idea of handicapping heavy ships by replacing a weapons port with an equipment port.

The hornet needs some love and add ons are it. Mauds need love. All those ships that either get overloaded with weapons or are just not used at all now have a potential role as add on carriers.

I do not wish to support a free add on port for light ships, or the idea that you have to pack every available port with weapons. You have plenty of room for add ons now.

Roda: I didn't say anything about a free equipment port for light ships. I said, every ship gets 1 equipment port. The simple fact is that as long as equipment items take up a weapon port, no one will use them. That's pretty much as far as it goes.

This makes an undesirable piece of kit suddenly useful and useable, and it gives us (shock and awe) additional customizability in our ship loadouts. I think most of us have been wanting that for a while.

Strat: I think it would be preferable if every ship gets 1 equipment port without replacing weapon ports, because it prevents any severe alterations in combat balance. And yes, agreed on the link.

Lecter: Addons do have mass, yes. Therefore, people who mount addons in an equipment port will be slightly slower than they would normally be. It's a tradeoff, but not such a huge tradeoff that it would severely affect game balance.

Are you suggesting removing one weapon port for every ship to add the equipment port? because if not, then you are in effect adding a free equipment port for all ships, including light ships. Most ships already have two weapons ports. This means you can have at least one weapon and one add on.

I fly a vult3 with ion storm extender and a weapon. I fly a valk with ion storm extender, cargo scanner, and weapon. I fly a hornet with ion storm extender, mineral scanner, small mining beam, and a weapon. I commonly fly a taur3 with two megaposi and an ion storm extender. What about a rag with ion storm extender, mineral scanner, weapon, and two large mining beams?

The way it is now is far more versatile than a dedicating add ons port. You are destroying a massive selection of multifunction loadouts by limiting one add on per ship.

Next thing you know, you will want to count mining beams, repair modules, and lmines as add ons. add ons should cost weapons space, period.

Lecter: Addons do have mass, yes. Therefore, people who mount addons in an equipment port will be slightly slower than they would normally be. It's a tradeoff, but not such a huge tradeoff that it would severely affect game balance.

You (of course) misunderstand, Shli. The location of a port on a ship model has an important bearing on how the ship handles when something with mass is placed into the port. An item equipped in a port center of mass will have a markedly different effect than the same item equipped in a port way out from center of mass. Thus, "adding a port to all ships" isn't all that simple.

So, I think it's a great idea (Roda's point is silly, since every single ship will gain one port; there will still be choices to be made about whether to sacrifice weapon ports for additional add-ons), but it may not be simple to implement.

I like Roda Slane's point of view.

For me it looks hard to implement this. You can't just add +1 weapon ports to all ships. I also use light ports for different addons, even on vult or EC-107. When I fly proms, hornets or maud I am using an addon in 8/10 cases.
Yes, it cut off my fighting abilities, but I value RP, 'verse and will not sacrifice it to the single-duel-victory "somewhere in space". In general, when I want to kill someone - I kill and I don't need for that more than one weapon port of Cent.

Want addons, folks? Scratch flares from your valks, corvults, vults, RevC, mauds, etc and you'll get what you need. There's also such thing as "group tactics".

For example, VPR: viper recruits and noobs die in 95% fights, before comes angry Srat or someone less-more expierenced. Why to use them as food for plants, sold-scrap for me and others? Equip their ships with addon-scanners, cargo scanners, group radar extenders and you'll get the result in teamwork.

Though implementing idea is up to devs.

Actually I like this idea. If the issue is port placement, have each one placed in the exact center of the ship.

+1 to OP.

btw, no removing weapons ports to compensate. Bad strat, bad.

You (of course) misunderstand, Shli. The location of a port on a ship model has an important bearing on how the ship handles when something with mass is placed into the port. An item equipped in a port center of mass will have a markedly different effect than the same item equipped in a port way out from center of mass. Thus, "adding a port to all ships" isn't all that simple.

No, I didn't know that. I would point out, though, that if the port were added in or near the center of mass, most likely (as I understand it) the end result would still be what I describe (you sacrifice a small amount of maneuverability to get an addon) without the strange balancing issues of having a port far off the right wing or something.

Are you suggesting removing one weapon port for every ship to add the equipment port? because if not, then you are in effect adding a free equipment port for all ships, including light ships.

Yes. That is the entire point of this suggestion; 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. The port would only fit these items, however the items would still be mountable on weapon ports. Nowhere have I proposed making addons no longer mountable in weapon ports.

Next thing you know, you will want to count mining beams, repair modules, and lmines as add ons. add ons should cost weapons space, period.

No, I won't be. I believe Repair Modules and Mining Beams should remain weapon port items, and since Lightning Mines *are* weapons, your inclusion of that is illogical.

I like this idea, but I disagree all ships should get an equipment port. What use is a cargo scanner or scanner spoofer to a ship devoted to combat, such as a Corvus Vult?

I think there should be a distinct version of most ships that are more expensive, heavier, but have an equipment port added on. Most ships could include Centaurs, Behemoths, Atlases, Warthogs, Marauders, Hornets, and other ships such as those. Do not include ships like Vultures, Centurions, Valkyries, or even Proms. The Prom is a tank, a heavy fighter, not something that needs a special port.

Note: The versions of ships with an equipment port would be based on average rate versions of the ship. Examples: Warthog MkII, Centaur MkII, Behemoths, Atlas MkIII.

A fighting ship would always be interested in a Cargo Scanner, as any pirate would most likely like to have a cargo scanner to check what passing ships are carrying.

Obviously a fighter will not have a Cargo Spoofer, but you are disregarding things like the Addon Scanner, Storm Radar, Group Radar, and I again mention the suggested Target Spoofer. A combat ship is exactly the kind of ship a Cargo Scanner, an Addon Scanner, or a Group Radar is meant for. And, every ship would benefit from having a Storm Radar onboard.

The specific point of this suggestion is to make items that are not used because they consume weapon ports (thinking particularly of combat ships) a useful and viable option for every ship. I believe your proposal would be more complicated, and not have the intended benefits.

tarenty, that was one of the most oblivious posts I've ever read on the VO forums. Congratulations.

+1 to SOME ships receive an "internal port", at its center of mass (so no other change but added weight), for optional equipaments. No changes on 3D models required!

For those who did not noticed, the major differences between "equipament" and "weapon" are the trigger and its output. Equipaments does not require trigger.

Give 2 of those to Raptors, and one to every specialized ship that does not already have something built-in, as mineral scanner.

And we should expect to see many more interesting equipaments once we have a port for that. From usefull to useless. Maybe even fit in some specialized power cell for extra juice...

I like the idea, though I think large ships should probably get more than one and a few very light fighters (like the Superlight) should get none.

I agree with, based on ship size, having a different number of dedicated addon slots. For example, I really don't think, in light of RP, there's anything more a centurion frame could possibly hold. It's kinda like an F-16, designed to "prevent the addition of gold plated, sophisticated hardware" whereas I've always view the larger, slightly slower maneuvering vulture to be a ship with a little extra room that's not being used with a two-weapon configuration, and so like the F15C ---> F15E, later versions would porbably be built with provisions to have extra equipment to help them handle a broader mission that wasn't envisioned when they were first designed with older technology. Not to mention, over time technology shrinks, so a vulture MkIV, being designed on the same frame, would naturally have extra space due to smaller electronics. (Which, in the real world, is why the F16 now has gold plated technology inside despite design attempts against it)

I would point out that a first implementation could always be adjusted further later on, if it had things that needed adjusting. It would really be a good step for it to be implemented at all, at least to start. I think it would be a very beneficial change.

+1 to the OP.
+1 to Strats link.
+1 to Shlims link.
-1 to Roda.
-1 to Alloh.
+1 zak.wilson.
+1 to placing equipment port at the center of the ship.
-1 to replacing a weapons port equipment port.

IIRC, I once heard one of the Devs saying that adding ports isn't that big an issue because due to their foresight, they made the models either with additional ports or something like that.

As I see it, the main problem with awarding one (1) equipment port across the board is that light fighters would benefit the most, while for large craft, this gain would be less marked.

Perhaps that would actually be a good thing, though.

Another problem I see is whether our ships allow for overlapping ports (I don't know, I hope the devs will weigh in on this one).

I think there should be a distinct version of most ships that are more expensive, heavier, but have an equipment port added on. Most ships could include Centaurs, Behemoths, Atlases, Warthogs, Marauders, Hornets, and other ships such as those. Do not include ships like Vultures, Centurions, Valkyries, or even Proms. The Prom is a tank, a heavy fighter, not something that needs a special port.

Partially agree, makes sence.

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.

-100. epic fail, simply remove weapon from S-port on your Valk or RevC and install addon. You want to add Addon scanner to your ship and lose only little weight )) rofl.

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