Create a new non-weapon/non-beam/non missile add on port type. Would allow for advanced radars/sensors/electronics that do not require exterior hardpoints to mount.

Opens up new item types as well as allowing mounting of commonly unused items, such as: mine detectors, IFF beacons, cloaking devices, group radar extenders, storm radar extenders, scanners, mineral detectors, coffee makers, beam tuners, missile jammers, chaff/flare ejectors, etc.

Likely better as a utility function, and more applicable for passive devices... but player-activated would be cool too.

Gives us the ability to utilize more of the slot-hog devices without compromising combat capability.

In addition, opens up the field for new devices and gives more flexibility for evolving ship loadouts.

Can be a pay-for feature per ship type (in game c, not RL $) like the vult livery. ... or real $ if Guild wants some cash. Doesn't matter to me.

Maybe a mission to unlock blueprints for chasis/hull mods per hull type?

I recommend two or three for each capship, one for each light ship (hog, vult), two for each heavy ship (rag, moth).. one for the XC... but I'm not convinced on the ship/counts...

Thanks for the thoughts, but.. No.

This has been suggested many times. I have zero interest in this.

The whole point is to have difficult tradeoffs between lethality of weapons, and sensor features / awareness, in terms of loadout choice. If we get to a point where sensor awareness becomes even more critical, then I consider that a useful reason for players to group up (like AWACS features of capital ship radar extenders). Where some players may have to protect others (carrying specialty addons), etc.

This is a very conscious and intentional design decision, on my part.

Huh. Alrighty then.

Interesting that this was a conscious decision that you feel this strongly about.

Although I might argue the long term viability of that decision given the evolution of the game from a pure shooter/twitch based combat game to a hybrid play style with mixed-purpose ships. For instance, the hound and bhm2 which have scanners built in; arguably exactly what I proposed without the visible addon port.

I'm sure you have undisclosed game-design reasons to completely dismiss the suggestion, and it's your game, therefore I defer to your intent and decision making. I withdraw my suggestion.

But it still would have been neat. :-D

For instance, the hound and bhm2 which have scanners built in; arguably exactly what I proposed without the visible addon port.

Not really, because they lack the flexibility of a port. I'm not giving the player the option of putting something different into those "slots".

I'm just saying "this ship has a special bonus". In the case of the storm radar on the Raptor, for instance, it's an interesting buff to deal with a ship that has a problematic hit profile. Tradeoffs, but static ones that I have defined, and I can statically re-balance at a later point if need be. Notably, these ships are not common-case, either, and aren't likely to become so.

All the other trade-offs need to be "combat efficacy vs other", because without that, things start to get too easily "ideal", and you also lose value to having ships of differing configuration grouping up for mutual benefit.

To quote a line from your OP:

Gives us the ability to utilize more of the slot-hog devices without compromising combat capability.

I would respond that compromise is the very essence of what makes things interesting.

I'm not saying we won't have all the scanners and jammers and detectors and other options, but you will have to make definitive combat-efficacy tradeoff, or choose to group up with someone else who serves that role.

This might need another thread, but it is on the topic of addons and ports. I've always thought a version of some of the scanners/spoofers/etc should either have large port counterparts or perhaps there should be an adapter (that comes with a small mass penalty) to allow a small cargo scanner to run on a large port.

Yeah, the concept of a "Small to Large port adapter" is deserving of its own thread.

-1 on this

There is already a clear trade-off between equipping a weapon or non-weapon addon to a specific port. Removing this element would drastically effect gameplay.