I think the following technologies could be useful in the retrieve of "Free floating" cargo (in space). I'm ordering it in a specific way so as to introduce a sort of heirarchy of technologies...

1) Manually (already implemented), which involves the tedious task of flying the ship "into" the cargo itself

2) A Grappling hook (with varying lengths) that you could shoot out and "grab" the item with (from a distance)

3) Tractor beam. I saw that this was already mentioned as a suggestion, but I felt that this technology has several applications, and this could be one. Note that the cargo would be pulled towards the ship at a given speed.

4) Transportor. This would involve simply "beaming" the cargo board. Of course it would require getting a lock on the cargo first, and then initiating transport, but the same applies for the other 3 above.

Thanks,
-k

I too would like a technological crutch for snagging cargo, mainly because I am so outrageously bad at picking it up manually. I always marvel at how speedily and accurately other players can (a) look at their radar, (b) use that information to properly orient their ship at the cargo, and (c) hit turbo and pick it up. (Excuse me while I wallow in self-pity for a few seconds...)

I'm not sure there's a good way to implement such things, though. Imagine: the convoy blows up and there's a nice big hunk of xithricite floating in space. Now rather than a contest of piloting and gunnery skill, we have a "race" to see how quickly people can jam their finger down on the T key.

just hit "flight assist," point your crosshair at the cargo, and wait.

Running over cargo is tedious? Talk about the instant gratification generation.(0.o)

Paedric, did you have something constructive to say? It sounded like you started to say something... but then... I think you missed the point of my suggestion. Notice how the technologies I suggest do not say anything whatsoever about instantly obtaining the cargo.

Running over cargo can be both tedious and not, it completely depends on the situation. If it's right there, right in front of you, well shoot, that's rather simple.

Wylfing, you've stumbled upon one of the draw backs to these technologies: they would make certain things easier than before. I think this is the point paedric was trying to make. While it's a good point, I feel it's very easy to avoid, granted that the technologies are implemented in certain ways.

It wouldn't be as simple as targetting an object and pressing T. For instance, with the grappling hook, the physics of your shipmovement will sway the aim, so in order to "hit" the cargo with the hook, you'd have to be a dead-on aim, and then you'd have to be within something like 100m.

With the tractor beam, there would be some sort of range of something like 100m, plus there could be a requirement that you'd have to be stationary in order for the beam to pull the cargo in.

With the transporter (perhaps the highest) you would have to be within 150m, and stationary for 5s in order for the cargo to be "completely" transported onto the ship.

So, even with all of the technologies, there is still a bit of work involved. Albiet each one is "easier" than the last, I feel they are still sufficiently far from "instant".

although the suggestions are very interesting, it would be a pain to have any of these techs in CTC, where actually grabbing grabbing the Xith can be an issue. with instant teleport pickup, it would turn into a waiting game, with everyone waiting for the transport to die so that they could hit the grab button, but nobody attacking.

why not make it so that one of the transports carried an ant-locking mechanism, only strong enough to prevent the use of these new technologies. but it does not effect any other weapon, only the grappling hook(Enterprise) Tractor-Beam (Star Treck/Star-wars) and the transporter (Star Track).

and beside that you could always make it so that people Equipped with these item can't get the CTC cargo, sort of like the cargo is... not there for them.

... wasn't this game made for things OTHER then CtC? i personally want to see Tunnel Tag, Freeze tag, Hid and Seek, just plain Tag, Easter Hunts, and those games were you had to fin one of each thing on the list... like... 1 acorn, one blue rock, one anniversary gift, one blue diamond ring, one carton of milk, one bag of dippers, on dvd...

but i like these new thins. this would help me ass a miner because... um... we... thats a different suggestion called. "Better way's to mine and also making it different.

i mean seriously, come on were humans... well almost. the itani (god forbid) could invent the Tractor-beam. the UIT could create the teleport (those lazy bastards) and the SERCO (long live them) could invent the Grappling hook, and its use is for "target Practice" as well as getting the minerals and cargo dropped from ships and Roids.

<edit> but each nation can buy each-others technology. the plans of course will have leaked onto the internet.</edit>

i like the idea, but some or all of the sytems mentioned would need an aditional reawback, for example the grappler may take a long time too reel in the crate, and all of them could only affect one crate at a time.

and perhaps if people still think the transporter would kill ctc than a transport inhibiter could be made that blocks transporters in say a 200m radious. Make it a small port, and fairly light. That way any light fighter could prevent a rush of ctc transports.