Hi All,
Some thoughts/proposals on Aquila, which can be made more exploration oriented, than it currently is.
Currently the only true exploration - oriented features of the ship appear to be the scanning station and the scanning arrays at the extendable arms on ship's sides.
Snub fighter is great, but it doesn't really seem exploration oriented.
The turret may also not be as necessary in exploration scenarios.
So, there are few things that could make the ship more exploration-oriented. Also, note, that the below could be achieved by adding modularity, so the ship may not necessarily need to change.
1) Top manned scanning station. This thing currently looks like a turret with no guns. What's it's purpose? To do a deep space scanning? This should be done by the large extendable arms at the ship's sides. Also, there is no need in a turret, as in space you can rotate the ship in the direction you need. Maybe the manned turret-like station should be replaced with a much larger scanning array, and a scanning officer/scientist station should be placed in the cockpit/bridge, pretty much like in the original Aquila advertisement. In contrast to the scanning arms, which would do deep space scanning, this scanning array would do, for example, planetary scanning for things like atmosphere composition, life existence, resources location, etc. The scanning would be crude, to some degree of precision, but in a wide range of parameters, something like general high-level info.
2) Bottom Turret. Currently this turret is not very usable, since a player is seated in such a way that the legs are blocking the view. While this may be fixed with changing the sitting position, there is a better use of the turret for exploration purposes. Maybe it's better to put there another scanning station, maybe even a turret-like one, which is oriented at close-range detailed high-precision scanning. It doesn't have to be manned, though. It can be another unmanned scanning array, and the operator will have a work station in the cockpit/bridge. This will also utilise currently largely unoccupied bridge space. This scanning station may have different modules, like optical, so that you can zoom-in to study objects far away. It may have a large array of projectors, so that you can be effective in searching/exploring under bad lighting conditions. It can have specialised scanners, like infra-red to search for living beings or vehicles (anything that generates heat), electro-magnetic scanners, ferro-magnetic scanners to find metals, etc. This will also make more sense in atmosphere, where you can't really make the ship hover or face downward (you can currently, but that's not realistic). This scanning array may be used in low altitude atmospheric flights with keeping the ship in horisontal flight, enabling you to scan in detail large areas quickly and comfortably.
3) Living Area. Maybe you could add a module that would scan in-coming crew members for viruses, radiation, etc., and treat/remove/clean - maybe something like a large shower cabin which you need to pass when you exit airlock, but before you enter ship. This could be turned off if not needed.
4) Cargo Bay. Maybe you don't need all of those missiles. Maybe instead you could have a couple (or four) drones, or light manned aircrafts, or places where you could store bikes (place them on cargo bay, the storage may lower, grab a bike, and raise it to the ceiling, where it will be stored). Or you could have a bike and a drone. Drones can be used to map the area (planet surface). This way you may carry an Ursa Rover and 2 bikes (e.g. dragonflies or RSI equivalent). You could also install other scanning equipment on Ursa Rover and bikes.
5) Snub Fighter. It's great to have more firepower, but it may be more applicable to a gunboat like Andromeda. Maybe for Aquila you can get this area modular and have few options (Carrack can have 3 modules at the same time, but Aquila may have only one).
5a) Exploration Aircraft. Something that is more specialised on exploration. A light aircraft, which can carry one person (or maybe two), have a bed, able to carry some cargo, some weapons. Also it has to have a great view from the cockpit, so that you can clearly see what's below, above and to the sides of you. Something like a mini-aurora. This ship doesn't need to be very maneuverable or have a jump drive, or able to use missiles. Rather, it can be used to survey the area, carry some cargo or equipment, and can provide a shelter for a player who needs to stay there longer (log out, hence the bed). The ramp needs to be able to get lowered down, so that the ship can get to the ground while Aquila is landed, and not only be detachable in space. The ship may be very handy, as flying Aquila in atmosphere will burn a lot of fuel, but a smaller ship should be perfect for aerial surveys and will spend a lot less fuel.
5b) Additional cargo bay. You could install an additional cargo bay, and unlike Taurus, maybe the 2 bays will be able to carry less cargo, but enable you to open only one at a time, so that it's less depressurisation, or less chance for hostile bacteria to enter the ship, etc. Maybe one bay will be for the rover, and another is used for supplies, equipment (including what you can put on the rover, e.g. swap rover turret for scanner)).
5c) Medical Bay. Maybe you can put a small medical bay which will be able to either heal up one person (a single high-class medical bed), or stabilise several people (several pods) so you can deliver them to a proper hospital. Not quite the Apollo, but two ships can work together.
5d) Extended Fuel Tank. Maybe you just want more fuel, so you can install an additional fuel tank.
5e) Enhanced living quarters for prolonged exploration. Something more "homey" than the standard living quarters. This one may have a workbench, a mini-lab, etc.
All of the above should provide a richer exploration experience and a more fun game-play.
Example:
An investigation mission, that turns into Search and Rescue mission. A Caterpillar gone missing during attempting to land on a planet. A distress signal from the Caterpillar was sent and then cut off. You need to find what has happened and keep Imperial Cartography Center (ICC) updated, since they've captured the distress signal.
You get your ship and get to the place where the distress signal came from. The signal was only traced to a planet, so you end your Quantum Travel on the planet's orbit. It's a decent-size planet, like Mars, large enough and covered in desert.
Your scan technician uses the top scanning array to scan the planet's atmosphere (not breathable), and at the same time other things like resources, and you keep the data, as later you can sell it to mining Orgs. Also you try to scan the planet from orbit for the ship's remains, using your scanners to match the Caterpillar's hull composition, otherwise just searching fur metals will fail, since the planer is reach with Iron (and for example, Caterpillar has a fair amount of Titanium alloys). But you only can pick up an approximate location, after cruising the planet's orbit.
You enter the atmosphere, and fly over the place at moderate altitude, using your bottom scanning array in order to find the crashed ship. Bingo, your scanner picks up an exact location. you zoom in, using the optical station (a module of the lower scanning array) and find the ship.
You land nearby, but discover that while the whole ship is there, the cockpit is missing. Possibly separated in flight and crashed somewhere in the area. You communicate with ICC and now it's a Search and Rescue mission.
So that you don't move the Aquila, you launch a drone to scan the area in 100km radius for the Caterpillar's cockpit, and also create the are map. Also you start preparing the light aircraft for search. You install an infra-red scanner to search for people. The drone has found the Caterpillar's cockpit and sent you the exact location. The light aircraft flies to the direction, carrying 1 SCU of tools and equipment.
You search the Caterpillar, but can't find anyone, looks like there was only a pilot on board. In the meantime, the light aircraft locates the Caterpillar's cockpit. Inside there are 2 crew members, injured but alive, although oxygen is running out. The pilot shares some oxygen tanks form the CSU. You send the Ursa Rover with a driver and a medic (or a crew member with medical training). The driver uses the map that the drone has created to navigate to the Caterpillar's cockpit. One Caterpillar's crew is more or less OK and can sit in the Ursa's passenger chair. Another Caterpillar crew member is injured, so you given them a medipen injection lay them on Ursa's floor. The rover goes back to the Aquila.
The Caterpillar's pilot says that the cargo is covered by insurance, there were 3 SCU of very expensive items, which would be better recovered. You search and get the containers, which you place inside the rover, as you don't have extra storage. You then report to the ICC, who advise you to get to Port Olisar.
Everyone boards the Aquila and goes to Port Olisar. The Caterpillar crew go to hospital, the 3 SCU of expensive stuff go to storage, you get a large payout for saving ArcCorp staff members, whom they turn out to be. Also, you send the planet location and resources data to a mining org, which pays you a good bonus.
This appears to be a more immersive exploration scenario, than can be achieved with the current Aquila setup.
What do you think?
I've also posted this on Spectrum, if anyone is reading it.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/65300/thread/aquila-more-exploration-focus-proposal-thoughts
Some thoughts/proposals on Aquila, which can be made more exploration oriented, than it currently is.
Currently the only true exploration - oriented features of the ship appear to be the scanning station and the scanning arrays at the extendable arms on ship's sides.
Snub fighter is great, but it doesn't really seem exploration oriented.
The turret may also not be as necessary in exploration scenarios.
So, there are few things that could make the ship more exploration-oriented. Also, note, that the below could be achieved by adding modularity, so the ship may not necessarily need to change.
1) Top manned scanning station. This thing currently looks like a turret with no guns. What's it's purpose? To do a deep space scanning? This should be done by the large extendable arms at the ship's sides. Also, there is no need in a turret, as in space you can rotate the ship in the direction you need. Maybe the manned turret-like station should be replaced with a much larger scanning array, and a scanning officer/scientist station should be placed in the cockpit/bridge, pretty much like in the original Aquila advertisement. In contrast to the scanning arms, which would do deep space scanning, this scanning array would do, for example, planetary scanning for things like atmosphere composition, life existence, resources location, etc. The scanning would be crude, to some degree of precision, but in a wide range of parameters, something like general high-level info.
2) Bottom Turret. Currently this turret is not very usable, since a player is seated in such a way that the legs are blocking the view. While this may be fixed with changing the sitting position, there is a better use of the turret for exploration purposes. Maybe it's better to put there another scanning station, maybe even a turret-like one, which is oriented at close-range detailed high-precision scanning. It doesn't have to be manned, though. It can be another unmanned scanning array, and the operator will have a work station in the cockpit/bridge. This will also utilise currently largely unoccupied bridge space. This scanning station may have different modules, like optical, so that you can zoom-in to study objects far away. It may have a large array of projectors, so that you can be effective in searching/exploring under bad lighting conditions. It can have specialised scanners, like infra-red to search for living beings or vehicles (anything that generates heat), electro-magnetic scanners, ferro-magnetic scanners to find metals, etc. This will also make more sense in atmosphere, where you can't really make the ship hover or face downward (you can currently, but that's not realistic). This scanning array may be used in low altitude atmospheric flights with keeping the ship in horisontal flight, enabling you to scan in detail large areas quickly and comfortably.
3) Living Area. Maybe you could add a module that would scan in-coming crew members for viruses, radiation, etc., and treat/remove/clean - maybe something like a large shower cabin which you need to pass when you exit airlock, but before you enter ship. This could be turned off if not needed.
4) Cargo Bay. Maybe you don't need all of those missiles. Maybe instead you could have a couple (or four) drones, or light manned aircrafts, or places where you could store bikes (place them on cargo bay, the storage may lower, grab a bike, and raise it to the ceiling, where it will be stored). Or you could have a bike and a drone. Drones can be used to map the area (planet surface). This way you may carry an Ursa Rover and 2 bikes (e.g. dragonflies or RSI equivalent). You could also install other scanning equipment on Ursa Rover and bikes.
5) Snub Fighter. It's great to have more firepower, but it may be more applicable to a gunboat like Andromeda. Maybe for Aquila you can get this area modular and have few options (Carrack can have 3 modules at the same time, but Aquila may have only one).
5a) Exploration Aircraft. Something that is more specialised on exploration. A light aircraft, which can carry one person (or maybe two), have a bed, able to carry some cargo, some weapons. Also it has to have a great view from the cockpit, so that you can clearly see what's below, above and to the sides of you. Something like a mini-aurora. This ship doesn't need to be very maneuverable or have a jump drive, or able to use missiles. Rather, it can be used to survey the area, carry some cargo or equipment, and can provide a shelter for a player who needs to stay there longer (log out, hence the bed). The ramp needs to be able to get lowered down, so that the ship can get to the ground while Aquila is landed, and not only be detachable in space. The ship may be very handy, as flying Aquila in atmosphere will burn a lot of fuel, but a smaller ship should be perfect for aerial surveys and will spend a lot less fuel.
5b) Additional cargo bay. You could install an additional cargo bay, and unlike Taurus, maybe the 2 bays will be able to carry less cargo, but enable you to open only one at a time, so that it's less depressurisation, or less chance for hostile bacteria to enter the ship, etc. Maybe one bay will be for the rover, and another is used for supplies, equipment (including what you can put on the rover, e.g. swap rover turret for scanner)).
5c) Medical Bay. Maybe you can put a small medical bay which will be able to either heal up one person (a single high-class medical bed), or stabilise several people (several pods) so you can deliver them to a proper hospital. Not quite the Apollo, but two ships can work together.
5d) Extended Fuel Tank. Maybe you just want more fuel, so you can install an additional fuel tank.
5e) Enhanced living quarters for prolonged exploration. Something more "homey" than the standard living quarters. This one may have a workbench, a mini-lab, etc.
All of the above should provide a richer exploration experience and a more fun game-play.
Example:
An investigation mission, that turns into Search and Rescue mission. A Caterpillar gone missing during attempting to land on a planet. A distress signal from the Caterpillar was sent and then cut off. You need to find what has happened and keep Imperial Cartography Center (ICC) updated, since they've captured the distress signal.
You get your ship and get to the place where the distress signal came from. The signal was only traced to a planet, so you end your Quantum Travel on the planet's orbit. It's a decent-size planet, like Mars, large enough and covered in desert.
Your scan technician uses the top scanning array to scan the planet's atmosphere (not breathable), and at the same time other things like resources, and you keep the data, as later you can sell it to mining Orgs. Also you try to scan the planet from orbit for the ship's remains, using your scanners to match the Caterpillar's hull composition, otherwise just searching fur metals will fail, since the planer is reach with Iron (and for example, Caterpillar has a fair amount of Titanium alloys). But you only can pick up an approximate location, after cruising the planet's orbit.
You enter the atmosphere, and fly over the place at moderate altitude, using your bottom scanning array in order to find the crashed ship. Bingo, your scanner picks up an exact location. you zoom in, using the optical station (a module of the lower scanning array) and find the ship.
You land nearby, but discover that while the whole ship is there, the cockpit is missing. Possibly separated in flight and crashed somewhere in the area. You communicate with ICC and now it's a Search and Rescue mission.
So that you don't move the Aquila, you launch a drone to scan the area in 100km radius for the Caterpillar's cockpit, and also create the are map. Also you start preparing the light aircraft for search. You install an infra-red scanner to search for people. The drone has found the Caterpillar's cockpit and sent you the exact location. The light aircraft flies to the direction, carrying 1 SCU of tools and equipment.
You search the Caterpillar, but can't find anyone, looks like there was only a pilot on board. In the meantime, the light aircraft locates the Caterpillar's cockpit. Inside there are 2 crew members, injured but alive, although oxygen is running out. The pilot shares some oxygen tanks form the CSU. You send the Ursa Rover with a driver and a medic (or a crew member with medical training). The driver uses the map that the drone has created to navigate to the Caterpillar's cockpit. One Caterpillar's crew is more or less OK and can sit in the Ursa's passenger chair. Another Caterpillar crew member is injured, so you given them a medipen injection lay them on Ursa's floor. The rover goes back to the Aquila.
The Caterpillar's pilot says that the cargo is covered by insurance, there were 3 SCU of very expensive items, which would be better recovered. You search and get the containers, which you place inside the rover, as you don't have extra storage. You then report to the ICC, who advise you to get to Port Olisar.
Everyone boards the Aquila and goes to Port Olisar. The Caterpillar crew go to hospital, the 3 SCU of expensive stuff go to storage, you get a large payout for saving ArcCorp staff members, whom they turn out to be. Also, you send the planet location and resources data to a mining org, which pays you a good bonus.
This appears to be a more immersive exploration scenario, than can be achieved with the current Aquila setup.
What do you think?
I've also posted this on Spectrum, if anyone is reading it.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/65300/thread/aquila-more-exploration-focus-proposal-thoughts
