We need a dedicated repair ship.

[azaghal]

Another potential solution could be introducing a tugboat feature. This would make the boarding process more engaging, as it would allow us to tow disabled ships around.

This sounds like an excellent way to double-purpose the Manticores. Just make sure not to send in a Teuta by mistake... "Boss, that ship you wanted us to disassemble, the Xenon H one?"

Best regards,
Branko

[Raptor34]

Just have them fly in when they need to "dock".

That sounds too difficult to implement. Even fighters struggle to dock with carriers properly, so having multiple capital ships maneuver close to an auxiliary ship seems nearly impossible.

What? They already do that, this is basically simplifying it further.

[flywlyx]

What? They already do that, this is basically simplifying it further.

Auxiliary ships can currently repair only one ship at a time due to pier limitations. With repair drones in action, this limit should be much higher—perhaps allowing up to 10 ships to be repaired simultaneously. So 3km is just too short.

This sounds like an excellent way to double-purpose the Manticores. Just make sure not to send in a Teuta by mistake... "Boss, that ship you wanted us to disassemble, the Xenon H one?"

Best regards,
Branko

Now that you mention it, players actually lack the ability to recycle ships like NPCs do.

[Raptor34]

What? They already do that, this is basically simplifying it further.

Auxiliary ships can currently repair only one ship at a time due to pier limitations. With repair drones in action, this limit should be much higher—perhaps allowing up to 10 ships to be repaired simultaneously.

Why? Why make things so complicated? Just let it be like now, but easier because the AI sucks.

[flywlyx]

Why? Why make things so complicated? Just let it be like now, but easier because the AI sucks.

So 10km repair beam, nothing is going to be easier than this.

[Targ Collective]

We're getting bogged down by specifics.

So what you are suggesting is rapid-response ships that can repair other vessels while in flight.

Realistically this can be achieved by any ship with repair drones, if they're allowed to target other ships - so, Honshus and Falxes from the Terrans would be our primaries with builder ships taking forever to get there but awesome once arrived and carriers in a supporting role.

Repairs with drone swarms would be brilliant to have on a support ship, but would be a touch on the cheaty side - repair drones fix
for free, but the Honshus charge credits and materials when repairing docked ships. There would need to be a way to load the resources for repairs into the drone swarms - the simplest way would be to remove the resources from the Honshu inventory as the repairs take place, or the drones could be given an ammo-based repair laser that uses the resources as ammo.

To make this work would need fast scripting and would bog performance down - remember that the X universe in low awareness runs the entire Universe *all the time*. Precise clock speed *costs*. A repair laser that needs ammo based on all repair materials is complicated. A cheaper solution would be for the Honshu to deploy a drone swarm instead of docking, but if more drones = faster repairs, then that's an x factor that crowds out cargo and repair drones.

That's before we consider repair costs scaled to each vessel. Computronic Substrate might repair more hull points on an Asgard than a Falx, for example.

My suggestion, if the Devs wish to use it, is for the Honshu to move to the ship to be repaired rather like a build ship mooring to station, to close into range. The ship ordered to resupply will move to the Honshu as well, and they'll stop once they're in drone swarm distance. The drone swarm deploys, immediately using the resources to repair the ship in full. Clock speed for repair queue based on number of drones and done.

Resupply takes special resupply drones. They undock from the Honshu with whatever you're resupplying (usually missiles) and are no bigger than Build and Repair drones. They'll dock in the drone bay of your ship being resupplied and return to the Honshu. Only ships with drone ports will trigger resupply drones; smaller ships without these ports will have to dock with the Honshu as now.

So instead of the time it takes to dock the Honshu repairs and resupplies by swarm, charging costs in full; S and M vessels would typically be expected to dock with the Honshu.

I'm specifically asking if anyone makes a mod for this that you ask Egosoft if they would also like to use the concept, because this would be useful for the Vanilla crowd as well.

[flywlyx]

Repairs with drone swarms would be brilliant to have on a support ship, but would be a touch on the cheaty side - repair drones fix
for free, but the Honshus charge credits and materials when repairing docked ships.

The aux ships repair other ships for free, only resupply will cost material.

[Targ Collective]

Really? If you expand the repair item on the resupply itinerary it will display both a credit and a materials cost. If the cost is not charged it must default to credits. It's usually not much. Worth investigating when I have a ship that needs repairs and some time.

[grapedog]

Another potential solution could be introducing a tugboat feature. This would make the boarding process more engaging, as it would allow us to tow disabled ships around.

This sounds like an excellent way to double-purpose the Manticores. Just make sure not to send in a Teuta by mistake... "Boss, that ship you wanted us to disassemble, the Xenon H one?"

Best regards,
Branko

completely skipped my mind, the manticore. I really like this idea... having more ways to use/reuse/repurpose is a great idea.

There are times when I don't scrap at all in my game, so I don't use the manticores at all... but if they had a double purpose, working as tug-boats for disabled ships, that would give me a reason to use them often. Bonus points if the manticore service crew could be considered to assist the large ships crew in repairing the ship.

Ships with very limited scopes of use would benefit greatly from being given additional options.