[#4781] Stripped NPC mining ships just float around a mining spot infinitely

[Worilio]

Reproduction workflow:

1) Load the relevant save file (https://limewire.com/d/O9r4f#Vt9ODeuSOm) and go to the NPC ship "VIG Eis-Union Schürfer Donia (KRE-984)", which floats infintely around a mining spot without any mining equipment together five other miners in a similar condition.

I'd rather expect it to upgrade at the shipyard and building a faction drydock in order to see, whether this changes anything, but stripped mining ships just floating around mining spots infinitely are probably not how it is expected to work.

[Worilio]

Such "sitting ducks" can be captured easiliy, so this anomaly isn't a game breaker.

[Alan Phipps]

Fringe benefits notwithstanding, the vanilla game building NPC ships without the equipment to do their allotted jobs is a game bug. It's like an old and fixed bug where FAF Rattlesnakes would be built for plundering patrol jobs without weapons or shields. Thanks for the report and save.

[Tranxalive]

I somehow missed this and the save expired.
Can you upload it again, please?

[Worilio]

I somehow missed this and the save expired.
Can you upload it again, please?

Currently, all the stripped NPC miners have been captured by me, but I will provide a save file in case, if I notice such ships again.

Basically, sometimes, probably due to supply situation on the shipyard, VIG produces mineral miners (sometimes also cargo ships, which still can operate normally) with minimal configuration, which just float around a mining spot infinitely due to not being able to mine anything due to lack of a mining laser.

The root cause is either that the minimal standard configuration of mining ships does not include a mining laser for a more expectable operation or that this configuration is available for NPC ship production.

[Worilio]

Here is the save file with two such NPC ships, which have been produced by VIG again: https://limewire.com/d/orp4Y#4kEpK1eFyu

You need to look for "VIG Eis-Union Schürfer Donia (AUV-726)" or for "VIG Eis-Union Schürfer Donia (PME-366)".