Scoutcubes additionally mine resources

[yandonman]

posted on April 6th, 2010, 4:10 pm

Last edited by yandonman on April 6th, 2010, 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Another crazy idea just to throw it out there: Have scoutcubes additionally mine resources.

In the show, Borg were known to basically strip mine worlds. One way to portray that in game would be to have the scoutcubes have a module that would allow them to gather resources. They could either do a "Refresh Cycle" to put the resources into the bank or return to a drop off point.


(again, just  a crazy idea to have it)

posted on April 6th, 2010, 4:25 pm

I have to say, that's not that terrible of an idea. Maybe it could be a new module of sorts, so as to limit its use. It would be rather unbalanced to build bunches of said "Resource S-Cubes," although it would be nice as a way to sort of "fill in the gaps" between the times you get big chunks of resources from the main Resource Assimilators

posted on April 6th, 2010, 4:50 pm

Hmmm, that is an interesting idea that could add a new facet to the otherwise monolithic nature of Borg gameplay. send out a bunch of scout cubes, and if they happen to stumble on an unexploited moon, let them snark a few resources. I agree though, that they should not be as efficient as the actual resource collectors, which have to have their little collection frames to offload their hauls.

perhaps it could also be used on derelict ships... instead of assimilating them with beam-aboards, just let a Scube tear them down for perhaps 25-30% of their material costs. (maybe more if you add this to a larger chassis like a sphere or diamond)

posted on April 6th, 2010, 4:55 pm

i am having many loves for this idea, nice one 

posted on April 6th, 2010, 7:08 pm

not a bad idea however i think it should only be available if you have perfect logistics researched or whatever its called that makes it so you dont need the mining stations (sorry i havent played borg for a while)

posted on April 6th, 2010, 7:18 pm

the research you are talking of grants you the ability to refit max 4 resource assims (miners) with a new mode as follows:

refitted miners collect resources as normal, plus they generate resources spontaneously but slowly. they do this constantly, reglardless of whether they are loaded or not i think. also the rate is very slow, it takes about 15 minutes to recoup the money you spend on refitting the miners. but if you are expecting a long long game it could be useful to generate free resources.

i think your suggestion of combining the "scube miner" refit with perfect logistics would be a great idea. one research grants two refits.

this could work in 3 ways i see:

1) the scube acts similar to a miner, it sucks up the juicy resources with its straw blue/gold beam of death mining. and then deposits it back at a station. presumably the scube miner would have a lower capacity and suckage rate compared to a normal miner.

2) the scube acts similar to a miner with perfect logistics: it cant carry any resources of its own, it has no cargo holds, but it generates resources just like the normal miner with logistics, maybe when it is sucking from a moon it can generate faster, at about 60% of the rate of a normal miner (adjusted for the delivery time of the normal miner)

3) the scube has a toggle, when the toggle is off it is a normal scube with no modules. when the toggle is on, it can behave like one the other two modes i suggested, whichever people want most.

posted on April 6th, 2010, 7:25 pm

Thing is, it's the Cubes that strip mine planets of their lifeforms, technology, and resources.  Scout Cubes just identify targets for Cubes and such.

posted on April 6th, 2010, 7:41 pm

I say building a normal-Cube miner would be far too cost ineffective.  "Let me save up to build these giant things to go scrounge up some more resources, instead of saving up for dreadnought cubes." Would leave you ripe for the picking of enemy ships

posted on April 7th, 2010, 8:39 am

As long as plunking a mining bay into the thing increased its similarity to a keg of dynamite, so to speak.  I don't think anyone wants to go early-game harassing to some expansion and find a bunch of pissed-off s-cubes waiting there instead of a mining ship... Not that that doesn't ever happen

posted on April 7th, 2010, 5:21 pm

What about stripping resources from other ships like that stock A2 8472 Freighter?

posted on April 7th, 2010, 6:03 pm

I think it would be even cooler if you could go and strip the reasources right off a miner.  That way, you could go and take the reasources away from other players
I think it would be more realistic than mining straight from a moon.

It should also lose something when it gains the module.  Wither make it really expensive, or maybe just have it slower.  dunno...

posted on April 7th, 2010, 6:47 pm

stealing from miners/mining stations would be awesome.

posted on April 7th, 2010, 6:53 pm

I say building a normal-Cube miner would be far too cost ineffective.  "Let me save up to build these giant things to go scrounge up some more resources, instead of saving up for dreadnought cubes." Would leave you ripe for the picking of enemy ships

Well, at least by Trek itself, it's not some special kind of Cube.  It's just the Cube.  The same Cube configuration that blows up starbases, eats fleets, and cruises around broadcasting the standard Borg announcement.  A standard, basic feature of a Cube.  But unlike moon-mining, it leaves the planet completely useless when it's done, and it apparantly finishes the entire process in a single day.