GCU Grey Area wrote: ↑Thu, 15. Apr 21, 10:15
jlehtone wrote: ↑Thu, 15. Apr 21, 09:32
That is what I implied in my first comment. There are already mk1 and mk2 guns, mk1-4 engines, etc. Standard options. You can disagree about the benefit of Mk3 XL thrusters/price, but the option is already in the game.
I was thinking more about additional mk's of equipment being added alongside the existing modification system (rather than removal of ship mods), so players who don't like the mod system have an alternative, completely standardised, upgrade path for their ships. Perhaps to maintain balance with respect to mods the mk number of equipment could act as a multiplier for modding costs (both in terms of monetary cost & resources used).
Interesting ideas.
Overall, it makes little difference how many standard models (of e.g. engines) there are. One or ten; you most likely use only one model (per purpose). Usually "the best". Whether they are one or separate: Engine Mk1 & Engine Mk2 or Engine Mk1 and Turbo (where Mk1+Turbo == Mk2), buying/building "my standard loadout" is no different. Yes, there is no micro-management (after you have decided what is your standard layout), because there is nothing to do.
Manually crafted modification is something different. If you can set
"the correct ignition timing on a 1955 Bel Air Chevrolet, with a 327 cubic-inch engine and a four-barrel carburetor", then you are special. That is a special achievement.
Standardization is nice. It involves "research". When you come up with the right hue of red stripes on the ship, you should be able to write that recipe, blueprint, down so you can do it again. Perhaps even license (aka "sell") the new blueprint to your favorite factions. That way they can start to build those faster ships themselves. The NPC do not limit themselves to the "best loadout", so your action would just add variety.
In other words, replacing current mods with "standard parts" is IMHO no different from simply removing the mods; there are still some "standard parts" to choose from.
On the other hand, adding a "in-game research method" to create custom blueprints for new standard parts from particularly successful mod would add something to the game.
(There would probably be some technical "fun" with ventures et. al., not to mention that one should not be able to mod a custom blueprint further.)
dtpsprt wrote: ↑Thu, 15. Apr 21, 11:14
Actually I have caped ships (Minotaurs and Behemoths, not Phoenixes) that had modifications in their engines... Since I usually use them for my fleet instead of just selling them off for money I have noticed it in more than one occasion.
Haven't noticed those ingame, but haven't looked for them either. Mission reward ships can have mods too. They are the only modded ships that I have.