Getting Riggy With It Part II

In the latest Dev Blog CCP Chronotis explains how the new rigs sizes are going to work. Go and read and come back.

Ok, done?

Right then, so what we have here is rigs that will be divided into three sizes and require different amounts of salvage parts to construct, yet retain the same bonuses and drawbacks of the original. I assume they do this with some boolean bit flags on the back end rather than messing with calibration or something else. Regardless, it means than the price scaling for small and medium rigs will ensure that Tech II frigates and cruisers will have mandatory rigs now as opposed to merely optional for the cheap.

All in all, a decent change.

What I found far more interesting where the bread crumbs at the end of the article:

3. Salvage Conversion

Salvage conversion is something we have wanted to look at for a while. This is the ability to effectively fix broken salvage so it can be used to manufacture Tech II rigs. The most likely way this will be done is a through a reactor which will convert a quantity of broken salvage to fixed salvage in reactors which can be placed at high sec starbases.

This is interesting as it means that the prices of Tech II rigs will fall as people will be able to get the Tech II salvage they need to build them. I applaud this move as long as the conversion from broken salvage to tech II salvage is cost effective in the long run of stabilized Tech II rig prices.

Side note CCP: stop calling them reactors. Call them factories or something else that makes more sense. Sigh.

4. Transport of Rigged Ships

This is something that can be a pain for many of you. There are ways around it such as using courier missions if the ship is small enough with a freighter or an Orca's ship maintenance bay for smaller ships. We will be looking into numerous ways to help alleviate the issue of transporting rigged ships.

Logistics is something very near and dear to my heart. And lord knows, moving rigged ships is a pain in the ass beyond all reckoning (especially when certain CEOs cannot remember which ships can go in which capitals). Rigged Battleships are the worst: can't be packaged in courier contract and can't fit in an Orca.

My reccomendation would be to allow some manner of removing rigs from ships, but causing damage to the ship and rigs as part of the removal process. Or have to pay a station a significant fee to assist with proper rig removal while allowing the player the option of doing it themselves and destroying the rig anyways.

Failing that, perhaps a third state for ships beyond the packaged and assembled states: call it packed. The ship is not completely packaged but its not completely assembled either. It can't be sold or flown but is much smaller than assembled in volume, maybe even almost as compact as a packaged ship. And it can go in cargo bays like a freighter (but not a ship maint hanger which would be assembled ships only still). A packed ship does not destroy the rigs on it.

Some ideas for you to think about.