The current option for sensors is an all-or-nothing deal. Either you invest a whopping 40 tons into sensors, or you don't have any.



But sensor range is a measurable scalar distance. What if we had the option to buy small sensor modules in little bits that add sensor range?



Then you could build ships with medium range sensors, or a giant mobile sensor platform of nothing but sensor dishes for monitoring vast regions of space.



The initial Long Range Sensor gives +4 sensor range for 40 tons. So that's +1 sensor range for 10 tons.

I'd actually like less scalable modules, and more diverse sidegrades choose from. It I find choosing between parts of strong pros and cons more compelling than figuring out if I want 5 weapons and 4 armor, or 5 armor and 4 weapons, because I always get the nagging feeling that there's a mathematically optimal ratio. So instead of many small ones, you could have a long range one that increase movement speed, and a combat one that's medium range and, say, adds to missile defense. That's probably just me though.

lmaoboat wrote:
I find choosing between parts of strong pros and cons more compelling than figuring out if I want 5 weapons and 4 armor, or 5 armor and 4 weapons, because I always get the nagging feeling that there's a mathematically optimal ratio.

There is always a mathematically optimal ratio, no matter how blunt and chunky or how refined and granular the scale.



There is however something in game theory called an Admissible Choice, which means that no other choice scores higher. It is possible to design scenarios where there are several, or even many Admissible Choices. And they are all mathematically optimal, according to the chosen scoring system.



For instance flip a coin and choose head or tails. Both are equally likely, so both choices are Admissible Choices.



But here's where things get a little sticky: Chosen Scoring System. What you include in evaluating the merit of a given choice can be situational. Sure, maybe that shotgun has the best DPS on the level, but at what range? And that is the player's responsibility, to work out how they choose to evaluate the merits of something, and how to work with those merits.



Also, there is the problem of "balancing" where every choice is just fine. Bringing a knife to a gunfight, for instance should not result in nerfing guns or removing knives. The result should be "don't do that."

AngleWyrm wrote:
Otherwise, might as well go pick color palettes for the Sims.

LOL lol



If we must add some nuances in the sensor modules choice, I prefer the suggestion of AngleWyrm with smaller modules than the swiss-army knife of Imaoboat.



But I'm not even sure that would be a real necessity.