Evil Cargo Containers: Post your angst here GRRRRR!!!!

[erik dela cruz]

I just want to know your worst experiences with those industrial solvent filled junk. I have mine (teeth gnashing) all the time! AAAAArrrrgghhh!!!!!

POST IT PEOPLE!

[PM]

For me, the tandem of jettisoning all of my cargo, open sealed crate, undock, then reclaim cargo.

They are a newbie trap. Once the player knows how to avoid the effects (as described above), he can always escape item destruction. For this reason, the acid test effects should be changed or removed altogether.

[Watch TV, Do Nothing]

For me, the tandem of jettisoning all of my cargo, open sealed crate, undock, then reclaim cargo.

They are a newbie trap. Once the player knows how to avoid the effects (as described above), he can always escape item destruction. For this reason, the acid test effects should be changed or removed altogether.

Yeah, I think exploding, irradiating or ionizing cargo containers would make much more sense and would be harder to prevent.

[Star Weaver]

For me, the tandem of jettisoning all of my cargo, open sealed crate, undock, then reclaim cargo.

They are a newbie trap. Once the player knows how to avoid the effects (as described above), he can always escape item destruction. For this reason, the acid test effects should be changed or removed altogether.

Yeah, I agree with this. Jettisoning all your stuff is tedious and boring, and as someone in chat mentioned, they managed to screw up the keyboarding and somehow lose something important anyway. It's like Fake Difficulty that isn't even difficult.

Now that I think about it, I'm not actually sure how it's possible that you dock to a object larger than your ship can carry, and have it flood your cargo hold. I guess it could make sense if it was pressurized, but I would think there would be some sort of safety system in the docking to account for that. If I'm going to mention TvTropes names, No OSHA Compliance comes to mind.

I'm also not sure how the acid can damage ANY item in the game, but at the same time leaves MOST of your stuff untouched AND can't damage the inside of your ship at all.

I'm thinking that it would be better if the acid flow was either said to be cut off by an emergency disconnect and splashed against the side of your ship, under the shields; or washed through your corridors/framework, in either case causing large (but guaranteed not to kill) damage to one or two of your armor segments. Or in the second case, possibly less damage and giving you a new status that prevents you from accessing the inventory for 60 seconds or something like that.

Or it could just be changed to the box exploding inside your shields. I mean, who stores bulk (pressurized) industrial solvent in a generic rectangular container anyway? That seems like making the tank on a gas/oil tanker truck the same rectangle shape as the generic cargo trucks.

[PM]

One of the files in the Relief Pack 912 mod changed the acid into a mixed blessing event. If the ship has a miners hold, it can collect all of acid and the player would get some barrels of organic acid. If not, the acid would splash and damage a single armor segment, and the player would collect the remaining acid and get less barrels. If the player did not have enough cargo space to carry more barrels, the acid was simply disposed of.

[Song]

hey, at least they don't show up late in the game. Imagine losing the lamplighter prototype to one.

[Watch TV, Do Nothing]

I'm also not sure how the acid can damage ANY item in the game, but at the same time leaves MOST of your stuff untouched AND can't damage the inside of your ship at all.

Let's be specific- it's an industrial solvent, not necessarily an acid. When an acid "dissolves" something, it's a result of a chemical reaction between the acid and the substance being dissolved, creating new molecules. When a substance dissolves in a solvent, the primary mechanism is different usually does not involve irreversible chemical changes. Solvents are also used in some irreversible chemical reactions but the mechanism is usually not acid-base complexation. The most common industrial solvent is water.

The mechanism through which the solvent damages items might be thought of as contamination rather than liquefaction. There are a lot of industrial solvents that are hazardous in multiple ways; for example, pyridine is noxious-smelling and -tasting, harmful to health, highly flammable and dissolves most hydrocarbons. You would want to get rid of a ton of ore that had been contaminated with pyridine just as surely as you would a laser cannon; no processor would buy ore that was contaminated like that.

[Star Weaver]

The mechanism through which the solvent damages items might be thought of as contamination rather than liquefaction. There are a lot of industrial solvents that are hazardous in multiple ways; for example, pyridine is noxious-smelling and -tasting, harmful to health, highly flammable and dissolves most hydrocarbons. You would want to get rid of a ton of ore that had been contaminated with pyridine just as surely as you would a laser cannon; no processor would buy ore that was contaminated like that.

That's not a terrible idea, though it really shouldn't affect an entire stack regardless of size like I think it currently does. I was also thinking that a less annoying happening would be something that destroyed say, 2d6 individual items, though I was thinking of suggesting that it could only get to trade goods and ore (maybe the cargo securment for those isn't as good) to reduce thet AARGH factor.

[Ttech]

To resolve this, have fun, I usually take a cargo container and put extra fuel into the thing to make it do some fireworks.

[Cirevam]

I have fun with cargo containers that have refugees inside by propelling them with kinetic weapons. I don't think they enjoy the bumpy ride but I don't enjoy them not being loot. Yes I'm an evil pilgrim.

[erik dela cruz]

To resolve this, have fun, I usually take a cargo container and put extra fuel into the thing to make it do some fireworks.

VERY GOOD POINT.

I forget often to do those things PM mentioned when I'm in a rush. Imagine losing tons pteracnium fuel expecting a long journey. I bet who wouldn't freak out. So for newbies POST IT!

[WillyTheSquid]

I've got a serious case of Attention Deficit Ooh Look A Squirrel Disorder, so I use PM's Relief Pack. Have been for a long while.

No matter how you slice it, losing your military gear to customs, or your ID chip to solvents, SUCKS.

[PM]

The player cannot lose ID to the acid test. Items with the "ID" attribute are exempt from destruction. That said, the player has no way to know this other than source diving.

[Ttech]

There is so much you can loose though from acid on this game its evil.

[erik dela cruz]

Losing precious weapon optimizer and shield enhancement ROMs. Man it was painful.