Star Citizen Tractor Beams
Welcome to some more Star Citizen, today looking at Tractor Beams and some information on how they plan to work in the game as well as some extra bits on the Argo SRV and it’s Tractor Rig. This is a Summary of Reverse The Verse Argo Astronautics from the 22nd of Feb.
All Tractor beams in the game use the same mechanics BUT there are varying sizes of beams, the SRV is built around very powerful Tractor Beam gameplay, it’s powerplant is focused on powering it’s rig and moving things.
Other ships may have smaller tractor beams typically used to move cargo or stabilize something. Various ships in the game will be able to mount various sizes of Tractor Beam.
Tractor Beams can only move physicalized objects – Ships, Cargo, Vehicle, mineable asteroids, items.
The object needs to be “willing” to be tractored OR otherwise be immobilized / not moving in too much resistance to the tractor.
It won’t be impossible to grab something that is resisting BUT it’s going to be pretty hard and ships that resist will typically be able to move away from the tractor.
A ship that starts to resist can probably break free BUT something smaller like a bike might have more issues.
Shields also mitigate the effects of a tractor.
On the surface of a planet, you could have a ship powered on with shields up to help prevent players grabbing up your ships.
They are still considering the ability to grab players and NPCs with Tractor Beams.
To use a tractor, you’ll have to fly near your target, assumedly lock onto it, fire the beam, there be a period of the beam settling before you can move the object.
In Atmosphere tractor beams can still be used BUT will be under more strain.
You will be able to move some asteroids, not every Asteroid in game is physicalized, mineable ones are though.
There are huge asteroids too that are not suitable for being moved by SRVs/Tractors though
You could potentially move mineable asteroids from one location to another and create your own asteroid field.
They can also be used to flip Ships and Vehicles over the right way.
Some Vehicles and Ships can literally be grabbed off the ground and taken into space. It’s mass based. Having your shields on will help prevent your ship being grabbed.
The Tractor beam is not designed for combat use. However it could cause damage if you used the beam poorly, ships hitting things.
You can use Tractor Beams to help get a Cargo Ship, struggling or damaged ship into orbit from the ground.
The Tractor Beam will have push pull mechanics, you can manipulate objects across the beam.
Tractor Beams like every item in game CAN misfire or fail through wear and degradation.
They haven’t decided exactly what this would do to a tractor beam BUT it will probably be that the Tractor beam stops/shuts off briefly.
Based on a tractor beams power you should be able to grab a cluster of objects. This may change if there is a technical hurdle to implementing this.
EMPs will deactivate tractor beams ALSO EMPing a target then tractoring it would also be effective.
There was also some more info specifically on the Argo SRV.
The current thinking is you could with enough SRVs pull or move a Capital Ship.
The Tractor Beam on the SRV is operated like a remote turret, you’d use it through a camera via a console.
One of the uses of the SRV is to take large cargo crates. Helping load or unload a Hull E.
SRV NOW Stands for Standard Recovery Vehicle.
MPUV stands for Multi Purpose Utility Vehicle. There are no plans to change the MPUV.
They don’t plan the SRV & Tractors to be used to move Outposts.
The SRV is confirmed to be able to QT while it is carrying a ship or load.
They are still working out Jump Point Travel and how that might work.
Multiple SRVs can pull a single ship and travel together.
They don’t have any plans right now for upgrades for the SRV tractor rig BUT in the future they might.
The Cutlass Black will definitely be able to be lifted by a single SRV.
In some circumstances a Constellation will be able to be carried by a single SRV.
Theoretically you can capture ships with enough SRV even Capital Ships, If there shields are down.
The SRV should be able to tow a Nova Tank.
There is nothing to stop the tank being used as a space turret.
You could have loads of Tanks on the sides of a Kraken if you want too.
They mention the potential for the Prospecting having different mining heads for Gas or specific materials.
Players that are worried about there ships being snatched up like this shouldn’t be.
It’s likely to be a crime to tractor someones ship without permission.
And you are just as likely to have players blow up your ships or hack your ship and steal them.
If a player finds your ship while you are away from it, then your ship is at their mercy in any situation is what I am trying to say… but they’d have to find you first.
It makes sense that the SRV doesn’t have any weapons, so that it can’t troll & just flip people’s ships if their shields are on.