[quote=Knight Hawks] Atmoprobes are 3 meter long missile like objects. Ships carry one atmoprobe per point of hull size.The probe can be launched from anywhere inside a star system and programed to seek out a specific planet or other body. It will travel at 10 million km per hour until it reaches its target.<br /><br />When the probe reaches its destination, it will go into orbit around the planet and gradually drop toward the surface. As it enters the atmosphere, it will send back messages to the ship that launched it. After a few dozen orbits (several hours), the probe will burn up in the atmosphere. If the planet has no atmosphere, the probe will crash into the surface. [/quote]<br /><br />So the atmoprobe has fuel to accelerate to a velocity of 10 million km per hour then halt in orbit at a planet and it has a transmitter to send back messages over an unspecified distance.<br /><br />I'd like to propose some changes:<br />There is a basic probe launcher and it can hold and fire all of the following kinds of probes. Com and atmo probes both have a self destruct feature. <br /><br />1. New generation atmoprobes are fitted with a parachute to land gently enough and continue sending back data from a planets surface. Note: no atmosphere or thin atmosphere still means the probe crashes. Impact on a game besides the obvious: ship enter's a system and detects a signal from an atmoprobe on a planet's surface- away team to investigate.<br /><br />2. Com probe same probe body as above and same capabilities as to transmission of data and abilitiy to be fired off in the system. However able to remain in orbit as a com relay, beacon that transmits a message, passive scanner to relay data to a ship hiding elsewhere. various uses but one important use is as a mayday beacon when abandon ship order is given- the act of giving the order sets a com probe to eject and either hold position or fly to a designated spot in system to act as a mayday beacon giving ships name, number of passengers and some other limited data. Great for more investigative plot hooks.<br /><br />3. Survival drop pod: built on a probe shell but lacks the fuel cell. instead its equiped with a parachute and survival kit (temporary shelter, water purifier, rations, radio, holo flares, potentially weapons, and etc) and must be fired from orbit with astrogator plotting its entry path (skill roll) to get it to the stranded characters on a planet's surface. <br /><br />4. Survival drop pod: same as above but with the survival kit removed. a space suited character is put inside and then spray foam is injected into the probe shell to lock him in place and pod is fired at planet surface. Once the pod lands a pannel is blown and the character makes a str check to begin breaking the foam encasing him. Once he extricates himself from the probe shell he has safely landed on the planet's surface from orbit. Again the astrogator must make a skill check to put this pod down in a specific location.<br /><br />EDIT: other kinds of probes?
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