Q&A: ARGO SRV
Following the launch of the SRV from Argo Astronautics, we took your community-voted questions to our designers to give you more information on the recently unveiled single-pilot standard recovery vehicle.
The ARGO SRV depicted in the image is carrying an unknown-sized cargo container. Please elaborate more on this cargo-carrying function. Is the SRV envisioned as one of the tools used to load/unload the larger HULL series ships? One of the key design goals for this ship was to enable it to carry cargo around. Unloading larger cargo ships, such as the Hull series, is a perfect use of the SRV.
This is not explicitly stated in the documentation, but the ARGO SRV has a Quantum Drive and a Jump Drive. Can the SRV tow a ship in Quantum Travel? Can the SRV use a Jump Point when towing another ship? The ARGO SRV can Quantum Travel while towing.
Whilst the details of Jump Travel are being ironed out, the original design never accounted for this scenario and requires revisiting. However, our current stance is that it will not be able to tow ships through a Jump Point. If such travel is needed, we recommend towing the vehicle to a nearby repair station first or putting it inside another jump-capable vehicle.
Can the SRV move ground vehicles like a Nova Tank? There is nothing to stop you moving damaged or stuck ground vehicles, such as the Nova Tank. It will work the same way as moving and transporting damaged spaceships.
Can the SRV move outpost modules? No, outpost modules are physically drilled into the ground surface. The moving of player-made outposts is restricted to the Pioneer and other dedicated ships as the SRV’s tractor beam is not strong enough to wrench them from the surface. Outposts that exist already on moons/planets cannot be moved.
Can the SRV tow asteroids? Physicalized items in the world can be manipulated if they’re within the mass range of the tractor beam. Currently, the only dynamic asteroids in the game are the mineable variety, though it will be possible to tow these asteroids around if desired.
Can a person in a space suit be towed? Capturing an item requires it to be relatively immobile and of a certain size so that the beam can focus on it. While we don’t have the exact details of these limits yet, we foresee that active players will not be easily trapped by tractor beams to prevent griefing.
Is the number of SRVs needed to tow something based on total mass or size/architecture? It is primarily mass based, though there are some size and volume requirements. There are no arbitrary design restrictions in terms of ‘ship X can specifically not tractor ship Y’.
How will theft using tractor beams be guarded against? Can anyone just fly up to you and start abducting ships? The current means to limit theft and griefing is that shields will actively block or severely dampen the tractor beam strength. If you wish to have your vehicle moved, you will be required to power down your shields (which also puts you in a vulnerable position). If you wish to guard against theft, just leave your shields up when outside your ship for reassurance that it will still be there when you get back.
Does the tractor beam only pull or can it push as well?
The tractors beam is primarily designed to pull, though it can push to an extent. Moving from side to side, rolling, and pitching are accomplished by the range of motion available to the tractor beam’s mount.
Does towing affect the SRV’s top speed and fuel economy? Tractor beams consume massive amounts of power, so while the ship’s top speed is still attainable, acceleration and fuel economy are negatively impacted.
Will vehicles being towed have to turn off components for it to be towable, such as shields and power plants? Yes, the target needs to be relatively immobile with shields powered down for the tractor beam to ‘capture’ it. If the target is actively jinking or maneuvering to avoid it, the SRV pilot will require significant skill and time to capture it.
If an SRV is immobile but still has a working tractor beam, can it use its tractor beam to lock onto another ship and then be towed by that ship? Theoretically, it is possible for this to work. However, the non-tractor ship would have to maneuver very cautiously and gently to prevent it from breaking away.
Does the tractor beam only work in space? Or, is it possible to tow a ship from a landing pad, take off, go into space, Quantum Travel, enter a planet’s atmosphere, and finally land while towing another ship? The Tractor Beam can be used in any location, however the environment will affect the difficulty of maintaining a capture of the target item. Another one of the original design aims was for the SRV to act as a tug ship to help larger ships get from a planet’s surface back out into space.
Will it be possible to extend the Argo SRV’s shields around the ship that’s being towed to offer extra protection when extracting disabled ships from the battlefield? No, the shields from the ARGO SRV and all other ships in the game are currently just for the ship itself and do not cover nearby objects. Towing a ship or vehicle puts it at risk, so the environment and flightpath should be considered carefully by the SRV pilot.
There is mention of it being heavily shielded and armored. How can we expect it to hold up under combat zone conditions? The SRV carries no offensive weaponry so relies on its shields and armor to survive in combat, so if it’s being directly attacked, the best course of action is to break away and come back later. If you’re entering a known hot zone, I’d recommend bringing an escort along for support.
Does the roof dish provide scanning abilities for search and rescue? The dish on the roof is simply a visual styling cue and has no specific gameplay attached to it. As mentioned on RTV, we went back and forth over the name during development. At the time ATV was recorded, it was known as the ‘Search and Recovery Vehicle’. However, we have now settled on ‘Standard Recovery Vehicle’.