+1 anything to give this game better transportation options.

At the very least can get a big brother for the Scarab? Something that can move a significant amount of material is sorely needed in the game.

With auto pilot fixed.

I'd like to see an NPC that would spawn from some sort of deployable device.

The NPC could serve multiple roles.

-Transport, after deploying the NPC would loot any available cans or container.  The npc would then transport the items to a terminal.
-Buff Bot/Miner/Harvester/Combat? - We could purchase tiers  with PC and different module setups.  Even nexus support.

These npcs would have a 30 to 45 minute  timer.  Once the timers up the npc disappear.

Killable on alpha or beta.  Flagging the aggressor and alerting the owner that its under attack.

The npcs can have different levels of tank/speed.

Any other thoughts or comments?

Ville - why deployable device?

extension: Remote Robot control - the level of the extension limits the % of your other extensions affecting the pet bot.

and all you can do is give that robot basic commands like move, loot all, unload, attack

with a few extension points you can have a followbot argano or with a few more sequer to haul the stuff with you. but because it has a NPC AI, it wont be able to manage its accumulator or does it allow you to accurately command which module it should use at a time - it will just always use everything availiable.

you can fit the robot as you want in your storage, and if it explodes you have to replace it like any other bot. etc

If they had a 1mil U freighter that moved single digit speeds, has no armor or shield capibilites, and was plated in Epriton and collixium would be interesting.  Perhaps make it so you cant use beacons with it either.

Call it the "Flapper"

Interesting idea, but rather than buying it I'd like to hack one of the roaming NPCs with some kind of a hacking module to get it under my control (thinking about more PVE content here rather than more money for the DEV's).
Hacking could go wrong and you could end up with an angry red mob on your heels even on alpha1.
After some time your hacked bot could start to act strange regaining his consciousness. If you don't get rid of it quick it could go after you.

And +1 for a bigger hauler (freighter 5000u cargo). One that can only travel between main terminals would do. Maybe doable with new highway system?

But I'm afraid we won't get neither of it in the near future.

Edit: added a bit more thoughts

thats more or less because the role the lithus serves has been kinda not necessary since introduction of the scarab, aka the tanking hauler.

Alpha poses zero threat to paper thin scarab armor, and on beta they just wont move unless all possible threats monitored by gatescouts and probes.

and even if someone would field one, the shield can now be broken with a few neut-hits from vets that didn't have any other place to spend their EP anyway.

We still use Lithus MK2s quite frequently.

+1

No it has to do with my scarabs in the cargo not getting ghanked while doing transport missions.

just because almost everyone has several accounts - it doesn't mean they should be norm in your everyday game experience. Especially when you think about the difficulty to get multiple accounts via steam only (aka impossible), you drive away possible new customers that do not like the multi-accounting part at all.