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[Darloth]

If the Nutrino Detector were free to use in its current mode it would be a lot more appealing to toggle on to have a looksee now and again.

On the other hand, if having Volatiles around made it more useful somehow, perhaps spending a set amount of volatiles for a super-powered sensor ping or some sort of Nutrino Refinement ability that semi-permanently tagged potential points of interest on the map (maybe in nutrino blue fuzzy sensor clouds, larger than usual?) that would retain their additional utility and give some more scope to the ability.

Technically speaking, it'd probably be more sensible to implement this as a second ability, but what do you think of the idea in general?

[Megas]

Neutrino is mainly for convenient detection when player cannot be bothered to Sensor Burst at likely places near where stuff is hidden.  Waste of skill point and volatiles requirement make it less attractive.

It also should not blend so well with one of the yellow backgrounds that you cannot see part of the blue aura.

[nomadic_leader]

My main problem with the volatiles requirement is that you don't frequently find/salvage volatiles anywhere, so you have to go back to civilization to get them, and it usually isn't worth doing so, so you don't usually use the detector.

Doing long term salvage/exploration in the early game with the starter salvage fleet or a dram, you don't have enough cargo space for a bunch of volatiles. But you can keep running indefinitely by salvaging fuel and supplies from shipwrecks.

So you'll quickly run out of volatiles, since the detector alone isn't worth the fuel/supplies to go back to civilization. And yet, this neutrino detector is given by sensors level 1 so its you'll have it at the early game if you choose sensors. But you're mostly not using it.

Basically there should be a hullmod or something that lets you scoop volatiles (which are hydrogen, helium, ammonia, etc) from Gas Giant atmospheres by hovering over them for a day - say 1 volatile per day per frigate with a scoop.

edit: Another way to do it, is instead of having it deplete 1 volatile each time, just require 5x heavy equipment and/or rare metals and 5x volatiles to be in your cargo hold to use it, but don't deplete them. Not really sure you have to change the water in a neutrino detector every time you use anyway.