The Use of Scrap
There's always a lot of useful looking scrap floating around after a good battle, I’m hoping we could go green and make better use of.
I think Scrap collection would work particularly well alongside some related features, such as mining, trading and construction (via starbases, and expensive construction modules). Recycling the remains of defeated ships would be an incentive to disable ships without destroying them completely (also I know some black market operations that would pay well for any "rescued" crew) and would be a nice alternative to simply getting a generic bounty (I'm sure a bounty could still be collected for law breakers or enemies of different factions).
Scrap Collection
There would need to be a mechanism that gathers scrap and transfers it to your ship,
That could be anything from a simple tractor beam, too collection drones, collection arms, or just flying your ship carefully so that the scrap is scooped up in your cargo bay (requiring cargo bay doors, but I like this idea).
Cargo Space
Cargo space would be a prerequisite requirement for collecting scrap. Specific cargo modules would be needed to carry scrap, giving the need for players to balance cargo space against other requirements. Depending on how much the strategic gameplay is expanded, cargo modules could also be used for collecting and carrying other cargo between systems and stations, making trade & piracy two viable routes for advancement.
The Bridge module could be given a base minimum cargo of cargo space (floor space) so that players are not stuck, unable to do any upgrades.
Scrap Construction and Repair
Cargo holds, in addition to filling up with scrap “icons”, would allow the crew to collect scrap and use it for repairs and construction.
[ Ideally, I think construction be strategic if it was limited to when you’re in the vicinity of a space station with construction equipment, or when close to friendly ships with a large expensive construction bays, but construction would still be limited to how much scrap or metal you carry ]
The crew would pick up some material from the cargo bay then carry it to damaged areas and slowly heal that module (X damage repaired per scrap) expensive modules would require more scrap per health point.
Repair bays modules and Engineering bay modules would turn scrap into repair packs (costs energy + time) repair packs would repair more damage per scrap and allow crew to repair faster
Intact Parts
Scrap can be used to build new parts (maybe after being broken down into basic materials). But parts like ammo storage, hyperspace modules, cargo bays etc, would also yield whatever fuel/cargo they still carry. Indeed I would make Hyperspace modules a bit tougher so that they are more likely to survive. And then just give players whatever fuel can be salvaged (apart from what they can buy and mine etc).
Additionally
Of course, this is in addition to a macro economy with trading between systems and stations where you can sell spare parts and buy new blueprints/ ship sections. And various other tradable items such as food, hydrogen, metals, and political factions/corporations fighting over control of the resources, plus civilian ships and pirates etc.. And an MP arena mode with massive base stations that you need to destroy, and capturable strategic points that give you bonuses and income for building more ships (plus the scrap that you recover).
But I’m getting off topic. Scrap is good, let's reuse it.
