The idea is to allow every module, excluding scans, cloaking and energy modules to be able to rank up and increase it's efficiency with prerequisite materials.

[Here's how it's going to work]

To upgrade a module, you need specific materials to rank them and every module will start off requiring the same amount of materials to rank up. Modules will have an experience bar and increase in the amount of materials needed each rank to rank. Every module will have the option of inputing some of the materials needed and rank up until it reaches 100% full and ranks up.

With each rank a module gets, it receives a 1% boost in all of it's stats, but increases it's value by 1%.

Ex:

A quasi chaotic blaster can be ranked up (to rank 1) by having the prerequisite materials:
[The modules requires a ship to fill up the % exp guage with these materials.]

Total Requirements for 100% for next rank:
1. 100 Complex Tech Parts
2. 100 Energy
3. 10 of (An artifact based on the modules tier) (Grid Console, Crystal Foci, Shield Amplifier, Nanite Swarm Capsules, etc.)

To upgrade to a rank 2 quasi chaotic blaster, it requires more materials to upgraded and the % exp guage of the modules goes up slower with each rank.

Ex:

Total Requirements 100% for next rank:
1. 200 Complex Tech Parts
2. 200 Energy
3. 20 of (An artifact based on the modules tier) (Grid Console, Crystal Foci, Shield Amplifier, Nanite Swarm Capsules, etc.)

Note: Some modules will require lesser materials to fill up the % exp guage to rank up, but will still have increased materials needed with each rank to reach 100% to rank up and with each upgrade, it's value increases by the 1% with each rank.

combine this with the parts drop from npc's suggestion and you could have something neat.

personally, i would not mind seeing the recipes be a mystery (remember Diablo 2 ?). each module could require different combos to upgrade and you would only get the upgrade icon active if you have the parts on hand. each upgrade shuffles up the recipe so you will always be guessing ... and hunting !

recipes would be in the form:
x parts (common npc)
x parts (uncommon npc)
x parts (rare / extremely rare npc)
x artifacts (between 10 and 20 of any arti available from the arti pull)
x ctp (between 50 and 100)
x minerals (cost / type increases with rank)
x research points (cost increases with rank)
x energy (cost increases with rank)

I think this niche is already filled by Havoc Coils...

I'd like the ideas of recipe's for new modules senatorhung, since they sound fabulous. I could really use a link to the npc's suggestions on the forums and maybe combine ideas with the original poster.

Yes, the shuffling up recipes could increase the incentive to create new modules, upgrade them and increase their value as well.

not if the modules had unlimited ranks ...

This is for long term upgrading, and can upgraded for all mods except energy, scan and cloaking mods. My idea Increases the incentive for people to increase their artifact,research, and mineral production instead of just artifact production.

nice idear, but this is why I wouldn't bother upgrading them

Heavy Quasi-Chaotic Blaster (size 55, Attack +430) - UPKEEP 878.8 mil pr day with3 * Dark AssemblyBot Effect : Upkeep -5%

rank 101 Quasi, attack 860 - UPKEEP 1.7 bil pr day
rank 201 Quasi, attack 1290 - upkeep 2.6 bil pr day
etc etc etc

I'm not going to bother calcylating the cost to upgrade one to rank 101,
the quick estimate is 5050 * starting Price = 505.000 Complex Tech Parts, 505.000 Energy, 50.500 artifacts
but if you are spreading the upgrades out on 8 cannons, = +13 % pr cannon the Price would be a lot lower

basickly all I get out of ranking them 100 times is +430 attack, and increase my upkeep with 878,8 mil pr day

I can add 430 attack in less then 3 days, simply by spending all points from prissenors on Tactical Officers
that's why I newer even bothered to install Quasi in the first place but just keept my Heavy Thetacron Cannon,
attack gain vs upkeep increase is just bad when you compair with what you can get from Tactical Officers

cloak and scan modules, sure I would upgrade those asap
but with Hull, Shield, defence, attack and energy you will be better off just adding crew, x-cells and brackets that doesnt use Space or cost upkkep

It does not matter to me if the amount of tactical officers overshadows the ranking up of guns, since with these ranks, for people who are well efficient in collecting credits from merchanting, trading, and gathering minerals from mineral planets will most likely have spare materials for each rank up. They don't have to rank their weapons if they have no intention of ranking them.

The thetacrons would probably cost less materials to rank though. The lower the tier of the module, the less materials is needed to rank up. Thetacrons would be much more suitable for the ranks up than quasi's in the long run with the gradually increasing upkeep. However, it is a lower amount of attack power with each 1% boost from each rank.

Ranking them up does make the module more vintage, however, no matter what tier it is.

Maybe if the upgraded modules had some unique abilities associated to certain rank levels (like the rank 30/60/100 ally abilities), there could be some incentive to upgrade them. But if it's just a % increase in that module alone, the cost is not worth it down the road, both in terms of ship upkeep and deck space.

Ranking up a modules does not increase it's space, but makes it more advanced and high tech. Thus, making the increase in upkeep fair. It's basically an advanced, universal space efficient, kind of ranking for modules.

As for abilities, I was thinking about increasing the chance of dealing and avoiding critical hits when attacking and being attacked.