AB-4 "Octopus"

AB-4 "Octopus"
AB-4 "Octopus" Tractor Beam  V
Type	Tractor Beam
Tech Level	8
Automatic	Omni
Time to lock	0ms
Known Price Range	->159,573(Weymire) ->199,026(Ni'mrrod)
GoF2 HD (Android) Price Range	-> 3,032,153 (Y'mirr) -> 3,471,088(Aquila)

The AB-4 "Octopus" allows a ship to pull in certain objects drifting in space. This is only available after purchasing the Valkyrie add-on and given the circumstances, will be able to spawn at any possible location.

In-Game Description

In contrast to its predecessor, this tractor beam can collect freight at an angle of 360˚. Forgot to close the door to the cargo bay again? No problem.

Usage

When the player shoots down a ship, or when an asteroid is destroyed, sometimes a container or smaller asteroid is left behind, respectively. However, simply running into it will not collect the object, unlike many videogames with collecting mechanics. Tractor beams do the job for the player, and can be performed at any distance without needing to collide with the object. No other objects than loot containers and smashed asteroids can be collected or moved with any tractor beam.

The "Octopus" is exactly the same as its predecessor, the AB-3 "Kingfisher", in that it is able to pull in objects without a lock time. This tractor beam builds upon it by eliminating the forward orientation the "Kingfisher" requires. This means that if any ship, within the orbit of the same planet, is destroyed and drops loot, it will immediately seize said item.

However, this poses problems during large firefights. Even though there is no lock time to attract objects, the "Octopus" still uses the ship's scanner and until the object has been placed in the cargo hold. Loot dropped from several kilometres away will take several precious seconds that could have been used to lock onto and destroy another enemy, and players will instead have to track subsequent ones with the targeting reticle and marksmanship alone. Thankfully, this issue is relatively limited, as homing weapons necessitating scanners are relatively limited, examples being Thermic o5 and Intelli Jet, while most other weapons aren't helped by the scanner at all, if any. The M6 A4 "Raccoon" is a good example, as it does high amounts of concentrated damage and slightly compensates its aim if a ship enters its line of fire, so the scanner is of little importance here.

There is an advantage when destroying freighters or the Terran Battle Cruisers, as they take time to explode. With the "Octopus", you can destroy the freighter/Battlecruiser, then engage other enemies. The Octopus will still remotely retrieve the item without rendering your ship vulnerable.

If the thought of needing to pick up anything from anywhere within orbit overpowers the fact that it clashes with combat, then consider investing a few hundred thousand in this tractor beam.

Notes

Galaxy on Fire 2 HD (Android)

In Galaxy on Fire 2 HD (Android), tractor beams have significantly increased unit price and low spawn rate, making them much harder to acquire as one can take ages to spawn with a ridiculous price tag.

Trivia

• Despite the description, there's no such mechanic that you drop your cargo in your hold randomly.

Gallery

Equipment

Important aspects of functionality:

" E " - Energy cells needed to work.

" P " - Plasma needed to work.

" S " - Single use equipment.

" T " - Mounted on a turret slot.

" M " - Multiple instances can be installed.