TL;DR
Harvester robots (automated trucks?) for harvesting small resource patches back to (warehouse like) facility.What ?
Harvesting drones that work in a field around the storage facility they're bound to like robots to roboport.These drone or truck like entities (like harvesters from for example command and conquer) will harvest all resources in the working area around the storage facility.
Like placing one near (or in) a small iron ore patch and selecting harvest iron ore, drop some drones in your facility and they will harvest all iron ore in the vicinity.
For balancing reasons this harvesting should probably be significantly slower than placing drills but the area could be quite big.
This will allow drones to sort of venture outside you base/walls to harvest near trading the idea of building an close outpost for sending (un)protected drones out.
Maybe make them upgradeable so they can hold a defender capsule so they can be defended somewhat.
I think this will open some really great alternative ways to play.
Let me know what you guys think/would add or change
Why ?
It opens up more ways to set up your resource chain and can maybe battle some of the tedium of having to constantly set up new outposts.I like setting up my first dozen outpost but after they start to run dry and resource demand starts to rise i find myself getting bored running aroung setting up outposts.
This would allow for the harvesting of closer/smaller resource patches which would normally not be "worth"building an outpost over.
