I propose to have the pods being movable like the other assets you have.
For this, I think the best would be to make pods be items - but have their own type and NOT fit in a generic cargohold.
citadels and stations would have a personal pod hangar.
Amarr(or caldari ?) would have a new hauler dedicated to moving pods . It could move at most 10 pods at a time.
Pods would not be jumpable unless they are in a station/citadel/cap with correct installation.
One could make a pod contract. The pod implants would appear on the contract, as well as when the hauler is scanned.
The pod could be dropped on death, but only the owner could jump in them.
THEN you could simulate a pod, and add it to the simulation tool.
Not sure I see the value, to be honest. I mean, I see the point of it. I just don’t see the value to gameplay.
Pilots in space is the ideal for gameplay. By putting 10 pods in a hauler you’ve just taken 10 pilots out of space.
As they’d only be doing this to mitigate the risks of traveling through dangerous space (otherwise why not just fly a shuttle/cepter) it feels like an unwarranted reduction of risk.
Pods are free. They spew out of every station and structure. There is literally zero reason to haul pods, trade pods, or ANYTHING other that shoot the ■■■■ out of them. Implants arent unique to pods either. They’re unique to clones.
Point of semantics, but pods and clones are effectively the exact same things. You will never be able to change pods without changing clones. While “RP” has the clones living in vats, they are functionally identical to pods. So, while true that the implants are in the clone and not the pod, the clone and the pod are interchangeable in any way that matters.