ScubadogSo, I just watched the new Galnet article on the "test flight" for some new tech to deal with the caustic maelstrom environment. Their prototype tech: A HEATSINK. A stupid flipping heatsink. Oh, sure, they're SAYING it's LIKE a heatsink, in that it just "absorbs" the material and then you "expel" the cartridge. For lack of a better term, I'll call this a "Caustic Sink". Whatever, it's a stupid idea....UNLESS they ALSO develop a new armor that you have to use WITH the caustic sink. This new armor would be designed to absorb the caustic substance as it comes into contact with the skin of the ship and shunts it TO the caustic sink for ejection. This new armor would slowly degrade once you no longer have caustic sinks to eject the gathered material (not as quickly as other armor types, and possibly it's made of similar material as the anti-corrosion cargo modules).
THAT would be the one way to avoid constant eyerolling of this "new tech".
This is common FDev design. Caustic effect is canceled while the ammo of the module is in use.
Limited ammo + synthesis = new grind loop AKA gameplay