In the discussion about proposed auton changes, @kwm1800 brings up a good point: it doesn't make sense to invest lots of money on an auton if they get killed so easily.
One proposed solution is to make it possible to salvage a dead auton, so that investments (such as upgrades) do not go to waste.
When an auton is destroyed, we always leave a wreck (and we make the wreck relatively resistant to damage).
Task List
[x] Autons always leave a wreck.
[x] Use 'alwaysLeaveWreck property instead of wreck chance in XML.
[x] Salvage command available.
[x] Damaged auton cannot be deployed.
[x] Auton bay repairs damaged autons automatically after some period of time.
[x] Auton dealer repairs damaged autons (for a price).
Auton Bay
If the player has an auton bay and docks with an auton wreck, there is an option to bring the auton on board. In that case, the auton comes in with at least one segment of armor at 0 hit points and the auton bay begins to repair it.
In addition, there is a chance that one or more devices are damaged, in which case the player needs to replace or repair them.
Auton Dealer
Even without the auton bay, the player can salvage an auton wreck. The wreck turns into the appropriate auton item, but it is marked as damaged and cannot be deployed.
If the player docks at an auton dealer, they have the option of repairing damaged autons for some reasonable price.
Armor Patches
Even without the auton bay it should be possible to apply armor patches and armor repair kits on damage autons.
If an auton destroyed, all of their equipment would be damaged or destroyed. They would need to repair or replaced their damaged part such as weapon and reactor. Repairing auton via auton cargo bay or auton dealer may have no problem with this, but repairing auton via armor patches and repair kits is a bit odd if player can just apply their armor patches or repair kits.
My solution:
1. Armor repair kits may also capable to repair auton's damaged weapon and reactor. So player could fully repairs auton regardless if all auton's part is damaged.
2. Armor patches only works if auton's weapon or reactor still intact (not damaged). Or perhaps should not able to repairs at all because they are patches to armors.
3. Player can search and give either intact or damaged devices to auton if it was not available.
4. Unlike Auton cargo bay and Auton dealers, repairs auton via manual repairing has chance to fail. Damaged device on auton also increasing its margin of error.
5. Higher level repair kits may decrease chance to fail.
6. Repairing auton may have experience point just like repairing armor.
I like the simple way George is proposing. Autons are expensive to run even when they don't die, so it's a good abstraction.
Question: would/could this apply to *hostile* autons that leave a wreck, such as the Lumiere autons and the Urak Sentinel, and if so is it worth finding some way to fudge the wreck chances for NPC use to prevent credit-farming?