Seamoth Improvement (nifty!)
rottendrake
Join Date: 2016-05-25 Member: 217470Members
Join Date: 2016-05-25 Member: 217470Members
The majority of players will count on this lil pal. So, without making the game to be broken easy, I'd like to suggest a few ideas that can make the seamoth all the more interesting. Oh, and I am a programmer too, so please don't bash me with "It's too hard to program" or any sorts of the comments. I know how to make programmer's effort to minimal while maximizing the result (for this time, it's gameplay)
1) Seamoth MK2 & MK3
Instead of having the seamoth having the pressure compensator to go deeper, replace it with a totally new seamoth. Of course, mobile construction device will have to be granted the ability to "deconstruct" your current seamoth.
Seamoth MK2 & MK3 will contain newer upgrades, newer features, and of course, the capability of exploring deeper (600m and 900m). Maybe MK2 can contain 5 upgrades instead of 4, and MK3 contain 6. But that's just my personal opinion, I'll leave balancing issues in the hands of the devs.
2) Flare torpedo
This functions to illuminate darkness during the night, or deeper places that some people are too scared to dive into. It's not to incinerate anything, mind you. Or it can even attract some creatures that can be attracted to lights. And, the torpedo bays are different, ammos are different, and only either can only be equipped at one time.
3) Level of upgrades
As the seamoth get better, maybe the upgrades get better too (aside from volume-related such as storages or torpedo bays). Hulls improvement can take more damage. Efficiency of the power gets better. Battery charges faster during sunlight. You get the gist.
However, this will take an entirely different kind of materials. MK3 maybe will get the most advanced materials. As how the blueprints will be available or players scan for fragments, or lab according to people's suggestion, maybe it's best to let the devs decide.
4) Seamoth arm
Now this, I think is an over extension by me. It's heavy for programming, takes a lot of time, and it may be tricky for the programmers to work with.
Have seamoth be equipped with an upgrade module of a reel (like a dive reel), but the reel is luminescent (glow in the dark). It also has a computer chip constructed for players to equip. Or maybe just an item in the shortcut like any tool.
So if you dive and use this reel, it's attached to your back, of course with a limited length. During a dive, if you run out of oxygen suddenly or are lost, not knowing your bearing, or get attacked by sea creatures, press the button and it will un-reel you.
Now in my head I'm just thinking, whether this is just a "oh sh*t" button for careless divers that they can press anytime they want, basically rendering them invincible. And also it's too much of a hassle to program for just a too little feature (the reel will unwind in the exact way the cables are winded, including all cavern walls, floors and ceilings).
So what do you think? I am not thinking a way of making the end-game, rather how to make the journey to be longer. After all, this game's genre is all about the journey, not about what awaits in the finish line.
1) Seamoth MK2 & MK3
Instead of having the seamoth having the pressure compensator to go deeper, replace it with a totally new seamoth. Of course, mobile construction device will have to be granted the ability to "deconstruct" your current seamoth.
Seamoth MK2 & MK3 will contain newer upgrades, newer features, and of course, the capability of exploring deeper (600m and 900m). Maybe MK2 can contain 5 upgrades instead of 4, and MK3 contain 6. But that's just my personal opinion, I'll leave balancing issues in the hands of the devs.
2) Flare torpedo
This functions to illuminate darkness during the night, or deeper places that some people are too scared to dive into. It's not to incinerate anything, mind you. Or it can even attract some creatures that can be attracted to lights. And, the torpedo bays are different, ammos are different, and only either can only be equipped at one time.
3) Level of upgrades
As the seamoth get better, maybe the upgrades get better too (aside from volume-related such as storages or torpedo bays). Hulls improvement can take more damage. Efficiency of the power gets better. Battery charges faster during sunlight. You get the gist.
However, this will take an entirely different kind of materials. MK3 maybe will get the most advanced materials. As how the blueprints will be available or players scan for fragments, or lab according to people's suggestion, maybe it's best to let the devs decide.
4) Seamoth arm
Now this, I think is an over extension by me. It's heavy for programming, takes a lot of time, and it may be tricky for the programmers to work with.
Have seamoth be equipped with an upgrade module of a reel (like a dive reel), but the reel is luminescent (glow in the dark). It also has a computer chip constructed for players to equip. Or maybe just an item in the shortcut like any tool.
So if you dive and use this reel, it's attached to your back, of course with a limited length. During a dive, if you run out of oxygen suddenly or are lost, not knowing your bearing, or get attacked by sea creatures, press the button and it will un-reel you.
Now in my head I'm just thinking, whether this is just a "oh sh*t" button for careless divers that they can press anytime they want, basically rendering them invincible. And also it's too much of a hassle to program for just a too little feature (the reel will unwind in the exact way the cables are winded, including all cavern walls, floors and ceilings).
So what do you think? I am not thinking a way of making the end-game, rather how to make the journey to be longer. After all, this game's genre is all about the journey, not about what awaits in the finish line.
Comments
A seamoth grapple is frankly silly. It would inhibit movement for the seamoth and I can only envision 'reeling' yourself into a rock wall damaging the seamoth.
The flare torpedoes would be strange, as you'd be putting a cheap flare into an expensive torpedo it'd be a very expensive way to illuminate your surroundings when you already have built in lighting. //HOWEVER//, there are really dangerous creatures in the depths who hunt by light so launching flares would be a legitimate countermeasure to distract them. So yeah, I can see a flare dispenser being useful in place of flare torpedoes.
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Speaking my opinion of Mk2/3 seamoths will take a little bit so I'm treating this like a big section you can ignore:
The Seamoth is described in the codex as standard equipment aboard mining vessels. I'm assuming at this point, but it implies to me that it surpasses other options in adaptability already and this is proven in-game by how you can slot in upgrades that atomically alter the structure of the sub. This modularity is impressive as it negates the need for different variations of the submarine, allowing for adaption on the fly.
I doubt a Mk2/3 seamoth would be designed by the corporation when they could instead design upgrades to put into their existing product.
Also, it took a LONG time to make the Seamoth how it is in-game. It wouldn't take as long to make variations of it, but it would still be a huge project to make a second or third version of the Seamoth as you'd have to prepare models, prepare more models, prepare even more models, make it compatible with the moon pool and cyclops, yada yada. Code-wise it's easiest to handle one super-complex minisub instead of three.
I do like the idea of deconstructing subs though. Some way of scrapping an irrecoverable cyclops, or turning off its beacon at least.