Various things I came up with during play.
Zealous_Fanatic
Earth Join Date: 2016-07-13 Member: 220207Members
Earth Join Date: 2016-07-13 Member: 220207Members
Note, the usefulness suggestions also depend on future additions to the game, such as additional threats and so on.
So to start with, two new tools. First is the Projection Cannon. Made via modification station-ing a propulsion cannon; the idea is simple. It takes 4 slots and can hold 4 1-slot items (so it's not a horadric cube), and when used, will launch an item towards whatever you point it at. Basically a propulsion cannon launch without the item grabbing aspect.
As to why we might need it, the secondary launch aspect of the propulsion cannon is rather situational due to needing objects nearby. This bypasses the inventory fiddling aspect of using the propulsion cannon offensively. Important when you're going to be defending yourself against the more aggressive fauna that will be added.
Furthermore, depending on how much useful flora/fauna and how shapeable the game may be; it can take on a more utility aspect. Just as how the knife is as much a weapon as it is a harvesting tool, so does the projection cannon's use change depending on what it's loaded with. From acid mushrooms for a weapon to flares as a distraction to seeds for farming (once we can plant anywhere); it fits the game's focus on your ingenuity.
Second is the Extractor. Since we're getting rid of terraforming, we may as well use the terraformer's assets for something else.
The idea of the extractor is as a deep-rock mining tool. You can scan terrain using the scanning room or a deployable mineral scanner. Mineral deposits take the form of beacon echoes inside rocks when located. Use the extractor to "pull" that beacon towards the surface so you can mine it.
As for the mineral deposits themselves, they can be as random as you like or fixed depending on the location. They can range from quartz geodes (which you can smack for multiple quartz items), to large boulders (which you need the exosuit's drill arm for), to lava pockets (which erupt and then rapidly cool into an obsidian boulder), to fossils (for whatever) and so on.
To balance, the extractor makes a lot of noise, and can alert nearby predators. There's also the whole, hunting for resource nodes aspect I suppose.
Next is the "tool turret" for lack of a better name.
It is a buildable structure that is essentially a ball turret. It holds a single 2X2 tool or deployable and enhances its effect which draws energy from your base's stores.
For example, if you place a propulsion cannon in it, you get a propulsion cannon turret that has a far longer range (in both grabbing and launching). Placing a statis rifle in it lets it charge faster, shoot farther, and have a bigger area of effect which lasts longer. Placing a propulsion launcher in it lets it fire faster and have a larger inventory in which to hold items. Placing a current generator in it lets you emit a larger and more powerful vortex. Placing a floodlight makes... a more powerful light that can be rotated; perhaps scare off light-sensitive fauna. And so on.
As threats to your base increase, you can use this to defend yourself without being in (too much) danger. Perhaps automation later, but unlikely.
Next, we have the modular outfit system.
The suit system we have now is rather limited in terms of options, so I suggest that instead of individual suits, we can have one "base" suit and have module slots we can install additional features in. Like how a seamoth or cyclops works.
Say, we have 4 head slots, 4 leg (fins) slots, and four torso (suit) slots. Relevant upgrades can only go in their respective slots, though some "omni" modules can go in any slot and stack; although you can't have the same module in the same slot type. Finally, we have two "back" slots; these cannot accept omni modules, but you can use two of the same module.
Some upgrades include tool-like features, which can be assigned like any other tool. An upgrade that uses energy draws power directly from the suit, which requires a battery augment to store power.
Now these are a lot of slots, so we have two issues. There needs to be some form of balance for this, so while you can indeed fill up every slot, but doing so increases your "encumbrance", which makes you swim slower the higher it is. Different modules have differing levels of encumbrance.
The second issue is that we have nowhere near enough modules to fill in these new slots, so here are a few ideas of mine:
Head
- Head lamp: Works like a flashlight that shines from your head.
- Light Amplification Visor: When a flashlight doesn't cut it. This comes at the cost of blinding you at higher light levels as well as using more power. Also helps when hiding from enemies that are sensitive to light.
- Signal Amplifier: In case we get the feature where beacons only work from a certain distance, this will let you locate them from further away. Also consider usefulness in locating wrecks with fading signals.
- Scanner Assistant: Greatly decreases the time to complete scans.
- Membrane Oxygenator: Greatly decreases oxygen use while motionless.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment System: Slows the increase of nitrogen buildup/ Increases rate of nitrogen outgassing.
- Telescopic Lens: Essentially binoculars.
Body
- Radiation Scrubber: When active, uses energy to stop radiation poisoning.
- Tissue Regenerator: Increases health recovery rate.
- Internal Climate Control: When active, uses energy to prevent damage from surrounding high temperatures. Also reduces your thermal signature (when we get heat-sensitive aggressive flora/fauna).
- Active Camouflage: When active, uses energy to reduce enemy detection from vision-using enemies. (Does nothing against heat/motion sensing enemies though).
- Integrated Light Diodes: When active, lights up the nearby area, like a light stick, though stronger.
Movement
- Weight toggle: Holds lead in partially phased state, which is nearly weightless. When activated (takes no power), makes the player sink much faster.
- Airjets: Sacrifices 02 to greatly increase player speed for a short time.
- Ballast Sacks: Essentially an airbladder.
- Motion Dampeners: Reduces enemy detection range from motion-sensitive enemies.
Back
- Power Pack: Allows the suit to hold two additional batteries to power internal systems.
- Mounted Seaglide: Essentially a seaglide that doesn't need to be held, but uses suite energy. Is very heavy so greatly degrades speed when inactive.
- External storage mount: Increases the carrying capacity by two vertical slots (16 tiles)
- Air Reclamation Tank: Increases O2 capacity, also increases the O2 gained from all sources (if we get sources other than brain coral).
Omni
- Subsurface Alloy Filaments: Decreases damage taken, stacks, but at the cost of encumbrance.
- Thermal Dissipation: Reduces the effects of high temperature, stacks.
- Radiation Absorber: See above, but for radiation.
- Oxygen pack: Increases oxygen capacity by 15, stacks.
- Storage mount: Increases carrying capacity by one horizontal slot (6 slots), stacks. If combined with the external storage mount, you gain 8 slots instead of 6.
Finally, a couple of cyclops module ideas; as we currently have two, one that doesn't stack, and another that you only get one of.
Turret module: The tool turret mentioned previously, the location of the module on the upgrade panel is where the turret will be located; so you can have multiples. Alternatively, you can limit it to one, where it'll be accessible in the same room the exit is in. You can also control it from the bridge like cameras.
Nuclear reactor module: Because seriously. You can access it via the back end of the seamoth entrance section.
Camera Control: Controls a single camera drone and adds a dock specifically for it.
One last thing, it's a bit late, but the ability to batch craft would be really nice considering how glass-hungry constructions are.
So to start with, two new tools. First is the Projection Cannon. Made via modification station-ing a propulsion cannon; the idea is simple. It takes 4 slots and can hold 4 1-slot items (so it's not a horadric cube), and when used, will launch an item towards whatever you point it at. Basically a propulsion cannon launch without the item grabbing aspect.
As to why we might need it, the secondary launch aspect of the propulsion cannon is rather situational due to needing objects nearby. This bypasses the inventory fiddling aspect of using the propulsion cannon offensively. Important when you're going to be defending yourself against the more aggressive fauna that will be added.
Furthermore, depending on how much useful flora/fauna and how shapeable the game may be; it can take on a more utility aspect. Just as how the knife is as much a weapon as it is a harvesting tool, so does the projection cannon's use change depending on what it's loaded with. From acid mushrooms for a weapon to flares as a distraction to seeds for farming (once we can plant anywhere); it fits the game's focus on your ingenuity.
Second is the Extractor. Since we're getting rid of terraforming, we may as well use the terraformer's assets for something else.
The idea of the extractor is as a deep-rock mining tool. You can scan terrain using the scanning room or a deployable mineral scanner. Mineral deposits take the form of beacon echoes inside rocks when located. Use the extractor to "pull" that beacon towards the surface so you can mine it.
As for the mineral deposits themselves, they can be as random as you like or fixed depending on the location. They can range from quartz geodes (which you can smack for multiple quartz items), to large boulders (which you need the exosuit's drill arm for), to lava pockets (which erupt and then rapidly cool into an obsidian boulder), to fossils (for whatever) and so on.
To balance, the extractor makes a lot of noise, and can alert nearby predators. There's also the whole, hunting for resource nodes aspect I suppose.
Next is the "tool turret" for lack of a better name.
It is a buildable structure that is essentially a ball turret. It holds a single 2X2 tool or deployable and enhances its effect which draws energy from your base's stores.
For example, if you place a propulsion cannon in it, you get a propulsion cannon turret that has a far longer range (in both grabbing and launching). Placing a statis rifle in it lets it charge faster, shoot farther, and have a bigger area of effect which lasts longer. Placing a propulsion launcher in it lets it fire faster and have a larger inventory in which to hold items. Placing a current generator in it lets you emit a larger and more powerful vortex. Placing a floodlight makes... a more powerful light that can be rotated; perhaps scare off light-sensitive fauna. And so on.
As threats to your base increase, you can use this to defend yourself without being in (too much) danger. Perhaps automation later, but unlikely.
Next, we have the modular outfit system.
The suit system we have now is rather limited in terms of options, so I suggest that instead of individual suits, we can have one "base" suit and have module slots we can install additional features in. Like how a seamoth or cyclops works.
Say, we have 4 head slots, 4 leg (fins) slots, and four torso (suit) slots. Relevant upgrades can only go in their respective slots, though some "omni" modules can go in any slot and stack; although you can't have the same module in the same slot type. Finally, we have two "back" slots; these cannot accept omni modules, but you can use two of the same module.
Some upgrades include tool-like features, which can be assigned like any other tool. An upgrade that uses energy draws power directly from the suit, which requires a battery augment to store power.
Now these are a lot of slots, so we have two issues. There needs to be some form of balance for this, so while you can indeed fill up every slot, but doing so increases your "encumbrance", which makes you swim slower the higher it is. Different modules have differing levels of encumbrance.
The second issue is that we have nowhere near enough modules to fill in these new slots, so here are a few ideas of mine:
Head
- Head lamp: Works like a flashlight that shines from your head.
- Light Amplification Visor: When a flashlight doesn't cut it. This comes at the cost of blinding you at higher light levels as well as using more power. Also helps when hiding from enemies that are sensitive to light.
- Signal Amplifier: In case we get the feature where beacons only work from a certain distance, this will let you locate them from further away. Also consider usefulness in locating wrecks with fading signals.
- Scanner Assistant: Greatly decreases the time to complete scans.
- Membrane Oxygenator: Greatly decreases oxygen use while motionless.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment System: Slows the increase of nitrogen buildup/ Increases rate of nitrogen outgassing.
- Telescopic Lens: Essentially binoculars.
Body
- Radiation Scrubber: When active, uses energy to stop radiation poisoning.
- Tissue Regenerator: Increases health recovery rate.
- Internal Climate Control: When active, uses energy to prevent damage from surrounding high temperatures. Also reduces your thermal signature (when we get heat-sensitive aggressive flora/fauna).
- Active Camouflage: When active, uses energy to reduce enemy detection from vision-using enemies. (Does nothing against heat/motion sensing enemies though).
- Integrated Light Diodes: When active, lights up the nearby area, like a light stick, though stronger.
Movement
- Weight toggle: Holds lead in partially phased state, which is nearly weightless. When activated (takes no power), makes the player sink much faster.
- Airjets: Sacrifices 02 to greatly increase player speed for a short time.
- Ballast Sacks: Essentially an airbladder.
- Motion Dampeners: Reduces enemy detection range from motion-sensitive enemies.
Back
- Power Pack: Allows the suit to hold two additional batteries to power internal systems.
- Mounted Seaglide: Essentially a seaglide that doesn't need to be held, but uses suite energy. Is very heavy so greatly degrades speed when inactive.
- External storage mount: Increases the carrying capacity by two vertical slots (16 tiles)
- Air Reclamation Tank: Increases O2 capacity, also increases the O2 gained from all sources (if we get sources other than brain coral).
Omni
- Subsurface Alloy Filaments: Decreases damage taken, stacks, but at the cost of encumbrance.
- Thermal Dissipation: Reduces the effects of high temperature, stacks.
- Radiation Absorber: See above, but for radiation.
- Oxygen pack: Increases oxygen capacity by 15, stacks.
- Storage mount: Increases carrying capacity by one horizontal slot (6 slots), stacks. If combined with the external storage mount, you gain 8 slots instead of 6.
Finally, a couple of cyclops module ideas; as we currently have two, one that doesn't stack, and another that you only get one of.
Turret module: The tool turret mentioned previously, the location of the module on the upgrade panel is where the turret will be located; so you can have multiples. Alternatively, you can limit it to one, where it'll be accessible in the same room the exit is in. You can also control it from the bridge like cameras.
Nuclear reactor module: Because seriously. You can access it via the back end of the seamoth entrance section.
Camera Control: Controls a single camera drone and adds a dock specifically for it.
One last thing, it's a bit late, but the ability to batch craft would be really nice considering how glass-hungry constructions are.