Power progression, Fuel cells. Discussion;
Mr_Rieper7
South Africa Join Date: 2015-11-16 Member: 209299Members
South Africa Join Date: 2015-11-16 Member: 209299Members
Everybody is bringing up various options for generating power and battery / Power Cell charging stations etc.
I would like to bring up the option of Fuel Cells as a "tech level 2" for powering devices and bases.
As an example let's take the nuclear generator;
Besides the fact that you are handling and loading raw uranium into a generator, nuclear generators require processed fuel to work.
My suggestion is that you would create 2 new objects, you would craft an empty "nuclear fuel-cell". ( Titanium(1)+Lead(1) -> Empty Nuclear fuel-cell(1) )
Using this fuel cell you would craft it into a "Nuclear fuel-cell" that would contain "x" energy. (Empty nuclear fuel-cell(1)+Uranium(1)+Purified Water(1) -> Nuclear fuel-cell(1) )
The Nuclear fuel cell would be inserted into the Nuclear generator which would drain the fuel-cell at a capped rate while in use.
When the cell is drained you can retrieve the empty nuclear fuel-cell from the generator and reload it for further use.
Maybe with this they could remove one set of Power cells in the cyclops and add a nuclear fuel-cell slot (Higher power density).
Good idea / Bad idea ?
Further brainstorming; (Read ramblings of a madman)
With adding a nuclear fuel-cell perhaps a more sustainable version could be a hydrogen fuel-cell that would hold less power but be more easily refuelled.
Maybe add an optional upgrade to the new water purifier to turn it into an electrolysis machine where an empty hydrogen fuel-cell could be recharged over time.
Perhaps modify the nuclear generator, remove its internal energy storage and allow the player to install rechargeable power cells.
This would double up as a power cell recharger and allow the generator to store power while you change fuel-cells. (Not a new idea, credit to whomever though it up)
Maybe change the nuclear generator into a fuel-cell generator that can accept multiple types of fuel-cells?
*Ends ramblings
Any opinions? Further ideas?
I would like to bring up the option of Fuel Cells as a "tech level 2" for powering devices and bases.
As an example let's take the nuclear generator;
Besides the fact that you are handling and loading raw uranium into a generator, nuclear generators require processed fuel to work.
My suggestion is that you would create 2 new objects, you would craft an empty "nuclear fuel-cell". ( Titanium(1)+Lead(1) -> Empty Nuclear fuel-cell(1) )
Using this fuel cell you would craft it into a "Nuclear fuel-cell" that would contain "x" energy. (Empty nuclear fuel-cell(1)+Uranium(1)+Purified Water(1) -> Nuclear fuel-cell(1) )
The Nuclear fuel cell would be inserted into the Nuclear generator which would drain the fuel-cell at a capped rate while in use.
When the cell is drained you can retrieve the empty nuclear fuel-cell from the generator and reload it for further use.
Maybe with this they could remove one set of Power cells in the cyclops and add a nuclear fuel-cell slot (Higher power density).
Good idea / Bad idea ?
Further brainstorming; (Read ramblings of a madman)
With adding a nuclear fuel-cell perhaps a more sustainable version could be a hydrogen fuel-cell that would hold less power but be more easily refuelled.
Maybe add an optional upgrade to the new water purifier to turn it into an electrolysis machine where an empty hydrogen fuel-cell could be recharged over time.
Perhaps modify the nuclear generator, remove its internal energy storage and allow the player to install rechargeable power cells.
This would double up as a power cell recharger and allow the generator to store power while you change fuel-cells. (Not a new idea, credit to whomever though it up)
Maybe change the nuclear generator into a fuel-cell generator that can accept multiple types of fuel-cells?
*Ends ramblings
Any opinions? Further ideas?
Comments
Not so keen on the one size fits all kind of generator though. However the idea of having hydrogen fuel cells presents the idea of hydrolytic separators, which are used to produce oxygen for your base with a side product of hydrogen for a Cyclops
I like it.
I thing batterie could be in GOLD not in Copper ... Batterie could be charger with solar panel
I would definitely prefer a specialized Cyclops nuclear-power plant that provides say, five times the energy density of Power Cells. The idea of having to fabricate nuclear fuel rods and convert raw uranium into fuel pellets is fine, too. Whatever works best for balanced gameplay, I reckon.
Power in this game is virtually useless at the moment though except for fabricating and charing a sea moth. It could run air purification systems, base lighting (lights should go off when no power), defenses like an electric fence or stasis turret (need more varied/aggressive enemies to create a more present danger), buildable ceiling lights or lamps, ceiling fans, neon signs (for the heck of it). There could be a med room that requires power that you can heal at (press e at the bed or medical device or whatever) while making medkits much harder to craft, encouraging use of a med room. Instead of the mobile vehicle bay there could be a large underwater vehicle bay / room that is required for building the cyclops (forcing people to build a base before getting their first cyclops).
I know this thread is about power, but until there is stuff to DO with the power I really don't care where it comes from. It's easy enough to get as is, and needs more stuff in the game that requires it to make it feel like a more valuable resource.
Holy reaper! I didn't know you can do this....
But i think it looks kind of ugly - it would be nicer if can upgrade different parts of the hull to solar cells.
Sooo...if you can charge your cyclops with solar panels why not charge your batteries?
Rechargeable batteries which can be changed and a battery charger station for the base where you can charge multiple batteries.
I think everyone agrees when i say the cyclops is totally crippled by their existence alone.
After building a seamoth or two and the mobile vehicle device thingy i rarely craft any powercells.
The moth can be refueled in the moonpool or the cy and has autarc energy production available thru the solar panel modules.
Aside from the drawback that you can't "save" a stranded seamoth NOTHING would be different without powercells. If you manage to run out of power with the moth, why not make batteries an option to reload, let's say 15% percent, so you can at least get the thing up to the surface to come back as soon as you have a solar module.
The cyclops would need to be changed to an alternative powersystem, but i think everything is better than a submarine run on "batteries".
example of tiers of power (assuming that the energy costs are adjusted appropriately):
solar power tier 1
technology: crafted from basic materials- maybe 1 titanium, 1 glass, 2 silicon per panel. generates 1 power per second.
enough to efficiently power: lights, fabricator, air production
solar power tier 2
technology: crafted from some rare resource- perhaps membrane from membrane trees? generates 10 power per second.
enough to efficiently power: workbench, vehicle bay(seamoth crafting), moonpool
thermal power
tapping into the volcanoes and gas geysers scattered around the world- a fairly large (room-sized?) device. 3 titanium ingots, a computer chip and a wiring kit + something rare (a device retrieved from aurora?). Generates 500 power per second.
enough to efficiently power: vehicle bay (cyclops crafting), water filtration machine, basic base defenses
nuclear power
using uranium. Cyclops would run using a nuclear generator, much like modern submarines. Generates 5000 power per second
enough to efficiently power: cyclops, vehicle bay (big (surface?) ship), advanced base defenses
dark matter power
a massive generator retrieved from aurora. Generates 100 000 power per second.
enough to efficiently power: big (surface?) ship, interstellar communication device, and pretty much everything else at the same time.
batteries and power cells should be made into refillable but harder to craft tools, and everything should be rechargeable at the base. batteries should hold enough to replenish 10% of your seamoth's charge and power cells should bring it back to 100%. they should, however, be at 0% when crafted.
please keep in mind that it's just an example, and I made some big assumptions regarding the direction subnautica would go.
In this game progression and balance is a big thing. In every stage you have a different challange and you need a permanent solution before you face the next challange (or the game would be more work than fun). See it this way:
Stage 1: Challange = Food/Water, Short Solution = Hunting, Permanent Solution = Purifier, Fish Bowl
Stage 2: Challange = Medium travel distance, Short Solution = Swimming/"Pocket Propeller", Permanent Solution = SeaMoth, Cyclops
Stage 3: Challange = Vehicle Power for long distance, Short Solution = (Rechargeable) Power Cells, Permanent Solution = Solar Upgrade
and so on...
If you need a lets call it "level 3" power device to run a cyclops it doesnt make sense to build the cyclops itself with level 1 materials. So you have to streamline the things that need power with the powercells or reactor level. But does this make sense? If you do this you need to get the cyclops "harder" (with resources you find more far away or even with a blueprint you find in a wreck), but it is then important what level of power you need anymore?
I rather like the approach given to us already. Build the cyclops early, power it with the tools you have already (6 powercells) to use it in a small radius. As you explore the world and progress you find the blueprint for the module/upgrade to get the power from the sun (like the one from the seamoth, but now for the cyclops) which is harder to craft (say level3) and usefull later after some progression when you really need it as a mobile base to extend your action radius.
Add rechargable batteries to this solution and there is no more need for tier like power generators for vehicles or even solar panels on the cyclops. For later seabase modules it is another story, because you need them permanent and not sometimes like a vehicle. For bases as they grow bigger and have more energy hungry modules stronger permanent sources (nuclear, thermal, oil,...) are needed; here I fully agree with you. But of course; if you wanna leave the planet in a rocket some kerosene would be nice ;-)