Captain Jameson’s space stations need to be more distinctive. They’re randomly generated so they all look a bit different, but they’re generated in the same way so they also look a bit the same. You certainly can’t tell what function they provide, and that’s quite a problem. Although several mechanisms exist for determining this, like clicking on a module, PINGing the local network, or reading the tiny designation letters, none of them are terribly effective. I want the player to know what they’re flying past without even having to look at it. I want this information to be bold and obvious.
I plan to create a unique design pattern and perhaps one or two unique station modules for each station type, one a day, until they’re all done. I’ll upload a picture of each one as I go.
Today’s station type is the NAV. Being little more than a utility buoy it’s identified by its remarkably small number of modules. The NAV station shown here also sports two of the new solar arrays, which I could invent some technical explaination for, but are really just there to add visual interest and relate to preconceived notions of what current day space stations look like. More tomorrow!
<3
Farbs
How many different types of stations exactly are there?
I only know of NAV and SCRAP… I’m taking it the scrap stations will be huge and bulky?
There’s at least three, Nav, Scrap, and Oxy.
Ah, Oxy. I’m sure farbs has thought of more though.
i imagine that we cant blast the station and steal the nav girder and have our selves a portable nav station correct?
…I think the NAV girder might disable itself after the station is destroyed… also its heavy…
That would be pretty cool if you could integrate some of the functionality of thevarious stations into your ship at the cost of size and weight. Maybe there should also be a mechanic where in order to use these things, you must get enough solar cells/generators to power them.
Anyway, I really like the idea of giving the different classes of stations clear and easily differentiated build types.
stop giving him ideas it will only make the release date get delayed more.. lol
jk jk jk i agree with chris thats actuly a good idea
For now all station cores are indestructible, simply because I didn’t want players collecting station modules and taking on their functionality. A large part of the game involves hopping from place to place to use station services, so if the player were to integrate them into themselves much of the game would be negated. I don’t think this could be balanced out just by making the modules extremely heavy.
That said, I would like to add some extremely rare opportunities for players to obtain modules like oxy generators or nav scanners, since they’d be a fantastic reward. We’ll see.
I’d like to see that, even if they only provide a fraction of the help that actual stations do.
@Chris K
Yeah it would be cool if there was a module that would just give you a slightly larger capacity for oxygen. So that if there was a long trip where you didnt know how long until you would find another oxy station, you could equip your ship with alot of them at the cost of weight. Although it would would have to be balanced so that the amount of oxygen capacity isn’t void based on how much speed your losing due to a heavier ship..
@Farbs
Can’t wait for the release! I’m super excited and it seems like its getting close.
This entire affair just continues to blow my mind. Top work Farbs m’lad.
Yea i figured you wouldn’t allow players to take the modules along for the ride. they arnt pushable either i suspect?
i definitely think giving the rare chance of obtaining a oxy generator or a short range nav would be amazing.
oh and those solar panels, you know you wanna make them unfurl when you power up a station. that would so awesome.
!!!
That’s a great idea. Everyone can blame Ryan for the game being slightly more late.
Oxy station revamp is coming along nicely. I just have to finish the new module and I’m done.
Unfurling solar panels would kick ass big time!
Oh and btw.. Farbs; please don’t go die on us before the game is finished. That would suck a lot!
Idk if its a good idea for this game to come out this week.. Personally I’m busy and my life is gonna be over for days when it drops lololol… jk jk jk jk
Just a docking area where we can rearrange parts in peace! Or is that not necessary because you aren’t under constant attack?
Yeah, w/out the constant attack you can safely rearrange parts anywhere. It can be worth parking next to an oxy station though, just in case you get distracted and spend too long rebuilding.
^^^ <3 ryan
You probably thought of this, but if trying to create random variations on a theme, how about this?
For each station type, you have a set of rules for each block type that says what kind of block each face usually connects to (A dice roll on a look up table), plus an overall tonnage value which says how heavy the station usually is as a whole.
I assume the four circles block is the core, so for the oxy station, you set the faces of the core to usually connect to the diagonal girder block type, those to usually connect to oxy tanks and oxy tanks usually connect to the square girders.
If you set the oxy tanks to sometimes connect to diagonal girders, it would occaisionally create bigger, more sprawling stations for example.
For the nav station, set the label block to like girders, and the core block to only like label blocks and you should always get stuff that look like a nav station