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Project_Icarus

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  1. Quick Idea here; a nanopack tool that allows you to 'pack up' a construct and place it in a linked container, store it all as a single unit (not separated into component elements, voxels, and etc), and then 'unpack' and deploy the construct when needed. NO fussing about dismantling it bit by bit. No messing with LUA configs and scripts when re-deploying it. Just a simple way to pick up, store, and place constructs with little effort. (Also, until docking works reliably this would be pretty useful)
  2. I'm not sure how discovering a comet would work--maybe survey telescopes or radar stations. But once it gets close enough to form a tail everyone would be able to see it. Until that, I could see players and orgs that discover a comet auctioning off it's location for ridiculous amounts of money (like, tens or hundreds of millions maybe). Even if it only gets you a few days head start that'd be enough time to at least set up shop and secure a large chunk of comet. Once the word gets out though I can see entire impromptu orgs and alliances forming up whenever a comet appears. Like, mining orgs, military orgs, freight fleets, and dozens or hundreds of lone players forming a combined fleet just to go and mine a comet. Or just everyone in the area immediately dumping whatever they were doing and heading to the comet. If comets do get added to the game, I think I'd set up a mining org with preorder funding; you pay me for the ore you want, we head out, mine it, and bring it back to base where you can pick it up.
  3. Hmm... Well, we could all get out one one side of the comet and push it away from the sun...unless it's fixed to a path. Though I'd love to see an org or alliance of orgs building a fleet of ships just to move a comet. That'd instantly make EVE Online's battles look like small potatoes--we here in DU are moving comets with hand-built ships the size of cities. Also, I don't remember if I said this, but when FTL is a thing maybe some Oort cloud objects like super cold comets could be added. Or give Ion or some other planet a captured comet for a moon?
  4. Sorry, I meant to say that comets would be more or less the only place for super rare ores (like Tier 6, 7, or higher) when more are added to the game. Perhaps there could be one or two planets or moons with a few locations with some ore deposits (like old craters from ancient comet collisions). But those would be few and far between, and deposits would be incredibly difficult to find. While you have to wait for comets, they would have larger and more densely packed ore deposits. So aside from waiting, getting there, digging through ice, and dealing with other players, mining a comet for super rare ores would be a lot easier than mining on a moon or planet. Basically, it's a tradeoff. Instead of taking the already existing mining difficulties (finding ore and digging for it) and just increasing them for another ore tier, comets would be a new type of difficulty. A more interesting and challenging one that would be a lot more interesting. Even for someone who loves mining, high Tier ore difficulty would make mining them cross into tedious territory. If there are people ok with that then they can search for planetary ore deposits. I'd rather trade more mining tedium for something more dangerous and challenging. Something like comets. I hope that explains it better.
  5. Here's just a quick idea, but Comets could be an interesting new type of body that could be added into the game. Especially if comets are implemented as more than just a new type of simple and static body, but something dynamic and dangerous. TLDR Below (Cause I write this all in two ways: A short summary. And a big text dump that's as much an explanation of my idea as it is me figuring it all out as I write). My idea for a comet in DU would be as a transient body that would appear and disappear in game every few weeks or months. Each comet would spawn on the outskirts of the system on a trajectory that will lead them to crash into the sun within a few weeks, give or take. Every comet would be different/procedurally generated, but would basically be like a medium to large asteroid covered in a thick ice and rubble shell. Large boulders, some as big as buildings dot the surface. And caverns up to the size of cities hide within the ice. Beneath which would be a rocky semi-solid core housing deposits of extremely rare and valuable ores. As the comet nears the sun the surface of the comet will begin to slowly vaporize (not physically, so no complex voxel physics) and create two beautiful cometary tails (because that would look incredible in game). Even closer to the sun the comet will begin to 'offgas,' producing a slowly noticeable force on all players and objects on or near it, growing until the force is enough to blow players off the surface as the comet approaches the surface (Basically could function like negative gravity so no complex wind physics. And, is a cheap way to kick people out of and off the comet before it is despawned). Until the comet finally crashes into the sun and those who managed to mine it successfully and survive return to Alioth with their riches. The main purpose of these comets would be to hold some of, if not the rarest ores in the game. Perhaps they could be the only places to find ores necessary for crafting of FTL engines, Warp-gates, or Fusion/Antimatter Reactors to power them. Rather than just hiding them in a few planets or moons, transient comets would create a game-wide gold rush event as players and orgs race to reach and mine them before they disappear. Not to mention the battles if not all out wars that could result as orgs and nations fight for control of a comet. And the ensuing espionage, smuggling, bribery, backstabbing, and other fun stuff that would occur. Plus they would be harder to camp than asteroid or moons, since they don't last too long and once found it is a race for everyone to reach them. As for mining, beyond ices and basic ores the main attractor would be said rare ore. These would be buried up to several km deep beneath the ice and rubble, in the core of the comet (maybe the ice could mess with Territory Scanners too, forcing players to mine old school?--Unless that's going too far). To make mining more fun and challenging the interiors and surfaces of comets could be made to change as it nears the sun; adding another layer of danger to staying on one for too long. Geysers erupt at random as the heat begins vaporize the surface. Boulders could be thrown about in the low gravity when this happens, along with any unsuspecting ship or mining outpost. Perhaps pockets of pressurized gases appear, awaiting miners to accidentally uncover them and explore. And, pending voxel physics, the surface itself could shift over time. And finally, extremely rarely (like yearly or less), the core of a comet could survive and create a 'gold rush of gold rushes' as players race to mine the now uncovered core. All of this is something that would need DU to implement new physics. Particularly either a switch to systems where planets and bodies have proper orbits (like Kerbal Space Program), or at least something to allow mobile comets and small bodies. And the geysers, vapor wind, and etc. would probably need new physics as well. At the very least basic transient comets could probably be done without needing to change much in game. I just really think implementing something like this would be a very fun and interesting addition to DU that would be much more than just adding another type of static body. Please let me know what you think of my idea, if there's anything I missed, or if you have suggestions for it. TLDR: Add comets that appear every few weeks or months, on slow crash courses with the sun. These comets would hold extremely rare ores deep beneath their ice shells, that players and orgs would need to race to mine before they are destroyed. Not to mention creating a gold rush and focal point in the game that would cause all sorts of battles, wars, smuggling, etc--as orgs fight for dominance and players try to sneak by and mine the comet. All in a race before it is destroyed. And, pending physics/how far the devs are willing to go, comets could be made dangerous themselves with geysers, shifting surface, and exploding pockets of gas/whatever. Having comets as catalysts for game-wide gold rushes is the main idea. That, and comet tails would look amazing in DU.
  6. Just an idea I thought I'd post--or rather one idea with a bunch of smaller sub ideas. But, I think engines and fuel types in the game are fine, but they're lacking variety and versatility that would make building ships more interesting and challenging. Not that we need changes now, but I think some additions and changes to the fuel mechanics would be beneficial later on in development. Anyway, here are my ideas: Also, TLDR at the bottom. 1. Fuel Manifold: An element that allows multiple fuel tanks to be linked together and treated as a single larger tank (like a container hub) with only 1 HUD element--as well as allowing a large number of engine links. One fuel manifold can work with one fuel type which is assigned by the type of fuel tank that is first connected to it. And, for the largest of ships multiple Manifolds can be chained in a master/slave system for more engine/tank links. 2. More fuels: Rather than just having the three main fuels, fuels could be split into several categories with different production needs, uses, and engine needs. I.e: liquid fuels (like the current atmo and space fuels, but also others), solid fuels (like the rocket fuel), cryogenic fuels (more efficient and powerful, but needing cryogenic tanks and power to keep them cool), etc. If you want more detail then here are a bunch of fuel types I cooked up: Solid rocket fuel: Three versions; low medium, and high grade rocket fuel. High grade being the current recipe, medium and low grades using more common ores instead, but with reduced power and efficiency. (I.e. Low grade uses Sodium and Carbon ores). Hydrocarbon Atmospheric fuels: Fuels such as Kerosene, ethanol, etc. These would be produced from carbon ores alone, or carbon ore with hydrogen sourced elsewhere. (I just find burning iron and salt as fuel kinda weird) Hydrocarbon Rocket Fuels: These are the same as Hydrocarbon atmo fuels but are combined with an oxidizer (like liquid O2). Also, these should work in space as well as atmosphere, but with reduced efficiency/isp in atmosphere). Cryogenic Fuels: These fuels will be extremely powerful but require special cryogenic fuel tanks, which themselves require constant power to maintain cooling. Without cooling the fuel will slowly boil off. This type of fuels includes liquid O2 (produced via electrolysis of water/ice or captured from atmosphere), liquid H2 (electrolysis of water/ice), liquid methane (carbon ore and hydrogen, or perhaps a byproduct of carbon ore processing), etc. Again, these would work in space or atmosphere with reduced atmospheric efficiency. Other: Inert Fuels like Xenon for Ion engines could be added in game. And, depending on how reactors will work perhaps Fission and Fusion engines with appropriate fuels (uranium, deuterium, etc.) could be added in game. 2. Separate Engines and Thrust Nozzle Elements: Separate in game engines (or just the medium and larger sizes) into a main "engine" element, and a "nozzle" element. Different engines will have different features/benefits such as different thrust and efficiency ratings, spooling times, fuel compatibility, etc. While nozzles will have different roles, like vacuum nozzles (more efficient when in space), aerospike nozzle (good for both atmo and space), cryogenic nozzle (for cryogenic fuels), etc. Nozzles also coming in different versions with or without thrust vectoring/gimbal capability. (If you want an analogy then think of this being like picking the engine in your car and then picking the transmission and type of tires for it). Nozzles will need to be placed on the output port of an engine. 2a: IF NQ goes for this, then additionally some sort of "ducting" elements could be added that would allow exhaust from an engine to be channelled to a nozzle. Thus removing the need for both to be directly attached to each other and letting players put engines and the engine nozzles in different positions on their ship. 2b: Also, with a duct "Tee"/"Split duct" one engine could connect to multiple nozzles (Like one large engine connecting to an array of small/medium nozzles to make something like the very wide engine array of the Millenium Falcon without requiring a whole lot of small engines placed side by side). 3. Rotating VTOL Engines/Mounts: If sticking with combined engines and nozzles then the game could very much use either a rotating engine, or a rotating engine mount to allow ships to switch between vertical and horizontal flight modes. If engines and nozzles are separated then a VTOL nozzle could be added to the game. This would let ships save weight by only requiring one engine for two jobs, and also it would be pretty darn cool to have too. TLDR: Add a 'container hub' type element for fuel tanks. Add more and more diverse fuels and fuel mixes. Make engines and nozzle separate elements so you can pick and choose which to build/use. Add rotating VTOl engines, engine nozzles, or engine mounts to the game.
  7. discordauth:IdSp_9VoG_ABtXf7W1WJ3evnebhoUURg5ezCXGaaQ8c=

  8. Been there, done that. Will try again though. Thanks.
  9. I bet I'm not the first but more like the 400th person to post something like this, but I need a mod. Specifically, I need a mod to verify my account so I can actually post and take part in discussions here. I don't know if I did something wrong but I haven't been "confirmed" for about a month and I'm hoping this post gets their attention.
  10. Hmm... waiting two weeks to get a moderator to approve me. Hmm...

  11. discordauth:IdSp_9VoG_ABtXf7W1WJ3evnebhoUURg5ezCXGaaQ8c=

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