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We know the Universe update is coming, and with it will be improvements to planets, hopefully making them larger and more complex. If planets change (especially if they become larger), then we may need better tools for manipulating their structure. I propose a new basic element called a Vehicle Chassis.
The Vehicle Chassis
The Vehicle Chassis (VC) would implement much like a Ship Core in its placement, but upon creation it would be more than a single block. A basic VC would be a core and the minimum number of blocks necessary to produce a simple frame and wheels. The wheels of this entity would be able to navigate inclines (steps) in an environment with gravity. Further, because the VC is prefabricated, it would also be a convenient wrapper for any code necessary to navigate the interface between planet faces. (This assumes that the new Universe update planets will still use faces as we see them now. Whatever the method, a Vehicle Chassis could be adjusted deal with new rules regarding planets.)
Controls, Movement, and Power
Operation of a Vehicle Chassis would be slightly different from a space vessel. A-D controls left-right. W-S controls forward-backward. Q-E controls top speed, operating like a gear shift, with each notch indicating the desired limits of the speed threshold.
0: Park
1: 0.1 to 1.0 m/s
2: 1.0 to 5.0 m/s
3: 5.0 - 10.0 m/s
These could be gear-ratio domains like a real automobile, or simply speed maximums. These values can be adjusted in response to testing to see what works best. Naturally, the mass of the vehicle would affect the workload of the power plant. This is effectively thrust and reactor power, so the existing reactor model could be used for power management. Heavier vehicles require more power to move. An analog to the Thruster module would be the Drive Shaft in terms of allocating reactor power for movement. Instead of thruster plumes, we would hear machine noises as the gears turn and the wheels grip the terrain. The only challenging new code required would be to handle the operation of wheels, namely turning and the wheel base, and to deal with bouncing as a consequence of the normal force between the planet surface and the vehicle. As a first order design, a single Vehicle Chassis would be available, providing only a single option of wheel base length and turning radius.
The most important element to address here is the scale of power and movement between planetary action and space action. If planets become sufficiently large that the atmosphere is a larger volume of space, then all that is necessary is to determine planetary scale energies to be at least one magnitude less than whatever is required to achieve escape velocity. To this end, a completely different power module could be created for terrestrial vehicles that would produce power levels of 1 or 10, rather than 100, and all land vehicle systems would be scaled to match. This would make land vehicles decisively different internally.
Vehicle Chassis Modules
Salvage Modules could require an adjustment in the Logistics Chamber tree of the reactor in order to operate in a specific kind of atmosphere. A new Drilling Module could be created to make planetary mining feel more gritty and resolve the shortcomings of using salvage beams on a planet.
Planetary Changes
If planets had blocks that Salvage Modules could not break, then surface mining in a terrestrial vehicle would become even more interesting and necessary. Maybe there is a particular kind of rock that cannot be demolished by a salvage beam and must be drilled instead. Perhaps atmosphere scatters the salvage beam, preventing it from delivering sufficient power to the surface of the planet. Some atmospheres could even be volatile and ignite if exposed to salvage beams, requiring a drill rather than a beam. Drilling through different sorts of material could have varying power requirements, necessitating different reactor configurations or sizes.
Terrestrial mining vehicles will probably dig tunnels that need to be mapped, so a reactor chamber option could help the operator plot a course back to its mining base, mark deposits for later collection, or mark other points of interest like an ancient alien structure. (This might be a Recon or Logistics function.)
Construction Yards
If subterranean operations become complex, or very deep within a planet, then counterparts to some space structures may be demanded. A planetary analog to the Shipyard would allow design and assembly of entities based on the Vehicle Chassis. The Shipyard blocks themselves could simply be used directly, having a different functionality when attached to a planetary structure rather than a space structure. All designs must start with a Vehicle Chassis, but otherwise the Shipyard functions identically.
Treads
Wheels wrapped inside a dedicated surface form a tread. They are usually employed where terrain is irregular or unpredictable and reliability in movement is more important than speed. (Although some modern armor with treads can achieve surprising speeds.) Without knowing the inner workings of StarMade, I have no idea if either wheels or treads may be easier to implement, but having both would offer more variety of style and could possibly be assigned strengths and weaknesses. (For example, wheels might allow faster movement, whereas treads allow climbing of steeper inclines {taller steps}.)
Conclusion
So that's my pitch. It's probably a bunch of work to do all this, but I think it would add so much to the game and make exploring planets a much more exciting adventure. For this initial presentation, I tried to keep the outline brief and to the point, address some basic concerns, and explore the most obvious elements, but any implementation of this could be short and simple like I have described (relying mostly on the existing infrastructure that describes ships) or could be as detailed and complex as ships but with a wholly different system and style, thus giving planetary action its own flavor and style. For all I know, the developers are already planning this. Please respond to the poll and comment!
EDIT: Expanded conclusion.
The Vehicle Chassis
The Vehicle Chassis (VC) would implement much like a Ship Core in its placement, but upon creation it would be more than a single block. A basic VC would be a core and the minimum number of blocks necessary to produce a simple frame and wheels. The wheels of this entity would be able to navigate inclines (steps) in an environment with gravity. Further, because the VC is prefabricated, it would also be a convenient wrapper for any code necessary to navigate the interface between planet faces. (This assumes that the new Universe update planets will still use faces as we see them now. Whatever the method, a Vehicle Chassis could be adjusted deal with new rules regarding planets.)
Controls, Movement, and Power
Operation of a Vehicle Chassis would be slightly different from a space vessel. A-D controls left-right. W-S controls forward-backward. Q-E controls top speed, operating like a gear shift, with each notch indicating the desired limits of the speed threshold.
0: Park
1: 0.1 to 1.0 m/s
2: 1.0 to 5.0 m/s
3: 5.0 - 10.0 m/s
These could be gear-ratio domains like a real automobile, or simply speed maximums. These values can be adjusted in response to testing to see what works best. Naturally, the mass of the vehicle would affect the workload of the power plant. This is effectively thrust and reactor power, so the existing reactor model could be used for power management. Heavier vehicles require more power to move. An analog to the Thruster module would be the Drive Shaft in terms of allocating reactor power for movement. Instead of thruster plumes, we would hear machine noises as the gears turn and the wheels grip the terrain. The only challenging new code required would be to handle the operation of wheels, namely turning and the wheel base, and to deal with bouncing as a consequence of the normal force between the planet surface and the vehicle. As a first order design, a single Vehicle Chassis would be available, providing only a single option of wheel base length and turning radius.
The most important element to address here is the scale of power and movement between planetary action and space action. If planets become sufficiently large that the atmosphere is a larger volume of space, then all that is necessary is to determine planetary scale energies to be at least one magnitude less than whatever is required to achieve escape velocity. To this end, a completely different power module could be created for terrestrial vehicles that would produce power levels of 1 or 10, rather than 100, and all land vehicle systems would be scaled to match. This would make land vehicles decisively different internally.
Vehicle Chassis Modules
Salvage Modules could require an adjustment in the Logistics Chamber tree of the reactor in order to operate in a specific kind of atmosphere. A new Drilling Module could be created to make planetary mining feel more gritty and resolve the shortcomings of using salvage beams on a planet.
Planetary Changes
If planets had blocks that Salvage Modules could not break, then surface mining in a terrestrial vehicle would become even more interesting and necessary. Maybe there is a particular kind of rock that cannot be demolished by a salvage beam and must be drilled instead. Perhaps atmosphere scatters the salvage beam, preventing it from delivering sufficient power to the surface of the planet. Some atmospheres could even be volatile and ignite if exposed to salvage beams, requiring a drill rather than a beam. Drilling through different sorts of material could have varying power requirements, necessitating different reactor configurations or sizes.
Terrestrial mining vehicles will probably dig tunnels that need to be mapped, so a reactor chamber option could help the operator plot a course back to its mining base, mark deposits for later collection, or mark other points of interest like an ancient alien structure. (This might be a Recon or Logistics function.)
Construction Yards
If subterranean operations become complex, or very deep within a planet, then counterparts to some space structures may be demanded. A planetary analog to the Shipyard would allow design and assembly of entities based on the Vehicle Chassis. The Shipyard blocks themselves could simply be used directly, having a different functionality when attached to a planetary structure rather than a space structure. All designs must start with a Vehicle Chassis, but otherwise the Shipyard functions identically.
Treads
Wheels wrapped inside a dedicated surface form a tread. They are usually employed where terrain is irregular or unpredictable and reliability in movement is more important than speed. (Although some modern armor with treads can achieve surprising speeds.) Without knowing the inner workings of StarMade, I have no idea if either wheels or treads may be easier to implement, but having both would offer more variety of style and could possibly be assigned strengths and weaknesses. (For example, wheels might allow faster movement, whereas treads allow climbing of steeper inclines {taller steps}.)
Conclusion
So that's my pitch. It's probably a bunch of work to do all this, but I think it would add so much to the game and make exploring planets a much more exciting adventure. For this initial presentation, I tried to keep the outline brief and to the point, address some basic concerns, and explore the most obvious elements, but any implementation of this could be short and simple like I have described (relying mostly on the existing infrastructure that describes ships) or could be as detailed and complex as ships but with a wholly different system and style, thus giving planetary action its own flavor and style. For all I know, the developers are already planning this. Please respond to the poll and comment!
EDIT: Expanded conclusion.
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