Block Placement systems for efficiency and bonuses?

[GaeasSon]

We have all these systems in star-made that rely on effect or bonuses based on how we place the blocks.

Currently as I understand it we have x ways of figuring the effect of your system blocks:

Additive: Simply, how many of this type of block is in the ship. Zero challenge. Let's face it, a big rectangular block of blocks is kinda dull.
Contiguous: each group of blocks gets a bonus for how many of that type are grouped contiguously. There's a little challenge here. Your ship may require ducting to get sections of these blocks to touch.
DimSum: Add the sum of the X,Y,Z dimensions for each group. Bonus per group for larger sums.
DimMult: Multiply the X,Y,Z dimensions for each group. Bonus per group for larger sums.

But what other systems can we imagine that might make for more challenging and versatile engineering?

Open coil: Bonus for the number of blocks in the group. Bonus applied only if each block in the group is only contiguous to 1 or 2 blocks of the same type.

Closed coil: Bonus for the number of blocks in the group. Bonus applied only if every block in the group is only contiguous to exactly 2 blocks of the same type.

Compressed coil: Either of the above coils, but bonus or output is divided by the dimSum or dimMult value.

3/4 lattice: Bonus or effect is applied proportionally to the number of blocks in the group which have 3 group neighbors, but devided by the number of blocks which have 4 such neighbors. This is just an example. A 2/3 lattice or a 4/1 lattice will each take on different fractal branching patterns as players work toward optimal efficiency for mass, volume, and the particular shape of their hull.

What other systems can we think up? What other toys could we hand to the developers?

Two possible open coils:


Two possible closed coils:


A lattice optimized for 3-branching:


A lattice optimized for 4-branching:

 

[jayman38]

It looks interesting, but similar to dimensional bonus, coils are highly susceptible to damage. it could take ages to hunt down a break in the coil on a large ship after a battle. I'd like to see this after a blueprint-based repair system is implemented.

Bonus block-arrangement ideas:

anti-block-type-isolation: If block x touches any block of type y, it loses efficiency of z%. Otherwise it gains the z% instead. This is more of an anti-bonus construction.
I see this for builds that require one and only one specific block in the midst of other blocks, such as having a single nuclear core in the middle of a complex reactor. Any more than one single core in the middle of the reactor drops efficiency or stability.
Another example might be to lose power-generator-block and power-storage-block efficiency/stability if they have a destruction block next to them.

Non-Concave Loops: Similar to dimensional arrangement, blocks generate a bonus if in a convex arrangement.
For instance, your warp gate is more efficient if it doesn't have any "boots" from the main structure sticking into the warp door area. An open circle will be more efficient than a star shape with points inside.
Mass Plex Storage blocks are more efficient if arranged in an open box, versus a solid cube.

 

[NeonSturm]

How about 2-component coils or latices?

2-compounent coils:

Block A needs to be an open coil.
Block B needs to be an open coil.
On the open end A and B have to touch each other, but each block can only have 2 adjacent from type A OR type B or 1 of both.​

2-component "triangle" (is this a lattice too?)::

Each block (A) needs to touch 1 block of it's own type (+A) and 2 of the other type (+B+B).​

This 2-component triangle or T or lattice gave me an idea: How about requiring molecules?

Element A has to connect to x of X, y of Y, number z of Element Z
Element B has to be next to A and x of X, y of Y, z of Z
Element C has to be next to A [and maybe next to E] and x of X, y of Y, z of Z
Element D has to be next to C and x of X, y of Y, z of Z
Element E has to be next to A+C and x of X, y of Y, z of Z​

x|y|z of X|Y|Z can be something like [min: 0, max: 4 | exactly 2] of BLOCK-TYPE​

A and B can have the same block-ID, but can only have the "status" A or B if they fit the requirements of A or B.
C can be a completely different block-ID​

Above is probably not going to be in-game (too complex) but fun to think about and a good way to define any type of structure without specialized program code.

 

[NeonSturm]

Sry for double posting, but above has already an agree and I'm not going to edit it in a way @DrTarDIS might not agree in.

I think these awesome structures you may build using loops and lattices should require free space around them (like: either block X or no block).

They may allow 1 of [ANY but other components] nearby, so you can build them next to a wall or in a room edge.
It is not fun if you build this awesome thing and then you have to fill in shields because you min-max or build a doom-cube.

EDIT: If they require empty space around, it is easier to balance those cases where they are exposed vs those where they are not.
Do you want to continue ignoring the obvious? Ever seen a real car's motor? some wires, some tubes, some empty space. The service personal needs space to crawl through systems and repair broken parts.

 

[ltmauve]

I like the idea of more complex patterns needed to get optimum efficenecy. Certainly for new power generators this would be really neat.

p.s. neonstrum, the point of shields is to fill in empty gaps. Ideally a ship would never have a solid block of shields anywhere because for best results all your systems would occupy the entire volume of your ship, with enough gaps for shields.

 

[jayman38]

Maybe arrangement bonuses for shield blocks could be minimal, so there would still be a minor bonus for careful arrangement for those who really want the challenge of eeking out that 0.01% bonus, but the shield blocks would still perform admirably in the standard fill-in-the-blanks arrangement without becoming underpowered. I think this would encourage the fun of careful, super-detailed construction plans without severely punishing more conventional builds.