Gravity Module Ideas

[Lone_Puppy]

Hi Guys,

I'm relatively new to the game and I hope this is not stepping on any toes.

I've found the gravity module great for keeping myself locked to my ships, and fun when exploring stations and ships.
The problem I've had recently, is when building ships with docked modules. If you walk from ship to docked module, after a certain distance gravity will disengage. Another limitation I've found is when activating station gravity and you enter/exit a ship core gravity disengages.

So, I began thinking of how I would prefer the gravity module to operate.
It occurred to me that, it would be nice if the gravity module operated similar to a switch, where it's effect was applied to specific blocks within the structure. Similar to applying a switch to a light, where you can turn it on/off and it would remain in that state.

This would provide the following abilities;
- you would only need to apply gravity to specific blocks, e.g. the floor you walk on.
- central control using logic/remote/whatever.
- instant gravity upon entry to a vessel, structure, whatever.
- gravity could always be on in your structure.
- conduct interesting gravity based experiments, weapons, traps, etc.

Other handy features to include would be power module dependency. No power, no gravity or perhaps a default gravity field strength. Perhaps in number of connected blocks. Also, could apply gravity field strength based on energy supply and blocks being effected by the module. Kind of like the rail mass expander.

 

[Mork2]

You can already do most of this but with some limitations

Gravity is limited to a certain distance of the entity the gravity block was on when it was activated. If you can extend that entity along the next to the rail the gravity will extend out with it.

You can use a very simple logic trigger onto a gravity block but complicated logic doesn't work (not sure if its a bug or feature, maybe its been fixed for all I know).

But you can use an area trigger connected to area controller next to activation block that's linked to a gravity block.
A second gravity activation in the same direction of the existing gravity field will cancel all gravity. A different direction gravity field will change the orientation of the gravity field.

On my ship build at the moment I have access to the crew areas with the area trigger to start gravity in down direction on all access doors. This also cancels gravity when leaving the crew area as long as gravity isn't cancelled any other way while in the crew area. Jumping into and then leaving the main ship core activates gravity on exit. Mind you each gravity module that's activated must on the same ship as the core for it to work on exit. If I jump into a escape pod which the gravity module that's activated is not connected to then gravity is cancelled when I exit. The gravity will only restart on core exit if it was a gravity module connected to that core.

Floor triggers will only activate if there is gravity so I have a tendency to use area triggers.

You can get around some of the limitations.
Between your main hull and your railed entity. Put a area trigger to turn off gravity on the main hull and another area trigger on the railed part so that when you cross over between the two the gravity is cancelled then started on the next entity. That will also work while walking in the other direction, or it should.

You can make one way gravity tubes for fast travel around your ship just on the entry end setup gravity to fall towards the other end of the tube with an area trigger and another area trigger at the end of the tube to set gravity back to down. Note there are some issues with this like falling or getting stuck in the floor or continuing a ways past the exit area trigger before stopping. I find that a guide line to follow as you fall to the other end in the middle of the 3 high corridor stops you from falling through or getting stuck on the end. A stopper wall on the end is also good.

Its also good to have some way to distinguish which door is an entry or exit usually with a colour code or display to say where its going as well. If you try to enter a grav tube exit it will activate gravity incorrectly. You might also want some manual gravity blocks around in certain errors just in case someone does accidentally try to enter the wrong end of a grav tube etc.

You can make a gravity tube with many corners just add another area trigger at the change of direction with the correctly aligned gravity module.

You can't make a two way grav tube because you can't use complex logic in between the activation block and the gravity block or it won't activate the gravity.

I think a lot of us are hoping we can use all the logic in activating gravity modules as this could make for some interesting designs.

Hope this helps.