Recognized Solar Panels!

[MrFuz]

What about entities blocking light to eliminate stacking?

 

[Napther]

So, Heres my thoughts for solar panels

Lets make them a NEW LoD Block that FUNCTIONS - I doubt we can call them solar panels as that seems so mundane... Im sure someone can create a better one

We make their Power Production constant with no respect to sunlight; EXCEPT that they generate a "No Build" area above them, so they cannot be hidden

We make them have a block cap limit, with/without diminishing returns. Maybe 1 block adds 1000, the next adds 900, etc. Initially they will be more powerful than a reactor and will cost roughly the same materials, except you can "only" have (X) amount attached to a ship for a max regen on 15,000 e/s. this will allow micro shuttles with jump drives to charge and warp. More can be attached, but, will not generate more regen to stop abuse. Stations and planets will have a much higher limit on them, allowing smaller stations to pack in some nice regen to power basic level factories and refining, and maybe extremely light defences.

However, a solar panel block will be able to "over poweredly" supply energy to small turret to completely fire off their own power tanks. I am un aware of any fix, except maybe disallowing regen when they are docked as a turret, or make it so that the blueprint will only allow the (X) amount of solar panel to be active

We make the solar panel have GARGABE HP, if the shields go down, even an astronaut pistol will destroy them in 1 shot, and take a decent portion of the ship systems HP with it Solar panels are delicate after all... This will discourage their use on combat ships unless they are used as the main power source, especially since small ship armour is much heavier than the weapons attacking it, therefore these panels are a prime weak spot in disabling a ship.

 

[Jojomo]

I might be completely wrong, but isn't fuel something being considered?

If it is, solar panels would complement it nicely.

 

[Napther]

I might be completely wrong, but isn't fuel something being considered?

If it is, solar panels would complement it nicely.

As far as I know, Schine dont want to implement a "true fuel" system, as that makes the game even more difficult to play/frustrating. Its hard enough when newbies try to start off, and then now they have to worry about fuel too?...

Panels make the most sense when there IS fuel, I agree, But I doubt there Will be fuel...

 

[Madman198237]

Fuel is oft-cited as a potential "endgame" material, making for improved ships (Especially small ships, with shorter ranges but more effectiveness), but not replacing the default "free" power generation of reactors.
I really would like to see it implemented in many forms, so that there are many different ways to generate power, each with strengths and weaknesses.

 

[kiddan]

I'm saying yes, but only if they require more than one module to function, thus keeping over-powered warheads and drones trickier to build.

I doubt we can call them solar panels as that seems so mundane... Im sure someone can create a better one

Ion Grids, Solar Chargers?

 

[Madman198237]

....Drones might benefit from this. Warhead torpedoes? Not at all. It takes so few blocks to build, and so little energy, that a warhead torpedo never has need of more than 1 power block. Or, at least, no decent torpedo does.

 

[MrFuz]

I'm saying yes, but only if they require more than one module to function, thus keeping over-powered warheads and drones trickier to build.


Ion Grids, Solar Chargers?

panels........ or maybe a "cooling system" which exponentially increases power efficiency.

 

[Monchoman45]

I have to agree with jstenholt, this makes no sense. We have FTL, we're a little bit beyond realism.

If solar panels generate less power than reactors, they're useless - why build solar panels when you can just run reactor lines instead? More power with fewer strings attached. If solar panels generate more power than reactors, they're unrealistic - modern solar panels, for one, are incredibly inefficient, and even if you remove that restriction you're still not going to be able to reasonably justify solar panels that can out perform reactors of the same size. Maybe if you were inside a sun, but good luck with that.

Edit: With regards to realism in general, as cool as modern space technology is, a lot of people forget that almost everything we build is specialty hardware intended for a narrow range of uses and intended to be operated over years, or sometimes decades. Things like ion engines are cool, yes, but they're also intended to be used on incredibly tiny spacecraft and run at maximum throttle for months or years to make small course corrections. The ISS is something like 75% solar panel by surface area, and it's designed to use as little energy as possible. It's just not realistic to assume that this would work in starmade.

 

[Nickizzy]

I have to agree with jstenholt, this makes no sense. We have FTL, we're a little bit beyond realism.

If solar panels generate less power than reactors, they're useless - why build solar panels when you can just run reactor lines instead? More power with fewer strings attached. If solar panels generate more power than reactors, they're unrealistic - modern solar panels, for one, are incredibly inefficient, and even if you remove that restriction you're still not going to be able to reasonably justify solar panels that can out perform reactors of the same size. Maybe if you were inside a sun, but good luck with that.

Edit: With regards to realism in general, as cool as modern space technology is, a lot of people forget that almost everything we build is specialty hardware intended for a narrow range of uses and intended to be operated over years, or sometimes decades. Things like ion engines are cool, yes, but they're also intended to be used on incredibly tiny spacecraft and run at maximum throttle for months or years to make small course corrections. The ISS is something like 75% solar panel by surface area, and it's designed to use as little energy as possible. It's just not realistic to assume that this would work in starmade.

I just kicked realism. With my virtual leg. Next to my virtual ship. That can cross galaxies using generators that require NOTHING. No matter what you say, starmade's got some funky stuff with power. Maybe they absorb Quantum Radiation. Because reasons.

I support this, but by the way there is absolutely no reason to use actual light calculations for this. You can just use physics - shoot a beam from the center of the solar panel module towards the sun. If it leaves your sector without hitting anything, you're good. (This allows for some strange things, like a solar panel with only one square exposed that works perfectly as long as you're directly aligned with the sun, but it doesn't matter too much IMO)

Good idea. Having a geometric point where the sun is. Other than making them station only. I assume it would only take power from the system you are in.

 

[wanzer]

how about this

a block
that is a thin slab
that has the texture of solar panels
and generates power like a power gen blocks do

a realistic look for those who want fancy panels
no abuse by finding an alternative to power gen blocks

if it MUST have sun relying properties then

only to be used on stations

when placed check if it can see a nearby star (no obstructions blocking the light also placing any block must check if the panels still can see the star)
in case it does calculate its distance etc etc meat grind meat grind and poop out a energy per sec

 

[Dandy]

I agree that solar panels would be really cool, but I'd be wary about agreeing with making StarMade's mechanics too realistic. It might hurt less realistic sci-fi creations if we have to account for limitations imposed by realistic physics.

 

[Napther]

So I enter this thread again, woot.

As Stated in earlier posts, these don't have to be SOLAR PANELS, The main instance of this is some, alternate power generating block with a different look and feel. For example, we could call them "Gamma Collectors". There. No more need to worry on lighting calcs as gamma radiation penetrates stuff.

But mainly this will be a a block that looks damn cool (Potentially as an LoD (Level of Detail) Block *Cough cough Saber *) so that people can build some more cool stuff. Because by definition these blocks provide power in 1 way, shape, or form it only makes sense that these "Collectors" will generate at least SOME. We could just make it have the block behaviours of a power reactor, so a reactor exposed to the air can be capped with this LoD pretty block to slightly increase the power efficiency in the ship without looking bad with exposed systems.

Don't like using them as glorified solar panels? Turn them upside down and stick them in Greenhouses and plant-growth labs, etc.
The community abuses every block we can to get the desired feel.

Besides, the game is expansive covering many, many galaxies. There will be "Undeveloped", fledgling civilisations that are using solar panels / collectors because they lack reactor technology, etc.

 

[kikaha]

I have to agree with jstenholt, this makes no sense. We have FTL, we're a little bit beyond realism.

If solar panels generate less power than reactors, they're useless - why build solar panels when you can just run reactor lines instead? More power with fewer strings attached. If solar panels generate more power than reactors, they're unrealistic - modern solar panels, for one, are incredibly inefficient, and even if you remove that restriction you're still not going to be able to reasonably justify solar panels that can out perform reactors of the same size. Maybe if you were inside a sun, but good luck with that.

Edit: With regards to realism in general, as cool as modern space technology is, a lot of people forget that almost everything we build is specialty hardware intended for a narrow range of uses and intended to be operated over years, or sometimes decades. Things like ion engines are cool, yes, but they're also intended to be used on incredibly tiny spacecraft and run at maximum throttle for months or years to make small course corrections. The ISS is something like 75% solar panel by surface area, and it's designed to use as little energy as possible. It's just not realistic to assume that this would work in starmade.

Who cares ?

This is SCI-FI ! As in FICTION.


Let us dream.