Broadening Seabase Importance in Gameplay and Story
Eldeberon
USA Join Date: 2015-09-28 Member: 208204Members
USA Join Date: 2015-09-28 Member: 208204Members
The sea bases are great, and I love how the moonpool creates a reason for making a base beyond the mere fun of it, but with the advent of the Cyclops the base becomes largely useless as the submarine becomes a moving base.
I think the sea base concept would benefit from more concrete benefits. Having both a gameplay as well as story based reason to build one would greatly add to what could be a major and rewarding portion of the game.
GAMEPLAY
Recharge stations: The idea that solar energy produced at a base/moonpool can recharge the seamoth, is largely made obsolete when the Cyclops is built. And while I love the power cell functionality of the Cyclops, a dock for the submarine that could allow it to be built and recharged would also add to the base concept. (I also hate how the Cyclops slowly loses its power when just sitting there.) Power cells would be for long trips and in port recharging slow in order to keep power cells necessary.
Manufacturing and research: Bases (a “room” or perhaps a “lab” and or “workshop” would be required to place such items as advanced workbenches and analyzers.
View Tower: a high (above water) tower with observatory would allow for the creation of map technology that could be both a room in the base and a device installed in the Cyclops. Maps data for the maps would be acquired by active sonar readings transmitted from the Cyclops as it scans the ocean.
Vacuum Tube elevators: would work better than ladders as the effect of clicking on a ladder and shooting to the top is already in place, and climbing several flight by clicking is awkward.
STORY
A base could be required to build a transmitter, and a signal tower (that would need to be at a specific height over sea level—attained any way a player wishes to.) The transmitter would be used to send a signal to Earth. A message could be sent. A long time later an answer would be received. Beyond making the player feel not so alone and to be interacting with someone, the answer can provide some information on what happened to the Aurora, and what is happening back home. Also the transmission could provide the player with a key-in-code to activate something, or unlock a door inside the Aurora. Further transmissions could provide more direction for the player, warnings (of local known threats or global threats—like a coming cosmic storm) and hope of either a rescue, more supplies, or more colonists. This would reduce the “treading water for treading water sake” sensation that can develop without a larger over all goal and specific steps and a sense of accomplishment to achieve them.
One of the things the transmission supplied code could result in, is activating bot technology that would allow the start of terraforming, but in itself would unlock additional problems as the environment resists change.
All of these things would provide encouragement for players to use the terraformer and base elements to build a substantial base and add deeper gameplay to this portion of the game.
I think the sea base concept would benefit from more concrete benefits. Having both a gameplay as well as story based reason to build one would greatly add to what could be a major and rewarding portion of the game.
GAMEPLAY
Recharge stations: The idea that solar energy produced at a base/moonpool can recharge the seamoth, is largely made obsolete when the Cyclops is built. And while I love the power cell functionality of the Cyclops, a dock for the submarine that could allow it to be built and recharged would also add to the base concept. (I also hate how the Cyclops slowly loses its power when just sitting there.) Power cells would be for long trips and in port recharging slow in order to keep power cells necessary.
Manufacturing and research: Bases (a “room” or perhaps a “lab” and or “workshop” would be required to place such items as advanced workbenches and analyzers.
View Tower: a high (above water) tower with observatory would allow for the creation of map technology that could be both a room in the base and a device installed in the Cyclops. Maps data for the maps would be acquired by active sonar readings transmitted from the Cyclops as it scans the ocean.
Vacuum Tube elevators: would work better than ladders as the effect of clicking on a ladder and shooting to the top is already in place, and climbing several flight by clicking is awkward.
STORY
A base could be required to build a transmitter, and a signal tower (that would need to be at a specific height over sea level—attained any way a player wishes to.) The transmitter would be used to send a signal to Earth. A message could be sent. A long time later an answer would be received. Beyond making the player feel not so alone and to be interacting with someone, the answer can provide some information on what happened to the Aurora, and what is happening back home. Also the transmission could provide the player with a key-in-code to activate something, or unlock a door inside the Aurora. Further transmissions could provide more direction for the player, warnings (of local known threats or global threats—like a coming cosmic storm) and hope of either a rescue, more supplies, or more colonists. This would reduce the “treading water for treading water sake” sensation that can develop without a larger over all goal and specific steps and a sense of accomplishment to achieve them.
One of the things the transmission supplied code could result in, is activating bot technology that would allow the start of terraforming, but in itself would unlock additional problems as the environment resists change.
All of these things would provide encouragement for players to use the terraformer and base elements to build a substantial base and add deeper gameplay to this portion of the game.
Comments
Funny you mention elevators, after building several towers over the weekend I sent in some feedback asking for one. I think many of us are thinking along the same lines when it comes to Seabases.