Base Torpedo Turrets
Bugzapper
Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
Now that we have access to torpedoes, I thought it might be worthwhile revisiting the idea of base defence turrets.
I'd suggest restricting the torpedo types to existing defence modes: Vortex, Stasis and Electroshock.
Bases would be restricted to a single turret, due to its heavy power requirements. However, their magazines could fabricate all of the necessary ammunition directly in the launch tube, as long as there are sufficient raw materials remaining in dedicated storage lockers. This would involve a time-delay between shots, as each round needs to be built inside the launch mechanism.
A defence turret would be able to cover a firing arc of 360 degrees, with 90 degrees of vertical motion. An upgraded two-tube launcher may become available through research.
There is a downside to all of this. Torpedo shots will heavily damage base components when they hit. The other downside is that certain large predators will be given the ability to damage base structures when they attack, thus providing a valid reason for having defence turrets in the first place. Furthermore, these attacks might not always occur on the base you are currently occupying, meaning that whenever your base AI squawks a proximity warning, you might have to dash to another base in your Seamoth, somehow avoid attracting the attacker's attention and (hopefully) man the guns in time to prevent too much damage.
If there's any adrenaline junkies out there, this might be just the thing they've been waiting for.
I'd suggest restricting the torpedo types to existing defence modes: Vortex, Stasis and Electroshock.
Bases would be restricted to a single turret, due to its heavy power requirements. However, their magazines could fabricate all of the necessary ammunition directly in the launch tube, as long as there are sufficient raw materials remaining in dedicated storage lockers. This would involve a time-delay between shots, as each round needs to be built inside the launch mechanism.
A defence turret would be able to cover a firing arc of 360 degrees, with 90 degrees of vertical motion. An upgraded two-tube launcher may become available through research.
There is a downside to all of this. Torpedo shots will heavily damage base components when they hit. The other downside is that certain large predators will be given the ability to damage base structures when they attack, thus providing a valid reason for having defence turrets in the first place. Furthermore, these attacks might not always occur on the base you are currently occupying, meaning that whenever your base AI squawks a proximity warning, you might have to dash to another base in your Seamoth, somehow avoid attracting the attacker's attention and (hopefully) man the guns in time to prevent too much damage.
If there's any adrenaline junkies out there, this might be just the thing they've been waiting for.
Comments
If I have the power for it, I want to be able to build two, or ten.
There should also be an auto-sentry mode. This is the future. I'm not about to man my own turret like some kind of wild animal.
Of course if you feel the need to, you can jump in and control it yourself.
You want to try controlling multiple turrets against a single target? Be my guest.
Also, having unmanned turrets on 'auto-sentry mode' when a poorly-aimed shot can chew up the base?
NOPE.
I suggested those restrictions purely to head off seeing that familiar old whine: "It's waaayyy too OP. I want it Nerfed!"
How would you reconcile this with the fact a Seamoth can have 4 on a single power cell?
I'm so glad you asked.
The Seamoth does indeed field four torpedoes. They have to be manually reloaded, too.
A base turret would require a number of rapid-response drive motors (turret rotation and elevation) that would be attempting to move a considerably larger mass than a Seamoth. Underwater. Also, the turret would have its own dedicated Fabricator, plus an internal matter transmitter to collect the raw materials from the storage lockers and beam them to the torpedo assembly chamber. Last but not least, there's the energy required to power the linear accelerator inside the launch tube.
Therefore, a Base Defence Turret requires a LOT of power to be delivered in a hurry. Best solution: Its own nuclear reactor. No problem.
This scenario also requires The Survivor to keep the turret's raw materials Fabricator lockers stocked up between raids. Happy now, Leonhardt?
Next question, please.
Simple. If predator raids do become an in-game event, you might need to temper that urge to build 'large sprawling bases'.
On a personal note, I've never seen any real need to build a base that has more than six habitation modules. The main reason behind this decision is Physics.
The greater the surface area of an undersea structure, the greater the overall pressure exerted upon it. For this reason, hull integrity is always maintained above 100 in my bases. Although the pressure mechanics in Subnautica aren't entirely accurate, I prefer to 'play by the book' in this matter to satisfy what I perceive as being a requirement of the game's internal logic. I thoroughly enjoy the potential for player immersion that Subnautica provides.
Apart from being relatively compact, all of my bases have been consciously designed from a defensive stand-point. They are either built backing onto a sheer vertical surface such as a trench wall, or in shallows that provide an unobstructed 360-degree view of the surrounding waters. A standard feature in all of the bases is an elevated observation deck. If defence turrets do become available, that's probably where I'll be placing them.
Re: More than one turret? Automatic Sentry Mode?
Well, all right... I'll let you have them, if you really must have them. *heavy sigh*
With further research, it would be possible to slave multiple turrets together and have the Base A.I take control of them. Unfortunately, this would remove the need to physically man the turret control system, and reduce the game play aspect of having turrets to nothing more than constantly restocking torpedo supply lockers.
There would be no real point in having turrets, in that case.
Unless there came a creature that had the ability to avoid or fool the automated turret system, requiring manual control of the turrets.
Or, hell, a creature covered in armor that wasn't affected by the torpedoes unless shot in the perfect spot.
Or one that could deflect your torpedoes back at you.
The Auto Sentry mode would just be for standard hostiles.
You'd have to switch to manual mode to take on "boss" creatures which would actually require skill and marksmanship
What I'd like to see is either a projectile turret. Something like a harpoon launcher. Or better yet, an electrical defense gun. A lightning cannon that zaps hostile fauna that get into range.
That last one would have a hefty power draw, but would be the most effective. It wouldn't even have to kill whatever it shocks. Just make it like a cattle prod. Whatever it zaps decides to step off. And if they come back multiple times, the zap eventually kills it.
Or even something like a stationary tower that emits a sonic pulse through the water that causes fish to swim away. Or hell. Slap a repulsor cannon on a swivel mount. Anything that gets close can be 'nope'd away from chewing on your base.
Except for the new item model, and the detection script, everything else can be copy/pasted from the existing Seamoth electric defense module. This would be far, far less work for the developers than trying to make a torpedo defense system. Less ammunition issues, no need to write a target tracking program entirely for this one item, and only a minimum of new mechanics ("IF BadThing$ dist <= ShieldRadius dist THEN Zappafish")
Much simpler, much cleaner, and much easier to implement.
@Bugzapper you would restrict players the freedom to build like they want (Big many stories big bases, see Seabase showcase thread for examples) if you restrict the defense to one turret which you also have to micromanage to make it work. Many would not like that as the only option of defense.