Switchable Utility Bay: S.U.B. System for the Cyclops
Jool
Join Date: 2015-04-26 Member: 203846Members
Join Date: 2015-04-26 Member: 203846Members
So, we all know that the Cyclops, while being a milestone in progression, is not actually very useful. It uses too much power, is slow, and is essentially an underwater blimp. The only two upsides are being able to construct modules inside, and the vehicle docking bay. Therefore, I present the Switchable Utility Bay system, a Cyclops improvement suggestion.
This system would consist of two parts. Primary Modules are large structures that fill the docking bay of the Cyclops. This would mean that you could no longer dock a vehicle, but it is a trade off for the increased functionality. Parallel Modules on the other hand, would either be independent of, or act as improvements to Primary Modules. Primary and Parallel Modules would be constructed with the builder, and would the ghost would automatically snap into place. They could be deconstructed at any time, and only one Primary Module could be installed at any one time.
Here is a list of Modules included with the suggestion:
Mobile Drilling Platform
Materials:4x Diamond, 6x Plasteel Ingot, 2x Advanced Wiring Kit, 2x Lubricant, 2x Copper Wire, 4x Powercell, 2x Silicone Rubber
Description: A large drill designed for lategame use, to ease resource grind. When acivated (via panel in aft chamber), bay doors open and large drill extends in to terrain. Effect purely visual, while in ground drill hole obscured by smoke and dust, so no actual terraforming needed. While active, drill will consume constant energy (approx. 2 per second), and passively produce items. Items vary based on depth and biome, but all metals and minerals can be mined. Items are transfered to a 400 slot storage (20x20) accessible via top hatch.
Turbine Generator
Materials: 6x Titanium, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 2x Copper Wire, 1x Powercell, 2x Magnetite
Description: Generates power using underwater currents. More power generated in transition areas between warm and cold water. Hardened against thermal vent blasts, extreme energy can be generated by positioning sub above such vents. Can also reclaim some energy used by Cyclops movement. Large rotating turbine visible from exterior. In addition, 300 additional energy storage is included.
Specimen Holding Tank
Materials: 1x Gravsphere, 1x Scanner, 4x Titanium, 1x Silicone Rubber, Large Aquarium Blueprint
Description: Fills bay with water. While driving, G key can be pressed to activate. Opens bay doors and emits powerful Gravsphere-like effect, can capture nearest large creature (e.g. Gasopod, etc.). Automatically scans creature, and takes sample for analysis (for future transfuser/Specimen Analyzer use. G key also releases creature. Can be entered via top hatch, and can hold multiple smaller fish.
Cargo Bay
Materials: 2x Titanium Bar, 1x Computer Chip, 2x Silicone Rubber
Description: A large (1600 slot) storage for ferrying items, with four pages of (20x20) grids. Interface accessible through top hatch and cargo bay exterior doors.
Advanced Docking Bay
Materials: 1x Welder, 2x Titanium, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 2x Pipe
Description: Keeps basic bay functionality. In addition, vehicle is auto repaired upon being docked. Seamoth storage compartments can be accessed from the four overhead compartments already in the aft chamber. Torpedo compartments also accessible.
Parallel Modules:
Vehicle Console
Materials: 2x Titanium, 1x Glass, 2x Computer Chip, Moonpool Upgrade Console Blueprint. Optional: 1x Mobile Vehicle Constructor
Description: Used with standard vehicle dock. Constructed in room behind bridge. Can install/create upgrades for vehicles. Optional ability to construct vehicles directly inside Cyclops Bay.
Capacitor Bank
Materials: 6x Powercell, 2x Copper Wire, 1x Wiring Kit, 1x Computer Chip
Description: Basic Module, designed to expand Cyclops energy capabilities. Would increase power capacity by 1200 units. Built in aft compartment, attached directly to engine room wall. Up to two can be built, or mixed with Stasis Field Generator.
Stasis Field Generator
Materials: 1x Stasis Rifle, 2x Powercell, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 2x Copper Wire
Description: Uses 600 Energy to emit a 30 meter wide stasis bubble around Cyclops when G key is pressed while driving. Cyclops can still move through bubble. Stasis field stays active for 120 seconds, giving time to escape danger. Built in aft compartment, attached directly to engine room wall. Compatible with Capacitor Bank.
Reconnaissance Module
Materials: 3x Titanium, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 1x Computer Chip, 1x Camera Drone, Scanner Room Blueprint
Description: Equips Cyclops with a single camera drone, with controls present in compartment immediately behind bridge, along with map with 60 meter range. Limited resource scanning, shows materials grouped together (e.g. Salt, Lithium, and Quartz would all show as crystalline deposit.) RMB while driving sub shows terrain within 40 meter radius of Cyclops on HUD. Also shows resources scanned by sub if Scanner Room HUD chip is being used.
More modules and concept art in the future.
Credits:
TenebrousNova–Reconn Module Idea and Improvement.
Sidechicken–Cargo Bay major improvements, Advanced Docking Bay Idea.
This system would consist of two parts. Primary Modules are large structures that fill the docking bay of the Cyclops. This would mean that you could no longer dock a vehicle, but it is a trade off for the increased functionality. Parallel Modules on the other hand, would either be independent of, or act as improvements to Primary Modules. Primary and Parallel Modules would be constructed with the builder, and would the ghost would automatically snap into place. They could be deconstructed at any time, and only one Primary Module could be installed at any one time.
Here is a list of Modules included with the suggestion:
Mobile Drilling Platform
Materials:4x Diamond, 6x Plasteel Ingot, 2x Advanced Wiring Kit, 2x Lubricant, 2x Copper Wire, 4x Powercell, 2x Silicone Rubber
Description: A large drill designed for lategame use, to ease resource grind. When acivated (via panel in aft chamber), bay doors open and large drill extends in to terrain. Effect purely visual, while in ground drill hole obscured by smoke and dust, so no actual terraforming needed. While active, drill will consume constant energy (approx. 2 per second), and passively produce items. Items vary based on depth and biome, but all metals and minerals can be mined. Items are transfered to a 400 slot storage (20x20) accessible via top hatch.
Turbine Generator
Materials: 6x Titanium, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 2x Copper Wire, 1x Powercell, 2x Magnetite
Description: Generates power using underwater currents. More power generated in transition areas between warm and cold water. Hardened against thermal vent blasts, extreme energy can be generated by positioning sub above such vents. Can also reclaim some energy used by Cyclops movement. Large rotating turbine visible from exterior. In addition, 300 additional energy storage is included.
Specimen Holding Tank
Materials: 1x Gravsphere, 1x Scanner, 4x Titanium, 1x Silicone Rubber, Large Aquarium Blueprint
Description: Fills bay with water. While driving, G key can be pressed to activate. Opens bay doors and emits powerful Gravsphere-like effect, can capture nearest large creature (e.g. Gasopod, etc.). Automatically scans creature, and takes sample for analysis (for future transfuser/Specimen Analyzer use. G key also releases creature. Can be entered via top hatch, and can hold multiple smaller fish.
Cargo Bay
Materials: 2x Titanium Bar, 1x Computer Chip, 2x Silicone Rubber
Description: A large (1600 slot) storage for ferrying items, with four pages of (20x20) grids. Interface accessible through top hatch and cargo bay exterior doors.
Advanced Docking Bay
Materials: 1x Welder, 2x Titanium, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 2x Pipe
Description: Keeps basic bay functionality. In addition, vehicle is auto repaired upon being docked. Seamoth storage compartments can be accessed from the four overhead compartments already in the aft chamber. Torpedo compartments also accessible.
Parallel Modules:
Vehicle Console
Materials: 2x Titanium, 1x Glass, 2x Computer Chip, Moonpool Upgrade Console Blueprint. Optional: 1x Mobile Vehicle Constructor
Description: Used with standard vehicle dock. Constructed in room behind bridge. Can install/create upgrades for vehicles. Optional ability to construct vehicles directly inside Cyclops Bay.
Capacitor Bank
Materials: 6x Powercell, 2x Copper Wire, 1x Wiring Kit, 1x Computer Chip
Description: Basic Module, designed to expand Cyclops energy capabilities. Would increase power capacity by 1200 units. Built in aft compartment, attached directly to engine room wall. Up to two can be built, or mixed with Stasis Field Generator.
Stasis Field Generator
Materials: 1x Stasis Rifle, 2x Powercell, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 2x Copper Wire
Description: Uses 600 Energy to emit a 30 meter wide stasis bubble around Cyclops when G key is pressed while driving. Cyclops can still move through bubble. Stasis field stays active for 120 seconds, giving time to escape danger. Built in aft compartment, attached directly to engine room wall. Compatible with Capacitor Bank.
Reconnaissance Module
Materials: 3x Titanium, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 1x Computer Chip, 1x Camera Drone, Scanner Room Blueprint
Description: Equips Cyclops with a single camera drone, with controls present in compartment immediately behind bridge, along with map with 60 meter range. Limited resource scanning, shows materials grouped together (e.g. Salt, Lithium, and Quartz would all show as crystalline deposit.) RMB while driving sub shows terrain within 40 meter radius of Cyclops on HUD. Also shows resources scanned by sub if Scanner Room HUD chip is being used.
More modules and concept art in the future.
Credits:
TenebrousNova–Reconn Module Idea and Improvement.
Sidechicken–Cargo Bay major improvements, Advanced Docking Bay Idea.
Comments
Nonetheless, being able to customize the Cyclops like this would open up a lot of possibilities.
Ooh, what about the little room between the aft compartment and the bridge? That space is rather underused, and is probably big enough to fit a map and the control panel. Probably could have one docked drone somewhere. Though resource scanning shouldn't be included.
What would you recommend? It can't be much bigger than maybe 30x30, as that would stretch the screen too much. Thats about eighteen lockers of space, although the space isn't everything. The main upside I see to the cargo bay is the interaction with other storages, so you don't have to manually transfer stuff. Plus it's cheaper than many lockers.
Thank you both so much for your feedback! I'm fully open to suggestions for improvement.
Why no resource scanning? Why get rid of one of the drone's primary function? I mean, early concept art showed a holomap in the cyclops bridge, so why get rid of resource scanning when the cyclops could potentially act as a scanner room in the future?
Also, there should be a slot to add a seamoth upgrade console to the cyclops? Maybe put the console next to the hatch, the fabricator on the console and drop upgrades through a chute on the right of the console.
Well, interaction with other storages feels a bit Star Trekkish... essentially teleporting contents from the clops to the base, and the base would then need to be equipped with a suitable receiving area. I'd suggest not having the automatic transfer, but also NOT sealing the bay doors, and having the cargo module accessible from outside as well as inside. This way the bay isn't magical, but it's very functional - you can just swim up to it, the bay would open and you could grab stuff or put stuff in. Screen space-wise, you'd probably need to have tabbed pages or something to manage the cargo bay inventory, since you'd still need to see your PDA inventory screen as well.
The main reason I didn't really want to include resource scanning is to keep the Scanner Room relevant. Why would someone build one when there's a mobile version? Now that I've thought about it, I think that it might work for the terrain approx. 60 meters around the sub, with auto resource scanning. The map could also be visible on the sub HUD. Might even be able to detect ore deposits once Exo drilling is added. Do you think that's good?
Ooh, that's good. Now that I think about it, item teleportation is a little too far-future for the game.
Thanks! All feedback is appreciated, and I'm looking for some new module suggestions!
notice the left side has what looks like overhead storage lockers from an airliner, while the right side doesn't... It would be sweet if those could link somehow to the seamoth containers. I know I just said teleporting bad... but it's a thought, and at least it's all on-board.
I can see your thought process. I mean, the cyclops is designed to be an all-in-one mobile base (Bridge window=observatory, ), so it would make sense to dumb down certain features to not make it too easy. Concerning exo-drilling, I think that would act the same as breaking ore nodes (limestone, sandstone, basalt and shale outcrops) and grabbing resources in one go, since they plan on removing terraforming in a future update. Still doesn't mean cam drone resource spotting needs to be removed.
Speaking of which, why not make it that the scanner room/cyclops scanner map can only recognize nodes and exposed resources (like salt, lithium, etc), that way when a cam drones scans a node, it can determine the contents of the node (Scanner detects basalt, cam drone inspects it and detects uranium within the node).
Hmm, interesting. That more seems like a feature that would come right out of the box, though. I'm also not really sure where I would fit it in the the suggestion, maybe as a part of the vehicle console?
So it's kinda like "Here's a resource node, don't know what it is, go check it out." Good compromise. Maybe have the resources grouped into types, e.g. Salt/Quartz/Lithium would come up as "crystalline structure" on the scanner, etc.
Could be an upgraded docking bay... perhaps it also auto-repairs the seamoth or something?
Not so much "Don't know what it is", but more like "Don't know what's inside". But you're quite correct! And make it show up on the hud with the scanner room chip that allows you to see scanned stuff and displays it like a signal (which, furthermore, is placed in the signal slot). Maybe change crystalline "structure" to "deposit".
Even better, make it so that the HUD module can cycle through resources displayed. That way the screen would only show, say, silver instead of gold, quartz, titanium, etc.
Ooh, that's a good one. An "Advanced Docking Bay Module" I'll work on adding that to the suggestion! Cool! I'll update the OP next time I can.
Also, everyone, I had a new idea for a module, the "Mobile Drilling Playform" Essentially fills the Cyclops bay with a giant drill, that can deploy and enter the ground (purely visual effect). It then slowly, passively collects resources, depending on the biome. They are stored in an included 400 slot storage. Requires a constant supply of energy.
Ah, I guess that would work with the Exosuit as well.
Refer to this thread where Carina mentions a nuclear sub: http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/141976/we-need-more-subs#latest
Drop pod bay:
Lowers a section of reenforced corridor (or maybe a recovered lifepod) by cable down to 1000m below the Cyclops. The cable feeds the pod power and air. It has controls for the Cyclops (with a camera for adjusting position, raising/lowering while you're in it) and you can build a fabricator and lockers into it. Can be used to establish new bases or as a temporary base in very deep biomes that are too tight or past the crush depth of the Cyclops.
Related parallel module
Shuttle Pod:
Small single person pod that is dropped straight down from the Cyclops. Follows a guide signal to dock with a base unit on the sea floor. Base unit can also shoot the pod back up to redock with the Cyclops. If you've built a very deep base with the drop pod this can be added on to reach the base without having to relower the drop pod everytime. You just have to park within say 100m of the spot directly above the base unit and hop in the shuttle pod and launch.
Personally I'm setting that room up as a bunkroom, wall locker for frequently used gear(shelf eventually) and a bed depending n the size, also has a small aquarium cause i can lol. There is an unused cpnsole on the port side of the bridge that would work for ROV control and mapping. Plenty of room on the starboard console for other functions as well.
I like this idea. I find it to be realistic and it parallels some real-life mother ship/remote vehicle support interfaces. It reminds me of the seabase in The Abyss, too, for some reason.
Getting to the right spot is as simple as leaving a beacon on top of your base, and with the new keel camera, it should be even simpler.
It is true that the overhead cover of some biomes would preclude the use of a tethered pod, but there are plenty of biomes that have clear access to the surface. You could even give the pod limited traverse capability to negotiate some obstacles. I'm thinking specifically of the accesses to the Jelly Shroom caves.
My big question is: Is a properly modded Seamoth with storage and pressure compensation modules too similar of a capability?