Bioreactor - First impressions

Captain_PyroCaptain_Pyro Germany Join Date: 2015-05-31 Member: 205116Members
Hi there!

I just built the Bioreactor for the first time and i have to say i'm pretty underwhelmed.

I admit it's cheap to build and it stores quite a bit of power, but the amount of fuel i have to fill it with in comparison to the power i get just is ridicolous.
In places where i can use Solar Panels i have no need for it and assuming i wanna build in a cave or somewhere dark... by the time i can actually build a Bioreactor i'll have enough gold to build a Transmitter trail from the aurora to the floater island <_< I assume reaching the next tier and building the Termal plant will completely outdo the Bioreactor.

My point is, i don't see how anyone would decide to build this thing. One load of fuel lasts for five uses of the fabricator or 1/4 of the seamoths maximum power capacity. Other than the solar panels it doesn't recharge while i'm gone. When i have enough Panels there is actually no drawback from them being only able to charge by day.

For those who are already typing "You don't have to build it if you don't like it"... of course i don't have to build it and if things stay like this i sure as hell won't. To me this is a matter of game design and what i see here is an object that is highly inferior to another one you have from the very start. The Bioreactor isn't even worth the inverntory space for it's fragements...


To be a bit more constructive i have a few ideas:
1. The Bioreactor could serve as the first reactor to be available IF it has several different options on what to process. Creepvines for the early game - maybe with acid shrooms - and treeshroom pieces for later on being more potent in generating power.

2. All the energy sources could only generate power but not store it. Imo the main advantage of the Solar Panels towards the Bioreactor is that building more increases the generating of power AND the storage capacity. This goes for the Bio as well but they all have to be fueled and maintained manually. If there were a Module that could store power (like for example the model of the old power generator) a reactor would only be as good as it's ability to generate power which would make balancing this out a bit easier (also different kinds of fuel like i stated in point 1 could work even better). (The old power generator would be perfect for charging up rechargeable betteries, too)


Okay, enough of my opinion; what do you think?

Comments

  • solar71solar71 usa Join Date: 2015-06-06 Member: 205276Members
    I agree completely.
    The bio reactor needs a little bit of help.
    A bio reactor that could process all types of bio would be nice. (shrooms, kelp, fish)
    And yes. I love your idea of making the bioreactor the first power source.
    Making the solar power maybe the 2nd source.
  • TieraxTierax aus Join Date: 2015-07-25 Member: 206401Members
    give you something to use rotten stuff for, like a trash can with a bit of usefulness haha
  • Duff_McDugginDuff_McDuggin Join Date: 2015-07-02 Member: 205964Members
    Mr. Fusion would solve this issue. The same principle of this movie relec would work well for an entry level power source. Bioreactor that accepts all bio matter.
  • solar71solar71 usa Join Date: 2015-06-06 Member: 205276Members
    But not metals, just the beer inside the can, like in the picture.
    That would be cool... And they could call it a Mr Fusion to boot.
    That would be AWESOME!!!
  • ZixinusZixinus Hungary Join Date: 2015-07-22 Member: 206338Members
    The thing runs on Creepwine, right? Can player take Creepwine seeds and farm them? I think if that were the case the bioreactor might become more useful, especially if the harvesting process could be automated or made quicker (maybe build a specialized creepwine-harvesting chainsaw or rotary-cutter or something).
  • TieraxTierax aus Join Date: 2015-07-25 Member: 206401Members
    nah, creepvines easy to get at, just get a stasis gun, honestly, since focussing on hardcore mode, i've found that the stasis gun is all you ever need and everything becomes a breeze.
  • Captain_PyroCaptain_Pyro Germany Join Date: 2015-05-31 Member: 205116Members
    edited July 2015
    Zixinus wrote: »
    The thing runs on Creepwine, right?
    3 pieces creepvine and 1 piece of tree-mushroom.

    It's used like a fabricator. You click on it and get a nice, big button that says something like "process biomass", it then uses your ingredients and starts loading 25% of it's max power capacity. The function is on cooldown until everthing is processed, just like with the fabricator only that it takes much more time.
  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    Once it is released in the main branch, I am sure it will have been tweaked a bit, and will undoubtedly be worked on in the future.

    This is the experimental branch after all, this is real 'In-Development' stuff.

    In traditional studios, this would be the end of day run through that the developers play through and test all the little changes. As UWE embraces the early access philosophy to a level beyond almost anyone else, YOU get to play those daily builds. Expect things to be very broken/unbalanced, and sometimes outright unplayable in this branch, and experience the real joy of game development.

    Once something is released into the main branch, this type of feedback is much more effective.
  • TieraxTierax aus Join Date: 2015-07-25 Member: 206401Members
    I like to roleplay that my scientist is working out the kinks of the fragment scan till he gets it just right.
  • Captain_PyroCaptain_Pyro Germany Join Date: 2015-05-31 Member: 205116Members
    Soul_Rider wrote: »
    Once it is released in the main branch, I am sure it will have been tweaked a bit, and will undoubtedly be worked on in the future.

    This is the experimental branch after all, this is real 'In-Development' stuff.

    In traditional studios, this would be the end of day run through that the developers play through and test all the little changes. As UWE embraces the early access philosophy to a level beyond almost anyone else, YOU get to play those daily builds. Expect things to be very broken/unbalanced, and sometimes outright unplayable in this branch, and experience the real joy of game development.

    Once something is released into the main branch, this type of feedback is much more effective.

    That's pretty interesting to know, thanks for the info.
    I assumed it would help a lot more to let them know of shortcomings before they make it into the main branch. So it'd only be tweaking afterwards, since in my opinion this isn't just about balancing but the very mechanic it is based on.

    The bioreactor wasn't even in the game for a full hour when i posted this and i was expecting the devs priorities to lie elsewhere at that moment anyways. This is to one half for the devs, to let them know what i think (if they have to time to go through the forum) but to the other because i'm just curious what the rest of you guys think.

  • conscioussoulconscioussoul Canada Join Date: 2015-05-17 Member: 204607Members, Subnautica Playtester
    I would have liked the idea of a bioreactor that's more of a trashcan than a reactor. A way to get rid of rotten food and excess crash powder ;-)
    Another really useful thing would be if that reactor could process the sand to extract quartz and other minerals.
  • TieraxTierax aus Join Date: 2015-07-25 Member: 206401Members
    wait... can you put it in a cyclops?
  • Captain_PyroCaptain_Pyro Germany Join Date: 2015-05-31 Member: 205116Members
    Tierax wrote: »
    wait... can you put it in a cyclops?

    I have no idea what they plan with the cyclops but currently you can't build generators inside of it and if you plant one on top it sinks like a stone.
  • TieraxTierax aus Join Date: 2015-07-25 Member: 206401Members
    Dang, thought for a moment my charging station was no longer needed
  • solar71solar71 usa Join Date: 2015-06-06 Member: 205276Members
    Since the tree mushrooms and creep vines are found FAR away from each other. It makes this power unit
    impractical.
    Hopefully they will change the recipe. Or allow for different recipes.
    Creep vine for small amounts of power. Acid mushrooms for Tiny amounts of power.
    Tree mushroom for larger amounts of power.

    It would all depend on how deep/difficult is it to gather said materials.
  • Captain_PyroCaptain_Pyro Germany Join Date: 2015-05-31 Member: 205116Members
    The thing is, none of these are difficult to gather. It's only impractical. When the next tier of gegnerator is only about being more comfortable to use than the one before, the bioreactor performs pretty badly.
  • 04Leonhardt04Leonhardt I came here to laugh at you Join Date: 2015-08-01 Member: 206618Members
    I kinda like the idea of things not being able to store power.

    Though with that, we would need Capacitor banks to store it instead.

    Like if you have a couple solar panels, they'll provide power to your base, sure, but once they provide more power than the base uses, it would then start storing power in the Capacitors, which you could then draw power from whenever, even at night. Or have them ready to charge up your sub whenever you dock.



    So, say you want to go on a long voyage, but don't want to use a lot of resources

    You could set up power stations that charge up over a long time to temporarily dock your sub to juice it up. Then you continue on your sea adventure. And later, when you return, the power is already charged up again so you're good to go.
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