Seamoth Upgrades + New Materials
Dracon1023
Join Date: 2016-02-07 Member: 212724Members
Join Date: 2016-02-07 Member: 212724Members
I think they should add two new arms to the moonpool with welders on them instead of magnets. These could be part of adding the seamoth upgrade console or a separate thing you have to install. These welder arms could do two things:
1. Fix your seamoth when you dock at the cost of energy
2. Allow physical enhancements to the seamoth instead of just putting modules in a access panel.
There would be two types of physical enhancements, seamoth material upgrade and physical add-ons.
It would make more sense if the seamoth pressure threshold was determined by the materials it is made of instead of putting something in a slot. Each material upgrade would be equivalent to one pressure compensator.
Upgrades:
1st: 2 enameled glass (Replace glass on seamoth)
2nd: 1 plasteel ingot (Replace titanium hull)
3rd: (Replace glass again) the devs could add a new material: Aluminum Oxynitride. It is a see-through material that is more bullet -proof then glass laminate. Wiki here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_oxynitride They already have aluminum oxide in the game. That could just be refined into this material and give aluminum its first use.
4th: (Replace hull again) the devs probably already have an idea for a metal better than plasteel that could be the 4th upgrade.
This method of pressure compensation is more realistic and would add more technology progression in the game.
This would also develop a tier system for material:
Tier 1: Titanium and Glass
Tier 2: Plasteel and Enameled Glass
Tier 3: Unknown better metal and Aluminum Oxynitride
Hull Reinforcements and Storage solution should be a physical add-on instead of a slot upgrade since they are physical alterations. Once they add limited oxygen for the seamoth, then a seamoth oxygen canister would be included in this. There would be four spots for add-on's and would be located where the storage solutions are normally located. Thus you could have a build with 1 hull reinforcement, 1 storage solution, and 2 oxygen canisters. Torpedo bay would not be included in this because the torpedo are located in different locations and it is assumed that the seamoth has the bays already, they are just not active.
Additional physical add-ons:
Anchor Grapple - once currents are added your seamoth might drift away when you leave, so anchor it to the ground
Side-mounted Propulsion Cannon
Side-mounted Stasis Rifle
The module side of upgrades would still exist and they could add plenty more types of modules:
Thermal Energy Module - unlocked with thermal plant blueprints. Generates energy when the seamoth is in water at a temperature >15C. This would be useful for deep sea exploring due to thermal vents located in various places.
Oxygen Filter - Filters oxygen out of water at a huge energy expense (activated passive ability)
Temporary Speed boost- costs extra energy for a quick escape
This may seem like an op idea at first, but once they start adding tons of aggressive creatures in the deep, it will be necessary to have pressure compensation at max, hull reinforcement for armor and oxygen canisters so you can actually get down there, not to mention a way to defend yourself with the perimeter defense system.
If people have more ideas about modules, add-on's, or balancing please give feedback.
1. Fix your seamoth when you dock at the cost of energy
2. Allow physical enhancements to the seamoth instead of just putting modules in a access panel.
There would be two types of physical enhancements, seamoth material upgrade and physical add-ons.
It would make more sense if the seamoth pressure threshold was determined by the materials it is made of instead of putting something in a slot. Each material upgrade would be equivalent to one pressure compensator.
Upgrades:
1st: 2 enameled glass (Replace glass on seamoth)
2nd: 1 plasteel ingot (Replace titanium hull)
3rd: (Replace glass again) the devs could add a new material: Aluminum Oxynitride. It is a see-through material that is more bullet -proof then glass laminate. Wiki here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_oxynitride They already have aluminum oxide in the game. That could just be refined into this material and give aluminum its first use.
4th: (Replace hull again) the devs probably already have an idea for a metal better than plasteel that could be the 4th upgrade.
This method of pressure compensation is more realistic and would add more technology progression in the game.
This would also develop a tier system for material:
Tier 1: Titanium and Glass
Tier 2: Plasteel and Enameled Glass
Tier 3: Unknown better metal and Aluminum Oxynitride
Hull Reinforcements and Storage solution should be a physical add-on instead of a slot upgrade since they are physical alterations. Once they add limited oxygen for the seamoth, then a seamoth oxygen canister would be included in this. There would be four spots for add-on's and would be located where the storage solutions are normally located. Thus you could have a build with 1 hull reinforcement, 1 storage solution, and 2 oxygen canisters. Torpedo bay would not be included in this because the torpedo are located in different locations and it is assumed that the seamoth has the bays already, they are just not active.
Additional physical add-ons:
Anchor Grapple - once currents are added your seamoth might drift away when you leave, so anchor it to the ground
Side-mounted Propulsion Cannon
Side-mounted Stasis Rifle
The module side of upgrades would still exist and they could add plenty more types of modules:
Thermal Energy Module - unlocked with thermal plant blueprints. Generates energy when the seamoth is in water at a temperature >15C. This would be useful for deep sea exploring due to thermal vents located in various places.
Oxygen Filter - Filters oxygen out of water at a huge energy expense (activated passive ability)
Temporary Speed boost- costs extra energy for a quick escape
This may seem like an op idea at first, but once they start adding tons of aggressive creatures in the deep, it will be necessary to have pressure compensation at max, hull reinforcement for armor and oxygen canisters so you can actually get down there, not to mention a way to defend yourself with the perimeter defense system.
If people have more ideas about modules, add-on's, or balancing please give feedback.
Comments
Edit: Oh, another thing I'd like that's not necessarily a HUGE one. The ability to at least repair your Seamoth while it's docked in the Moonpool. Just pull out your welder and patch it, rather than having to deploy it, get out, and repair it.
Bit of an oversight on The Devs' part there.
This will allow you to not only add more upgrade modules but also allow the devs to create more types of modules to be used.
Like a flare launcher, aux/emergency power unit (gives you 10-50 extra units of power), air tanks (lets you refill your suit tanks faster), harpoons (for gathering food), stasis module (deploys like the area defense), and a few others.
you can already use your welder on the seamoth to repair it
So the plan could be to replace the single seamoth blueprint into 4 blueprints:
- titanium, glass, circuitry, std power cell : the seamoth (1 additional upgrade slot + 8 cargospace)
- plasteel, enameled glass, advanced circuitry, power lithium cell : the seasquid (2 upgrade slots + 16 cargospace)
- reefback elastosteel, synthetic fiber strengthened glass, biochip, bioreactor : the seaturtle (3 upgrade slots + 32 cargospace + acid shield)
- condensed matter, transparent aluminium (ALON), warper quantum chip, nuclear reactor : the seadevil (4 upgrade slots + 64 cargospace + thermal shield)
that also means you have to build a complete new minisub at your constructor and thus a menu of 2 gets now a menu of 5.
It also means hull integrity and damage depends on tier level.
and other potential upgrades only available at certain tier level:
- sonar (tier 2)
- torpedosytem (tier 2)
- O2 tanks, turns cargospace into O2 (tier 1)
- electric defense system (tier 1)
- stasis defense system (tier 3)
- warp travel system (tier 4)
- guided torpedos (tier 3)
It wouldn't mean much additional artwork, but rather tech changes. Tier 2 could look like the seamoth with 2 sidecargos and Tier 3 will all cargos and maybe some retexturing to make it look biolike. Tier 4 would have a slightly changed model with dark textures.
seamoth (maybe tier 1 - 3 only)
exosuit (tier 2 -4)
cyclops (tier 2 -4)
depth limits:
tier 1: ~ 250m
tier 2: ~ 500m
tier 3: ~ 1000m + acidresistant
tier 4: ~ 2000m + acid & thermal resistant
To get tier 3 you need bioresearch on reefbacks and other creatures or plants in the deep
To get tier 4 you need warper and seadragon research and find lost Aurora high tech or tech from sunken alien wrecks
Actually you can wield the SEAMOTH when it's docked in the moonpool. You just need to aim at the upgrade slots panel to repair