Cyclops Docking Bay Concept - With 3D Model
The_Punslinger
The United States Join Date: 2017-06-08 Member: 231008Members
The United States Join Date: 2017-06-08 Member: 231008Members
Hey! I made this little project for fun after brainstorming it while half asleep.
I'm not entirely sure how practical a cyclops docking bay would be, unless your base could use power to repair the sub's hull. I'm also not sure if Subnautica's game engine can handle a vehicle docked to a vehicle docked to a base.
Regardless, here's the design I came up with. I tried to keep it as close to the Alterra aesthetic as I could.
Concept 1
Concept 2
If you want it to be able to seal and drain while the cyclops is not present, you could always have a separate segment which can seal over the hole. Could also have a mini moonpool in that bottom opening. This thread is mostly to demonstrate the base concept (pun fully intended), though.
I decided to dub this design the "Starwall." :P
Here's my cyclops model on its own. It was done pretty quickly so it's not perfect.
I'm not entirely sure how practical a cyclops docking bay would be, unless your base could use power to repair the sub's hull. I'm also not sure if Subnautica's game engine can handle a vehicle docked to a vehicle docked to a base.
Regardless, here's the design I came up with. I tried to keep it as close to the Alterra aesthetic as I could.
Concept 1
Concept 2
If you want it to be able to seal and drain while the cyclops is not present, you could always have a separate segment which can seal over the hole. Could also have a mini moonpool in that bottom opening. This thread is mostly to demonstrate the base concept (pun fully intended), though.
I decided to dub this design the "Starwall." :P
Here's my cyclops model on its own. It was done pretty quickly so it's not perfect.
Comments
I think for my self, that your Idea not the Best One ist. I believe, that your 3D Model is far to Big for the Game and the Atmosphere.
In my Opion, we should more thinking in the Space Way. Like the US Space Shuttle docking on the ISS.
But the praise for the work you put in this aside, I don't really think this whole docking mechanism appeals to me.
If you look at it from a practical point of view, you'll see what I mean. You need way too many "steps" for a single docking process and when the Cyclops is not docked the whole room is not usable, unless you have a kind of "seal" planed to keep the water out. You basically dedicate a giant room for nothing more then to reach the Cyclops docking hatch. It leaves the biggest part of the Sub still "outside".
You could basically do the same by just building a few corridors away from your base and then add a "Cylops-Docking-Hatch" or something, that would initate a docking procedure onces you drive your Sub close enough. Something like this Trello Card Picture:
Sure that would strip almost all the animation parts of it but in the end it would make docking faster, smoother, more convenient and safe alot of space and ressources.
I say if you dedicate so much room to docking the Cyclops, why not add some more room and make it something "Moonpool"-ish instead? Imagine the opening across the middle of the ceiling of a room big enough to fit the whole Cyclops in it. The whole roof could open a bit like a rectangular bear trap or something. You would drive close to it and then the animation cycle starts, pulling the Cyclops into the room, lowering it into it's "parking position" and then the roof closes and the water gets pumped out. May not be that practical compared to just a big moonpool but it would be closer to your idea.
The devs are already working on a way to park our cyclops to our base (see image on the post above)
But still you did a nice job.
This one was sorta my attempt at a middleground between a simple docking tube and a full-on cyclops sized moonpool.
That being said, a cyclops hangar bay of sorts which you park your sub in, then the ceiling closes would be epic! It would be difficult to reach damaged areas to repair probably, but just like with my design, you could have a base autorepair module.
the thing about it taking too much time to dock and undock is a valid point, but I think you're going to have that issue with anything used to dock the cyclops, lol
Having a tube connected to a hatch / bulckhead to the cyclops seems better, it should (un)dock quite fast.
I dont mind taking a few seconds like the moonpool and the seamoth / prawn. It is immersive.
Just no more than a few seconds ..
I can definitely understand not wanting the docking sequence to take too long though. The thing about this specific design is that the longest part of it would be the flooding sequence, everything else can be sped up. So long is by the time the character can get to the hatch of the cyclops the waterlevel is below the catwalks that should be fine, though.
I could try to mock something like this up sometime.
cool, I was thinking something like the bay they build the X302 in Stargate, but underwater (And alot smaller, the X302 is computable to the Aurora)
I thing the real solutions would either be:
1 - Or as said by @ThePassionateGamer assonateGamer having an way to connect the cyclops to a corridor (another idea wold be docking to a vertical corridor so they wouldn’t need to modify the cyclops for that).
2 - Or having an docking station similar to the proposed by @The_Punslinger but instead of having a way to connect to the existing cyclops hatch to the interior of the base, an docking station that wold only attach the head of the cyclops and when docked the front windshield would open having an direct access from the interior of the cyclops to the interior of the base.
you might ask why even add a panel if these things can be done automatically and i say.
because its fun clicking on buttons
I think what I'd honestly prefer would be just a kind of brace that helps you guide the cyclops into position (like the moonpool does for the seamoth/prawn suit) and locks it in place, outside your base. I think having it be this giant room would first of all be difficult to actually place (you'd need plenty of empty room, no rooms or base parts nearby, and we all know how picky subnautica's collision detection for base parts can be). Secondly it probably just wouldn't look very good. I think having a Cyclops braced in place waiting for you would feel much nicer.
I like how when you move close to either of the cyclops doors (dive chamber or vehicle bay) they unfold and open.
Some kind of mechanism like that on either side would be cool.
Or it could be more like a jet bridge