I do love airships, oh so much. But there were times when i wished you could get more in depth with your vehicle. What i am about to suggest is, yes, gears and other mechanisms.
Basically a way of transferring power from an engine to different points in a airship/landship. (If you wanted to get more advanced you could make it so you could get creative with the mechanisms)
The idea is that you would have a central generator which would have a limited amount of power production. And, using gears you would feed the power to various locations on your ship.(Prop, supsendium chamber, Suspendium cannon, (electric lantern?) etc...)
On a side note it would be quite interesting if instead of having a prefixed exhaust funnel on top of... While, anything you would be able to funnel smoke/steam out using a pipe block(Thus allowing you to choose where smoke/steam exits a ship)
I love this! It would also be nice if whenever a piece of backwall is damaged there is a chance some of the 'infrastructure layer' behind it gets destroyed as well.
Meaning you can make cheap infrastructure or you can go all out and connect everything to everything else which might make it slower, but things are not likely to lose power!
Although would we need to remove the coal need from everything but the generator or will there be a different set of engines and other modules?
I don't know. It seems that only the generator should be able to receive coal, but maybe you could change that in the settings?
In other words it might be a good idea for the player to be able to turn off gears and pipes in the settings if they are new to the game.
Yeah, having an additional layer for wires and connections is something I've thought about as well. Especially in the context of diesel engines, this would be the way fuel gets routed from tanks to engines.
My objection, as madking321 has pretty much guessed already, is that it makes ship design a lot more complex. Having spent lots of time observing people trying to figure out the game, plenty of them struggle with basic layouts already.
Which, I know, to me and you also seems silly: just put the modules together so they join up! Put modules on until there's no more warnings! One of each from the basics category and you have a working ship! But we're very used to the game by now, so these things look trivial to us even when they're not.
I know what you mean from trying to get my dad to play this game (you need to explain in the tutorial that you DO NOT DRAG modules from the edit bar into the editor).
But i think if you keep the mechanics as it is but add diesel engines under an 'advanced' tab; and maybe hide the wire layer unless a diesel module is installed on the ship being edited then you would be able to satisfy old players wanting something more and new players going 'wtf is everything?!'.
Sort of what i meant. But, yeah.
Also, by engine do you mean generator? Because I figured there would be central generator(s) which would have a power output(Either kinetic, or electric) The power output would then be transferred to movement/lift/cannon modules. And then there is venting smoke and steam.
Engine = Kinetic, Ran by either Diesel or coal.
Generator
If we have a Engine Module, that has (on the infrastructure layer) one mechanical output. Can be ran off either Coal or Diesel.
Then a Transmission Module, being only 1x1 without a crew requirement. Having one mechanical input, but two mechanical outputs.
Generator Module, With one mechanical input, but also an electrical output.
Motor Module, with one electrical input, and one mechanical output.
So, say you have a ship with two propellers that you want to run off a coal fired engine.
you would either need two engines, each with their only mechanical outputs connected to one propeller.
Or, you could get one engine, connect it to a transmission, then connect the transmission outputs to the propellers. Being cheaper, fuel efficient than two engines.
Or, you could get your Engine, hook it to a Generator, then place a motor on each propeller, and wire it all up.
So for power, you would have Mechanical and Electrical. with Mechanical being cheaper, but also heavy (while Electric being the opposite). Mechanical being shown as chain or belt drives, and Electric being shown as wires.
Kinetic having to go from a single output, to a single input. Meaning you would have to use transmissions to power multiple, stuff.
Electrical has to first go through a Engine then onto a Generator, where mechanical is changed into electrical. with wires running anywhere, with multiple connections from the one output.
But, the modules have to have a motor on them, converting the electrical back to mechanical for the module to work. Being overall lighter than Mechanical, taking up less space, and costing more.
Yeah, pretty much spot on, but a little more advanced than what i was thinking. Also, who says chain belts have to be the primary form of kinetic energy transportation? On a side note wouldn't there be two different types of engines? Each can only receive either coal or diesel. I doubt a diesel engine can except coal.
Yeah, but still. Why not have a few different kinds of power transportation?
Say, like a 2x2 gear box which can funnel the power into several different chain drives, or even better. Have gears.
We could use coal powered engines to power batteries, and those in turn could be used to power the electric engines on propellers and stuff which means we can simplify things with wiring instead of cogs everywhere.
@Mechfried maybe one of us should create a supertopic that mashes this idea, your firefighting idea, and my anti-boarding hose idea into one since they all can be related to one another.
Air Admiral
I do love airships, oh so much. But there were times when i wished you could get more in depth with your vehicle. What i am about to suggest is, yes, gears and other mechanisms. Basically a way of transferring power from an engine to different points in a airship/landship. (If you wanted to get more advanced you could make it so you could get creative with the mechanisms)
The idea is that you would have a central generator which would have a limited amount of power production. And, using gears you would feed the power to various locations on your ship.(Prop, supsendium chamber, Suspendium cannon, (electric lantern?) etc...)
On a side note it would be quite interesting if instead of having a prefixed exhaust funnel on top of... While, anything you would be able to funnel smoke/steam out using a pipe block(Thus allowing you to choose where smoke/steam exits a ship)
Commander, Engineering Corps
+1
Would be nice to see it as another 'layer' (components, armor, pain, decal)
So you could let the game auto route paths for transmissions, exhaust, electricity(if implemented), fuel(if implemented). Or go and route it yourself.
Air Admiral
Yeah, exactly. Why am i so exited about this even though it probably won't happen? :D
Air Admiral
What do you think Zarkonnen?
Air Lord, Engineering Corps
I love this! It would also be nice if whenever a piece of backwall is damaged there is a chance some of the 'infrastructure layer' behind it gets destroyed as well.
Meaning you can make cheap infrastructure or you can go all out and connect everything to everything else which might make it slower, but things are not likely to lose power!
Although would we need to remove the coal need from everything but the generator or will there be a different set of engines and other modules?
Air Admiral
I don't know. It seems that only the generator should be able to receive coal, but maybe you could change that in the settings? In other words it might be a good idea for the player to be able to turn off gears and pipes in the settings if they are new to the game.
Aerial Emperor
Yeah, having an additional layer for wires and connections is something I've thought about as well. Especially in the context of diesel engines, this would be the way fuel gets routed from tanks to engines.
My objection, as madking321 has pretty much guessed already, is that it makes ship design a lot more complex. Having spent lots of time observing people trying to figure out the game, plenty of them struggle with basic layouts already.
Which, I know, to me and you also seems silly: just put the modules together so they join up! Put modules on until there's no more warnings! One of each from the basics category and you have a working ship! But we're very used to the game by now, so these things look trivial to us even when they're not.
Air Admiral
Yeah, but could this sort of be an "advanced" mode that you could toggle in the settings? Or, am i overlooking an impossibility?
Air Lord, Engineering Corps
I know what you mean from trying to get my dad to play this game (you need to explain in the tutorial that you DO NOT DRAG modules from the edit bar into the editor).
But i think if you keep the mechanics as it is but add diesel engines under an 'advanced' tab; and maybe hide the wire layer unless a diesel module is installed on the ship being edited then you would be able to satisfy old players wanting something more and new players going 'wtf is everything?!'.
Air Admiral
Sort of what i meant. But, yeah. Also, by engine do you mean generator? Because I figured there would be central generator(s) which would have a power output(Either kinetic, or electric) The power output would then be transferred to movement/lift/cannon modules. And then there is venting smoke and steam.
Air Lord, Engineering Corps
Engines and generators? (but in my last post, yeah i meant generators sorry)
Commander, Engineering Corps
Engine = Kinetic, Ran by either Diesel or coal. Generator
If we have a Engine Module, that has (on the infrastructure layer) one mechanical output. Can be ran off either Coal or Diesel.
Then a Transmission Module, being only 1x1 without a crew requirement. Having one mechanical input, but two mechanical outputs.
Generator Module, With one mechanical input, but also an electrical output.
Motor Module, with one electrical input, and one mechanical output.
So, say you have a ship with two propellers that you want to run off a coal fired engine.
you would either need two engines, each with their only mechanical outputs connected to one propeller.
Or, you could get one engine, connect it to a transmission, then connect the transmission outputs to the propellers. Being cheaper, fuel efficient than two engines.
Or, you could get your Engine, hook it to a Generator, then place a motor on each propeller, and wire it all up.
So for power, you would have Mechanical and Electrical. with Mechanical being cheaper, but also heavy (while Electric being the opposite). Mechanical being shown as chain or belt drives, and Electric being shown as wires.
Kinetic having to go from a single output, to a single input. Meaning you would have to use transmissions to power multiple, stuff.
Electrical has to first go through a Engine then onto a Generator, where mechanical is changed into electrical. with wires running anywhere, with multiple connections from the one output. But, the modules have to have a motor on them, converting the electrical back to mechanical for the module to work. Being overall lighter than Mechanical, taking up less space, and costing more.
Air Admiral
Yeah, pretty much spot on, but a little more advanced than what i was thinking. Also, who says chain belts have to be the primary form of kinetic energy transportation? On a side note wouldn't there be two different types of engines? Each can only receive either coal or diesel. I doubt a diesel engine can except coal.
Commander, Engineering Corps
Could always haveJerker Line Systems
But, I think Chain drives would just be simpler, and more recognizable for a basic form.
Hydraulic would be a cool technology to be unlockable.
Air Admiral
Yeah, but still. Why not have a few different kinds of power transportation? Say, like a 2x2 gear box which can funnel the power into several different chain drives, or even better. Have gears.
Air Lord, Engineering Corps
We could use coal powered engines to power batteries, and those in turn could be used to power the electric engines on propellers and stuff which means we can simplify things with wiring instead of cogs everywhere.
Aerial Emperor
Stooop teeempting meeee
Air Admiral
Did they even have batteries at that time?
Hey, Zark. Could this be added as an optional part of the game, or at least in an expansion?
Commander, Engineering Corps
uuuuhh... this would also works with my idea of firefighting
Air Lord, Engineering Corps
@Mechfried maybe one of us should create a supertopic that mashes this idea, your firefighting idea, and my anti-boarding hose idea into one since they all can be related to one another.
Air Admiral
Yeah, i'm thinking pipes could be used to vent steam/smoke as well as fire fighting.
Air Admiral
So Zark, how about this as an expansion, or an optional part of the game?
Midshipman
DO IT!