Engineering Poll (Build your own engine?)

How would you like it if instead of every station starting with an immovable Supermatter crystal, it instead started with an empty space for engineers to order parts for and build whatever engine they desired?

How about if it had a holo-deck type area that can bluespace-teleport in one of the engines pre-built as an option?

  • Yes
  • No
0 voters

Tired of being forced to use the same engine every round? Tired of seeing the SM delaminate because someone didn’t know how to set it up? How about if engineers were instead given most of the supplies and an empty space to build their own engine?

Instead of engineers not understanding how to operate the magic crystal they can’t move and have to do something with it prevent eventual delamination, engineers can now focus their energy on providing power to the station however they wish.

They can:

  • Simply set up additional solar panels
  • Build Tesla Engine
  • Build Singularity Engine
  • Build additional Turbines and power them with fusion
  • Still build a supermatter engine if they want to
  • Use a TEG with fusion or Supermatter

Pinned idea

Permanent Holodeck-type with prebuilt SM, Tesla, Singulo, Turbines and a Blank template with a box of parts/tools or extra budget to order parts with is the winning idea to me so far.
Needs a creative name for the system though.

I feel like if engineers don’t know how to set up the SM, they probably won’t understand how to set up other engines.

3 Likes

Better idea round start there is nothing just let the ce use a console or something and choose the engine of choice or just don’t and do turbine or solars. If they choose sm an unset up sm chamber will spawn (like normal) if you choose the teg one it will spawn. Etc.

Also a good alternative, but why not just have the CE console do a drop-pod with the parts so they can arrange it however they want instead of being forced into a default configuration?

And then they won’t blow up the station trying to fumble with something they don’t understand, or by hitting a switch on accident.

The station may still run out of power if they don’t at least know how to set up additional solars, but running out of power is a much better alternative to exploding ten minutes into the round.

1 Like

Because (on lrp at least), the CE is as incompetent if not more than the average engineer, who can barely set up the sm

could make it kinda like the holo deck put permanently there after choosing maybe also make ce and engs a more restricted role that has more benefits other then being able to make power. I also find people love to delam the tesla’s or singlos so maybe there could be a sec role thats designated to defending the engine. or ce could have that job and spawn with a unique gun.

SM delamming is less destructive than Singulo or Tesla escaping containment.
This will not end well.

1 Like

Depending on the delam, SM can do all three - but you’re not wrong at the same time. Tesla and Singulo are more destructive than the average SM delamination.

The hope is an engineer wouldn’t order such an engine unless they were confident in their setup, instead opting for safer options until they have a chance to learn or someone to teach them.

1 Like

maybe only allow experienced eng’s order it, like if you have enough hours

Hoping players will do the sensible thing

I think I can see where the flaw in your plan lies.

1 Like

You uh… yeah you really got me there @Ravellon. That’s been the core of most of the issues I’ve had. I have too much faith in people pretty frequently.

I still think the issue of incompetent engineers blowing up the station will be lessened if they have to opt into using a failure-probe setup instead of being forced into one by default.

Replace shield generators in secure storage with everything that is needed for TEG. Freezer, heater, TEG itself, all the required parts and an extra plasma tank.

There. No risk. No excitement. But requires actually building it and wiring into grid.

Heater/Freezer TEGs are met with smites and explosions for abusing the system (or so I’ve been told, I haven’t seen someone abusing it yet but this is what I was told to do when I asked about free energy with a TEG)

I raised the question of why it’s even in the game if it’s so easily abusable and I don’t remember if I got a meaningful response. But hey I’ve never seen it abused despite this

I do it every time when I’m engi on Pubby…

My argument is just that the engineers and people in general on lrp are so incredibly mentally disabled that if setting up an engine was harder then it already is, 24/25 rounds, the engine wouldn’t be set up.

Is wiring solars more complex than setting SM on default? I don’t think it is personally - you have to do all the steps in the right order, and if you mess up the wiki can’t really help you if you didn’t already know what you were doing.

Solars involves getting a hardsuit, internals, laying wires and then activating them via console

So we have to resort to more inefficient ways of getting energy because more experienced players want to have more freedom so they make the one thing hard for new players even harder so they get a better experience?

No? It’s a poll my dude - This isn’t forcing anything. The suggestion for it to work like one-time holodeck would suit what you’re wanting pretty well. Toss some ideas around if you have them too.

The SM isn’t new-player friendly at all - I’m not sure why you want to say that the SM is easy for players to learn when we have so many issues with players setting it up incorrectly. It’s quick and easy to start if you know what you’re doing and are already experienced, but it’s downright intimidating if you don’t.

On the other hand, solars are very new-player friendly to learn - learning power via something that doesn’t blow up and prematurely end the round is a much better way to introduce someone to engineering. Setting up solars produces less power, but it provides enough to sustain the station (especially if a few more panels are added).

1 Like

When did I ever say that the SM is easy for players to learn