Engineering rewards for high power, structures that need it

[Man_Shroom]

Engineering should have incentives and rewards for increasing the power in the grid. Perhaps various structures and items could do things depending on how much power is in the grid.

The gateway could activate if the power is over a certain number
Special gloves that do more damage if there is more power, perhaps 5 damage extra for every million watts.
Meteors get buffed so that they hit a wall, drill forward a bit, and explode, and you can get meteor shields that block them for, guess what, power in the grid.

As is, the only reason to have power in the grid is so you can brag about high numbers and to maybe fry whatever assistant is too dumb to know how to hack a door properly. Engineering is the job you pick if you have to leave, but still want to help the station. Set up the singulo then kill yourself because hey, you have completed your job. Please add features to it.

[lumipharon]

The reward is if some power generation goes down, the station isn't fucked.

[callanrockslol]

The reward is shocking asshat assistants to death when they fuck with things.

[lumipharon]

It's pretty funny when it's malf, and people get 1 hit crit from shocked doors, after the AI used lockdown because everything is wired into the grid.

[Tokiko2]

It would be nice if both box and metastation had setups ready for all types of engines. The supermatter engine and TEG could see some use.

[Luke Cox]

It would be nice if both box and metastation had setups ready for all types of engines. The supermatter engine and TEG could see some use.

I like this idea. The CE gets to choose between several power sources, each with their own benefits and ways of fucking over the station. Just to clarify, how do the supermatter and TEG engines work?

[MisterPerson]

They don't have their own benefits though. They just provide power. Unless the engines are changed to have such advantages/disadvantages, it wouldn't be a terribly interesting change.

[Scott]

There is literally zero effort in maximizing power output, why should it be rewarded?

[Tokiko2]

There is literally zero effort in maximizing power output, why should it be rewarded?

Building a second engine does take quite a bit of effort though, which is what could be required to get the rewards. I do agree that simply maximizing the existing engine power output should not give rewards.

[WJohnston]

I think this'd be nice, of course the station's power demands should be seriously changed first.

Make it so machines like autolathes and exosuit fabs have their construction speed dictated largely by the power setting on them, making them drain a significant amount of their APC if they're on very high power but being much faster. Having emitters shoot more frequently, to make it easier to fight blobs etc.

This however only benefits the crew, not the engineers. Ironically engineers don't actually use machines, fabrication, or power much more than anyone. I can't think of too many things that DEMAND power in this game like that.

[callanrockslol]

I think this'd be nice, of course the station's power demands should be seriously changed first.

Make it so machines like autolathes and exosuit fabs have their construction speed dictated largely by the power setting on them, making them drain a significant amount of their APC if they're on very high power but being much faster. Having emitters shoot more frequently, to make it easier to fight blobs etc.

This however only benefits the crew, not the engineers. Ironically engineers don't actually use machines, fabrication, or power much more than anyone. I can't think of too many things that DEMAND power in this game like that.

So power settings and parts? Could work.

[imblyings]

how about

how about nanotrasen powersinks. They're not actually powersinks that fuck up the station but they're powersinks that absorb a lotta electricity, which can then be shipped back to centcom via cargo for points. The nanotrasen powersinks absorb a lot of power, I'm talking like a singulo wired into the grid for fifteen, maybe even twenty minutes to be fully charge one of those NT sinks, which might encourage more adventurous engineering teams to build extra power sources.

And obviously, the NT sinks should get cargo a lot of points, say around a 100, maybe more. Or maybe the NT sinks can be redeemed somehow via a machine in the same way mining redeem their ores nowadays. Engineering could get their own version of mining points while still benefiting cargo. Engineering points could be used to buy engineering jetpacks, magboots, solar pack crates, more emergency shield generators etc.

[420weedscopes]

how about

how about nanotrasen powersinks. They're not actually powersinks that fuck up the station but they're powersinks that absorb a lotta electricity, which can then be shipped back to centcom via cargo for points. The nanotrasen powersinks absorb a lot of power, I'm talking like a singulo wired into the grid for fifteen, maybe even twenty minutes to be fully charge one of those NT sinks, which might encourage more adventurous engineering teams to build extra power sources.

And obviously, the NT sinks should get cargo a lot of points, say around a 100, maybe more. Or maybe the NT sinks can be redeemed somehow via a machine in the same way mining redeem their ores nowadays. Engineering could get their own version of mining points while still benefiting cargo. Engineering points could be used to buy engineering jetpacks, magboots, solar pack crates, more emergency shield generators etc.

so it's a battery that you send off via cargo shuttle to get fat cargo points

[Cik]

whatever is done i do think the powergrid needs to be more complicated. ideally it should be possible to cut off power to sections from engineering via console, and the powerdraw needs to be higher and less easy to fulfill; in particular botany, R&D, and medical should probably consume more power. i do like the idea about machines working faster on more power. coders pls implement

[callanrockslol]

If you know how the cables are set up you can bypass or cut off entire parts of the station and most people won't know how to fix it.

[Jalleo]

Powernets are so simple but obsuficated its literally on or off we really do need to overhaul it at somepoint.

[Saegrimr]

Powernets are so simple but obsuficated its literally on or off we really do need to overhaul it at somepoint.

Do we really want to turn the powernet into atmos though?

I mean atmos has a very direct effect on the player, being able to breathe. The powernet works for what we have currently, unless we get some fancy new machinery or controls like electrical gates.

[WJohnston]

I would actually totally be for requiring a knot beneath a door in order to make it electric.

[Nienhaus]

I would love is wiring was used more, it'd be pretty cool.

[Cik]

unlike atmos piping it can be easily extended from the rest of the powergrid, so i don't see why not. honestly though, engineering gets no love mostly because it's only necessary in a disaster, the skillset is moderately involved and the player zeitgeist never really allows it to become useful. the other day we had two engiborgs and a hallway blew up. shuttle was immediately called and stayed called even after we had basically fixed it.

it's an unrewarding profession for this reason and giving it more depth would be a welcome change imo.

[Luke Cox]

They don't have their own benefits though. They just provide power. Unless the engines are changed to have such advantages/disadvantages, it wouldn't be a terribly interesting change.

I was thinking something along the lines of this. A few I had in mind:

Singularity engine: Provides a massive amount of power, enough to single-handedly power the station. Most catastrophic failure
Nuclear: Runs on Uranium. Provides a medium-high amount of power. Station-wide EMP and large explosion on failure
Plasma: Runs on Plasma. Provides a medium-high amount of power. Massive explosion on failure.
Combustion: Runs on flammable gasses. Provides a medium-low amount of power. Solar needed for axillary power. Catches fire on failure.

[DemonFiren]

Where's the S&M fit into this?