Research experiment alternative path

[Intercept0r]

Problem: Experiments are repetitive and get boring when done multiple times
Problem: Station power is binary. There's either enough of it, or not. Extra power isn't useful, players build powerful SM setups mostly for fun alone.

Solution: Leave experiments as is with no changes. Add a second, optional way to unlock experiments - use extra power to skip them.
How: Introduction of new research machine that consumes a lot of power and once enough power is consumed, a random experiment from available research nodes is unlocked. There is no way to control which experiment gets unlocked.

Design goals:
- It must be clear visually and audio-wise that the machine consumes a lot of power. SM communicates this very well. HFR less so.
- It must be a multi-part machine requiring some set-up. How much setup ought to depend on map - and various maps ought to pose different challenges in terms of building this machine. Think solars.
- Setup should require some interaction outside of RD - parts and materials from Supply, power from Engineering.
- It should be highly susceptible to sabotage and create hazards if sabotaged.
- It should be dangerous - emitters, lasers, particle accelerators, tesla bolts, radiation. It should not be as dangerous as the SM, nor it's sabotage as catastrophic.
- Setting it up should require RD access or AI cooperation
- Eventually, once all experiments are unlocked, the machine serves no purpose and just accumulates more power. The responsible thing would be to discharge and disassemble it. The irresponsible thing would be to forget it exists and have a traitor break it.
- Setting the machine up should be possible by around the 7-15 minute mark of the shift, depending on experience and other factors. This is not meant to be a late-shift project.
- After setup, the machine should require little maintenance, outside of RPDing it with better parts. I'm thinking replacing a T1 gas can every 20-30 minutes

Machine construction:
- Taking inspiration from engine designs, there's a shooty part, a target part and an electronics part
- There doesn't currently exist a shooty part that consumes enough power. Otherwise emitters would be ideal. However emitter code can be reused - high power UV emitters that require 2 tiles? Shots would be blocked by glass unlike lasers to prevent their (easy) use in SM.
- Target part consumes gas (small amounts of) and expels similarly small amounts of undesirable gasses. No sophisticated atmos setups. Something regular scrubbers should be able to handle.
- Computer part is just a computer console to control it

Sabotage potential:
- Hack the UV emitter - turn it into a power sink
- Emag the UV emitter - turn it into a x-ray laser that inflicts invisible radiation damage 25 tiles through walls
- Hack the target or through regular access lower the target while the laser is firing - the UV laser will slowly burn it's way through the station.
- Hack the console - silence alarms
- Emag the console - delete random experiments, lock their respective tech nodes

Discuss.

[Intercept0r]

Edited with more details. Feedback appreciated.

[mrmelbert]

Interesting concept but station power is not remotely balanced, and as a consequence, this would also not be remotely balanced.

You are right in that we have no use for extra power. But "extra power" can vary from 50mw to 3gw.

[Intercept0r]

Thank you for your feedback, I appreciate it.

I understand your concerns about balance. The following mitigations are part of the design:
- Tech is still gated by research points, so research progress will always be the slower of experiments AND research points. If the machine runs at maximum efficiency, tech is gated by point gain only.
- The machine unlocks experiments for unlocked/accessible research nodes only. In practice, infinite power now only means the machine unlocks experiments you have access to now. Future tech experiments are not unlocked ahead of time, but become targets for the machine only once their prerequisites are met. This places value on the machine being operational thorough the shift as successive techs are researched, rather than letting it do it's thing at one point in time.

In terms of power requirements, I'd be thinking around 200-800kW, spitball number, subject to change. Will vary with part quality as well - I do want upgrading the thing to be worthwhile, and for the machine to encounter diminishing returns on late game experiments vs T1 parts.

I don't want the machine to require ridiculous SM setups either. Stock SM plumbing + can of CO2 + solars should almost, or barely be enough for T1 parts and the 20-minute mark tech. Later tiers would require fancier SM setups or turbine. The rationale is that building complex SM setups often plunges the station in darkness, and I do want there to be an incentive to provide power over time (preferably with the risk of having to upgrade a running SM), rather than 40 minutes of darkness followed by too much power 10 minutes before shuttle.