Gravel - Essentially Useless
As we all know, gravel's only main purpose is creating Reactor Components. Once we have enough reactors to power everything on our ships and stations, gravel essentially becomes a useless resource.
I have three ideas for how gravel could be a bit more useful; one simple, one moderate, and one a bit more elaborate.
This does bring about one downside; as the ice moon Europa does not possess large quantities of stone, constructing bases on Europa would become much more difficult, or would require beginning in space or another world.
If it's decided that Steel Plates shouldn't use gravel, then perhaps other metal resources could, such as Interior Plates, Large Steel Tubes, and/or Metal Grids.
For an elaboration on the color system, the normal color selection screen could be kept, in which using the paint gun on a block would apply the currently-selected color. Changing colors with the bracket keys, such as when placing blocks, could perhaps be kept, as well.
Since concrete and like materials aren't typically welded, building the blocks could require specialized tools for placement and removal. For simplicity, perhaps the drill could be used to remove concrete, though I'm not certain if the game code would allow this.
In the event players wish to use concrete as an alternative ship armor; make concrete blocks roughly 75% the strength of Heavy Armor, but 500% the mass. This should make concrete useful only in surface bases.
If reinforced concrete is to be used, then perhaps a welder would be required to build the framework, then a concrete tool to fill the concrete. As with destroying concrete with a drill, though, I'm unsure if the game code would allow this. (Alternatively, placing down a concrete block could require one steel plate, in which a dedicated tool would be required to add the concrete.)
I'm aware that the Gravel Paths thread exists, but the user who submitted that idea didn't offer any additional details.
I like this feedback
Either remove or alter.
As I understand it, there is no pure metal in the bowels of the earth.
Slag occurs during smelting
Stones are made so that they can shoot!
Either remove or alter.
As I understand it, there is no pure metal in the bowels of the earth.
Slag occurs during smelting
Stones are made so that they can shoot!
Well, sadly they already shot down concrete, because... complexity, or some such nonsense.
Using it for paint isn't a bad idea, but it is nice being able to paint freely... of course it wouldn't take long to stockpile enough stone to paint everything, everywhere, for all time.
Modern steel is mainly comprised of iron, and chromium, and actually most high-end steel requires a very controlled carbon content ( 0.08% by weight or less even "carbon steel" contains s relatively low percent by weight).
They really need to find another use for it, or to cut it out entirely as it's really just dead weight at the moment... I have a similar post, as do many others regarding the uselessness (and proposed usefulness) of gravel/stone... just doesn't seem to be any feedback on this subject whatsoever.
Well, sadly they already shot down concrete, because... complexity, or some such nonsense.
Using it for paint isn't a bad idea, but it is nice being able to paint freely... of course it wouldn't take long to stockpile enough stone to paint everything, everywhere, for all time.
Modern steel is mainly comprised of iron, and chromium, and actually most high-end steel requires a very controlled carbon content ( 0.08% by weight or less even "carbon steel" contains s relatively low percent by weight).
They really need to find another use for it, or to cut it out entirely as it's really just dead weight at the moment... I have a similar post, as do many others regarding the uselessness (and proposed usefulness) of gravel/stone... just doesn't seem to be any feedback on this subject whatsoever.
Paint + Concrete tools available on the workshop should be added to vanilla. They are really great.
Paint + Concrete tools available on the workshop should be added to vanilla. They are really great.
voxel hands in survival. Being able to place gravel voxels would be pretty cool.
voxel hands in survival. Being able to place gravel voxels would be pretty cool.
From a game design standpoint, I guess it's hard to turn gravel into something interesting. For one, stone is everywhere, so it really can't be a good resource, otherwise it'd be overpowered. If you tried "watering it down" by requiring a lot of stone, you are only adding a tedious extra step to playing the game, which probably wouldn't end up being fun.
It might be interesting to instead make gravel an obstacle that you have to engineer around. Most of us already try to avoid mining extra stone anyway due to wasted time and cargo space, but maybe disposal could be another issue to engineer around. I think gravel usually has to get carted off in real mining operations (no idea, to be honest), and it has to get dumped somewhere. In this state of the game, you can just dump a massive, cumulative stone rock on the ground and expect it to disappear in time, but if stone were to re-materialize into voxels if you dropped it, you might have a reason to make gravel out of your stone waste.
The logical use for gravel could be something that gravel is used for in real life, like gravel road laying. I'd love to see voxel vehicles (not voxel hands) like a road roller to make specialized ground vehicles more useful on planets or moons by leveling terrain. I think it would also look cool from a terraforming aspect, since you could make convincing roads between bases, and even clean up some pot holes or meteor craters.
From a game design standpoint, I guess it's hard to turn gravel into something interesting. For one, stone is everywhere, so it really can't be a good resource, otherwise it'd be overpowered. If you tried "watering it down" by requiring a lot of stone, you are only adding a tedious extra step to playing the game, which probably wouldn't end up being fun.
It might be interesting to instead make gravel an obstacle that you have to engineer around. Most of us already try to avoid mining extra stone anyway due to wasted time and cargo space, but maybe disposal could be another issue to engineer around. I think gravel usually has to get carted off in real mining operations (no idea, to be honest), and it has to get dumped somewhere. In this state of the game, you can just dump a massive, cumulative stone rock on the ground and expect it to disappear in time, but if stone were to re-materialize into voxels if you dropped it, you might have a reason to make gravel out of your stone waste.
The logical use for gravel could be something that gravel is used for in real life, like gravel road laying. I'd love to see voxel vehicles (not voxel hands) like a road roller to make specialized ground vehicles more useful on planets or moons by leveling terrain. I think it would also look cool from a terraforming aspect, since you could make convincing roads between bases, and even clean up some pot holes or meteor craters.
Why do you want everything to have actual use? You do realize, that the waste is almost always more than the product IRL? I'm just saying, that having something as "waste" is a good thing. You have to calculate in how you are going to get rid of it. I'm only asking for a visually and not mechanically pleasing solution to get rid of it. For example a dumbster block. I would literally spend 1k Steel Plates and other materials just for a 3x3x2 visual container for gravel and stone.
Why do you want everything to have actual use? You do realize, that the waste is almost always more than the product IRL? I'm just saying, that having something as "waste" is a good thing. You have to calculate in how you are going to get rid of it. I'm only asking for a visually and not mechanically pleasing solution to get rid of it. For example a dumbster block. I would literally spend 1k Steel Plates and other materials just for a 3x3x2 visual container for gravel and stone.
I would like to see an incinerator type block that would require unholy amounts of energy to run and destroy gravel. Additionally (but unlikely to happen) I would like to see a small rework to the ores in that the veins should be less clearly defined. Instead of having pure iron voxels I would like to see iron "infused" stone voxels so that gravel would always be a byproduct of ore extraction. Those veins would be way bigger to compensate. That way the player would be incentivised to build (somewhat automated) mining ouposts instead if jumping from vein to vein.
I would like to see an incinerator type block that would require unholy amounts of energy to run and destroy gravel. Additionally (but unlikely to happen) I would like to see a small rework to the ores in that the veins should be less clearly defined. Instead of having pure iron voxels I would like to see iron "infused" stone voxels so that gravel would always be a byproduct of ore extraction. Those veins would be way bigger to compensate. That way the player would be incentivised to build (somewhat automated) mining ouposts instead if jumping from vein to vein.
Gravel could be droped onthe floor to repare unwanted drilled holes. Or to just colour the ground for roads.
Gravel could be droped onthe floor to repare unwanted drilled holes. Or to just colour the ground for roads.
It works really well for my Gravel ejection system. Funny thing is, with all the caustic mine tailings in the world, much of it in gravel form, There doesn't seem to be much of a push to turn it into concrete. It's a real world problem.
About the only use I could see having for it would be as a leveling and grading medium for roadbeds and backfill of holes but that is not going to happen so... Plus, using it may affect the mating habitat of the Sabroids and we cannot have that!
It works really well for my Gravel ejection system. Funny thing is, with all the caustic mine tailings in the world, much of it in gravel form, There doesn't seem to be much of a push to turn it into concrete. It's a real world problem.
About the only use I could see having for it would be as a leveling and grading medium for roadbeds and backfill of holes but that is not going to happen so... Plus, using it may affect the mating habitat of the Sabroids and we cannot have that!
make a gravel launcher! xD
make a gravel launcher! xD
Make a concrete block out of gravel+girders+glass (sand/silicon). Very heavy so it is not meant for building ships. Very durable, suitable for building base defences. 1 cube could require a lot, so you cannot just build a mega base out of it on day one. 5x5x3 block, 15x5x3. Huge ramps for the rovers to climb (lile 1x5 slope). The concrete block can be impossible to grind down if you do not own it. You can only destriy it with explosives like warheads or rockets. A lot of explosives. Basically making the base riding from beneeth unreasonably expensive endavor. Once you have covered your base from each side with concrete it is like a safe zone :). You will still have weak points where your entrance(s) are. You will need a tramendeous amount of resoucers to do it on large scale. Espetially considering there is silicon and iron involved as well. But you will save on turrets and a lot of PCU.
Make a concrete block out of gravel+girders+glass (sand/silicon). Very heavy so it is not meant for building ships. Very durable, suitable for building base defences. 1 cube could require a lot, so you cannot just build a mega base out of it on day one. 5x5x3 block, 15x5x3. Huge ramps for the rovers to climb (lile 1x5 slope). The concrete block can be impossible to grind down if you do not own it. You can only destriy it with explosives like warheads or rockets. A lot of explosives. Basically making the base riding from beneeth unreasonably expensive endavor. Once you have covered your base from each side with concrete it is like a safe zone :). You will still have weak points where your entrance(s) are. You will need a tramendeous amount of resoucers to do it on large scale. Espetially considering there is silicon and iron involved as well. But you will save on turrets and a lot of PCU.
What if you could use the stone you collect to build voxels? Since you can mine and destroy voxels, why not have the ability to create them as well? Not in mid-air, of course, but when ejecting stone from connectors near existing voxels, new voxels could be added on top. There could be an option to choose the color or type of material, like different shades of stone, sand, or even new materials like concrete, gravel, asphalt, and more. This would allow for slight terraforming of the landscape around your bases—recovering from over-mining mistakes, creating proper roads, or generally reducing the number of regular blocks (PCU) needed, since you could achieve much more with just voxels. Imagine creating flat surfaces, walls, ceilings, base defenses, bridges, or large landing areas for big ships without necessarily needing a big ice lake.
Of course, dumping materials wouldn't be a simple task. You'd need to develop clever machinery, expanding the engineering gameplay in new and interesting ways.
I'd also love to see the introduction of voxel toughness for different materials. For example, drilling through layers of concrete could be much harder than regular stone, making it a viable way to defend your base beyond just using safe zones or tons of turrets. Picture layering concrete around and beneath your base. Crafting these new "stones" (materials) would require new types of production blocks beyond the regular refinery. For instance, creating concrete could involve combining gravel, ice (for water), sand (once different types of stone are collected, instead of converting all voxel types to a single stone material), and metal grids or girders.
What if you could use the stone you collect to build voxels? Since you can mine and destroy voxels, why not have the ability to create them as well? Not in mid-air, of course, but when ejecting stone from connectors near existing voxels, new voxels could be added on top. There could be an option to choose the color or type of material, like different shades of stone, sand, or even new materials like concrete, gravel, asphalt, and more. This would allow for slight terraforming of the landscape around your bases—recovering from over-mining mistakes, creating proper roads, or generally reducing the number of regular blocks (PCU) needed, since you could achieve much more with just voxels. Imagine creating flat surfaces, walls, ceilings, base defenses, bridges, or large landing areas for big ships without necessarily needing a big ice lake.
Of course, dumping materials wouldn't be a simple task. You'd need to develop clever machinery, expanding the engineering gameplay in new and interesting ways.
I'd also love to see the introduction of voxel toughness for different materials. For example, drilling through layers of concrete could be much harder than regular stone, making it a viable way to defend your base beyond just using safe zones or tons of turrets. Picture layering concrete around and beneath your base. Crafting these new "stones" (materials) would require new types of production blocks beyond the regular refinery. For instance, creating concrete could involve combining gravel, ice (for water), sand (once different types of stone are collected, instead of converting all voxel types to a single stone material), and metal grids or girders.
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