Space Suits
A spacesuit in the SE has a very small energy and oxygen supply. The player must return to the ship every now and then to replenish the supply. In doing so, the real A7L spacesuits used in the Apollo moon expeditions already provided at least eight hours of full autonomy.
I understand that this is part of the game mechanics. Still, suit autonomy should be longer - say at least two or three hours, which is roughly the typical length of a single gaming session for most players.
The oxygen consumption of the human body is typically 0.2-0.25l/min at rest, but up to 3-5l/min at extreme prolonged exertion. This corresponds to an oxygen consumption of 0.02kg/h at rest and up to 0.43kg/h under heavy load. So in a game, oxygen consumption should not exceed, say, half a kilogram of oxygen per hour...
Similarly, the dependence of a suit's energy consumption on the temperature of the outside environment is highly illogical. A spacesuit in a vacuum can only lose heat by radiation, a process that is inefficient at human body temperature. With good insulation, the "normal human body" can produce enough thermal energy to not need additional heating until the equilibrium ambient temperature of -150°C. This corresponds to a cosmic environment somewhere beyond the orbit of Saturn...
In a planetary atmosphere, the heat dissipation will be greater, but the suit should not need to be heated up to temperatures around -100°C.
As for hydrogen consumption and jetpack use - it should be calculated over changes in velocity (i.e. acceleration) and engineer weight, including cargo in inventory. It should be possible to fly "everywhere" - but depending on local gravity and on the cargo in inventory.
I like this feedback
Space suit from "Boundary" game ("Boundary" itself is almost "dead" for now) IMO one of best concept for open space.
Interestingly designed was also the motion control system - it is clearly visible in the gameplay videos.
Space suit from "Boundary" game ("Boundary" itself is almost "dead" for now) IMO one of best concept for open space.
Interestingly designed was also the motion control system - it is clearly visible in the gameplay videos.
While I understand the frustration in having to continually restock and resupply your suit every 20 minutes, it's also worth considering that including power/oxygen requirements are a crucial part of the gameplay experience. If the "time to replenish" is too long, then why bother including the mechanics at all?
Ideally, the mechanics should be tuned so as to keep oxygen/power as meaningful and relatively frequent concerns, especially in early game. As the game progresses, there can (should) be options to reduce the annoyance/tedium of constantly refilling your meters - and I think SE1 does okay with oxygen (access to bottles, pressurized rooms, etc), but less so when dealing with power (something I agree should be corrected).
From a purely simulationist perspective, it's worth remembering that the default day/night cycle for SE1 is two hours, and with a power/O2 refill time of 20-30 minutes means that SE's default suit capacity is 4-6 scale hours.
While I understand the frustration in having to continually restock and resupply your suit every 20 minutes, it's also worth considering that including power/oxygen requirements are a crucial part of the gameplay experience. If the "time to replenish" is too long, then why bother including the mechanics at all?
Ideally, the mechanics should be tuned so as to keep oxygen/power as meaningful and relatively frequent concerns, especially in early game. As the game progresses, there can (should) be options to reduce the annoyance/tedium of constantly refilling your meters - and I think SE1 does okay with oxygen (access to bottles, pressurized rooms, etc), but less so when dealing with power (something I agree should be corrected).
From a purely simulationist perspective, it's worth remembering that the default day/night cycle for SE1 is two hours, and with a power/O2 refill time of 20-30 minutes means that SE's default suit capacity is 4-6 scale hours.
The Ability to alter the suit could probably help with balance.
For example you could make a more advanced suit with a greater battery life and larger Oxygen tanks, but limit storage capacity to make room for the better hardware. (Good for scouting and basic repairs)
Or a bulky suit with a powerful battery, large Oxygen tank, lots of cargo space, but little to no Hydrogen tanks.
The Ability to alter the suit could probably help with balance.
For example you could make a more advanced suit with a greater battery life and larger Oxygen tanks, but limit storage capacity to make room for the better hardware. (Good for scouting and basic repairs)
Or a bulky suit with a powerful battery, large Oxygen tank, lots of cargo space, but little to no Hydrogen tanks.
I would like to share some thoughts regarding the spacesuit mechanics in Space Engineers, particularly focusing on realism and gameplay balance.
Breathing Mixtures: It’s important to note that humans do not breathe pure oxygen; instead, we typically inhale a mixture of gases, which consists of about 20% oxygen and 80% nitrogen. Implementing a breathing mixture in the game could enhance realism and provide players with a better understanding of life support systems.
Hydrogen Combustion: Hydrogen itself is not flammable; it requires oxygen to combust. This could lead to interesting mechanics where players need to manage both oxygen and hydrogen for their jetpacks, making resource management more crucial.
Heat Dissipation in Vacuum: In a vacuum, heat can be expelled not only through radiation but also by releasing gas. If a player were to vent warm gas from their suit, the gas from ballon would cool down as it expands, providing an additional cooling mechanism. This could allow for the introduction of a nitrogen ballon in the game, which would serve multiple purposes:
Oxygen + Nitrogen = Breathing Mixture: Players could use nitrogen to create a breathable atmosphere for their suits.
Oxygen + Hydrogen = Jetpack Fuel: This could introduce a more complex fuel system for jetpacks.
Venting Nitrogen for Cooling: Players could vent nitrogen to cool their suits.
By incorporating nitrogen into the gameplay, we could achieve two goals:
Enhance realism in the game’s life support and resource management systems.
Justify higher oxygen consumption rates, as players would need to manage a more complex mixture for their life support.
Additionally, if there is a heating mechanic in the game (or if it could be easily added), it would be logical that less gas would be consumed in shaded areas of a vacuum, reducing resource expenditure.
I would like to share some thoughts regarding the spacesuit mechanics in Space Engineers, particularly focusing on realism and gameplay balance.
Breathing Mixtures: It’s important to note that humans do not breathe pure oxygen; instead, we typically inhale a mixture of gases, which consists of about 20% oxygen and 80% nitrogen. Implementing a breathing mixture in the game could enhance realism and provide players with a better understanding of life support systems.
Hydrogen Combustion: Hydrogen itself is not flammable; it requires oxygen to combust. This could lead to interesting mechanics where players need to manage both oxygen and hydrogen for their jetpacks, making resource management more crucial.
Heat Dissipation in Vacuum: In a vacuum, heat can be expelled not only through radiation but also by releasing gas. If a player were to vent warm gas from their suit, the gas from ballon would cool down as it expands, providing an additional cooling mechanism. This could allow for the introduction of a nitrogen ballon in the game, which would serve multiple purposes:
Oxygen + Nitrogen = Breathing Mixture: Players could use nitrogen to create a breathable atmosphere for their suits.
Oxygen + Hydrogen = Jetpack Fuel: This could introduce a more complex fuel system for jetpacks.
Venting Nitrogen for Cooling: Players could vent nitrogen to cool their suits.
By incorporating nitrogen into the gameplay, we could achieve two goals:
Enhance realism in the game’s life support and resource management systems.
Justify higher oxygen consumption rates, as players would need to manage a more complex mixture for their life support.
Additionally, if there is a heating mechanic in the game (or if it could be easily added), it would be logical that less gas would be consumed in shaded areas of a vacuum, reducing resource expenditure.
I would even add a "no space suit" option for pressurized surroundings like in a space ship/station filled with air. Running all time around in a space suit was always a bit strange on SE1.
I would even add a "no space suit" option for pressurized surroundings like in a space ship/station filled with air. Running all time around in a space suit was always a bit strange on SE1.
Replies have been locked on this page!