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Expanding on data pads

Matata shared this feedback ago

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I feel data pads could be of better use than just having optional story elements in them.

Having the datapad's be able to be configured into:

Blueprint datapads that slot into the projector.

Code datapads that slots into programmable blocks.

Maps that can slot into Holomaps. Think a table projecting a holographic map that shows a segment of scanned terrain, ships, buildings or all three. Imagine getting a mission where you are to destroy a compound and you get a holoview of the compund and the surrounding terrain.

If good ore veins become something to find, you could also have the coordinates and a terrain map with the ores highlighted below the surface.

Encrypted intel, slotted into a codebreaker.

Access codes for sneaking into guarded enemy space on stealth ops, slotted into the antenna or something.

One that functions like a wireless tablet to control a grids functions. A mechanical arm that can be controlled from where you stand, instead of having a fixed cockpit somewhere. You could be far more precise if you are lifting a boat out of the water, as you don't have to rely on having a good orbit camera, and it becomes more immersive.

Or instead of slotting them into the block directly, you could have a server rack that can hold several to be accessed throughout the grid. Making an interior decoration addition, that isn't just wasted space on a ship or base. Imagine a big server room with actual purpose.

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Best Answer

4Peace ●

Absolutely.

Datapads have to be first class citizens in this game.

Here are a couple of suggestions that make use of datapads:

Immersive Map

Unlock/Research Components Instead of Blocks

And a suggestion about what you describe as "wireless tablet to control a grids functions"

Wireless Terminal

Replies (3)

Deon Beauchamp ●

What about having a data pad that authorises the use of a grid ?

It could contain a crew roster and access rights.

There would need to be a grid command block for it to be used with.

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Matata ●

That is a good addition i think.

This could also be the weakpoint to hack if you wanted to take over an enemy grid. Decrypting the datapad with the roster and rights then editing who has rights to it.

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4Peace ● ●

Absolutely.

Datapads have to be first class citizens in this game.

Here are a couple of suggestions that make use of datapads:

Immersive Map

Unlock/Research Components Instead of Blocks

And a suggestion about what you describe as "wireless tablet to control a grids functions"

Wireless Terminal

Reply URL

Semtex ●

IMHO, these aren't bad ideas, but they have one problem. The server handles the distribution of descriptions for all objects in the game world to all clients in that game world.

That's probably why KSwH is so desperately opposed to the existence of “unique” items.

Think about it—in SE1, you have the models and textures for all the “unique” spacesuits and items on your computer. You just don’t have the right to use them.

Similarly, your computers contain models and descriptions of all the ships and stations that you will see and may encounter in the game world—whether on a server or in single-player mode. The fact that you cannot create these objects is a different issue.

So when you’re fighting against another player’s “new unique structure,” the complete description of their “new unique structure” is transferred to the server and then to your computer. It makes sense—otherwise, your computer wouldn’t be able to render the “new unique structure” correctly.

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4Peace ●

Datapads are not unique items.

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Semtex ●

An “empty datapad” is not unique, but a datapad with text content is unique. This applies unless the datapad’s content is defined directly within the game.

And you must assign a unique identifier to each individual datapad with unique content, even if the content of a group of datapads is identical. Simply because each datapad can be edited individually—and you must be able to track datapads with unique content in the game world.

Simply put, if the datapad's content is defined by the game, the object is not unique; but if the datapad's content is defined by the player, the object is unique.

An interesting discovery was made in SE1: Keen limited the text size in the datapad to 1,000 characters. This is very restrictive, especially for creators of “story-based plugins.”

Some clever person figured out that an item’s name can be more than three thousand characters long. You can’t take advantage of this while playing, but it can be useful when creating a plugin.

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4Peace ●

Datapad with a custom text inside is going to be in the game anyway. Leave the implementation details for devs to figure out :)

Datapads for production recipes to unlock components, on the other hand, are not even infinite. You will have as much as we have different components, or a bit more. Maps are basically a collection of view points of a single shared world map, so they should weigh even less than grid blueprint data pads. But for the latter, it is basically the same issues as having any grid in the game, like those saved inside projectors for example, except they don't have to be ready for rendering.

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