Alpha 8.5 - Feedback: Retractable landing gears, turrets and weapons

Discussion in 'FAQ & Feedback' started by Hummel-o-War, Aug 27, 2018.

  1. Hummel-o-War

    Hummel-o-War Administrator Staff Member Community Manager

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    1. Retractable Landing Gears:
    [​IMG]

    - Added retractable landing gears (gear automatically extends if it is in contact with ground and retracts if it loses contact with ground)
    - Added retractable functionality to all landing gears (except docking pads)

    2. Retractable Turrets and Vessel Weapons:
    - Added retractable turrets (turret automatically retracts into its box when deactivated)
    [​IMG]
    - Added vessel weapons (weapon automatically retracts into its box when deactivated)
    - If the turret or weapon is retracted into its box, it has 20% stronger armor
    - Control Panel: Renamed "Turrets" switch to "Turrets & Weapons" and added turrets + mounted vessel weapons to switch for fast activation/de-activation

    === Update 8.6 ====

    Additions:
    - Added retractable turrets for Bases and Hover Vessels
    - Added Base Turrets in groups (similar to CV)
    - Added retractable versions for alien sentry guns
    - Added wall version for human sentry gun
    - Added retractable version for all human sentry guns (and put into block group)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    #1
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2018
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  2. geostar1024

    geostar1024 Rear Admiral

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    Two things:
    • Retractable landing gear should retract into a texturable box like the retractable turrets do.
    • It would be nice to have a toggle to directly control the behavior of the landing gear rather than relying on automatic surface detection.
     
    #2
  3. Steve Lee

    Steve Lee Ensign

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    A hotkey for the retractable weapons i believe is a must, especially for SV's.
    i also concur with geostar
     
    #3
  4. LeVentNoir

    LeVentNoir Captain

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    1. Retracting a bit makes it a question of ugly or less ugly. Retracting into a box is needed for nice looking.
    2. No control is a real problem, especially with landing on say, space bases.
     
    #4
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  5. jadefalcon

    jadefalcon Captain

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    100% agree

    I would also have liked to see a few more models for landing gear
     
    #5
  6. Rizzo

    Rizzo Ensign

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    Agree with retract to box functionality for aesthetics. Also, if we are going to keep auto deployment, it needs to deploy further from the surface. Currently the bottom of most of my ships hit the ground and then the landing gear deploys. I would still prefer to deploy landing gear via hotkey instead.

    For weapons, can we please split the color options for the turret and the box. Example: want to keep the weapon gunmetal or black while painting the box it retracts into red to match my ship, etc.
     
    #6
  7. Ivellios

    Ivellios Commander

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    Just found out about the update, going to have to check it out tomorrow... been hoping for this for a long time.

    As someone that used to work on aircraft (and pilot simmer) ... have to agree with Geostar on the landing gear box like for the turrets... in fact having the option for toggleable, or automatic would be nice.
     
    #7
  8. rebuilthk47

    rebuilthk47 Commander

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    Just so I understand, is it currently only a select few weapons that retract, or should all? I ask because I entered creative mode and never got any but the front facing weapons to retract.
     
    #8
  9. icehot

    icehot Commander

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    I mentioned this in the experimental, but want to re-add it in here as well so it doesn't get forgotten about. I think with everything else now retracting, it would make a lot of sense to have the drill modules also able retract but separately from the weapons/turrets on off switch as I'd want those to retract when I go into battle so the enemy doesn't target them and they have more hitpoints etc.
     
    #9
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  10. rebuilthk47

    rebuilthk47 Commander

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    What I meant by being unable to get any weapons but the front facing weapons to retract, is that none of the turrets have the box they go into. None of them say "retractable: true" like the front facing weapons. When I downloaded the update, Steam said 600MB, it took a while to download, but when it finished it only said 25/25mb. I did a file check and it says everything is fine.

    So I'm curious if something is messed up, or if what I'm seeing is accurate.
     
    #10
  11. Germanicus

    Germanicus Rear Admiral

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    It might be that you see only the Hotfix from Yesterday which was approx. 25mb in size?
     
    #11
  12. rebuilthk47

    rebuilthk47 Commander

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    i keep this game on auto update. perhaps steam didn't show the current update as having finished when it completed. but my concern is more about the turrets retracting and whether or not they're all supposed to, or only a few right now, and more added later.
     
    #12
  13. Germanicus

    Germanicus Rear Admiral

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    #13
  14. Pantera

    Pantera Administrator Staff Member

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    What build number does it say in the top left of your screen when you have loaded into the game ?
    What branch are you opted into when you right click on Empyrion in your steam library go to properties then click on the betas tab you should be opted to 'None - opted out of all beta programs'

    When you equip a turret for the CV & right click a window should appear showing the retractable option
    View attachment 48822
     
    #14
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  15. Rizzo

    Rizzo Ensign

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    If you are using a ship with the old models they don't retract. You need to put the turrets in your toolbar and right click. There are now multiple options per turret. One should be fixed (i.e. old model) one, one should be retractable. Some turret groups have multiples of each.
     
    #15
  16. rebuilthk47

    rebuilthk47 Commander

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    i am on 18.5, and I don't do the experimental version.
    *looks at picture*
    OH!!! The right click... It's like when choosing different block shapes. I was attempting it when it was already placed! I see now that the description box is different now for what goes in the inventory, but then you have your options with all the details on each one.

    While it should be clear by saying "place them on your toolbar" that you have to be placing them on the blocks, that's not coming through clearly. I'm not the only one that was confused by this.

    I see that CV turrets have that option, but HV turrets do not. I tried them in the same way and there was no indication that they retract or have retractable block options.
     
    #16
  17. Ian Einman

    Ian Einman Captain

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    The turrets were changed to group them together into similar classes. I like the idea in general as it simplifies how many different weapon block types I have to carry around when making a ship, but I'm not sure if the groupings are quite right.
    • Projectile Turrets: Cannon + Minigun. I'm OK with this. However, I hope this doesn't affect the level requirement for the BA version eventually - it is important that people can build at least some kind of turret early on.
    • Rocket Turrets: Rocket + Flak. Well, this didn't make sense to me, I considered flak a type of artillery turret. Flak will explode, but unlike a rocket is not self-propelled (and certainly doesn't home in on the target). Perhaps the name is just not quite right.
    • Laser Turrets: Laser + Plasma. Plasma is not in any way related to lasers. Plasma is extremely high temperature matter. Maybe if they were called "Energy Turrets" it would sound less strange.
    • Artillery Turrets: Artillery. Again, to me I really considered flak to be a type of artillery but perhaps that's just me.
    If they're going to be grouped, I'd like to suggest simplifying it to three tiers of weapons. I think this would be more scalable as new weapon types are added.
    • Weapon Turret (T1): Cannon, Minigun
    • Weapon Turret (T2): Rocket, Flak
    • Weapon Turret (T3): Laser, Plasma, Artillery, Railgun
    • Tool Turret: Drill, Multitool
    I removed the plural because it isn't used elsewhere, e.g. "Steel Block" gives you multiple choices but each one only represents a single block. (You'll also notice I added railgun because... I like them.)

    Another request I have is that the weapons are merged between CV and BA. Currently you have to create separate turrets, and separate ammo, for a CV Artillery Turret and a BA Artillery Turret. I don't think this serves any purpose other than occasionally causing people to make the wrong turret or ammo. Why not a single weapon that just has a yellow and red dot next to it, much like a Large Constructor?
     
    #17
  18. Isaac Dark

    Isaac Dark Ensign

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    In my opinion are retractable sv-weapons are useless, because the only purposes of sv's are to explore and fight. And even if you just explore, you have to deal with drones.
    And honest, most of the svs as well cvs are using the weapons as a design element.
    So just being able to switch off the power would be enough.
    Btw, I would much more like having retractable drills.

    PS: The retractable turrets are great, I like them :)
     
    #18
  19. Ian Einman

    Ian Einman Captain

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    I don't think that the retractable SV weapons are that useful yet. They are just aesthetic and as you mention it is desirable to have weapons at the ready.

    However, I think you should eventually be able to link the power signal of the weapons to the detector as an input, so that when enemies are in range the weapons can auto-deploy and be ready for action. At the end of battle the weapons automatically shut down. Then when a ship is landed in friendly territory the weapons are retracted (which would look better for some ships and possibly eventually have some aerodynamic benefit).
     
    #19
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  20. Demonic

    Demonic Captain

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    I second that. It irked me before and it bothers me still. Give us ability to tie signals to the hotbar of the CV/SV/HV so we don't need to go to Control Panel to turn something on / off. That way, we don't need hotkeys for lights/power etc, everyone would just set up a few signals (why not those from custom signals, eh) and personalise the controls of their craft any way they see fit.

    I agree keybinds for power and lights are probably a reasonable choice since newcomers usually don't know about signals, but it would be great to have utility like that... to be able to open/close hatches, hangars, deploy turrets and guns, just from your hotbar.
     
    #20
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