Getting Rid of the 250x250x250 Size Limit For Structures

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by Joij, Aug 9, 2020.

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Should the current 250x250x250 block limit be removed?

  1. Yes, absolutely!

    9 vote(s)
    37.5%
  2. Yes, but it should be an option for servers to choose.

    7 vote(s)
    29.2%
  3. No, that's a stupid idea.

    1 vote(s)
    4.2%
  4. Impossible!!! The game engine can't handle it!!!

    7 vote(s)
    29.2%
  1. Joij

    Joij Lieutenant

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    It needs to go. Currently it is limiting creativity on single player. Ships can never exceed the size of a corvette according to most Sci-Fi. Just make it an option so multiplayer servers can have their own size limits. Especially since the game is out of Alpha this is a must have option now that we are currently in the full release.
     
    #1
  2. Once upon a time the devs said that they did intend to increase the max structure dimensions at some later point in development.
    That was long before the implementation of the CPU mechanic though.
    Now that we have CPU, which serves to restrict the size of our structures, I have a feeling that they might no longer intend on increasing the max structure size anymore.
    I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. I still have that feeling though.
     
    #2
  3. Ambaire

    Ambaire Captain

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    CPU is still optional and disabled by default.

    Hopefully they'll remove it entirely since it's Very Bad ~'Design'~.
     
    #3
  4. It is optional and it is disabled by default (in survival) but it's still the intended playstyle going forward. We've heard multiple times that it will likely eventually be enabled by default. It will remain optional though.

    The point is that they spent so much time focused on CPU and restricting our builds with it that they are potentially less likely to increase the max dimensions anymore.
    As I said it is just a feeling on my part though. I have no proof to back it up, just my observations.
     
    #4
  5. Joij

    Joij Lieutenant

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    That's what has me worried as well. Especially considering we are now in the full release, I'm not sure if the developers want to commit to larger things like the size limit. I'm just hoping that maybe they will listen. Fingers Crossed.
     
    #5
  6. Escarli

    Escarli Rear Admiral

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    Personally I wish it was on by default its annoying having to remember to turn it on. I don't see it as bad design, it actually adds a lot to the game.

    To the topic at hand, I can see why and not against the idea, but I would say there are few builds that come close to those limits. It takes a considerable time investment to build something that big and even more to make it good.
     
    #6
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  7. Myrmidon

    Myrmidon Rear Admiral

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    The CPU seems that will remain as a feature. And same goes with the limit. If you want to crate big structures go play minecraft or something.
     
    #7
  8. Germanicus

    Germanicus Rear Admiral

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    If you look at something such as @jrandall Space Carrier...that it pretty much the limit in every way. And even he ran out of ideas and had brought several other builders "on Board" for decorating the Interior;):D.
     
    #8
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  9. Ambaire

    Ambaire Captain

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    That opinion is insane. Minecraft, for space ships? :wtc:

    I'd recommend Space Engineers instead. Ships in that game have theoretical hard limits of ~2^16 physics shapes, (2^32)-1 cubes on all edges, and ~2 billion blocks total, at least according to a post from 2 years ago.

    In Space Engineers, people have built 42km tall (roughly 21k+ blocks in one direction) space elevators from a planet's surface to the edge of simulated gravity. Empyrion's limits are pathetic in comparison.


    e. here's a 750 block tall ship someone made in SE
     
    #9
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2020
  10. Myrmidon

    Myrmidon Rear Admiral

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    Who said anything about spaceships? For mega structures in general. One may build a huge BA or something. Also a hover vessel is not a spaceship.
     
    #10
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2020
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  11. Joij

    Joij Lieutenant

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    Bases in Empyrion aren't really a problem with the size limit, you can stack multiple bases next to each other to create something gargantuan. Also there is a trick where you can park a large CV that looks like a building on top of a base to create a giant skyscraper. It's definitely the vehicle side of things that get really hurt with the current restrictions. You know the things that can actually move.

    Now as far as Minecraft is concerned, that's a pretty poor game to make spaceships in. Only a few mods allow for movable structures, and mods that allow for planets are limited by Minecraft's very low amount of ID slots for biomes. Hence why this game is actually superior for generating an actual, well you guessed it, galaxy.

    As for Space Engineers while it does allow for larger spaceships it suffers from the second problem that Minecraft does, not a very large galaxy. I'm also pretty sure Space Engineers only takes place in a single system and has nowhere near the survival experience of this game.

    Then we also have games like No Man's Sky, Elite Dangerous, and Star Citizen. While they have large and diverse galaxies, unfortunately everything in those games is a prefab, from starfighters, to capital ships, bases and so on. Nothing exists that you can actually build yourself.

    I think we currently are in a catch 22 when it comes to modern space exploration games. You either have ones that give you a large intuitive galaxy to explore with a full survival experience but with limited creativity and prefabs, or ones with unlimited creativity and building but without the previously mentioned.
     
    #11
  12. Average

    Average Commander

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    I don't think CPU will be a barrier for large sizes in SP or even custom MP so long as the custom config is available. Even if they make CPU on by default, it's not too hard to alter the CPU cost of steel blocks etc, and if it's difficult for many people no doubt someone will offer a custom scenario that achieves that through a simple workshop install.

    I agree increasing the block limit would be nice. Although, I doubt they have such a limit in place because they WANT it there. My guess is that it's a way of making collision detection much much faster. If you know two ships aren't within 250 blocks of each-other, you don't have to check each and every block of the first ship to see if it's colliding with any of the blocks on the other ship. For two ships with 10,000 blocks, that's 10,000 * 10,000 = 100,000,000 checks if blocks have similar locations every frame (eg. 60 times a second). Remove the limit, and you might increase that number of calculations exponentially, in a way that you can't always just "optimise" away. This is only a guess, and it's a reasonable request, but I'm guessing it's a lot harder than just removing the limit.

    I'd also guess it's not an issue in Minecraft because structures are static and can never dynamically collide with each-other.
     
    #12
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  13. ravien_ff

    ravien_ff Rear Admiral

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    One problem with those massive structures in Space Engineers that people forget about:
    The lag. :D

    (The space elevator doesn't cause much lag because it's simple, but if you're building something like a star destroyer it will cause a lot of lag).
     
    #13
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  14. Myrmidon

    Myrmidon Rear Admiral

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    Why would anyone want to build a really huge vessel in first place? It will end useless. Have you ever tried to go from one end to the other in a big vessel? You spend half you your game time in EGS to do just that, walking. Please tell me what is the real use of something that big? Except for abstract purposes?

    @Joij, also, please show me your workshop submissions where there are really huge vessels submitted something that proves that you, as a builder, have reached your creation boundaries with current EGS, in matters of size.

    Oh wait....:rolleyes:
     
    #14
  15. Joij

    Joij Lieutenant

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    1.) You have a jetpack to get around your ship, a faster version of the elevator could also be added that sends you sideways. Also there's the teleporter.

    2.) It's not so much as making a functional ship but a "pimp ship". All pomp and circumstance. It would also be used to make 1:1 replicas of sci-fi/movie vehicles.

    3.) I don't publish. Do you have anything on the workshop? Probably mediocre anyway;)
     
    #15
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  16. Germanicus

    Germanicus Rear Admiral

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    At 1.)
    There can be only one Teleporter on a ship (at least this is what I remember to have read)
    At 2.)
    Fancy is not always functional - if you want to find a middle Ground look at those Builders who do Super-Large Vessels, such as @Sephrajin or @jrandall - they are not only large but well textured/decorated too. AND functional.
    At 3.)
    Don't think of others lesser than of yourself. (no, not from the Bible. Its a Roman saying).

    Sure, I too wanted to have 1:1 build Vessels. ISD in 1:1 is out of the Question - as @Myrmidon pointed out, you would need a SV to get from its Bow to its Bridge. Also, as @ravien_ff said - such huge builds are FPS Killers par excellence. And Vessels got "restricted" in Size well before CPU. Because of aforementioned Reasons.
     
    #16
  17. Myrmidon

    Myrmidon Rear Admiral

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    @Joij What @Germanicus said covers it pretty much all. Also if you have not created a single vessel reaching the current dimensional limits, I am sorry but you have not right to ask those limits to be expanded. Play with what you have and then see if you truly need more or current limitations just suffice for proper gameplay. Even if you want to turn the game a showcase museum of some shorts.
     
    #17
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  18. Average

    Average Commander

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  19. Ambaire

    Ambaire Captain

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    Say what? That is a completely nonsensical statement. Who are you to tell people what they may or may not suggest in a Suggestions forum?
     
    #19
  20. Joij

    Joij Lieutenant

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    Your saying I don't have the right, when in fact I do build to the point of reaching the limit quite often. And yet here you are complaining.

    Somehow one could say this applies to Myrmidon first and foremost. After all he was the one who started it by somehow believing I don't have the "right'" or that somehow I don't construct really large builds. Gatekeeping at its finest.
     
    #20
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