Something that just occurred to me that would be both useful and easy to implement: Magnetic Blocks These would be an alternative to Landing Gear, or even just a landing gear alternative, and function in the same manner, allowing a vessel to "attach" to another vessel or structure, but would not extend or give much indication they were otherwise different from normal blocks. Ok, why? I commonly build vehicles meant to be transported - small HV's that are carried by SV's/CV's to other distant locations, or SV fighters/drop craft carried by CV's, much like we've all done. I just like to give many of these options - including landing gear/pads on both the top and the bottom, allowing them to dock in a "normal" manner, or to be suspended from above (or sometimes behind), but this results in either a strange-looking landing pad sticking off the top of a vessel, or a retractable landing gear unit that always deploys when a ship is landing and looks strange. A magnetic block would solve this, as it could be painted, textured, and blend in to a design in a manner that isn't noticeable, and could allow for some other interesting functionality - such as creating modular vehicles that "fit" together better and in less obvious manners. And to go hand-in-hand with these, a slightly more challenging, but equally useful couple of device-blocks: Swivel, Hinge and Ball-Joint blocks. Useful how? These would allow us to construct things like Train-Vehicles - several smaller vehicles hitched together with some flex between the vehicles, which would make them easier to maneuver and look good at the same time. There would be quite a few other uses for such blocks and devices as well.
I feel like adding standard window shapes to fit block shapes would be really useful not only for making nicer builds, but also for saving in size class. Potentially larger dimensions of windows or dynamic windows would also help saving size class. What I mean by dynamic windows is adjusting the model of a set of windows depending on their dimension as a grid. For example, if you placed windows in a 6x6 area and then upscale the model of a 1x1 to a 6x6 size you could keep a lower size class and have a less fragmented big window.
Docking ramps that extend one more block for all sizes and shapes. 3x3x2 is a size I want to use more often, except I really need it 3x3x3 to keep my ships from looking so... peculiar. It makes those nice loading ramps a bit tricky to use, especially with landing gear.. they always wind up one block short.
I could always use more mecha parts. Like hands, heads, and feet are difficult to make. Voltron, Power Rangers, Gundam, many others are all giant rideable space robots in the sci-fi realm. Also alternate cockpit seating in this orientation or upside down of what's picture would be nice. The model doesn't necessarily have to change.
@Hummel-o-War These are the corner shapes that I am fairly certain were available to use for the Heavy Window Blocks, but for some reason they are missing now.
These two mirrored shapes may have been requested before, but so far have not been added. View attachment 69570
That is close, but NOT the correct shape, if you look again at (Ramp Connector B) it has two square faces, the shape that is needed only has one square face.
@Hummel-o-War 'Master' and 'Slave' cores would be a neat addition. It could be a great addition to idea. I have a build which is two CV's: Transport Pad CV & Shield/Hangar CV Both have a full set of thrusters, and their own cockpits, but when the Shield is docked onto/over the Transport Pad, only the Transport Pad's thrusters are functional while the other CV is docked. Having a 'Master' and 'Slave' core set could allow for one CV to still control both sets of thrusters, share fuel/resources, shield, and help with thrust and control. It could also be used in cases where HV turrets are placed on a CV, and allowing them to function as turrets (or whatever creative ideas we come up with) when docked to other SV/HV/CV/BA's
I would like to suggest alternate energy sources such as wind power, perhaps the ability to convert things such as grains to a bio-fuel source (as we do in RL). I think the generators are fine as they can take a variety of fuel sources but non-fuel requiring energy sources would be great. Also adding general batteries that could store excess energy production to enhance power management. The solar batteries are great, but would be nice if they could also capture the excess reactor output since the reactors are burning fuel regardless. Programmable blocks would be awesome, scripts for LCD's would also be awesome. Actual elevators would also be cool. I saw one in a space engineers mod that even had music. That was classy A navigation feature that goes beyond a single jump such as the ability to plot a course to a world thats 3 jumps away and not haveb to constantly go back to the map screen would be great too. Another things that's bugged me for awhile on the food side. We have canned vegetables, we have canned meat... why not canned fruit. I would think logically canned fruit would be more a thing to put in a can than meat. I would also like to see more variety of wild life example fish, birds etc. I can hear all manner of wild life on tropical worlds but never encounter the critters making them. IE I hear monkeys (or what sounds like them) but never encounter anything but normal aliens that make entirely different sounds. Lastly, the sound when searching a Zirax body... it sounds like I am unzipping them and find a sandwich, its just weird man. Perhaps a new sound effect such as the rustling of a pocket or something I dunno but the zipper one is just weird. Thanks for all the progress you have made on the game, it has come along way, I've clocked going on 1500 hours into the game thus far and still loving it.
Here's a couple blocks that just came to mind, along with some mock-ups in 3d. (Windows 3d Builder leaves a lot to be desired....) An "I" beam block. Classic Industrial building block. A "T" beam block. A Centered flat wall. (Bottom plane included for clarity only).
Anti-gravity elevator blocks. Step in it, be slowly transported upward or downward, determined by a new sensor with up or down arrow. Anti-gravity field can be set up with the sensor's interactive setup. Now behold! The mouse drawn Paint diagram;
Cool idea...... With multiple "anti-grav" blocks, you could make an area of a base floatable for work on an SV or HV. Essentially, they would just take the elevator block, and remove the structure around it. I would like to see actual moving platforms. but with the new SV to SV docking, it could be done easily. Would even be cool to make a platform that carries ships along a rail system. But yeah, moving blocks would be nice. With some actual automation, you could set limits on movement parameters, or timed functions. I tried to make PV's that could do this, but nope.. that was a fail.
Perhaps these animations will bring some extra attention to these missing shapes. View attachment 69834
What about "grabbing" gear? As opposed to landing gear, the "grabbing" gear would allow for a vessel to grab or pick up other vessels or container builds for easy transport and drop off. The pain of having to pop a cockpit onto a build that is intended for storage or a defensive turret, or troop transport could be avoided, along with the tedious task of trying to pilot it to the vessel. The grabbing gear would essentially add a new dimension to transport and delivery of storage, defense and create a new class of ship types, rather than having to hop in and out of cockpits, going back and forth between them: it's a simple addition that would alleviate a lot of extra steps that we currently have to endure. Side note: I will copy this over to it's own thread in hope's of generating more dialogue around the idea, and hopefully get the attention of the dev's.
