Need more XL things (not overcompensating at all!)

[mr.WHO]

With the introduction of Player Wharfs, Shipyards and having several big stations (70+ modules) I feel more than ever that we need to expand the amount of things that come in XL size.

We need:
XL miners - my stations need so much resources that I wish I had a frickin' planetcraker from Dead Space series.
XL freighters - Currently I want to build anoher big station and I need like 15'000 Claytronics and 70'000 HUll Plates...yet currently the biggest freighter (Shuyaku sentinel) can barelly hold 2'000. I wish there was a superfreighter that could hold like 10'000.

XL production modules for most frequently used factories:
- Microchips
- Smart Chips
- Hull Plates
- Claytronics
- Weapon Components
- Refined Metals
- Graphene
- SIlicon Wafers
- Engine Components
- Energy Cell
- Antimatter Cell
- Storage modules

Also XL size Habitats that can store at least 5'000 workforce.

[Ezarkal]

For the ships, I agree. Setting up 50+ trade runs to feed your every station constructions gets old pretty fast.

For the modules, I don't mind the way they are now. Just adding more modules to a station gives you opportunities to make something nice. But I like designing stations, so adding more modules only mean more options for me. (That argument actually works both way, though. XL modules gives you a bigger palette of stuff to put in...)
I would, however, give more connection points to production modules. Almost all of them can only be connected from the bottom, and that gets old pretty fast. I know you can just remove the connectors and do what you damn well please with the modules themselves, but... my OCD doesn't like that.



Oh, and it would be cool to have the option to see how the complete station would look like in the build menu, as opposed to only seeing the general frame of the modules, and only seeing the rendered modules once they are built.

[otto_deluxe]

I agree with the OP. If you want to print a proper fleet and smash it at bugged Xenon stations, you need to scale up your logistics. XL modules could be easier on the simspeed and autopilot. Also, placing ~200 modules in the wonky 3D thing with and without connectors is a pain eventually. Getting the placement and rotation just right with 2 FPS in the station builder, or having the new module connect to the exact connection you want, and not snap to god knows where.

[radcapricorn]

And an XL glass for the spacefuel! Can't stand those tiny 25ml shots...

[Nafensoriel]

Id prefer if they went the litcube route and allowed us to "upgrade" the module into more capacity. Less asset clutter and more utility.

[Chris0132]

More large modules would be nice, it would help to give more structure to large stations in addition to the utility in production.

If you wanted to save on assets you could perhaps make "enhancer" modules which accelerate the production of anything directly attached to them. So then you only need to make a few of those enhancer modules and use all the existing modules to determine what you produce.

It'd also be nice to have a bit of mechanical meaning in how you structure your complexes? With things working better when directly attached or attached via specific kinds of connectors?

[Imperial Good]

We do not need bigger modules, we need faster construction ships.

Construction ship crew skill and captain skill as well as loadout should have a larger impact on construction times. A very skilled construction ship should be able to build 2-4 times faster than an unskilled one.

[otto_deluxe]

We do not need bigger modules, we need faster construction ships.

Construction ship crew skill and captain skill as well as loadout should have a larger impact on construction times. A very skilled construction ship should be able to build 2-4 times faster than an unskilled one.

How does that help with clutter? It only means we get more clutter faster, but that is besides some of the points. *If* you want to build that 5000 module megaplex, sure that would be helpful. But if you want the production of 5000 modules with the performance hit and menu clutter of 50 modules, only making construction ships faster will do no good.

[Imperial Good]

How does that help with clutter? It only means we get more clutter faster, but that is besides some of the points. *If* you want to build that 5000 module megaplex, sure that would be helpful. But if you want the production of 5000 modules with the performance hit and menu clutter of 50 modules, only making construction ships faster will do no good.

The menu clutter needs solving by other means, such as being able to group together modules and parts of stations into folders. A start would be to have in the logical overview multiple of the same module collapse into a single node.

The module logic itself is likely trivial. GPU overhead from drawing the modules is also not an issue seeing how XL modules would need similar complexity and scale to large numbers of the normal variants so as to fit in with the rest of the station.

[mr.WHO]

How does that help with clutter? It only means we get more clutter faster, but that is besides some of the points. *If* you want to build that 5000 module megaplex, sure that would be helpful. But if you want the production of 5000 modules with the performance hit and menu clutter of 50 modules, only making construction ships faster will do no good.

The menu clutter needs solving by other means, such as being able to group together modules and parts of stations into folders. A start would be to have in the logical overview multiple of the same module collapse into a single node.

The module logic itself is likely trivial. GPU overhead from drawing the modules is also not an issue seeing how XL modules would need similar complexity and scale to large numbers of the normal variants so as to fit in with the rest of the station.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... 1694780910

I think you should rething your statement - there is more to it than just GPU stress - easier management (smaller Logical overview), easier building (not having hundred of modules per station) and just plain easier for eye (not everyone want gargantual monsters that looks like being build by W40k Orcs).

[Imperial Good]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... 1694780910

I think you should rething your statement - there is more to it than just GPU stress - easier management (smaller Logical overview), easier building (not having hundred of modules per station) and just plain easier for eye (not everyone want gargantual monsters that looks like being build by W40k Orcs).

They would still be "gargantual monsters" just made of a few huge modules rather than many smaller ones.

A lot of the issues could be fixed with improved UI. For example there is no need to show lines connected to hundreds of attachment points, only the nearest 10 or so need be shown. Like wise the module list could be organized into stages and other folder like categories.

[Karmaticdamage]

We need a XL battleship. Something huge, unwieldly, unpractical, inefficient, and a complete waste of resources and credits. Something like the Valhalla in X3 but able to use gates.

[radcapricorn]

Something like the Valhalla in X3 but able to use gates.

[Wyvern's Tail]

In response to the original post, while myself would like atleast a large Habitat module I personally would prefer that X4 implemted some economy of scale so lets say if you have >3 Hull production module on the same station you get an additional 5% increase in yields for any additional one, with 4 module's you get +5% with decreasing return as not to make the scale bonus overpowered. This would in my opinion increase the reward for creating specilized stations.
This could perhaps be coded diretly into the base mechanics or be a research tree and since I havent been back after I completed the currently rather sparse r&d tree I think there's room to grow there

Also a little of topic but related I would add the option to build highways between player owned Station in the same sector to facilitate lightning speed (maybe even just-intime) deliveries to your various industrial centres.
If this was implementet you could have your mining complex right at the edge or inside the densest asteroid field, process into RM onsite reaping the scale reward on-top of any bonuses from workforce, and have your transports... well transport to your Hull and Claytronics, Engine Part facilites and the list goes on in record time. Yes you can buy plots close to the current highway but not all plots (if enough in one sector) can be served by the benefit in distance.

Another way to fill the need for Xl freighters, when transferring materials to atleast already (or partially) built stations or stations that have built the appropiate moduls would the be ability to transport a finite amount of materials using teleportation. Also somehting that could be added through a research option, buy a bp when rep is high enough, construct a teleportation platform and than either through automation or mico any Station with a "Teleportation platform" becomes added to the network and could send or recieve a small amount of resources. I think less, maybe half of what a Vulture Sentinel can carry as to not make M transporters obsolete but would compensate by instant or near-instant transportation time. How many Teleporters the network could sustain would be up to the research conducted in addition to how many m3 of can be moved per in-game hour.

Both of these suggestions in my view would cut down on (needlessly) oversize station building.

If you like something Big and unwieldly maybe it could be served (vanilla or by mod) by a massive XL Miner with onboard forges/Refined Metal/ Gas Refinery that could serve as a mobile mining HQ. Smart raiders (if such a thing exists) would target these vessels forcing players to escort them with fighers/ destroyers to keep your supplychain safe if relying on these instead of station based modules...

[Lazerius]

Comparing the Biggest Cargo M Transport to the Biggest Cargo L Transport:

Vulture Sentinel (M)
Cargo: 12,240
Price: ~1.12M Credits

Shuyaku Sentinel (L)
Cargo: 55,200
Price: ~15.56M Credits

This is taking the best equipment their race offers (All Guided Missile Turrets with no missiles for simplicity), all max software upgrades, only a pilot as crew, and only the consumables required (Cargo and Repair Drones for the SS, nothing for VS).

-The VS has to make 4.51 deliveries for every 1 that SS makes, but it makes them ridiculously faster, can use highways and doesn't have to enter the back side of a gate to go through it.
-The SS costs 13.9x more than the VS. 13.9 times more for only 4.51 times the cargo bay efficiency.

How does this even begin to make any damn sense? Unless you're going through an active war zone, 40 small fighter storage bays does not offset this cost, and even then, why would I need to bring 40 ships on a Cargo Transport when I can just use a destroyer.

I think they should reduce the 40 ships to 10, and At MINIMUM increase the Cargo hold by about 3x to 165k, as well as scale all Large Freighters up. Keep 1 freighter for each faction with their existing hanger and cargo capacity like they are for those who would complain.

Doing this would remove the need for an XL Freighter. I do agree on much of the rest though.