[Req] Low-maintenance stations?

[Thundercraft]

I want to build me some player-owned stations. I really do. However, I was surprised to learn that after a station-building ship is transformed into a station, we still have to pay the same 3-hour wage for crew. Since stations are often incredibly large, this can amount to some rather serious coin - to the point that large stations may not even earn enough income to pay for it's own wages. And one thing we can not skimp on is Mechanics, else the ship or station will fall into disrepair and destroy itself. :(

 

Unfortunately, I think many of the game's procedurally-generated stations look rather crummy or at least underwhelming. Also, a shipyard only has 3 styles to choose from, based on the faction.

 

Even without Steam Workshop, there is now a wide selection of player-designed ships available as .XML. However, I have not found very many stations. Only two, as I recall. :(

 

One of these is Mobiyus' Outpost 57. It is absolutely stunning! Sadly, it also requires over 2200 Mechanics just to keep it running.  :o

 

Employing some 2000 professional mechanics, there's just no way a Solar Power Plant can produce enough Energy Cells to pay for that!

 

MY REQUEST:

 

Everyone seems to be designing (and sometimes releasing) ships. But almost nobody seems to be designing stations.

 

If you are bored and questioning what to build next, please consider designing a station. And, in particular, please keep the number of Mechanics required in mind.

 

From what I can tell, a station's or ship's size is what has the biggest impact on the number of required mechanics. Though, having a tiny station is probably not the best idea. (For one thing, the enormous solar panels that are automatically placed on top of a Solar Power Plant would not look right. I think other stations have similar large bits added, too.)

 

I think the easiest way to make a station look big on the outside is to either make it mostly hollow or to make copious use of Framework blocks as filler. Just an idea...

 

Edit:

 

I forgot to mention that, while it is possible to enter the Build Mode of a station to modify it after it has been deployed, I could not figure out how to add more Mechanics to an existing station. This presented me with a problem when I added a small (compared to the whole station) hull block to visibly connect the auto-generated solar panels of a Solar Power Plant with Mobiyus' Outpost 57. (Before, it was hovering in the air.)

 

This simple act increased the required Mechanics by about 46. Without knowing how to add more Mechanics, it was constantly taking damage.

[DerpSuper++]

You can add crew to a station by transferring to them just like crew/cargo from one ship to another. You can also enter the station like any other ship (get within <0.5km , highlight and press 'T' by default) to assign any idle crew members. Other station mechanics, I'm not really sure about since I don't build stations.

[Mobiyus]

Yea my builds are not very survival-friendly, i realize that now. I didn't even consider that at this point, just building for the sake of building XD But your request is an interesting challenge i wish to tackle. As you said a hollow design with a clever use of framework blocks should help reduce the volume. I'm now wondering if the volume of the asteroid itself counts in the total volume?? I never noticed. I hope not, that would be counter-intuitive, but cannot confirm atm.

 

I will work on this in the next few days!

 

Note: i filled my station with crew by entering the station with my drone (select station, get within 0.5km and press ''T'') and then using the ''/crew fill'' command. Doesn't work when interacting from a ship.

[DoorsMonster]

No, no, no, dude! Use rock. Rock is cheap, has huge amount of mass (and your station won't be flying on your sector everytime you ram it accidentally), adds lots and lots of HP and doesn't need much maintenance.

I add ogonite rock as a filler and my stations are super tanky.

[DoorsMonster]

I would also recommend you to use more solar panels, I have noticed that to produce the same amount of energy they require less maintenance. Also solar panels look almost the same for any material, so you can make them of iron what would be cheaper. Finally, you'll have a more realistic station.

[Mobiyus]

What Doorsmonster says is true. Stone does add volume, mass and HP(including the starting asteroid), but does not add maintenance at all! So yea, it appear than stone is the go-to material as a ''filler'' material. I don't know how it works in survival though. Is the stone free? I don't think you can collect it, so i'm guessing it's free to use at will?

 

Now there's no way around it, the most costly blocks in maintenance are the cargo blocks themselves, especially if you want any kind of meaningful volume. That being said, i don't think you actually need a lot of storage, since stations do not even work when out of sector. I would need a someone who plays survival to tell me how much volume is a considered reasonable.

 

This is is my first attempt at a low-cost station. it still have much bigger cargo than needed i think, increasing mechanics number and cost. Cargo is made of iron, hull, structure, battery and generator made of titanium and naonite shields. I added slabs of stones over the structure for look and protection.

 

Cost:

$357194

Iron - 108978

Titanium - 9201

Naonite - 8000

[spoiler=stats and pic]

 

 

XML: https://www.dropbox.com/s/pv1wa7ct8ul91mf/Aluminium%20Mine%20final.xml?dl=0

 

This second attempt is even more economical and better protected by stone. there's no generator at all, they have been replaced by iron solar panels. It's a really small and simple station.

 

 

Cost:

$84409

Iron - 38263

Titanium - 1147

Naonite - 3063

 

[spoiler=stats and pic]

 

 

XML: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2qlani07pc0tdj4/Silicium%20Mine.xml?dl=0

 

My next attempt will be a ultra minimal station, not even using shields and fully exploiting stone as protection. From what i could see, all you really need is cargo, crew quarter and power. 3 blocks.

[LogicSocket]

Here is a small very economical station:

 

Try it out :)

ecostation.xml

[Mobiyus]

^^^ Very nice one LogicSocket :)

 

I don't think it can get a lot cheaper than this though:

 

Cost:

11609$

Iron - 16956

Titanium - 119

 

Got 2 strategically placed small titanium integrity field blocks, a titanium crew quarter and an iron cargo block. That's it, 4 blocks. No need for generator as you start with 0.5 GW for some reason.

 

[spoiler=Stats and pic]

 

 

XML: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9wbh546n69qvww1/Lead%20Mine2.xml?dl=0

 

Behind the highlighted block, there's another larger block, behind that larger block is the station. It got over 3000 hp of stone over the station, and that's not counting other gigantic blocks around that are part of the integrity field.

 

I realize now that's not really what you want though. The station i got here is rather unimpressive to say the least. Needlessly minimalist. So much that we don't even see it lol. Realistically, the mines cost so much to found that at the point you buy one, you definitely have the resources for something a little more cozy. I will do something nicer to look at next, but it will cost more upfront and to maintain for sure.

[Thundercraft]

I have some suggestions on how to make a station look nice, yet have a relatively low crew requirement:

• Hologram blocks do not require maintenance or energy, no matter how big you make them, and they are not destroyed. (Projectiles pass through, I think.) They can also be painted a spectrum of colors, which changes how they look. Depending on how they're painted and/or stacked, they can be used in place of glow blocks. Tip: If you turn mirroring on, you can get two identical hologram blocks to stack in the same place, which makes it sort of glow.
  
• Since rock type blocks do not add to maintenance, why not add building-like protrusions made entirely of rock, but covered by thin (0.1 or 0.05) sheets of crew quarters or other hull materials? That should look good, yet not add much to requirements.
  
• Building-like protrusions could be made of rock and painted really dark colors like black, midnight blue, or dark red. That should more resemble a station's hull instead of a hollowed-out asteroid - particularly at a distance. (I'm thinking that blocks of darkly painted rock could be covered in dark gray or black holograms to further disguise them.)
  
• The use of Rich stone blocks might give a station a unique look. It should also make it far easier to spot among the asteroids.

 

Also, that was a good point about solar panels requiring less maintenance than generators. And they can be made of cheap materials like iron or titanium, I guess. One thing to keep in mind: Single, large solar panels have much more HP than large arrays of tiny solar panels. With IFGs, that makes them more difficult to destroy. (Shields should protect a station from most dangers. But they won't protect from collisions. And I'd rather not tempt fate.)

 

Now there's no way around it, the most costly blocks in maintenance are the cargo blocks themselves, especially if you want any kind of meaningful volume.

 

I'm not surprised. When I design freighters, they end up with a comparatively larger Mechanics requirement once I add the huge cargo bay(s).

 

Keep in mind: A single large cargo bay will always hold more than several smaller ones (of the same volume). It also requires less energy.

 

This is is my first attempt at a low-cost station. it still have much bigger cargo than needed i think, increasing mechanics number and cost. Cargo is made of iron, hull, structure, battery and generator made of titanium and naonite shields. I added slabs of stones over the structure for look and protection.

This second attempt is even more economical and better protected by stone. there's no generator at all, they have been replaced by iron solar panels. It's a really small and simple station.

 

Personally, 86 crew is still more than I'd like. And I'd agree that 23,000 cargo is a bit excessive. I don't believe that I'll ever need that much for temp storage. But I wouldn't be surprised if some players find it just about right.

 

That being said, i don't think you actually need a lot of storage, since stations do not even work when out of sector.

 

True enough. Most types of stations don't need much. (Do they need any?) However, I know some players want to build a station just to store the common materials they need to build turrets. And some build an extra ship just for cargo space to store the stuff they looted or accidentally bought until they can find a good location to sell to.

 

This second attempt is even more economical and better protected by stone. there's no generator at all, they have been replaced by iron solar panels. It's a really small and simple station.

 

That cost is very reasonable. And the salary for 21 crew should make most (any?) station types economical, I think.

 

I don't think it can get a lot cheaper than this though:

 

Now that's what I'd call a cheap, yet large-ish station! Nice job.

 

Also, I like that you've managed to integrate a few IFGs to protect it. Might come in handy if built in a dangerous sector near the core.

 

As for the power: I'm assuming that it is possible to add turrets to a station? If so, I doubt that is enough to support them as energy req. are already close to capacity. But it should be a useful design, nonetheless.

 

I realize now that's not really what you want though. The station i got here is rather unimpressive to say the least. Needlessly minimalist. So much that we don't even see it lol.

 

Rather plain, I suppose. But I kind of like the look.

 

I can see the practicality of trying to camouflage a station so it is not easily detectable by the likes of Xstoan, pirates or other hostiles. Heavy stone armor also makes sense. And I can imagine that a lot of stations are just hollowed-out asteroids.

 

Realistically, the mines cost so much to found that at the point you buy one, you definitely have the resources for something a little more cozy.

 

True. And I don't mind making a large initial investment. But paying a large crew hurts the bottom line if the station can't even break even. Might be better off relying on NPC stations, then.

 

I will do something nicer to look at next, but it will cost more upfront and to maintain for sure.

 

Looking forward to it. It'd be nice if you could make something reminiscent of Outpost 57, but with far less maintenance costs.

 

Here is a small very economical station:

 

Try it out :)

 

Nice! Very station-y.  8) About 8.5 GW of excess energy? And only 23 crew.

[MrVorgra]

Adding a large block of rock is recommended, and a few protrusions near the docks, as AI ships tend to fuck up their docking and will punt the station away, so the mass of the rock means less punting, and the protrusions allow for impact absorption.

 

Yes integrity fields are nice, however they will easily be overridden by a large ship punting the station, so adding small protrusions simple adds points that hopefully halt the AI ships before they hit anything valuable.

 

Don't build too many stations in a sector, as eventually you gain ownership of that sector, this reduces the amount of AI traders spawning and selling / buying goods.

[Mobiyus]

I made this new one before seeing your reply so it doesn't include your latest suggestions (rich stone, protrusions, ect). Also, I forgot to write down the price. I don't have it atm (not at home), but it's nothing excessive if i recall correctly. Will update ASAP.

 

Cost : 68689$

Iron - 166

Titanium - 7101

Naonite - 4616

 

[spoiler=stats and pic]

 

XML : https://www.dropbox.com/s/cz7pxppqktukmzg/Copper%20Mine.xml?dl=0

 

I completely removed the stone this time, and added only a small outer rim. I think it makes it all look better, but off course it has a lot less HP, mass and volume. It's still a fully functional copper mine though :) I went for naonite internals this time, with titanium hull and armor.

 

I think there's a large stone block in there somewhere however, inside the cargo block (some sort of bug). I could see the glitchy texture but could not select the block. Ended up just covering it.

 

My next attempt will push this concept to the fullest. I will place a spherical stone shape around the whole thing for maximum protection. It is doable but difficult to do with this particular station here because it's not exactly circular and symmetrical. Placing certain corner blocks will be a pain.

 

And then after that i will try to replicate my Outpost 57 on a smaller scale.

 

EDIT: added cost

[LogicSocket]

Great station Mobiyus!

[Mobiyus]

Latest station:

 

Cost: 121049$

Iron - 2090

Titanium - 3600

Naonite - 10011

 

[spoiler=Stats and pic]

Docking distance hologram display

 

The view from crew quarters

 

 

XML : https://www.dropbox.com/s/gu9q7pxyg0lew3t/OreMine_final.xml?dl=0

 

Iron solar panels (all hidden inside), titanium cargo and crew quarter, naonite battery and IFG. I made sure to increase power generation this time so you have enough to power a couple turrets. My last one didn't have enough.

 

The many corner blocks on this spherical design means it's not really doable to cover it with thin slices of hull or crew quarter. I've added some where i could.  Additionally I had issues when trying to make protrusions to protect docks; anything extending further out than the dock itself render it non-functional. That's a bummer :( So instead i placed holograms to clearly show docking range. Regarding rich stone, I tried to work with it on this build but i really didn't like the texture on it, with the shiny bits. It didn't fit well at all aesthetically. Also I really like the tunnel access i made, even though it's completely useless and a weak point, but hey, it looks good with the hologram as a ''forcefield''. Overall, It still is rather small and not so station-looking though. I will do my best to completely fulfill your needs in my next build while keeping it visually pleasing.

 

EDIT: forgot to add the XML

[Mobiyus]

Alright I got something reminiscent of my Outpost 57:

 

Cost : 98838$

Iron - 26314

Titanium - 6183

Naonite - 7337

 

[spoiler=Stats and pics]

 

 

 

XML : https://www.dropbox.com/s/nxtdpv7ociddqtr/Cink%20Mine%20Final.xml?dl=0

 

I don't know why there is so much iron in this build. Sure i used a bit of iron stone but never that much. I have to assume the asteroid itself cost that much (Stone of any kind does require credits and material to build). For the rest; titanium hull, solar panels, crew quarter and cargo block and Naonite batteries, shield generator and IFG. I used thin crew quarters slice over stone slabs to achieve that size with such low crew.

 

I'll go back to build ships now. I hope i could help ya and anyone looking for a low-maintenance stations. Feel free to edit those at your discretion to suit your needs.

 

Cheers!

[LogicSocket]

That one is the best ever Mobiyus! I love the little trees and details! great job :)

[Thundercraft]

Alright I got something reminiscent of my Outpost 57:

 

Wow! And all with only 10 crew!

You've definitely fulfilled my request. And it is quite visually pleasing.

[Pob]

Well done Mobiyus, your work is pretty staggering and the speed you knock these out with is amazing.

My hat is off to you sir.