Units

[Betaray]

well if you think of it, the windows would be really thick and reinforced, with a gel layer inbetween that would seal any cracks in it

I mean, today, we have windows that can withstand the vacum of space, and the crushing depths of the bottom of the sea, so a planet with an atmosphere would fall well within these to extreams, and such, windows would not be a structual liability, and they would make the tube much less confining, and would be better for morale

and for the lava changing with different atmosphere's, even though its not cold and thin, my point still stands, probly even more because as you say its acidic the pressure, heat, and PH would effect the rock being formed from the lava, probly causing it to form into a type of rock that may not exist on earth

[Freeza-CII]

Lava depends on what is in the core and mantal not the surface rocks.  Lava is like hot damn hot the 300-400 on the planet surface would be nothing to lava.  

As far as the wondows on the tubes you would not put such a risk in a part that is going to supply buildings with power and people.  A window you be a liability to a tube you wouldnt want to have.

[leeor_net]

and the crushing depths of the bottom of the sea

That depends which bottom of the sea you're talking about. I think the most preassure any glass can withstand is about... Maybe a mile or two under water and that is a porthole with a diameter of a foot with a thickness of about a foot or two. After that the rest of the container would just collapse in on itself. Nothing we have is that strong. (at this present moment in our history)

[Betaray]

they had glass windows when they went all the way down to the marionis trench (7 miles)

and a plnets atmosphe would defonatly be only a fraction of that pressure, so windows (expecially curved, since they can take pressure easier) would be entirely feasable, not to mention how much it would boost morale being able to see the sky and have sunlight on your way to work, instead of a claustraphobic tunnel only lit by artifical lights

[Freeza-CII]

There have been 2 submersibles that went down to the marianis trench (the deepest one lol).  I beleive they were unmanned.  I could be wrong tho.

[Betaray]

nope, they had 2 people in them

[Freeza-CII]

Well there you go

Also the deepest trench is like twice or three times as deep as Mt. everest is high.

Every 33 feet under water is +1 atmosphere of pressure.  you do the math lol.

[Betaray]

so than you see that if we can build windows that can support that, than why cant we build windows to support the 5 or 10 atm pressures of a new planet?

[Freeza-CII]

I just see the windows on a tube to be a weakness to the tube that no one would ever want.  Even if they can with stand that.  They still have a possiblity of blowing out craking or blowing in.   then the tube wouldnt work and workers and power would be shut off to the buildings that need that tube.  So you would build it as strong as possible.

[CK9]

I think one of the campeign intro sequences hows some clear material on parts of the tube, and I know that the eden novella speaks of seeing the advanced lab not only in the residence, but also in the tube.

[Freeza-CII]

Perhaps it was seeing down the tube to the Adv. lab

[CK9]

but Axen had rounded a few corners...

[Betaray]

plus they have windows on every single building, including the cc and the adv lab, if they trust windows in those structures, why not the tubes

and remember, the tubes would be alot more crouded and cramped than a building, being able to see the outside would do wonders for morale

[Leviathan]

How big do you think tubes are?

Has anyone played red alert 2 where you can capture outposts which are builinds with engners. the outposts give you ore so they are like mines.

in op2/3 maybe there could be nutural buildings on the map that you could capture like these outpots. with like a few people in a vec with suppys in it so they can repair the structure and get it up and runing again. That would take time. Depending on how damaged the structrure was. If it had realy low hp and went into the red then maybe you cant repair it with out a repair vec also. So you could tube a few buildings onto these outposts.Like vec facs etc, sp these on the map would be placed at places where you would be expanding to get a mine. But if the colonists started building large buildings which had the whole collony in they would be spread out. Far distance some time. They would use vecs to travel more i think in op3 so it would be possible for the people to travel back to main base. Also the buildings mite be labs, garages arigome etc.

In op2 there are tubes and this means your allways be building in the same way. If there were big outposts to capture you would be able to control more of the map easy and expand thru the map faster. making it a better game.

also i dont think people in the outpost universe would destroy buildings, at least not the big outpots that often because it makes much more sence just to capture and repair it. m thinkig masive multi multiplayer mode here also. and also larger maps.

Also you would be able to build these buildings, because there just like advanced cc's.

Also you could have probe robots which would be fast and would drive or what evae (could be small spiders) into buildings thru a hole which is made from a unit destroying a door or window etc, like a rpg. these units would go inside the building and locate the power and network cables and try to hack in to the system.

[thablkpanda]

I really like everyone's ideas, I realize the main topic of discussion right now is the 'window' deal, but I'd like to shed some light on other ideas (lets hope I'm not cross-reading and bringing stuff from the wrong topics... lol

MOBILE/Mini CC's

Hot idea, allows for mining outposts and such to be deployed quickly, and efficently without wasting ore on a full-fledged Command Center (with it's requirement of Workers and Scientists (FOUR workers, and 2 Sci. If I'm not mistaken)) Which is utterly ridiculous IMO. When you want to run a Rare/Common ore smelter, Throw up a Mini CC, and get goin.

A MOBILE CC would be totally awesome. Like a oversized ConVec shaped thinger that you can move into spaces between tubes, and all the previously disabled stuff can be reactivated. You know how we have like Job trailers and stuff now, where they're little 'Outposts' (pardon the pun) of the home-office. Like I just purchased 3 of these cool 30x10 ft trailers to send out to all the big jobs we're doing now (a CVS drugstore, Wal-Mart SuperCenter, and Demoliton of this old K-Mart)and we just roll one of those out there, and my Project Managers have a mobile office to do business in, and conduct business from.

A similar idea implemented into Outpost 2 would be AWESOME. You'd just have to make them SUPER SLOW (Like lower than tiger speed) to prevent them from being misused..

EVAC TRANSPORTS

Renew their name somehow. Do something to make evac transports useful. I mean now they're a waste of ore, but if we made it so you could like export colonists to other bases or something (I dunno, I'm making this up as I go along) Maybe give them some potential as big Cargo Trucks or SOMETHING. I mean that'd be cool...

NIGHTCLUBS

That'd be cool. Mainly because I can't think of anything else right now.. Something to boost morale ALOT.. like strip clubs.. no ok, sry, just playing. But Clubs or reinstate the Forum.. you know the Forum building..

- Christopher D. Merchant  

[Betaray]

well they did have RLD (red light districts) in op1, wich basicly is a party club

but in op2 they have the rec facility and the forum that does the same job

moble cc, seems alot like my robo/seed coloney idea, although it would be different, mabe enough to have both units (if that is the case, then the seed coloney would probly only produce moble cc's instead of the full sized cc)

[thablkpanda]

No offense meant dude, but what exactly IS your robo-seed colony idea? I mean it's like Mount Olympus or something... The fabled Robo/Seed Colony Idea has spoken.. lol Seriously though, I hear about it, but have NO freakin idea what you're talking about..

Panda

[Freeza-CII]

Remember you dont want so much colony management that you get sick of the game after 2 mins

This isnt the place for robo/seed colony start your own thread plz.

[Stormy]

Hmm I do enjoy the idea of windows, would make fun cutscenes and would make elements of the game interesting. I think by that time period (way after 2050 or maybe even 2100) They will have improved glass. Adding onto that gel idea, you would put that inbetween the glass, When it cracks, it expands because it reacts with minerals in the glass, then it hardens and seals itself off. Eventually ppl would come out with like arc torches or something and will redo the window .

Sounds like a fun idea!

I don't really think the mobile CC idea would work well; Too much management, and would make long games longer. Nice idea though, took quite some thought.

An idea by me: An addition to the spaceport that is built next to the spaceport and has either more launching bays or safer, underground fuel tanks. First of all, when a regular spaceport is attacked, it should explode with tremendous force because of the amount of rocket fuel inside. If it is underground, then it won't have a huge blast, maybe an updraft, but not anything linear. We could also have more storage tanks for kits.


The RLV should have to be filled up with more "fuel" after coming back down from a "mission".

What types of fuel should we use? It has to be reliable and abundant across the Solar system Bob and Terra are in.
Summary:

• Improved Glass idea with ambient repair by colonists every once in a while.
• Spaceport addons for fuel and storage
• RLV refueling
• Fuel for rockets

Stormy :op2:

[Freeza-CII]

Stormy you are forgeting about the shock wave made by the explosion.  Unless you put it way way under ground then i see it making a nice crater lol.  Making the RLV Fuel would keep it from lauching right away which is good if you ask me.

And the Window thing I hope we are talking about a animation or some thing that will just happen in the game with the glass because having the repair tube would be a pain in the ass.  I would just fix all the windows with think sheet metal lol.

Personally I dont like the port holes on the tubes in the game.

[Stormy]

But, Imagine how it would look in a cutscene. A contempary styled tube with lots of metal . Then there is pretty scenery outside, .

Well, for the tanks you would actually need a new type of tube for them. They should be unmanned in my oppinion because of the chance of it exploding,They also should be placed a bit away from the colony, with walls built around them.


Summary:

• Contempary Tube Joke/:lol:
• New tube for Spaceport
• Unmanned spaceport FUel Tanks placed away from the colony w/ walls around them

Stormy :op2:

[HaXtOr]

maybe you can make vehicles require power or a energy source. For example  Desle or gasolene, alcohol powered,solar, nucular powered ect
 

[CK9]

stormy, why did this summary thing of yours start?

anyway, weird dream last night gave me a strange idea:

make a unit that is a combination surveyor and miner.  It will automatically start building on the becon after surveying it.
pros:
saves a little time
fewer units to worry about
cons:
unless you know the map, you are not likely to get a 3 bar with the first one

[Freeza-CII]

Moogle the vec have power plants in them they dont use other power sources but there own.

I can see this Surveyor robo miner combo but not at the begining of the game.  Have the 2 separate units allows you to explore other mines while building on ones that you want.  In case you didnt want to build on a single bar.

[CK9]

yes, but I figgured eliminating that option would balance out the positives involved with it