Rocket Capsules

[Whitecold]

The new rocket capsules look very nice, but in my opinion they do have a bunch of issues:

Storage Abuse

Currently the rocket capsule is highly prone to abuse for transportation. A single storage compactor can store 20t, way more than a solid storage on a rocket. Similar shenanigans can be performed with liquids, which really breaks the way rockets work. The solid/liquid storage modules should be both the most convenient and the primary way of transporting resources.

I can see two possible solutions:

• Ban all storage bins and shipping equipment from the rocket capsules
• On lift off, calculate the weight of all debris, storage and tile fillings inside the rocket, and if it is overweight, refuse to take off.

Capsules are hard to supply

Right now every capsule is a closed off habitat, that can only be supplied by duplicants. That means you need to bottle up oxygen to get it inside, you need a dedicated power system if you need power for any reason, all in a tiny space, making it a real hassle. The capsule ends up more machine room than dupe living space. Your colonies should be where you build up your full life support systems, your rockets should only need to hold out for long enough to get between them, and should be correspondingly easier to set up.

• Capsules should have both a battery capacity and a gas storage that can be filled/charged from the launch pad. Internally, the capsule then has connectors to draw from these stores.
• A service module could expand on these stores, with maybe an advanced service module also having extensible solar panels for in flight power generation.

Capsules should have some dedicated furnishings

Since space is limited, many pieces of equipment in regular bases just don't really fit the capsules, you can't really have full water loops. It makes sense to have some equipment that is dedicated and designed for space capsules, maybe a bit more higher tech, using more advanced materials than the existing furniture. Ideas would be:

• Space Toilets: Have already been mentioned in another thread, the outhouse is your best option right now, but feels a bit low tech for your capsules. An all-in-one solution that keeps your dupes accident-free on space travel
• CO2 Scrubber: Tiny building running like a deodorizer, but uses refined carbon as filtration medium to remove CO2
• Compact Atmosuit storage rack: An atmosuit checkpoint with built in suit storage for some 2 suits,  but without any possibility of expanding the rack
• Mini-fridge: A 1x1 food storage for  a quick bite along for the trip

 

And lastly, because it sounds like a lot of fun, it would be cool if duplicants in flight got to hover in zero-gee, much like if they had jetpacks on.

[Sasza22]

Storage abusing is possible in so many ways that it needs to calculate the mass of the whole thing. I don`t see another way to fix that. Good new is that it`s possible as all interior materials are returned on deconstruct (along with the steel walls which is a bug). There needs to be a maximum mass of the capsule over which it counts as an extra module or two. This way it would be easier to add a dedicated storage module than store stuff in the cockpit.

Space craft are mostly machine rooms dedicated to keeping the pilots alive. I think it should stay this way except a few things:
1. Liquid and gas ports allowing to exchange liquids and gas with the outside using pipes (also to vent stuff to space if needed).
2. Higher tech miniature buildings working the same as their bigger counterparts but taking less space. Like the mini pumps. Mini liquid gas reservoirs, mini water sieve, mini cot.
3. Also a portable battery would be nice. Charge it home and just place it in the spacecraft. Then repalce after the flight.
4. The rocket doors should work as an atmo suit checkpoint so you could just put docks next to it.

I like how there is multiple ways you could set up the interior. Different layouts would work for different mission lenghts.

 

[KonfigSys]

there is a simpler solution and already was proposed by one player - increase the storage space for transportation modules and people will use them. 500kg is nothing but make it 5000 and people may not abuse the storage bins. I need to bring gold to build power lines and it takes 100kg to build one tile of wire. So every trip I can build only 5 tiles. It quickly become boring especially adding here pilot crew micro management - load food, supplies.