Suggestion: Rocket Interior - ventilation input/outputs

[Jay H.]

My suggestion is to add ventilation input/output pipes for every rocket module which has a rocket interior. The ventilation pipe would be functionally equivalent to the existing "warp pipe" and would transport gases in with a gas input, and gases out with a gas output. The corresponding rocket interior would have fixed locations for receiving the gas input and exporting gas output, perhaps above and below the airlock where the player can attach gas pipes leading to vents/gas pumps. They are only active while on a rocket pad and connect to whichever rocket pad the rocket is landed on.

Aesthetic assessment: The ventilation inputs/outputs could work theme-wise similar to existing umbilicals for actual rockets sitting on the pad before launch.

Why is this change needed? Many have criticized the current rocket interior implementation. For example: 

I don't like the solutions proposed in the above examples because they amount to simply removing the challenge and would unbalance other aspects of the game. Simply making the rocket interior bigger misses the whole point of rocket interiors. It also renders later-tech larger rockets obsolete. Accordingly, I don't like the idea of simply making the rocket interiors bigger. The early game first rocket modules should feel cramped and most players appreciate the novel challenge of the space constraints.

I don't like simply adding more algae because it makes the early game even easier and doesn't remove the problem of running out of algae for rocket modules. It would still be very easy for a player to feed all their algae to pacu not realizing how important algae is for late-game rocket interiors. Adding more algae does not solve the problem.

The problem with rocket interiors is it seems too difficult to provide oxygen if you don't have algae, particularly early game with the smaller rocket interiors. The only non-algae based oxygen are: "Canister emptier" in combination with a canister filler; Electrolyzer; Rust deoxidizer; and deodorizer/polluted oxygen/oxylite. None of these solutions work very well because they each require significant duplicant labor and finicky micromanagement. The canister emptier requires dupes to manually deliver gas canisters, can easily overpressurize the rocket interior, and provides no way to remove exhaled CO2. Electrolyzer is even more complex taking up more space and requires somehow filling a liquid reservoir inside the rocket interior. Presumably by using duplicant labor to haul liquids to a bottle emptier which suffers from at least all the defects of the canister emptier. The rust deoxidizer requires manually hauling both rust and salt into the interior - plus rust is a finite resource like algae so it is unsuitable as a late-game solution and may not be present. The chlorine generated compounds the problem of being unable to remove gases from the rocket interior. The deodorizer relies upon dupe labor to haul in either polluted dirt or polluted water to off-gas and offers no way to remove unwanted gases. Finally, using an oxylite refinery cannot be considered early-game though it may be a solution for later-game.

Currently the only possible way to remove gases from a rocket interior seems to be to use a canister filler. It is not intuitive that this is needed.

The problem of gas management inside the interior of a rocket is both essential for any launch; and also frustratingly difficult seeming to currently require a great deal of micromanagement. This is not the fun kind of design challenge and currently it seems there are very few workable solutions. It is not a problem which lends itself to creativity.

What I like about my proposed solution: Adding a ventilation pipe-in and pipe-out for rocket module interiors is very similar to an existing mechanic in the form of the "warp pipe" artifacts and the game already trains players to look for potential inputs/outputs on new things that they build. In particular, a player would certainly notice the gas inputs/outputs at least when they route CO2 up to the CO2 engines.

Adding ventilation pipes to rocket interiors removes the early-game roadblocks to using rockets by allowing the player to pipe-in oxygen with whatever oxygen generation apparatus they are using. The solution is adaptable to any planetary body and doesn't rely upon finite resources like algae or rust which may not be present.

Adding ventilation to rocket interiors allows for at least some level of automation - it does not require large amounts of micromanaged duplicant labor.

Adding ventilation input/output pipes to rocket interiors scales from early-game to late-game. The supply networks and automation can be initially designed for first early flights, but would be rebuilt, and rebuilt again as rocket transportation between planets becomes more frequent or more automated into late-game. Placement of gas pumps inside the rocket interior remains a potential design choice and it creates a use for the mini-gas pump after the player has access to plastic.

Finally, the solution of adding ventilation input/output to rocket interiors doesn't seem easily exploitable. The size of the rocket interiors and the pressure limitations of the vent and high-pressure vents limit the practical use of rocket interior for transporting excessive quantities of gas in the rocket interior. Even with a ventilation pipe leading to the rocket interior the use of the payload opener and actual shipping modules makes potential exploits of rocket interiors unlikely.