Spaced Out feedback

[peteruspl]

Unfortunately it seems exceedingly grindy, by a factor of 4 for my taste. I've played original, I think about 5 runs, never to the end for same reason, rocketry after maybe 3rd launch was not a thrill but a slog. I've been playing SO almost all the time while listening to podcasts, I'm out of patience already. I think I get the idea that these systems have to be build sustainably and run for a longer time, for example producing plastic, shipping it and CO2 to an orbital lab rocket, having dupe work there for extended time. I could be bothered to maybe do 3 same launches like this. Not 30 or however many are needed. Lower tier of research is almost the same, there's no problem putting a couple weezworths around rad generators and slogging through. Pattern repeats with uncovering space tiles by slowly mapping first from ground then via space missions (didn't get this far). It feels very much like an artificial burden preventing getting to another planetoid. I can waste 60s walking to a boss for a retry in Sekiro, but I'm not walking 10 minutes and this is how it feels like.

I very much like the adventure'y part with colonizing new planetoids. I think having a map with sparse resource and generally few biomes-per-rock, without teleportation, where to run industry or maybe even feed everyone you'd have to explore and expand sounds appealing to me. Maybe I'll wait for EA to end, then install a mod to just bypass research and play like this.

[NeoDeusMachina]

There is a sandbox mode where you can choose to unlock all research, choose to reveal the entire map, and play pretty much however you'd like at the pace you'd like, with the level of difficulty you'd like. Have you given it a try?

[Sasza22]

I don`t like the orbital research either. I think instead of it providing research points the machine should produce data banks as it analyzes space tiles. Each tile after analysis would provide a movement speed bonus for the rocket but slow down the databank production by a lot so you`d b better moving the rocket further. Databanks would be used by the previously removed virtual planetarium building in base to make research in a sensible way.

Currently it`s best to research all the tech points you can on the ground and the the entire batch during a single space trip. A 10 science dupe and a hefty supply of plastic can get a lot of research done during a few cycles in space.

[Nebbie]

Research in general is ONI's biggest weakpoint, and Spaced Out definitely ups the ante with a radiation research that you can't automate and a location-restricted research that's an utter nightmare to automate and strains the already-annoying life support systems in the game.

I really don't like how most of the rocketry in Spaced Out is just going to orbit and back (it costs no fuel so it's great for research...or generating lots of heat for whatever you need...), and how finicky rockets are to set up properly (you need gas cargo canister from the beginning pretty much or you end up with problems that are hard to solve later on).

6 hours ago, Sasza22 said:

I don`t like the orbital research either. I think instead of it providing research points the machine should produce data banks as it analyzes space tiles. Each tile after analysis would provide a movement speed bonus for the rocket but slow down the databank production by a lot so you`d b better moving the rocket further. Databanks would be used by the previously removed virtual planetarium building in base to make research in a sensible way.

Currently it`s best to research all the tech points you can on the ground and the the entire batch during a single space trip. A 10 science dupe and a hefty supply of plastic can get a lot of research done during a few cycles in space.

I'd add on to this keeping the current research building, but use a tad less dupe labor, as a sort of set-and-forget backup that wouldn't strain researcher dupes' time as much.

[blakemw]

There are some things which I was suspicious of initially but came to quite like.

For example radiation, it took a bit to get a hang of setups, but they can be really fun (like diagonal overflow of radbolts, I dump them into an Interplanetary Launcher), and after I discovered the crashed satellite I tend to move my long term materials research to that planetoid.

Orbital Science is boring, like I suppose many players do I just send a +20 science dupe into orbit for a cycle or on a short trip and she blasts through the orbital research, normally without even removing her Atmo Suit. Only for the really expensive techs do I bother with a Spacefarer Module with proper facilities, which I leave in orbit for a while. I feel it would be more interesting if you got databanks from the various points of interest on the space map which would also help justify why going to space is required to unlock certain things (i.e. the dupes discover technology on a derelict spaceship or something). If databanks were to return, I would like it if the station that consumes them fits easily inside a Spacefarer Module, so a true Science Ship can be made that uses a conveyor port to drop the databanks inside to be analyzed. With the current tech tree the orbital research is far enough back that it wouldn't be unduly annoying to have to micro ships to get the databanks and it would give reason to "explore" space, Artifacts aren't a good reason because they are basically pointless since decor isn't hard to max out.

The rocket fuel consumption and exhaust production really needs attention, it is way too exploity at the moment. I feel it would be a good solution if taking off and landing both requires 1 tile of range, and produces exhaust in proportion to that much fuel. All engines would get +2 range of course to compensate for this.

Something should be done about stranded ships. Orbital fuel transfer, towing or even drifting to the nearest planetoid and crashing on it would all be possible solutions. Self-destruct would also be an option though I'm not that fond of it.

[babba]

I like that there is 0 tile travelling for rocket liftoff and quick return landings, I guess its a preference opinion. I needed a lot of heat/gas in trade for fuel, so I like to have this instant rocket return option with no tile travelling.

Launching several rockets at once and having them all come back on top of each other is sooooo much fun

I understand players research grind opinion, in my last save I have 2x dedicated plastic research rockets on standby for launches + a bunch of dedicated research expert pilots. BTW scrolling often through lists of 50-200 rocket pilots, per rocket, for manning/access, is hell.