Scout Rovers are way too limited

[Nebbie]

I've talked about this before in other threads, but I feel it deserves its own dedicated complaint thread from me so maybe Klei will see it.

The Scout Rover has several problems (descending order of seriousness):

1. The battery can't be recharged, so it has a very limited useful time.
2. It can't build very much, so it can't even set up a livable base for dupes ahead of time.
3. After it's dead, it can't even be deconstructed to make a new one, so there's no way to cycle the materials for long-term colony aiding.
4. It can't dig hard materials, which means later planetoids are off-limits to it.

I would suggest each of these be fixed:

1. Make the battery rechargible with on-board solar panels. This would make it long-term usable in a colony, but at the cost of having to have surface access.
2. Let it build anything from the first three tiers of research. It should basically be able to build a SPOM.
3. Let us deconstruct it.
4. Give it the ability to dig very slowly into harder materials.

[NeoDeusMachina]

I think the only improvement/change I personally agree with is 3. Let us deconstruct it, because it is in the way, it is resources we could get back, and we can deconstruct pretty much everything we build already.

All other changes would open up doors for abusing it. For example:

1. The cost is not really "having access to surface". There are other alternatives that do not require surface access, such as shine bugs for example, or even the sunlamps. I can already imagine it would be doable to have a fully sustaining self recharging colony of rovers taking care of individual asteroids, at basically no cost because they do not need food or oxygen.

2. This would remove such a huge part of planning and risk required when you want to colonize a new asteroid. It would actually remove all of it. Combined with "1", it means rovers could build functional bases with all the necessary life support for your duplicants before a single dupe has set foot on the planet and that would trivialize space colonization way too much in my opinion.

4. Again, combined with other changes, it overcomes the need to send skilled duplicants that need life support (food and oxygen) to dig harder materials. Those duplicants also needed experience and with skills comes morale needs that need to be fulfilled. Rovers do not have that. The rovers could, even if only slowly, overcome any material barriers in their way to setup the perfect settlement for your dupes arrival later on.

To be fair, I could even imagine that people could have an entire colony solely made up of rovers in the end and not a single duplicant. It is just a big no for me personally.

[Sasza22]

I actually saw a thread where somebody claimed you can reload the rover back into the rocket (if it`s empty) and it recharges there. I`m not sure if it still works.

Anyway i feel like rovers should be build in the crafting station. Then maybe having a stronger version later in the game (better digging and stuff).

Main thing i feel the lack is building airlocks. Without that you can`t set up a proper base for your dupes. It`s fine they can`t build everything but airlocks ar a must.

[NeoDeusMachina]

25 minutes ago, Sasza22 said:

Main thing i feel the lack is building airlocks. Without that you can`t set up a proper base for your dupes. It`s fine they can`t build everything but airlocks ar a must.

They can build normal tiles, so they can "seal" themselves inside the asteroid and work on the base without all the gas leaking in space. Dupes land decon 2 tiles and replace with airlock. Its not ideal (especially not if youd like your rover to use mats on the surface), but it is some sort of workaround for now anyway.

[Sasza22]

1 hour ago, NeoDeusMachina said:

They can build normal tiles, so they can "seal" themselves inside the asteroid and work on the base without all the gas leaking in space. Dupes land decon 2 tiles and replace with airlock. Its not ideal (especially not if youd like your rover to use mats on the surface), but it is some sort of workaround for now anyway.

That`s what i`ve been doing. But it gets pretty micro intensive. Ideally i want them to build enough for a dupe to survive a few cycles without having to babysit him until he "fixes" the area. It just feels like a big thing they are lacking.