Alternate Upgrade System Proposition - Chassis and Modules

[Slarstorm]

I like the WX-78 circuit system in concept, but I feel mechanically it's a bit bland. As well as the 'bulbs' themselves not being very visually interesting. That's why I propose an alternative upgrade system: Chassis upgrades and Module Upgrades!

General Concept: Lower the amount of circuits down to two or three, but instead of boring old bulbs, instead you can place other things inside, like a Jukebox addon. or a handle crank, or a radar system! Replacing the three missing circuit slots, chassis upgrades!

Chassis Upgrade Ideas:

HOLLOW BODY:

WX-78 rearranges his internals for extra storage space. Functions as a backpack, how much space it should contain is debatable. Perhaps this emptiness could just be due to a lack of another upgrade and how he is by default?

FURNACE CHASSIS:

Functions as a mobile firepit- you can cook food in it. Keeps you and your friends warm, but requires fuel to maintain. Maybe electricity instead? Logically, it would also produce light, but I feel that would be too many benefits in one package. Perhaps it also has a 'weight' to it, similar to the marble armor or the pigpack. Could have a slot to keep fuel inside that burns as time goes by?

FREEZER CHASSIS:

Functions similarly to an icebox, keeps you cooler in summer. Has less room than Hollow Body (for example, if Hollow had six inventory slots, this one would have four). Might also require fuel.

HARDENED CHASSIS:

Functions as armor or increases your max health, if any of these upgrades had a weight debuff, it'd probably be this one.

 

That's the big upgrades, here's the smaller 'Modules' that take up one of three slots. These require power to function to varying degrees, and can be switched ON or OFF to conserve power. Power can be gained over time from running around, a small amount from eating and from lighting and generators and such. As well as one specific module.

LIGHTBULB:

Yes, this one is just a bulb. Serves as a light source, adding more than one increases the radius.

 MINIATURE RADIO/JUKEBOX:

Essentially functions identically to the chorusbox circuit currently implemented.

HANDLE CRANK:

A handle WX-78 can turn to increase the rate his power recharges at. Good to use during idle time around campfire.

EXTRA BATTERY:

Increases max power and/or increases rate of power regeneration at the cost of durability.

OVERCLOCKER:

It's a clock- that overclocks you! Increases movement speed, but requires a lot of power.

RADAR:

Allows you to scan a resource to guide you to other resources of the same type, such as gold. Or mobs, such as a hound tooth to find a hound (this module in particular I feel might be a bit tedious to implement.)

AUTOMATIC SPANNER ARM:

Repairs damage done slowly overtime, identical in function to beanbooster circuit's regen, similar in design to the Sea Yard's arms in Shipwrecked.

PROCESSING CHIP:

Increases max sanity, stacks with more modules.

EXTRA STOMACH:

Increases max hunger, stacks.

So, that's about all the ideas I could come up with. A lot of the modules are identical in function to the existing circuits, but I feel in this form it gives the upgrades more personality compared to just plain old bulbs. I thought about having specific upgrades for specific body parts, like an 'arm' upgrade to increase attack and chopping/mining speed. Or a 'head' upgrade that increases sanity, but that mostly seemed limited to having one very specific upgrade for each bodypart (other than chassis) which wasn't very versatile or interesting.

 

 

 

 

[Copyafriend]

Man im sure you thought hard about this and all, but the short answer really is: we’re too far into wxs current rework to change it so dramatically.

[MissingMissingM]

I love most of these changes, but I have to agree above that the rework is much too developed. Hey, Wolfgang had major tweaks after his rework, so who knows.

[Slarstorm]

1 hour ago, Copyafriend said:

Man im sure you thought hard about this and all, but the short answer really is: we’re too far into wxs current rework to change it so dramatically.

To be honest, I just needed to get my thoughts out of my head. I've always felt the potential for a robot character was underutilized with WX, so I've had these concepts rattling up there for a while.

[loopuleasa]

This overcomplicates it

My girlfriend already said "Man, I don't like the new WX, it looks complicated" and if you are used to the old WX I tend to agree