Atmo switch makes regular power switch useless

[jirkazr]

Currently, power switch needs duplicant action to turn on and off. This is consistent with the general theme that the player requests duplicants to do stuff, but otherwise doesn't directly affect the game world.

On the other hand, atmo switch can be used as a direct manual switch -- simply by setting required pressure to 0, and then switching the "above/bellow" setting. This means player can switch power directly, bypassing most other on/off options on game object, which all require duplicant to come and do the switch.

I'm not sure what's the right way to solve this. One possibility is to make settings on automated switches one-time only -- to change it, player would have to deconstruct and build a new one. Another possibility is to change other switches in the game (including disabling/enabling buildings, locking doors, etc) to not require duplicants.

[Palpetinus]

This has been a thing ever since the thermo switch was introduced, just switch that to absolute zero and "below" instead of "above".

[jirkazr]

Yes, this applies to all automated switches. I've only been playing for a few days so I wasn't aware thermo switch is older.

[Kasuha]

Psst don't wake up the devs.

We need atmo and pressure switches in places where dupes can't go. Either because it's too hot there, too cold there, because they'd bring wrong gas there, or because they'd ruin carefully established thermal balance of the machine. Having to let dupes to them to make each adjustment would make some more complex designs very inconvenient if not impossible.

Also, enough on the fact that they already have to go to adjust each valve setting change, but they'll only go if you're lucky and in other cases you have to deconstruct the valve and make a new one to get the setting applied. 

[Michi01]

Yes but even then they should change it, maybe make it so normal switches don't require dupes to walk to them either.

[Ciderblock]

It'd be better if it were a bit more consistent. Maybe manual switches are OK (since they can be replaced by thermo/atmo switches) but why are valves manual then?

[Kasuha]

3 minutes ago, Ciderblock said:

It'd be better if it were a bit more consistent. Maybe manual switches are OK (since they can be replaced by thermo/atmo switches) but why are valves manual then?

Valves used to be instant action too, devs added the dupe intervention in Thermal Update. I would guess we can expect the same for all switches when time is up. Though in such situation I would really like to have an option to have the setting and switch somewhere, and the sensor somewhere else. That remote action would also help in other cases, such as when I have a hydro switch in my water pool and want to use it to control a pump on the other side of the map with it. Pulling a wire all the way there is crazy.

[ZupaleX]

Maybe some wireless relay to transmit signal from a switch in a safe place to a device in a hazardous place would help?

[Fernir]

I would like to propose logic and control overlay with control wires and control station that would allow dupes to control things remotely.

It should work with logic wire(Boolean state and power on(0) off(1)) and control wire (machine's parameters).

[LeadfootSlim]

Solution to the exploit: Dupes have to go to a switch to change its settings, rather than having it take effect immediately when a player goes to adjust it. If they can reach it to build it, they can reach it to change the setting, at least initially.

Making wireless or long-distance switches a tech option in the future would be nice, though. The dupes could have to access a terminal to trigger it.

[n37runn3r]

I never noticed valves being manual, seems like they were always something I could change? Played only in Thermal and in Agriculture (installed on day 1 of the release), so maybe I missed this?  I like having a switch for some things because I can enable/disable a building remotely without setting a certain setting ahead of time. I use it when I need to change filter settings or pause a pump while I re-plumb and such. In my opinion the other switches are for things that you know you need to maintain.