Observations after launching my first rocket

[Sasza22]

It took me a while. I actually waited for the space industry to fix most of the crash bugs with the rockets before i sent my first one. So here`s a few interesting observations about how it went:

Steam engine drops all the steam in a bottle if you change the max amount of fuel. Annoying if the rocket was almost full and you get 700kg steam bottled all of a sudden.

The meteor scanner set to detecting rockets will detect it when it`s on the ground and when it`s "ready to land" when the mission is at 100%. This proves to be a challenge when trying to make automation for the bunker doors.

The automation from the command module gives an active signal when ready to launch but changes to standby once it launches. If you use that to retract the gantry for launch it will extend back and get damaged by the returning rocket.

Regolith falling on the starting pad causes a "building entombed" notification even if the rocket is on a mission.

Only way to remove a dupe from the command module (other than deconstructing it) is to assign and unassign another dupe. If the gantry is retrackted the dupe will fall off the rocket and get right back in (if he uses a jet suit). Maybe you can catch him along the way and force to do something else.

Research was more effective than expected. One trip with 3 science modules granted 180 research points meaning you can easily get the boosters researched analyzing only one asteroid.

My first analyzed asteroid has 8% isoresin and 3% niobium meaning i can get some high tech stuff relatively fast or i`m just lucky.

That`s it for now. Anyone else has some intersting experiences with rockets?

[Azunai333]

I launched my first rocket just now, too.

2 hours ago, Sasza22 said:

The meteor scanner set to detecting rockets will detect it when it`s on the ground and when it`s "ready to land" when the mission is at 100%. This proves to be a challenge when trying to make automation for the bunker doors.

Agreed. The time between the "ready to land" and the actual landing is too small. The rocket will blast through the bunker doors everytime because the signal came too late.

Also, I reloaded after I saw that my rocket destroyed the bunker doors. Now only the command module will land and drop the dupe out of it. The complete rest of the rocket is missing (1x steam engine, 3x research module).

In total: 900 Kg steam and 2600 Kg steel vanished. 3 cycles without the astronaut dupe. Ah, yes: No research done, too.

[Sasza22]

I made a backup save before launch to prevent eventual bugs but luckily everything went fine outside of one ladning that destroyed the blast doors.

[Nitroturtle]

I haven't played with space stuff since the update, but does the scanner network quality have any impact on the warning signal for a rocket ready to land?

[Azunai333]

Looks like it doesn't. I tested it with two different ones. One scanner was at the surfice, another underground. Both recognised the rocket at the same time (when rocket is at 100%, "ready to land"), both too late for opening these stupid bunker doors.

[PhailRaptor]

I wonder if perhaps the Rocket detection mechanic is meant to work the same way as the Meteor detection.  You need a network of 5 set to detect Rockets to get a reasonable amount of warning.

Anyone try that?

[tzionut]

Quote

Steam engine drops all the steam in a bottle if you change the max amount of fuel. Annoying if the rocket was almost full and you get 700kg steam bottled all of a sudden.

The meteor scanner set to detecting rockets will detect it when it`s on the ground and when it`s "ready to land" when the mission is at 100%. This proves to be a challenge when trying to make automation for the bunker doors.

This already report it and isn't fixed yet, same whit game crash if you try to build the steam engine in air (without having an horizontal surface under it), and configuration of rockets.If you have research module build and send to a planet in the right side of the stellar map said no research module

Now i am building and testing the petrol engine but first i must make the infrastructure to transport the petroleum and oxidizer, next will be my old love, regolith magmaficator version 3 (magma piped to the surface, and melt there all)

[Vectrobe]

For my basic steam+booster+1xresearch rocket so far, I've used some simple wire logic attached to my existing base protection to;
- allow the doors to open and gantry collapse when ready for launch and not in a shower
- keep the doors open and gantry collapsed until landing or if a shower occurs
upon landing the dupe and research will simply drop out of the pods. I don't actually have my jetpack station enabled or fuelled yet, though I may never actually use it anyway as my surface is already pretty well established and the jetpacks are much slower than running and climbing.

Still trying to work out an effective measure of preventing a door breach if a shower occurs at the same time as landing, but so far the scanners set to rocket mode are basically broken and completely unusable for the reasons below;
- super short response time
- bunker doors are closed when it would actually be needed, which means a 0% scan quality...
- they're constantly stuck in detected mode when a rocket is landed, so you'd need a power switch on them anyway...

at this point I'll likely just begin building my full-sized resource-collection silo and build it without top doors, which will require a lot of extra steel for the walls...
 

[Fischer_L]

So, if i'm understanding correctly, if there is meteor shower and rocket detector hiding below bunker door, it can't detect landing rocket?

[Sasza22]

13 minutes ago, Fischer_L said:

So, if i'm understanding correctly, if there is meteor shower and rocket detector hiding below bunker door, it can't detect landing rocket?

Actually it doesn`t matter if the detector has 100% or 0% dish quality atm. It alwayst detects the rocket as it`s landing, too late to open the doors.

The detector detects the asteroids 1-200s before they hit based on the scan quality. Even with the detector underground you`ll get a 1s warning before the shower and during it.

[tzionut]

The nicest bug i encounter. You can't use the rocket sensor because is detecting the rocket landed instead of detecting the incoming rocket.

[Fischer_L]

So at this point automation on landing rocket, even if they fix alert timing, completle useless. There is possibility rocket land in your silo with big comet at the same time.

I think we are need some control of landing rocket to prevent event when meteor shower an rocket landing happens at the same time. Or may be that rocket just doesn't land when meteor shower happens.

[clickrush]

1 hour ago, Sasza22 said:

Actually it doesn`t matter if the detector has 100% or 0% dish quality atm. It alwayst detects the rocket as it`s landing, too late to open the doors.

The detector detects the asteroids 1-200s before they hit based on the scan quality. Even with the detector underground you`ll get a 1s warning before the shower and during it.

Are we talking powered or unpowered bunker doors?

[AndreyKl]

On 20.10.2018 at 4:00 PM, Sasza22 said:

The automation from the command module gives an active signal when ready to launch but changes to standby once it launches. If you use that to retract the gantry for launch it will extend back and get damaged by the returning rocket.

Any idea what automation input on command module does?

On 20.10.2018 at 4:00 PM, Sasza22 said:

The automation from the command module gives an active signal when ready to launch but changes to standby once it launches. If you use that to retract the gantry for launch it will extend back and get damaged by the returning rocket.

Theoretically we can use RS latch, like extending gantry 60 seconds after signal from scanner and retracting on launch.

On 20.10.2018 at 4:00 PM, Sasza22 said:

Steam engine drops all the steam in a bottle if you change the max amount of fuel. Annoying if the rocket was almost full and you get 700kg steam bottled all of a sudden.

Same for petroleum, oxilite, e t c. Would have been better to have 'empty' button or output pipe.

On 20.10.2018 at 4:00 PM, Sasza22 said:

The meteor scanner set to detecting rockets will detect it when it`s on the ground and when it`s "ready to land" when the mission is at 100%. This proves to be a challenge when trying to make automation for the bunker doors.

I found the hard way that I need to think in reverse: use the scanner to start closing doors, otherwise keep them open when not in meteor shower, however I had to open manually during showers.

 

[chemie]

Solid booster will melt automation wires of blast doors, even if open.

 

Steam continues to pump into space when "ghost" spaceship is out in space

[AndreyKl]

 

Successful sensor guided landing:

Spoiler

Logic:

Spoiler

 

 

2 minutes ago, chemie said:

Solid booster will melt automation wires of blast doors, even if open.

Build wires from tungsten or steel.

[Fischer_L]

28 minutes ago, AndreyKl said:

Any idea what automation input on command module does?

Theoretically we can use RS latch, like extending gantry 60 seconds after signal from scanner and retracting on launch.

Same for petroleum, oxilite, e t c. Would have been better to have 'empty' button or output pipe.

I found the hard way that I need to think in reverse: use the scanner to start closing doors, otherwise keep them open when not in meteor shower, however I had to open manually during showers.

 

Yeap, came to same conclusion, signal from detector need to close bunker door when rocket home. Question is what happen to rocket when it landed on a pile of regolith?

[AndreyKl]

Just now, Fischer_L said:

Question is what happen to rocket when it landed on a pile of regolith?

It destroyes regolith.

[Fischer_L]

So... in theory you can just leave "door" open, you just need make rocket silo from steel tiles.

[Sasza22]

2 hours ago, tzionut said:

The nicest bug i encounter. You can't use the rocket sensor because is detecting the rocket landed instead of detecting the incoming rocket.

I just use it to close the doors once the rocket is back. Then open i open them back once it`s ready to launch.

 

36 minutes ago, chemie said:

Steam continues to pump into space when "ghost" spaceship is out in space

That`s not happening to me. Did you save/load while the rocket was in space?

 

54 minutes ago, AndreyKl said:

I found the hard way that I need to think in reverse: use the scanner to start closing doors, otherwise keep them open when not in meteor shower, however I had to open manually during showers.

I just have the floor made out of bunker tiles as well. This way i can keep it open during meteor showers. Worst thing to happen is the doors starting to close when the rocket is comming back. You need them to fully close before they start to open. Main reason why they got destroyed during one of my landings.

 

39 minutes ago, AndreyKl said:

Successful sensor guided landing:

  Hide contents

Weird mine destroyed the doors when they weren`t fully open.

[chemie]

Just now, Sasza22 said:

I just use it to close the doors once the rocket is back. Then open i open them back once it`s ready to launch.

 

That`s not happening to me. Did you save/load while the rocket was in space?

Yes.  Many weird things happened.  When I reload I had half a scace ship on the ground with the real one out in space.  Crashed when it came back.  Relaod again and ignored and space ship re-joined and merged.  Now I have 2 ships showing but only one exists.  It pumps steam the whole time the ship is away.  I think the game thinks there are 2 now.

[Sasza22]

I saw someone post a bug about the game crashing on rocket return when you load a save mid flight so i avoid that. I guess that`s the main source of bugs atm.

[AndreyKl]

1 hour ago, Sasza22 said:

Weird mine destroyed the doors when they weren`t fully open.

That door was not fully open, it was not fully closed.

Not fully opened door gets destroyed, not fully closed stays intact.

The problem is that my scheme doesn't solve issue of opening door during meteor rain, but can be used to open door manually and rely onto logic to close it as fast as possible.

P.S. one AND module is redundant

[Sasza22]

Ok so this is how i did my automation. The middle wire leads to the scanner detecting meteors and the wires on the sides is actually one wire. The system opens the doors and retracts the gantries once the rocket is ready to start and closes the doors and extends gantries once it lands. During the mission the doors are open.

Spoiler

Now a few interesting things that happened during the mission:

The wires took no damage from meteors for some reason. It did show damage text but no damage was done. That`s weird beacause i had my wires damaged earlier by meteor strikes so i`m not sure what happened.

The rocket output stayed green until the rocket used up enough fuel to be no longer reaching the mission distance. As long as it had enough fuel for the full distance the output was active.

The booster didn`t use any fuel. it returned with full 400kg oxylite and 400kg iron. I`m pretty sure it`s a bug.

Meteors passign through the place where the rocket was, made hit sounds but there was no damage notification text floating.

[AndreyKl]

20 minutes ago, Sasza22 said:

The wires took no damage from meteors for some reason.

Pipes and ladders still get damaged

21 minutes ago, Sasza22 said:

it returned with full 400kg oxylite and 400kg iron.

Also saw this, Definitely a bug.

22 minutes ago, Sasza22 said:

During the mission the doors are open.

We can feasibly do some form of clock to count cycles. 5 RS triggers should be enough for 31 cycles, to open the door once time is up and close once scanner activates, but it is bothersome. Scanner should give prior warning and ignore landed (or at least unready) rocket instead.