Useful Hatches?

[Audrey]

Might be cool to have a late-game ability to use hatches (or other beasties) as workers. It would be neat to set a few of them to slowly grinding away at tunnels in places that are inconvenient for dupes. You'd have to keep an eye on over-powering them, but I think if they were slow, distractable, or prone to boxing themselves in when you're not watching, it would be a fun add-in for the sandbox crowd, and help with a sense of inhabiting the world, instead of just shoehorning your dupes into it. 

[Michi01]

33 minutes ago, Audrey said:

in places that are inconvenient for dupes.

I'd prefer if the equipment needed to let dupes work in those environments was added.

[Audrey]

Agreed.

Using pets should be an option, not a requirement. I don't think they should be able to do anything that a dupe can't, or do anything better than a dupe can. 

[chaos0720]

4 hours ago, Audrey said:

Agreed.

Using pets should be an option, not a requirement. I don't think they should be able to do anything that a dupe can't, or do anything better than a dupe can. 

I second this. I think the game needs more options that gives players incentives to go above and beyond without alienated those who are not interested in the deeper mechanics.

I.e. domesticating hatches gives players an extra digger; however, it's not a requirement by any means for those who don't want to do it.

Side note:

Domesticating a shine bug could cause is to follow an assigned dup around so that dup has a constant light source.