Tunnels
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How about adding the ability to build 'Tunnels' on wall tiles, making them into roads. This should ease the road network in some rooms. Could be pretty expensive, though.
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What you describe is called a rampart.
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@Atavus, I believe you refer to the usage of ramparts as constructed walls. I am asking for the ability to carve through terrain walls.
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Interesting idea. Some rooms have SO many terrain walls that it takes 100s of ticks to move just a few tiles away. A tunneling system would definitely be interesting in those cases.
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I see now.
An interesting suggestion that has been mentioned before, but I feel it is unlikely to happen. It is a big step from the current structure of the game where there is absolutely no option to modify terrain features.
I also believe one of the main cool things about the game is forcing players to work within arbitrary given constraints. Opening up the possibility of setting up tunnels through terrain walls, opens a huge set of balancing issues. Development effort is likely best spent elsewhere.
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@Atavus I understand what you mean.
If tunnels were implemented, I'd see them sort of like links. Not available until your room is a higher level, so you still have to deal with the complexity of random room designs.
However, just like links, tunnel implementation could save (in some cases considerable) CPU for mining and remote mining operations, once the user has reached a high enough RCL/GCL.
If done right it would add to the game complexity and help reduce CPU usage, rather than simplifying the game which seems to be your concern.
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Tunnels are interesting- from a mechanic standpoint they'd be just like roads that can only be placed on "wall"t terrain.
There would have to be a very high cost for this. Continue the trend of swamp roads being 5x that of plain roads, I think this would make sense-
Road on Plains - 300 / 100
Roads on Swamp - 1500 / 500
Tunnels - 7500 / 2500
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An extra mechanic of interest would be collapsing tunnels back to wall by attacking or dismantling them (only creeps, no UI). This could be done by an attacker to disrupt your supply chain or by the local player to defend against enemy incursions
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That's a really good point- with this mechanic a destroyed tunnel would likely be far more disruptive than a destroyed road, as it will make things completely unpassable. That makes using it a double edge sword.
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Tunnels implementation have been deployed to the PTR: https://screeps.com/forum/topic/2322
