Static Source Farmer Structure
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As a late game mechanic static source farming could reduce server overhead by simplifying the process of energy extraction and also making it more uniform and predictable.
Concepts to consider:
Late-game concept by having a high build cost involving both energy and secondary resources.
Should there be a maintenance fee? (Need to periodically insert resource ex: ops resource?)
Size of internal storage container - 3000-10,000 would be my suggestion for sizing.
More Powerful Invaders in Industrial Mined Rooms - Requires Creeps to Clear it
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I like this idea. There's something to fight over in unowned rooms with this - you can't just retreat and recycle the creeps and wait for me to go away; if you do that, you'll lose a structure that cost a lot of CPU and energy to build.
Burning ops is neat too - give another use besides PCs for that resource.
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I really like the idea of creating a battle incentive where loosing doesn't mean a room wipe. I also think combat without towers will create new and interesting puzzles for players to solve.
As for the idea itself, why would I want a static mining facility? Drop mining is already very efficient, most of my intent cost is hauling energy back. Optimal energy haulers have 1600 capacity already. Hauling from a 2000 cap container isn't any less efficient than hauling from a larger capacity structure.
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@deft-code said in Static Source Farmer Structure: Hauling from a 2000 cap container isn't any less efficient than hauling from a larger capacity structure.
Cough Cough Carry Capacity Boosts Cough
If the structure has say 5-10k capacity it opens up some interesting mechanics like boosted energy haulers sharing multiple sources. May actually create a market for some of the non-military boosts.
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I'm a fan of having more structures in neutral rooms, it gives more interest in them.
I think the equivalent of static miners and pipes/transport belts (we factorio now) that remove need for moving could be a good option.
I'd also like to see some reason to bring resources out to mine locations. It's always a one way flow from outer rooms inward, and then between rooms it's purely terminals. If there was a way to use a small amount of K or something in outer mines to increase efficiency it makes a more interesting dynamic of resupplying.
Also, all of these things could leverage items from factories, giving them more of a non-credit purpose.
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@Atanner Does anyone use boosts for ongoing tasks? Every time I run the numbers it's clear I'm better off without boosts. Always credit wise, usually intent wise, it only saves spawn time. My only ongoing boost activity is RCL8 controller upgrading.
I agree with @Davaned something would be good, defending a structure without rampart and towers is something that doesn't really exist yet in screeps.
I don't think belts are a good idea (It just trade player intent cost for equally high processor cost). It might be possible to do it efficiently with a pipes where you can't see the resources in transit.
Simplest would be some sort of remote Link.
Another idea would be 10k capacity tesseract structures that are expensive to build but can be built at any RCL. (limit the tesseracts so they only share storage with other tesseracts in the same room).
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@deft-code Shoutout to https://screeps.com/forum/topic/2646/discussion-more-structures-in-unowned-rooms/1 I definitely feel that more serious investment in unowned rooms would open up a lot of combat options, and make unboosted creeps usable in offense.