Quote from: Wanderer_joins on December 04, 2016, 02:10:35 PM
Isn't this pod launch system simply for orbital trade?
Isn't the map simply to explain waiting time for caravans from various factions?
Which is great since the trade system is kind of broken but i'm just trying to keep it real.
This teaser image pretty clearly shows it's the player's caravan. There are two groups of colonists at the top, with the one on the right selected as the caravan is. There are options at the bottom to "split" and "settle". The blue house icon (of which there are no others, even on this other image) must be the colony, so this caravan of colonists has recently left the colony to go attack nearby pirates (don't know why two different colors; two kinds of pirates? new hostile human faction? or just red are mechanoids?).
Given that colonists can move around in caravans on the world map, and this exchange Spdskatr quoted earlier in this thread:
Quote from: PerunPerunowy on November 07, 2016, 11:30:47 AM
What if i want to start on Island?
How can i get to the Continent by Caravane Mode? Boats? Ships?
Quote from: Tynan on November 07, 2016, 03:49:27 PM
There will be a solution.
The same solution pirates use already!
...and that McAulay is "Entering transport pod." in the teaser this thread is about, it's safe to assume that we can use these transport pods to move colonists and items (see top left message) without having to cross the map, which you might have to do if you're on an island.
I was going to speculate, then I looked at what Tynan's said lately.
Twitter:
Quote from: @TynanSylvester
Transport pods go both ways
Reddit:
Quote from: /u/ieatcavemen
We HAVE to be getting vehicles in the new alpha, right?
With the implementation of caravans and traveling across the map Tynan must surely be planning to introduce (hopefully customisable) land vehicles.
If I'm going toexterminatecivilise my Rimworld neighbours there's only so muchgenocidediplomacy I can accomplish with hand carts.
Quote from: /u/TynanSylvester
There are vehicles, but probably not the way you imagine!
So that thing is probably a vehicle, like the ship, that effectively teleports you somewhere else on the world map at the cost of fuel (and whatever research and materials you needed to have built 6 of each of those things in the first place).