Timer power switch

[S810_Jr]

Like a normal power switch but you can set it to be on for different hours of the day (like the restrictions tab).
e.g. You connect your cooker to it so. Then set switch to have it come on in the day when you have people set to cook.

Saves all that energy wasted in the night for batteries without having to micro manage every energy using production item every single night.

[Toggle]

Support.

[harpo99999]

there is haplo's power switch mod, (that in my opinion SHOULD BE in vanilla) as the basic power switch is and was inspired by haplo's power switch mod

[mumblemumble]

I agree, having lights at night is impossible,  but it would save power. So would syncing work stations power with colonists usage. Instead they leave the stove on all week.

[LouisTBR]

This seriously needs to be in the game. It gets annoying turning of all the lights at certain times, this would be really helpful. +1 if I knew how!

[b0rsuk]

What other uses could it have besides turning stuff off at night ? Can't this be accomplished by powering your colony via solar panels ?

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What other uses could it have besides turning stuff off at night ? Can't this be accomplished by powering your colony via solar panels ?

That... really b0rsuk, really? The point is saving energy during the night, and keeping your batteries full... Using solar panels so you run out of energy at night is really a stupid solution when you're trying to save energy... Like when I have solar panels I need enough batteries in order to store up enough energy to keep everything running throughout the night time. How would you keep meat frozen if your freezer was powered by solar panels without batteries...

[b0rsuk]

Is that kind of granularity really needed ? Why not just make a switch that turns off at 19, when plants are resting ? Shouldn't this functionality simply be a part of working tables, not switches ? I mean this switch will make power conduit layouts more complicated, and what you really want is facilities turn off at night, not more switches.

This is not the first time I'm asking (myself) these questions. I was about to post an identical suggestion and I wasn't sure I had a convincing answer to all of them.

[LouisTBR]

I'm with b0rsuk. He was simply suggesting an easier alternative to switches, I don't really see why ZOMBIE2 needed to get mad at you.

[CB elite]

I think z0mbie simply misunderstood what you were suggesting, b0rsuk. You werent suggesting letting battery power drain at night, but rather a direct and monogomous connection between solar panels and the lights in a person's base; this way, power is automatically supplied during the day and shut off at night without sacrificing battery power or requiring a new switch (because solar power generators wont supply energy at night for obvious reasons).

Still, I feel like this is actually a gross misuse of resources. For larger bases, and long-term colony players, like myself.

A simple option to turn off/on at night would be a welcome feature, in my opinion; and I dont think it would complicate the circuits in bases as much as you think it would

[Toggle]

The point was to turn off stuff wasting power while saving it to run necessary things like freezers, and the comment I replied to was suggesting to just run out of power instead, which directly avoided the entire problem.

[CB elite]

The point was to turn off stuff wasting power while saving it to run necessary things like freezers, and the comment I replied to was suggesting to just run out of power instead, which directly avoided the entire problem.

I understand that the whole idea of these smart switches. I tend to avoid playing with lights at all due to the fact that they're so power hungry, and unnecessary at particular parts of the day.

I think this is what you're seeing in their comment:



Running out of power for everything at night, because solar panels....

And, this is what I'm seeing:



Only running out of power for things connected to solar panels at night... (I chose a freezer as a bad example, but its on/functioning in this pic)

Make sense?

[Toggle]

Still doesn't really sense the point is to save energy, if it just runs out of energy at night it's the same as having it running all night.

[LouisTBR]

ZOMBIE2, can you explain to me why the solar panels are using energy at night?

[CB elite]

Still doesn't really sense the point is to save energy, if it just runs out of energy at night it's the same as having it running all night.

And, you're right. I'm not disagreeing with you. This is a huge misuse of resources in a game where you're trying to survive (and it looks a bit silly). Was just trying to clarify a point that was made earlier by both of you.

I think the reason Tynan never added timed switches to the game is due to the fact that they are easily exploitable for defensive purposes. Remember the days when you could just turn things on and off instantaneously like the sky god we all thought we were? I don't think Tynan's trying to go back to allowing that to happen; and, all it would take to turn something on/off instantly is to set the on/off time to now. That's kind of a mouthful, but I hope that makes sense

Even so, I would like to see a way to save energy in vanilla eventually. Maybe b0rsuk's idea of just an off at night function would be perfectly acceptable, but then maybe people would complain about a lack of customization/management options.

ZOMBIE2, can you explain to me why the solar panels are using energy at night?

There's constant energy waste going on when you have your panels set up directly to your lights, which isn't really apparent unless you think about it for a sec. You typically need some type of surplus of energy (because getting a perfect balance of intake/output can be difficult at times, and having a deficit in energy just leads to things not being powered ever), and this set up doesn't allow you to put that surplus into your batteries