Land Buggy

[Silvador]

So, I'm playing on the Ludeonicrous sized map, 400x400. I like big maps with lots of room to move, expand and generally work with. But as much fun as it is to have all that room, it has it's down sides. The primary downside being distance.

I'd like to see some form of small/light land vehicle added that can be used to more quickly traverse long distances. This can be particularly useful for rushing out to rescue pawns who have crash landed in escape pods, or simply to cut down the time needed to travel from one's settlement to a mining project half way or more across the map.

So that it isn't totally OP, I'd suggest that it require research. Make it "mid-game" and require multiple materials, from steel and components, to leather (for the tires). I would go so far as to even make it require a battery. A recharge station could be built which the buggy would dock in and its traversable distance would be determined by the amount of charge in its battery. Pawns could use it semi-automatically, meaning that if they need to travel beyond a certain distance away from the "Home Zone" they would take the vehicle to their destination and then return in it without interaction from the player, but the player could allow/disallow usage of the buggy to prevent it being used constantly. This aspect may need more detailed consideration.

I'd propose making the vehicle a two-seater, with a tray on the back that can be used to either carry a third person, materials, or a pawn that is being rescued/captured/whatever (or even animals from a hunt). Later in the game, research could even be done to retro fit an existing vehicle with a turret. Making the construction of the vehicle relatively expensive could help to discourage "spamming" construction of the vehicles. A prosperous settlement could afford to have two or three buggies mid to late game, where a less prosperous colony could only afford to build one. Valuable resources and all that jazz. An important decision to make. Commit resources to a convenience? Or use them to build or make money?


Would appreciate any feedback.

[Aarkreinsil]

How abouuut...
Rideable muffalos and warg riders?

[Silvador]

Ridable animals might be a touch OP. With just one pawn with a high handling skill, a player could easily tame and train all the animals he or she wants/needs from almost the very beginning, so that every colonist could be zooming around on their own mount, every where, all the time, by the time a year has passed, and all for the cost of a larger plot of farmland.

[Klitri]

I think riding animals would be good if the rider requires at least 15> animal handling to control the animal it is on.

[Silvador]

I can see that being an issue as people will complaining that none of their pawns will have the required skill to ride an animal, ever.

Honestly, I don't see how riding the animals can not be unbalanced in any way. But this thread isn't about riding animals, it's about land vehicles.