[MOD] (Alpha 7) Atomic Power

[Psyckosama]

Atomic Power

Description:
This mod adds in new generator type, the Nuclear Reactor. Finally something to do with that Uranium you can buy!

It's expensive, produces over half again as much (that's over 150%) output as a Geothermal generator, needs to be researched, and it'll explode if you as much as look at it funny.

I'm also thinking of adding an electrical fire threat if you leave it out in the rain.

I've been trying to make it glow, but for some reason I can't get the glow function working. I'm also trying to get it so it also sets things on fire as well as exploding. Some hints/tips/assistance getting those functions working would be much appreciated.

In general the feel I'm going for is its a near priceless piece of kit as long as its working right. If its not working right then you're going to be looking at problems... and if you were crazy enough to put multiple of them in the same room without stone walls to serve as damage buffers you're really going to have problems because when one reactor goes... well... there's a reason they call it a chain reaction.

Features:

• Uranium Consumption
• Gradual Wear
• Radiation Damage
• Starts Deactivated

Mod Team:

• Psyckosama (Concept and Art)
  Haplo (C# Coding)
  

Download:


Screens:

How to install:
- Unzip the contents and place them in your RimWorld/Mods folder.
- Activate the mod in the mod menu in the game.

Changelog:
1.0 - First version
1.1 - Fixed Glow, Tweaked Costs
1.2 - New Texture, Fixed Explosion
1.3 - Alpha 3 Compatibility
1.4 - Thanks to Haplo, this mod now includes such wonderful effects as radiation damage effects and gradual ware and tear that requires regular maintenance. Doubled power output, tripled health.
1.5 - Now produces an unhappiness effect when exposed to Radiation.
1.6 - Updated to Alpha 4. Power production reduced, Radiation lethality increased, wear time slowed but is now less predictable, fire effects reduced due to massive slow downs. Reactor now starts inactive to prevent builder from being exposed to radiation.
1.61 - Updated to Alpha 5. All Glory to the Haplo-toad!
1.62 - Alpha 6
1.63 - Alpha 7

[AcDie]

screens must be...

[Vas]

Why does a nuclear generator produce LESS than a geothermal generator?  Nuclear reactors super heat water which turns into steam and goes through turbines, a great many powerful turbines, and that generates electricity.  The steam coming out of geysers is no where near as hot as steam coming out of a nuclear reactor.  It needs to produce a lot more power than a geyser or it's pretty much useless.  You just need other draw backs to balance it, and make it cost an extremely high amount.  Almost like you can only build one.  A mid to late game building.

[AcDie]

Why does a nuclear generator produce LESS than a geothermal generator?

Don't forget about water issue at desert planet 

[deadbeat88]

so let me get it straight.

- it produces less power
- relies on other resources
- explodes/short-circuits + chain reaction
- expensive to build
- must be researched first

...tell me again why should I put this on my base instead of [mod]Wind power plants, Solar PP outside the base? Because if I weigh the risk of explosion over raider attacks, I'd prefer the latter.

[Vas]

Why does a nuclear generator produce LESS than a geothermal generator?

Don't forget about water issue at desert planet 

In a different game, I find it funny that people whine about solar panels in space, because it's so illogical and unreal and all that it produces tiny amounts of power, and then no one cares at all about a 20cm^3 sized nuclear reactor in space producing 4GW, 4.5 times the current average nuclear reactor on earth.  Which also isn't possible because, where does steam go, in zero gravity?   It'd have to be an RTG and they are way less efficient, about 2KW range max.  But anyway, semi off topic.  xD

If you make reactors produce 4 - 5 times more than geothermal generators, you can increase the explosion radius to some massive area.  Technically those fuel cells should be lasting 30 years each.  But I know it's a game and the devs probably want it down to something like one cell a day.    Really, a nuclear reactor is an end game move.  If you build a nuclear reactor on any planet, you have the power to do whatever the hell you want, powering everything.    You'd power a city with thousands of people.

[deadbeat88]

If you make reactors produce 4 - 5 times more than geothermal generators, you can increase the explosion radius to some massive area.  Technically those fuel cells should be lasting 30 years each.  But I know it's a game and the devs probably want it down to something like one cell a day.   

I like this idea. Basically, I would prefer it to be high-yield high-risk. if it produces 10K power, I want it to explode in 10x10 radius. wouldnt it be awesome? But then again, the chances of it exploding should be balanced or make the explosion warning a bit longer.

[oniryuuko]

Half again doesn't mean it produces half power, it means it produces as much power as the Geothermal plant, and then an extra half of the Geothermal plant's output. Still, it's completely unreasonable that it produces so little power, especially at the rate it consumes uranium.

Also, Vas, Nuclear reactors work independent of gravity, as does any generator which relies on steam to produce power, including non-photovoltaic cell-based solar panels. This is because the steam doesn't rise because it magically defies gravity based on the simple fact that it is steam. This happens because the steam itself weighs less per volume than air, a direct effect of increased pressure of the gas. This pressure is what forces a turbine to spin, as the steam that makes it to the other side of the turbine is already cooler, and therefore lower pressure, than the steam freshly produced. As it continues to cool, it recondenses into water, where it can once again be heated into steam and keep the turbine spinning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_turbine

[Psyckosama]

Half again doesn't mean it produces half power, it means it produces as much power as the Geothermal plant, and then an extra half of the Geothermal plant's output. Still, it's completely unreasonable that it produces so little power, especially at the rate it consumes uranium.

Actually, it doesn't consume it. It uses 50 Uranium in the construction as a material and then it's good to go. I don't know how to make it constantly consume fuel and honestly even if I did it would be silly because the advantage of nuclear plants is that they only need to have their fuel changed every couple years. If I was going to build a non-renewable fuel source I'd add fossil fuels.

The reason it produces "so little" is I wanted to keep it balanced. Solar is dependent on the sun. Steam is dependent on finding a vent. Nuclear is explosive and requires research.

Have you guys tried it out any?

[Vas]

I don't plan to try it   If it produces less power than a steam vent, then it's essentially useless.  xD  One dangerous, compact building to produce all the power I need.

One way you can balance it as well, is to over time have it take damage.  So every 6 game hours, it will take small bits of damage and require someone to maintenance it.  If no maintenance is done, it causes a catastrophic 30x30 square immediate destruction, causing 100x100 squares of light damage, to everyone and everything.  So everything within 30 squares would be totally destroyed or killed.

Seeing as how it is a nuclear power plant though, it really should need to produce at least 4 to 5 times more than steam vents.  If you can set up the maintenance bit, where it takes self damage every 6 game hours, that's 4 times per day, enough so that if you don't repair it after 2 days, it'll explode, then add in the 30x30 kill zone with 100x100 damage zone, I will definitely try it and add my balancing tips.

Actually you could even add research for it, o if you build it barely after researching it, it is an un-safe power plant.  It would take damage every hour, and explode after 12 hours of no repairs.  Research a super long project for making it a safe power plant, which takes damage every 3 hours, making it's explode time 36 hours later with no repairs.  And then research final stage of safety making it an efficiently safe power plant, it's explode time with no repairs would be 72 hours later.  12 bits of self damage for each one before they explode.

If only you could have the research rename the power plant, or like, remove the old one from your build list after it is replaced by a more efficient power plant.  This should cost something like 10,000 metal minimum, as well as 1000 stone for the core containment area, and 100 uranium.  I wish there was water, because then you could also require water.

[Psyckosama]

I don't plan to try it   If it produces less power than a steam vent, then it's essentially useless.  xD  One dangerous, compact building to produce all the power I need.

It produces over 150% the output of a steam vent... over actually, as its output is 6500.

Half-again means basically "The same and then half more"

One way you can balance it as well, is to over time have it take damage.  So every 6 game hours, it will take small bits of damage and require someone to maintenance it.  If no maintenance is done, it causes a catastrophic 30x30 square immediate destruction, causing 100x100 squares of light damage, to everyone and everything.  So everything within 30 squares would be totally destroyed or killed.

How can I calculate that in?

I don't know how to do gradual damage and at the moment I'm using a copy-pasted version of the gun-turret explosion with a significantly larger radius.

Seeing as how it is a nuclear power plant though, it really should need to produce at least 4 to 5 times more than steam vents.  If you can set up the maintenance bit, where it takes self damage every 6 game hours, that's 4 times per day, enough so that if you don't repair it after 2 days, it'll explode, then add in the 30x30 kill zone with 100x100 damage zone, I will definitely try it and add my balancing tips.

Not really considering that nuclear power is basically steam power. Just you're using a self-contained atomic heat source instead of a natural vent. I'd agree if this was a fusion reactor though.

Actually you could even add research for it, o if you build it barely after researching it, it is an un-safe power plant.  It would take damage every hour, and explode after 12 hours of no repairs.  Research a super long project for making it a safe power plant, which takes damage every 3 hours, making it's explode time 36 hours later with no repairs.  And then research final stage of safety making it an efficiently safe power plant, it's explode time with no repairs would be 72 hours later.  12 bits of self damage for each one before they explode.

I'd need several more art resources for that one. I'd also need to know how to do the gradual damage thing.

If only you could have the research rename the power plant, or like, remove the old one from your build list after it is replaced by a more efficient power plant.  This should cost something like 10,000 metal minimum, as well as 1000 stone for the core containment area, and 100 uranium.  I wish there was water, because then you could also require water.

Okay, I have to say I like the idea of making it use stone for the core containment area...

Really though, as its set up right now, the way you contain the damage from the exploding plant (and I've tested this) is just to make good use of stone walls. Basically put the reactor into a dedicated containment vessel.

[Vas]

It produces over 150% the output of a steam vent... over actually, as its output is 6500.

Half-again means basically "The same and then half more"

----------

Not really considering that nuclear power is basically steam power. Just you're using a self-contained atomic heat source instead of a natural vent. I'd agree if this was a fusion reactor though.

Ah, well I guess half more power is slightly better.  But remember, that the reactor still heats the water much more quickly than natural steam.  And steam geysers are intermittent as you can see by the in game graphics of them randomly blowing steam.  The way those work, I think the power should be adjusted so that it only produces power while the steam is erupting but anyway.  Nuclear power is constant, and produces much more powerful heated steam which can turn more turbines than a steam geyser.  So maybe at least double, and then a fusion reactor would be 4 times more powerful than that minimum.  I remember in Minecraft where we had a mod that was well balanced where you could turn about 27 large turbines with fusion, and only 1 with fission.  With steam geysers being intermittent, it might turn a turbine for a small bit but then you gotta wait for another eruption.

How can I calculate that in?

I don't know how to do gradual damage and at the moment I'm using a copy-pasted version of the gun-turret explosion with a significantly larger radius.

I'm not really sure, I thought there might be a way for you to tell the game to destroy all blocks within a certain radius of an object or cause damage to stuff in that area.  If not then I guess it'd need to be a requested feature for the devs to put in.

Okay, I have to say I like the idea of making it use stone for the core containment area...

Really though, as its set up right now, the way you contain the damage from the exploding plant (and I've tested this) is just to make good use of stone walls. Basically put the reactor into a dedicated containment vessel.

When I mean core containment, I just mean the inside of the reactor, not blast resisting your base.  That stone is just used as a sort of mixed mineral and composition radiation shield with holding cells for water to keep the reactor from melting down.  If the reactor melted down, that core containment structure would be useless, you'd need to rely on outside defenses like stone walls.    Of course, if you release a new item with this mod, a blast wall that is much more durable, it can be a very expensive wall used around reactors to prevent a catastrophic damage to your base if you try to keep it inside. Like Metal wall, but you could call it Containment Wall, and it would have conduits inside it for transferring power, but would have maybe triple-quadruple the strength of metal walls and show up with a more metallic texture or even concrete metal like appearance, taking both metal and stone to make.  I'd say wood too, but that's from another mod.  xD  Anyhow.

I bet Tynan had plans for a nuclear reactor anyway, and was likely going to add radiation damage and such to the game as well for it.  So if he did plan to do this, then it'd be a lot easier making modified nuclear reactor mods with different outcomes, efficiencies, and danger levels.

[Psyckosama]

Ah, well I guess half more power is slightly better.  But remember, that the reactor still heats the water much more quickly than natural steam.  And steam geysers are intermittent as you can see by the in game graphics of them randomly blowing steam.  The way those work, I think the power should be adjusted so that it only produces power while the steam is erupting but anyway.  Nuclear power is constant, and produces much more powerful heated steam which can turn more turbines than a steam geyser.  So maybe at least double, and then a fusion reactor would be 4 times more powerful than that minimum.  I remember in Minecraft where we had a mod that was well balanced where you could turn about 27 large turbines with fusion, and only 1 with fission.  With steam geysers being intermittent, it might turn a turbine for a small bit but then you gotta wait for another eruption.

The issue here is game balance. I want to make them useful and powerful but not without their downsides. Basically the idea is they're the kind of system you have to build deep within a well established base but at the same time it never completely makes the other power sources obsolete.  Basically trying to stay away from the whole "dig yourself deep into a mountain and then collapse the entrance" survival option.

I'm not really sure, I thought there might be a way for you to tell the game to destroy all blocks within a certain radius of an object or cause damage to stuff in that area.  If not then I guess it'd need to be a requested feature for the devs to put in.

Yeah. until I know the does I really can't do it.

When I mean core containment, I just mean the inside of the reactor, not blast resisting your base.

I meant both. Basically you can get around some of the problems of the system by building them inside a stone bunker.

That stone is just used as a sort of mixed mineral and composition radiation shield with holding cells for water to keep the reactor from melting down.  If the reactor melted down, that core containment structure would be useless, you'd need to rely on outside defenses like stone walls.

I know. Just saying I like the idea of adding stone to the materials requirement.

Of course, if you release a new item with this mod, a blast wall that is much more durable, it can be a very expensive wall used around reactors to prevent a catastrophic damage to your base if you try to keep it inside. Like Metal wall, but you could call it Containment Wall, and it would have conduits inside it for transferring power, but would have maybe triple-quadruple the strength of metal walls and show up with a more metallic texture or even concrete metal like appearance, taking both metal and stone to make.  I'd say wood too, but that's from another mod.  xD  Anyhow.

Well, stone walls at the moment work well enough.

IF I was going to add anything it would be heavy blast doors.

I bet Tynan had plans for a nuclear reactor anyway, and was likely going to add radiation damage and such to the game as well for it.  So if he did plan to do this, then it'd be a lot easier making modified nuclear reactor mods with different outcomes, efficiencies, and danger levels.

He does. As far as I'm concerned this mod is simply a placeholder.

[Vas]

Ah, well I guess half more power is slightly better.  But remember, that the reactor still heats the water much more quickly than natural steam.  And steam geysers are intermittent as you can see by the in game graphics of them randomly blowing steam.  The way those work, I think the power should be adjusted so that it only produces power while the steam is erupting but anyway.  Nuclear power is constant, and produces much more powerful heated steam which can turn more turbines than a steam geyser.  So maybe at least double, and then a fusion reactor would be 4 times more powerful than that minimum.  I remember in Minecraft where we had a mod that was well balanced where you could turn about 27 large turbines with fusion, and only 1 with fission.  With steam geysers being intermittent, it might turn a turbine for a small bit but then you gotta wait for another eruption.

The issue here is game balance. I want to make them useful and powerful but not without their downsides. Basically the idea is they're the kind of system you have to build deep within a well established base but at the same time it never completely makes the other power sources obsolete.  Basically trying to stay away from the whole "dig yourself deep into a mountain and then collapse the entrance" survival option.

I know a really great, super easy, fix to this.  Also it's quite hard collapsing the entrance without leaving more exposed ways in.  xD  I've tried.

Anyway, the fix is, your people will feel trapped, if they can't go outside, under fresh blue sky every once in a while.  This trapped multiplier will stack over time, till they have a mental break and murder everyone in the base. :p  A great way to require your people to go outside once in a while.  Someone should make this into a mod!  The "must go outside once in a while" bit. 

[Psyckosama]

Updated version. It now uses Stone as well as Metal and Uranium to construct. This is basically symbolic of the heavy materials needed to help with the reactor shielding. 

The research takes 8000 time. This is because IMHO research in the game goes very quickly and something like nuclear reactors are more complicated than rugs.

The reactor has low HP, explodes with a large radius, and doesn't like the rain.

It also glows a bright sickly green because, well, it's nuclear and its thematic.

It has the same footprint as a Steam Generator and produces 6500 power.

And if anyone could tell me how to make the explosion set things on fire like a power conduit overload, I'd be much obliged.