Repairing. Degradation of the HP baseline. Requiring resource to repair

[wbonxx]

Would be interesting if there would be a second value associated to an object. A sort of HP baseline that get degraded after receiving damages. In this way you can't just keep 5 colonist behind 5 doors and survive to any raid.
This would make the whole think more real, over time the baseline would degrade and the top HP of a door would became lower (i.e. after reaching 100hp a steal door would lower its hp baseline from 250hp  to 150hp, thus after being damaged it would last less).

To increase again the baseline the colonists would require resources.

[Mikhail Reign]

So like an upkeep cost for built items? Seems ok, but what stops me needing to click on every door in my base to check their health when I'm low on supplies?

[wbonxx]

If you are low in supplies you could just stop repairing. It just feels unnatural that without using resources I can have a shiny door in 3 seconds. Or that I can stop an elephant breaking  a door forever by putting a colonist behind it repairing.

[eadras]

Yes, this would be a good change.  The exploit of having a high skill constructor repairing a door indefinitely while raiders beat on it is something we have all probably done at some point.  This change would fix it and add a bit of realism to the situation.

[b0rsuk]

Or at least require the door to be repaired from the same side it was damaged from.

[makkenhoff]

The biggest problem I have with this suggestion is it will add an unreasonable amount of player based micromanagement tasks. I agree that the repair ability does need some balance work though, I just don't see this as a good way of doing that. I am interested in the general idea though.

[wbonxx]

No micromanagement at all.

Reasonably after some years you would end up with portions of the base ruined that have to be rebuilt.

Would be even more interesting to see a base after 2 years having the scars of many battles. Now it is kind of lame, the base gets automatically shining after each battle in half a day.

My idea is that a door that has 250/250 after getting damaged gets a 50/120 and then can be repaired to 120, but not anymore to 250, unless is rebuilt.

.... OR let's say you click on the door and get a button that says rebuild. Then you pay 50% of the cost to build it and get's repaired back to 100% (250/250).

In this way there would be no micromanagement, double click a door (select all doors) and click rebuild. Do that same double clicking on a wall. End.

Kind of easy I think, but adds a new dimension.

[Mikhail Reign]

So basically you want there to be 3 clicks before pawns repair stuff? Screw that. Forget to do that once and half ya base is ruined a month later....

[Aerial]

I think having repair costs would be a good addition.  It would probably require having a separate task for repair, though, so you could disable automatic repairs when your colony is low on resources, and so you can assign specific pawns to the repair task.

I prefer the idea of damaged structures not being repairable to their full value because that leads to more tradeoffs.  Use the resources/time now to fix it or wait until it's further damaged for a better return on the work?  It also would create vulnerabilities in bases and defensive structures that take more time and effort to fix than the current 20 seconds of magic soldering. 

[SpaceDorf]

I think having repair costs would be a good addition.  It would probably require having a separate task for repair, though, so you could disable automatic repairs when your colony is low on resources, and so you can assign specific pawns to the repair task.

Like pre A15 *rofl* Yes. I would like that very much.

I don't like the Idea of a degrading health baseline .. that just sounds to gamey.

A resource need based on the percentage of the damage would best.
That need would be calculated from the health percentage and the ressources needed to build.
Stuff Door, Stuff Wall and Stuff Autodoor for example :

Wall : 5 Stuff; 100/5 = 20. Every 20% Repair require one stuff, less require none.
Door: 25 Stuff; 100/25 = 4. Every 4% Repair require one stuff.
Now it gets interesting multiple Stuff
Auto: 25 Stuff, 40 Steel, 2 Components; 100/ 25 = 4 ; 100 / 40 = 2.5 ; 100 /2 =50;
So Every 2.5 % cost 1 Steel, every 4 % one Stuff, and every 50% one Component
So 50% Damage would require : 1 Component; 20 Steel and 12 Stuff ( 48%, 2% are free ).

Suddenly all Stockpiles are Indoors 

With this feature I would suggest a common HP degradation over time, with the
addition of degraded Machines getting a malus on production.
This would replace the breakdown mechanic and limit the bzzzt event to gear under 50% ..
Also it would keep your builders busy and slow down the growth of a colony and a turret killbox would get expensive.
And it is an incentive to trade for raw goods

[Aerial]

I think having repair costs would be a good addition.  It would probably require having a separate task for repair, though, so you could disable automatic repairs when your colony is low on resources, and so you can assign specific pawns to the repair task.

Like pre A15 *rofl* Yes. I would like that very much.

I only started playing toward the end of A16 so I'm unfamiliar with what the previous mechanic might have been.

I don't like the Idea of a degrading health baseline .. that just sounds to gamey.

A resource need based on the percentage of the damage would best.
That need would be calculated from the health percentage and the ressources needed to build.

Actually, I think the degrading health baseline would be less gamey (i.e. more like reality) since I can't expect to repair a granite wall that's been pulverized by artillery fire back to like new condition.  Rather, I have to replace it.

However, I will readily concede that it might make for a less fun game mechanic compared to what you outline below. 

Stuff Door, Stuff Wall and Stuff Autodoor for example :

Wall : 5 Stuff; 100/5 = 20. Every 20% Repair require one stuff, less require none.
Door: 25 Stuff; 100/25 = 4. Every 4% Repair require one stuff.
Now it gets interesting multiple Stuff
Auto: 25 Stuff, 40 Steel, 2 Components; 100/ 25 = 4 ; 100 / 40 = 2.5 ; 100 /2 =50;
So Every 2.5 % cost 1 Steel, every 4 % one Stuff, and every 50% one Component
So 50% Damage would require : 1 Component; 20 Steel and 12 Stuff ( 48%, 2% are free ).

Suddenly all Stockpiles are Indoors 

With this feature I would suggest a common HP degradation over time, with the
addition of degraded Machines getting a malus on production.
This would replace the breakdown mechanic and limit the bzzzt event to gear under 50% ..
Also it would keep your builders busy and slow down the growth of a colony and a turret killbox would get expensive.
And it is an incentive to trade for raw goods

All good points.

[SpaceDorf]

Pre A15( please don't nail me to the alpha version, maybe I am off by one )  Repair had its own work priority setting, right next to construction before it was absorbed into construction.

And repairing a wall using 4-5 blocks is basically replacing it. Only automated.

There is also a mod that sets a new Building Designation for when a structure is destroyed completely.
This should be included in the repair/replace suggestion.

====== EDIT ======

when you are low on ressources there should be a toggle to use no materials for repair, or only on selected buildings.

I don't give a frack about your door, Steve, this steel goes into the thermal generator and the cooling system for the freezer, comprende ?

[wbonxx]

I think the baseline (total HP) should get reduced over time. It is easy to implement, adds more fun and reality to the game.

Yes I agree, resources should be used to repair.

About the post A16, I find it quite weird grouping repair with build priority. Unless were no relevant reasons to do so.

Do developers still read the suggesstion forum?

[SpaceDorf]

Yes they do, and post polls .. look at the poll for the a17 release ..

[Limdood]

absolutely against items not being able to be repaired to their full ORIGINAL value...no no no no no.