Breakdown too frequent and too frustrating

[corestandeven]

As the title says, currently breakdowns are too frequent, and also so frustrating as they burn up components which can be hard to come by and are needed in order to progress later in the game.

For example, I just had three breakdowns within 2 minutes of gameplay. A Hydroponic bay that was not in use broke (makes no sense when it is not being used), a heater broke and now the stove broke. 3 components down the drain, and nothing the player can do to prevent it. One game year i had 10 breakdown events, sinking 10 components. I'm trying to save enough components to build a ground penetrating radar, so now back at square one. Punishing the player in such a way is not a fun gameplay mechanic, and just drags out the late game further.

The mechanics behind this need changing imo. Either make components easier to come by, which i wouldn't necessarily advocate as i think the ways you can obtain components is generally ok, or change how the items break. On the latter either reduce the frequency of the event greatly, not require a component to fix broken items, require pawns with 'construction' skill to maintain items every so often or the risk of breaking increases, and certainly don't have items not in use break! If they are turned off or not in use why on earth would they break?