Lightning Rod

[BassMonroe]

Basically the cheapest type of way for creating power, Costs very little resources but can be created from the start.

The Lightning Rod would direct lighting bolts during a storm and then absorb the power to fill batteries. I think the power output would have to be quite high considering how often storms happen (Rimorld storms might be more electrical than earths). The Rod would be a 1x1 object so the more you build the more lightning strikes hit that point.

Might be a waste of an item to have in the game but share your opinions. 

[Kinakin]

The main benefit of a lightning rod should as in RL be drawing lightning and reducing the potential harm it can do.

The idea of it adding power I feel is more in the lines of a trivial flavor feature. And if implemented should involve the risk of overload.

[JimmyAgnt007]

Real life lightning rods do both, so it should be a workable addition to the game.  Lightning strikes already provide light for solar panels to gather.  I think maybe if you dont have empty batteries then it can overload the system.  Maybe add an option to the batteries to set how much power we want them to store so you can have some guarantied empty capacity.

[Kinakin]

Point is tough that basing power generation on lightning strikes isnt a very stable affair. And afaik no current commerially used rods are available.

Even experimental tech which show its possible are only able to capture fractions of the amount of power lightning contains.

It also requires ALOT of capacitators. Making it a helluva lot more complex then a rod connected to a battery.

And to turn full cycle it seems very gimmicky to include something that provides such random amounts of power in a game where stable power generation is the goal.

[Johnny Masters]

There are already random power generators / generation both in mods and vanilla and theres nothing wrong with it. It actually gives a tactical touch. So i wouldn't say the goal is stable power. If there was such goal it would be  to achieve all power you could get with whatever means you can.

If there's sun you build solar panels, wind you build wind turbines, lighting...

Anyhoo, i agree it should work both as a lighting grounding/ drawing device and secondary power generation. Might work specially well in a lighting-heavy scenario, should there ever be one.

We could spend weeks debating on hows and whys, but it should definitely be a thing. It fits really well with the whole alternate power sources concept.

[JimmyAgnt007]

I agree its main purpose is to protect your base from strikes, but a little power boost would be there for the same reason the light boosts your solar panels, not sustainable just kinda neat.  We dont need to make the system too complex.

[Johnny Masters]

Yeah, no need for capacitors or such thing, it can be all there inside the rod or such. It would also make for some pretty fireworks.

[Coenmcj]

We're in a universe where little iddy-bitty humans have achieved space travel and have spread out amongst the stars for thousands, if not millions of years 3000 or so years, and you're arguing the plausibility of a lightning rod that harnesses the lightning's power?  It's a whole new world, anything is possible. (well... apart from FTL)

If this were to be added, what would be the extent of what it protects? we speaking a large area, a small one?

[The-MathMog]

We're in a universe where little iddy-bitty humans have achieved space travel and have spread out amongst the stars for thousands, if not millions of years and you're arguing the plausibility of a lightning rod that harnesses the lightning's power?  It's a whole new world, anything is possible. (well... apart from FTL)

The year is only 5500 in the game. So 3500 years in the future.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pIZyKif0bFbBWten4drrm7kfSSfvBoJPgG9-ywfN8j8/pub

[SuperCaffeineDude]

I'd like to see them, there are way too many random events that you cannot future proof  yourself against short of playing space-dwarves, this would make settling on plains more feasible (if only a little).

The technical feasibility of whether you can harness some energy from a lightning rod is a bit of a non-issue considering what tech's already available to you. And come on, rule of cool says you should be able to. After-all it doesn't mean that the transfer of power shouldn't explode your batteries and light bulbs (setting fire to everything) if you don't have the capacity for it, that just makes it cooler .

[Coenmcj]

The year is only 5500 in the game. So 3500 years in the future.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pIZyKif0bFbBWten4drrm7kfSSfvBoJPgG9-ywfN8j8/pub

Must of missed the 5500 AD on the primer, All I remembered was there was no FTL, so in light of this...

for thousands, if not millions of years   For 3000 or so years!

[dut]

https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=16541.msg178720#msg178720



... coming soon ...

[nhatanh0475]

https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=16541.msg178720#msg178720



... coming soon ...

This picture above was made in 2015.
Now it's 2021, is it comming soon yet?