Aetherion: an atlas pop alternative

[Tyrant]

Even newer image of Aetherion. Stuff added includes det office and other stuff which i forgot. Oh, and shuttles.
Observatory is now gone and replaced with a better arrival dock.

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I don't think we should have "Sec check points" for a low pop station. That feels like a failure. One thing Atlas does right is put sec right next to escape, but it has no pod bay. But in this case... I think only 1 sec check point should be needed.. since no one can MAN those checkpoints on low pop. If security is 10 people (officers, HoS, Assistants and Detective) on high pop. Then it makes sense.. and since high pop is 50-100. You can see 1/5 to 1/10 of the pop needs to be security. On low pop I think you need 2-3 security members max and maybe 1 detective extra. If we have that and all sec points need manning... It means all stations are taken.
I especially love the eastern maintance vents.
If I would design a low pop. Make arrivals next to escape, or don't make an arrivals at all but only allow *uncryoing* to be the way in (aka like Kondura and Atlas and Destiny). This can help cut space, but if you do want an arrivals make it next to escape so you only need 1 sec checkpoint wich should be MORE then enough.
Otherwise it's looking pretty good so far.

I've now ditched the arrival checkpoint and put stock machines there instead, since two was indeed overkill. My thought was "lets give them the choice" but it's also just more placed for crimers to get gear so... yeah. One checkpoint. Similarly ditched the second janny closet for the same reason.

Glad you like the maints, they're important and definitely not a side thought.
As for arrivals... I like the sort of upward flow through the station, and having a direct arrivals to escape passageway without even entering the station is in theme with having docks, but not great gameplay. Instead I've just shrunk the southern docks a bit and added an information kiosk, which if sec wants to, they could man like a checkpoint.

Considering many small maps, like atlas, have quite a few flaws due to crampieness and merging of departnents, i would really not take too much inspiration or patterns from their design.
I like in this station design the open space in the hallways as meeting points between the departments. They also bring enough space for gimmicks for people to see which is especially important for low pop maps.
You also incorporated access from the main hallways to niche service-departments, like mechlab.
Having that said, i think some access points to departments/vital structures can be improved.
Firstly, i am not sure if it is a good idea to have the normal access to the law rack behind the ai core room. While normally you need for law changes to bypass a door or obe turret, here is is 6 turrets, 2 doors, or a deconstruction of plasna glass woth supposedly electrified grills and 2 turrets. I personally think it's a bit much, although i would like to see the entrance over space to be still possible, it should not be the safer pathway. I would switch the position of the AI core and the law rack.
Above that, i would think about adding a second connection between engineering and the station. Maybe consider catwalks to connect the lower airlock of the engine with the solar catwalks.
As a suggestion, think about adding an aur distribution system to maintance to flood the hallways with glorious plasmafire pressuring the hallways after a breach. You got enough soace in maintance that a few can hookups and oxygen tanks would not be a bad idea.
Last but not least, i like the maintance design. They interlock the departmenrs and give good opportunities and space for criming. That is something atlas could get a cut off or two.

I probably made the AI room a bit too robust, yes. Swapping the law room and AI core is a good idea. Another idea I had was having the law room left there (near sec) while moving the AI core to the opposite side of the station near robotics. Then the section wouldn't stick out as much. Could be good.

The amount of maints I have does mean that I can (and will!) have air hookups. It's always a nice thing to have, and we're not lacking room for it. That said, while the structure is being fleshed out, I won't add in the actual piping just yet. The hookup ports, yes, but not the pipes, as stuff can still be rearranged. And constantly is.

Glad people seem to be enjoying the maints.