Atmospheric Pipe Changes Megathread

[TrickyWolfer]

Quick TLDR I suppose: I fully disagree with the change that made manifolds destructible. I rant a little and dare to suggest an alternative at the end.
I want to start this post off by saying I started to really play the game in toxins and spend a lot of time in there.

As for an alternative (with admittedly does not have not as much thought behind it):
Id much rather see the TEG require a minimum volume on attached pipe networks to work properly and drastically lower the volume of manifolds or impose a penalty on interconnected manifolds.
Might even increase the cost on canister ports and make the pressure tanks rupture so closing off the indestructible setup comes at a higher cost.
That way default setups work for default engineering setups without issues, players that want to build expansive indestructible TEG setups will need to go through several more full HPD charges and toxins remains viable.

Welcome to the thread, Chomusuke, and we're glad to have you here!
It's interesting to see this from toxin's perspective considering that this PR was merged for the sole reason of TEG making big numbers is bad.

I agree with all the points that you laid out; The newest PR hurts players for their ingenuity, among other things. From a TEG engineer's perspective, this does change """nothing""" because eventually engineers will seek even more bullshit ways to get big TEG number reliably; This manifold stuff hurts wings that works within an already really confined place AND less resource to work with i.e. Toxins. There were couple of PRs already laid out, but it was mostly TEG focused and doesn't target one of the more hard-hitted area of "pipeburning" (can bomb manufacturing). Hence this thread was made as a catch-all because I do feel really bad for toxins catching strays for ultimately what devs implemented due to only 2 individuals (that I know of, there could be more but months playing I have never seen the others) that managed to get reliable Yotta+ in modern day Goon (which, in hindsight, sounds short-sighted and vindicative).

=============== RANT STARTS HERE ==============

Tangentially related, though it has been echoed multiple times in this thread is that people are severely underestimating the research needed to even reach this point. Your screenshot is one of the solid proof of things that "look" simple, but I'm fully aware that from the constant back-and-forth and code-diving you did in the server proves otherwise. I absolutely do not see any net positive of this specific PR aside from making engineer-researcher life's a living hell due to more pipes bursting + poor cues, so I try to look for other's opinion about the fate of the pipes. I know for sure even the developer team is really ill-informed about the hardships of atmos research and the ones that stepped in for the fix were the ones that actually dabbled with modern atmos. You wouldn't really call "rings of manifold" as a sole reason for nerf if you're aware TEG research notes looked like this (and this is still WIP):



Funny enough, they only start to do something about atmos pipes whenever Pipeburn reaches its golden era. The first one was back in 2021, and that was quickly curbed by scaling leak PR which made a lot of TEG nerds quit. The true fix for that only got added 3 years later when HPD was added. Cut to 2025, second pipeburn era was incited again because I got a itch to scratch, and guess what added. Repetitiveness wouldn't be a good reason; That reason would have been applied to any other engine (except maybe geothermal). Back then TEG was even more braindead because people just chuck a mix and let the leak do its job for you controlling molarity. PTL dangerous? Those are the engineer's responsibility and we as one are willing to be yelled due to incompetency of keeping the station safe. It is part of SS13's occupational hazard, emphasis on crew incompetency. Loop looks safe and boring because we spent at least 3-4 months researching the optimal loop so that it doesn't maim the station, not because it's mad busted.

=============== RANT ENDS HERE ==============

I'm willing to take more expensive unbreakable pipes if we want to trade-off resource for big buck. Hooks? Expensive. Penalty? Sure why not.
Anything except the total removal of QoL in constructible atmos and more emphasis of rewarding ingenuity of players rather than rolling RNG waiting for mining and science to do its job. Remember, PTL's benchmark was lowered because nobody can even reach the numbers anymore; Back then there were a lot more people who could reach that even with SINGULARITY.