Aetherion: an atlas pop alternative

[Tyrant]

hm might want to move ai core closer to robotics...

[Kotlol]

That arcade is HUUUUUGE for a small pop map. Like the biggest arcade room I ever seen!
I still see a lot of "dead air" areas.

Where you did it right for small pop you did great!
But there are still a lot of area's and rooms that make me go:
"This is for 20 people tops right?"
"Are you expecting everyone in the station to go there?" (Aka the arcade)

The chapel looks a lil big for a "Small chapel" You could cut 1 line of pews since they won't be able to see or hear the chaplain. (the rest is perfect)
Overall it doesn't look too bad right now. Very good process!

[Snowy :D]

I agree, the arcade is a bit big. Takes up space that can be used for other fun areas.

The art lab lacks an area to yeet dangerous artifacts into space. Additionally, the elecbox prevents people from picking up items on the far left side of the table.

I like how you combined rooms and areas like with chemistry and pharmacy. I think one of the main problems with Atlas is that there are too many separate rooms, which contributes to the place feeling cramped. This seems to be a good solution to that issue.

[Tyrant]

Yeah arcade was a bit massive... Had this idea of like a hotel style casino.
bit silly in hindsight, gonna put a pool complex there instead (changing rooms, showers, and internal pool, like IRL)

[Piesuu]

I would say the AI core needs an access door, it would be way easier to go through a door than to deconstruct a window for possible replacements, similar to kondaru.

[Tyrant]

Latest Progress as of 22nd May 2023

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Getting quite close to layout completion, i think, then we can start to do the finnicky detail stuff. Things i'm aware of:
- The solars are pretty much a draft atm, as is the artsci ejection tube, so i'm aware the artsci ejection goes straight into it. Will fix that shortly.
- the west solars look different since they're supposed to be auxillary ones. They will also connect to the backup SMES room, the west substation. Probably have a solars SMES and a third TEG SMES (a backup one) in the same room.
- Strong lack of lattices: still waiting on that auto lattice merge.
- No lights, wiring, or in depth tubing work yet. Also none of the belt hells are functional yet.
- We now have the clown room, janitor supply closets, sec checkpoints, and an emergency storage room. What else should I shove in the maints?

[Kotlol]

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.

I especially love the eastern maintance vents.
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.

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.

[Lord_earthfire]

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.

[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.

[Tyrant]

New latest version, making artsci, telesci and sec have fewer choke points, moving the AI core, and expanding the owlrey, and also moving the pod bay to encourage people to pass through the crew quarters. I think that this version is complete enough that I could potentially start shoving in wires and disposal pipes, but i'm about to go on holiday for like a month starting next week so i'll hold off on doing it until after then (which should be plenty of time to gather feedback). Plus I've been grinding away at this pretty incessantly so I'd like the layout to actually be finalised soon.
Do let me know if you have any gripes now, before I start putting in detail work. Otherwise it'll be extremely painful to patch. Moving the pod bay, for instance, wouldv'e been tedious had i had detail work in place.
As always, you can open the image in a new tab for better zooming and whatnot. This is a full res image.

[Tyrant]

don't forget the fact that aetherion is only a temporary name and that i'm accepting suggestions

[Kotlol]

I can't find certain things like:
-AI Upload
-Robotics Controls
-Clothes Booth

Minus some areas I find too big and "empty" sometimes.. I think its coming along nicely.

I got no name suggestions so far. Though I am curious how to make a map :P just for curiousity sakes.

[Tyrant]

ai upload is above crew quarters in the bottom left, robotics controls is in ai upload, and the clothes booth is in the changing room next to the arcade.

[Kotlol]

Thanks after some more inspecting I noticed this map mostly has everything it needs.. it still needs the leg training machine since you get two buffs from doing trainings.
And there is no boxing ring (I think that's intentional no?)

Otherwise the station seems like 90% done.

Good job, though I wish to know how to make my own map someday too :P
I got a design in mind for a "Modular" station where the station is build the old fashioned way.

1 Module at a time.

[Tyrant]

Damn, there's always something. At this point there's nowhere the boxing ring can really fit, so i'm not sure about including one. Maybe in the maints near catering? warrens style?
I went ahead and added wires to the station anyway, so there's that.

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now with boxing ring right next to the chapel