A Proposal for a Terrestrial Map

[DisturbHerb]

I'm quite aware that active submissions for new maps are currently not being solicited, this thread's here just to grab some dev opinions with the hope that someone would be interested in backing such a project in the near future. As of writing, none of the ideas set forth in this thread have been manifested and are subject to change.

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I'm not alone in thinking a terrestrial map would be a cool idea; there's been sufficient demand for something filling that niche for a good while and Tselabok - while ultimately falling flat - was a pretty good example of that.

In line with our current trend of producing Space Station 13 maps that aren't actually in space, a terrestrial environment offers a great deal of opportunities that could be explored to create something truly unique; stuff like, among others:

• Day-night cycles with tangible effects on the environment
  
• Funky environmental elements to play with such as weather, geological features, a unique biosphere, and artificial structures
  
• New possibilities for station designs that aren't just a big spiderwebby looking thing sprawling out (for example, an installation made up of smaller dispersed buildings connected by footpaths or roads rather than pressurised/sealed halls)
  
• Not gonna lie, I want a snow map specifically just so I can give everyone adorable little parkas and snowshoes for wandering outside
  

Yeah, not gonna lie, the process of making a brand new map in an entirely new environment with unique mechanics in sufficient quantity to produce a niche that would get that map accepted into rotation is gonna be a significant effort. I'd be completely understanding if the development team isn't willing to stake themselves on such an undertaking. However, I earnestly think that there'd be significant support from the community - in both actual contributions and in wanting the map in the game - if we got the ball rolling, and there's the potential to create something great. 

This game's a labour of love, after all. We could make something with the magnitude of Oshan if we put ourselves to it.

[mralexs]

I suggested something similar a while back, an outpost on a jungle planet with dinosaurs, with the jungle acting like the trench

[Kotlol]

Ironicly there is sorta a day and night cycle on Oshan. Sometimes it's darker outside in the ocean and sometimes lighter to indiciate time of day each shift.

A terrasital planet wouldn't be too hard.
Infact we gotta decide if the planet outpost has an atomsphere.
Second we gotta decide how mining works. Like with Nadir and Oshan, I recommend going down into planet with an elevator/transporter and also use that system.

For canon reasons... I recommend the station to be taking place in a "hollow planet" aka the true surface is below the ground.
Make it so that we are in a "crater" and cargo has to orbital cannon stuff into the sky to small station in orbit that is just a router. And have the cargo land from there.

Just dumb ideas :P

[aft2001]

Were a new map to be added, I think it'd definitely have to be a terrestrial one; either a modernized version of that one prototype of a Martian station Aphtonites made a decade ago, the proposed arctic station, or some other hostile environment would work.

Most ideally, a breathable atmosphere would be ideal, even if protection is required for prolonged outdoor activities - namely in either a desert or arctic environment. This would easily set it far apart from all other maps. While I'd personally lean towards a more arctic environment, a boiling hot desert would also be cool.

One issue is, oddly enough, atmos. Not pressure, but temperature. There needs to be internal temperature regulation inside buildings to keep them at safe/comfortable temperatures, so some way to simulate A/C or central heating without excess lag needs to be developed. Probably not too hard but still worth noting.

[George_Manning]

While I'd personally lean towards a more arctic environment, a boiling hot desert would also be cool.

It’s worth noting that deserts get *really*, absurdly cold at night. Like below zero cold. So if we incorporate a day night cycle, we could have the A/C & heating system you proposed be something that has to be managed (manually or automatically) and could be sabotaged.

[mralexs]

Ironicly there is sorta a day and night cycle on Oshan. Sometimes it's darker outside in the ocean and sometimes lighter to indiciate time of day each shift.

A terrasital planet wouldn't be too hard.
Infact we gotta decide if the planet outpost has an atomsphere.
Second we gotta decide how mining works. Like with Nadir and Oshan, I recommend going down into planet with an elevator/transporter and also use that system.

For canon reasons... I recommend the station to be taking place in a "hollow planet" aka the true surface is below the ground.
Make it so that we are in a "crater" and cargo has to orbital cannon stuff into the sky to small station in orbit that is just a router. And have the cargo land from there.

Just dumb ideas :P

Maybe it'd be something like Journey to the Center of the Earth

[Kotlol]

Maybe it'd be something like Journey to the Center of the Earth

You know what? THAT WOULD BE AMAZING! one of the older sci-fi's!

[babayetu83]

i had an idea rumbling around in my brain that was that of a sort of "shore leave" map. like a small planned corporate town with a quarry, amenities (a power plant, dining, security detail, a greenhouse area, command, a beach area to relax) and with a day/night cycle that would allow antags to operate under the cover of darkness

[JanusRose]

i had an idea rumbling around in my brain that was that of a sort of "shore leave" map. like a small planned corporate town with a quarry, amenities (a power plant, dining, security detail, a greenhouse area, command, a beach area to relax) and with a day/night cycle that would allow antags to operate under the cover of darkness

Imagine this paired with some sort of sketchy lighting situation, like a power grid of some sort in a fenced off area. And maybe walkways outside to different parts of the outpost. I feel like if terrestrial maps were accomplished it would be a force for great innovation in other areas.

[Dr simramor]

Have the station be there to study local funa. Have job where you go out and collect samples of the local animals and sell to NT for money. Your tasked with collecting the brain of a brullbar king or honey from the local space bees that have adapted.

[Thebutler]

What if it was an on land carrier that would use the same movement mechanics used on manta just an idea I had

[stuck_in_void_HELP]

Have the station be there to study local funa. Have job where you go out and collect samples of the local animals and sell to NT for money. Your tasked with collecting the brain of a brullbar king or honey from the local space bees that have adapted.

This is such a wonderful idea.

Fauna also adds the interesting dynamic of the outside still being dangerous despite being walkable and breathable. Bad NPC fauna AI as a downside could be negated by just giving them really high hp and damage.

[OldPotato]

Well, making terrestrial map is possible with tools that are available, some technical issues with the turf setup but nothing super advanced to fix.
I could make this map ready-to-play but after that someone else who knows more about coding would need to change couple of things to make this ideal map.

The outside turf needs to be unsimulated simply because if the outside gets flooded it will probably lag server into oblivion and this type of turf solves that since you cannot build on those and it cannot contain any liquid and also has stable atmos that never changes, not to mention it cannot be damaged, (some pros and cons but for ease of avoiding problems it is my best solution for now).

In IDEAL world when simulated tile gets damaged (usually blown up by some goon) it would create an abyss tile (like the ice moon one*) and when stepped on will throw you into an ice cave* that you have to get out of using ladders scattered in cave corners (they will take you to the specific rooms on station level with same ladders), that idea is optional since it will require making new prefab area just for this map, and the blown tiles could just flood with water or merge of two ideas with chance to create abyss tile with like 20% chance instead of water one (reason being there is frozen ocean below planet, there has to be some excuse to use trench anyway since space one doesn't make sense).

There are some other things to talk about like way fences will work and that will also require some changes in code, way outside maint works and other lil things.
As i mentioned above, I could make this ready-to-play and then maybe make map files public for some coders to play with.
Question is: Is it worth making this map in first place and putting time and effort into this.
If not, ehh, food for thought i guess.

Here is a current map setup (a rather rough version but it visualizes idea well):
Spoiler!

[Snowy :D]

Well, making terrestrial map is possible with tools that are available, some technical issues with the turf setup but nothing super advanced to fix.
I could make this map ready-to-play but after that someone else who knows more about coding would need to change couple of things to make this ideal map.

The outside turf needs to be unsimulated simply because if the outside gets flooded it will probably lag server into oblivion and this type of turf solves that since you cannot build on those and it cannot contain any liquid and also has stable atmos that never changes, not to mention it cannot be damaged, (some pros and cons but for ease of avoiding problems it is my best solution for now).

In IDEAL world when simulated tile gets damaged (usually blown up by some goon) it would create an abyss tile (like the ice moon one*) and when stepped on will throw you into an ice cave* that you have to get out of using ladders scattered in cave corners (they will take you to the specific rooms on station level with same ladders), that idea is optional since it will require making new prefab area just for this map, and the blown tiles could just flood with water or merge of two ideas with chance to create abyss tile with like 20% chance instead of water one (reason being there is frozen ocean below planet, there has to be some excuse to use trench anyway since space one doesn't make sense).

There are some other things to talk about like way fences will work and that will also require some changes in code, way outside maint works and other lil things.
As i mentioned above, I could make this ready-to-play and then maybe make map files public for some coders to play with.
Question is: Is it worth making this map in first place and putting time and effort into this.
If not, ehh, food for thought i guess.

Here is a current map setup (a rather rough version but it visualizes idea well):
Spoiler!

I don’t have much to say about the technical stuff since I know next to nothing about it but I do love the look of this map. I would definitely love to see more if it in the future.

[Thebutler]

Well, making terrestrial map is possible with tools that are available, some technical issues with the turf setup but nothing super advanced to fix.
I could make this map ready-to-play but after that someone else who knows more about coding would need to change couple of things to make this ideal map.

The outside turf needs to be unsimulated simply because if the outside gets flooded it will probably lag server into oblivion and this type of turf solves that since you cannot build on those and it cannot contain any liquid and also has stable atmos that never changes, not to mention it cannot be damaged, (some pros and cons but for ease of avoiding problems it is my best solution for now).

In IDEAL world when simulated tile gets damaged (usually blown up by some goon) it would create an abyss tile (like the ice moon one*) and when stepped on will throw you into an ice cave* that you have to get out of using ladders scattered in cave corners (they will take you to the specific rooms on station level with same ladders), that idea is optional since it will require making new prefab area just for this map, and the blown tiles could just flood with water or merge of two ideas with chance to create abyss tile with like 20% chance instead of water one (reason being there is frozen ocean below planet, there has to be some excuse to use trench anyway since space one doesn't make sense).

There are some other things to talk about like way fences will work and that will also require some changes in code, way outside maint works and other lil things.
As i mentioned above, I could make this ready-to-play and then maybe make map files public for some coders to play with.
Question is: Is it worth making this map in first place and putting time and effort into this.
If not, ehh, food for thought i guess.

Here is a current map setup (a rather rough version but it visualizes idea well):
Spoiler!

The layout looks great also I'm interested to see what the listening post will look like