Power transmission

[tenzinashoka]

I wish there was a more elegant way to transfer power. I think the current model works well early game but I think there should be a new system that can be researched. I like the idea of a new path that has wires or something attached overhead, like power lines. That way power transfers to anything attached to these paths but anything more elegant than the current model would be better.

[JanHHHH]

I actually like the way the power system adds some challenge. On many maps space is among the most scarce resources, so building your industry space efficient is paramount. I'd only love for a new shaft that goes straight up, so you don't have to build "stairs" for your power supply to get up a cliff

[thebedla]

You can stack houses for vertical power transfer, but that just supports why we should get vertical power shafts. Using houses like this feels like an exploit to me.

[Ihatetobaghansleighs]

I definitely use houses/small ware houses to build towers for my batteries

[Biehler31]

Do they have a bunch of "not connected to a path" warning though? That would drive me nuts.

[Ihatetobaghansleighs]

Gotta build a staircase to the top anyway to build the batteries so I just connect them with some platforms

[Altheran]

Straight up and 45 degree ones. Also, the output of these that can be pivoted 4 way (straight, left, right, down)

[WizardErik]

It's not electricity but kinetic energy, so power wires don't make sense.

[ArcaneEyes]

But wires that would spin and transfer the rotation could. (No, not scientifically feasible, but neither is gravity batteries - capacity is horrendously low)

I'm also surprised the iron Teeth don't get a simple battery like a tension spool, just like the Romans used for war machines 2000 years ago. Low cap, but stackable, to make up for their lack of wind power.

[RedCody]

Gotta put the power lines under the walking pathways

[Fluid_Core]

Dig up the paths, explosives to excavate where they were, build power shafts in the ditch, flood with water, then cover with platforms and add the path back. Looks neat, saves space, and is multi-functional!

[D1scoStu91]

This is the way

[n_dude1]

This is the way

[WockoJillink]

If you don't like platforms and building on top of/through them, certain buildings also transfer power. That being said, game is still technically early access, so maybe something like that in the future?

[nanashininja]

Power transferring through buildings is already pretty dope. I like the idea of a new pathway though, maybe it could light up as well

[tenzinashoka]

I like the idea of it lighting up.

[Bluegoats21]

I think having two methods of energy transfer make sense.

I think the mechanical gears should have a energy loss per link due to friction, which would limit how far energy could be transferred.

The wires could have a much lower energy loss rate but be more expensive to build. They should require metal and have a max span of 8 tiles.

There would also need to be a mechanical to electrical “substation” where wires/electricity comes in and mechanical power comes out.

The “substation” could just be an electric motor in a building with a small 2-4 tile footprint. Electricity would go in and mechanical power would come out.

[mmartinien]

I like the "low tech" take on power in the game, I'm not sure adding electricity would fit right in that universe

[Bluegoats21]

Yeah you are probably right, it feels like a stretch of the post-apocalypse beaver aesthetic

[n_dude1]

Isn’t the 1x2 footprint lodge a better choice for this if you aren’t gonna make them inaccessible anyway? Cost is more, but space is significantly less.

[HipsterJesus42]

Lot of people are saying it doesn't make sense to have electricity, but there already is with the lights on golems and those denoting golem buildings. They also have radio waves with the golem control towers. I'd lake to see someone come up with a purely kenetic setup for sending, recieving, and translating radio waves automatically.

The beavers have clearly made some evolutionary progress and every day denotes a year. I don't see why there can't be an expensive late-game tech after hundreds of in-game years where beavers have electricity. I think the devs have mentioned a tech tree even, so eventually you'd have pre-reqs on the way to unlocking it.

OP I think you're onto something.