Self-powering facilities and objects

[Existentialist Knight]

Hey there,

with this thread, I'd like to propose a new idea regarding the power system in Planet Zoo
The current system is a bit frustrating at times. It's general design is easy to understand and use, but can become pretty annoying if you don't plan for it from the very start. Especially when building wide habitats and long walkways, one easily ends up with areas that cannot be covered by your power sources, but lend themselves ideally to place and education board or a lantern.
Another issue I perceive are the solar panels. They don't really feel realistic given their size, and are absolutely not suited to building solar panels on the roof of buildings.

Now, to adress both of these issues, I'd suggest the following. In a coming update, facilities and some items requiring power get the option to be "self-powered" for an increased prize to them. This option would add a solar panel on their roof/their top that powers only this single item, and, in regards to facilities, can be oriented to all four sides.
That way, it's easier to build solar panels on roofs than it is currently. And you can place your education boards or lanterns in these pockets withour power you didn't plan ahead for.
Especially for lanterns, I have already seen such systems where there is a small solar cell at their top. I think the addition of such systems would allow us to better build modern and sustainable zoos.

What are your thoughts on this suggestion? Do you think it is feasible or even worthwhile? Do you have other ideas for this topic?

 

[Naturaroca]

The truth is that I always thought about solar panels for roofs. Sounds like a great idea to me!!
I would also like some option of solar street lights and floor lamps with a universal style that will suit any zoo design.
This would allow to put lighting in small points, which due to the layout of the paths and the energy sources, are left without lighting and dark.

 

[Frobacca]

I think this would be a cool idea, or just a rework with the power systems in general. lets face it you don't have to have a generating every 130 ft IRL I think it would be neat to do more of a power systems like we see in Jurassic World Evolution. Have one power station and need power lines, I think this is a more realistic approach than having transformers everywhere. Granted it would probably work the same but just have different aesthetics.

 

[TuchA]

Have one power station and need power lines, I think this is a more realistic approach than having transformers everywhere.

Just will such power lines look nice in the zoo? In Jurassic World it looks different, because there is voltage, electricity, etc. everywhere... But I don't know if that would work in a zoo. I'm not for no, but even in rl zoos I don't associate power lines.

 

[Existentialist Knight]

I somewhat agree with TuchA, but more because I don't think Frontier should spend their development time in overhauling the ower system from the ground up. I'd prefer if the would rather continue developing other features more central to the game. But I still value Frobacas input .
My idea behind the suggestion of self-powering facilities and objects was to help cover up the current systems weakness, as already mentioned by Naturoca. So often, I too end up with a spot not covered by my power sources where I'd really like to put an education board or a lantern. The reasoning behind my inital post was to circumvent such situations with a new feature that, hopefully, would not take as much effort to implement as a total overhaul of the power system.

 

[Frobacca]

Just will such power lines look nice in the zoo? In Jurassic World it looks different, because there is voltage, electricity, etc. everywhere... But I don't know if that would work in a zoo. I'm not for no, but even in rl zoos I don't associate power lines.

they are there, although I'm sure some zoos with boat loads of money can do underground wiring. Although I was thinking after I first posted and, IMO, a good and potentially easy fix would be to keep the current mechanism in play but if you have so many in a area have let the gaps auto fill. I have had frustrating times of having a bunch of power that doesn't overlap enough so that there are tiny dead spots.but to not have those dead spots you need a LOT of transformers, so the game could just cut us some slack and if say theres 3 transformers with one or two squares of dead zone, that it just auto fills in.

 

[TuchA]

they are there, although I'm sure some zoos with boat loads of money can do underground wiring. Although I was thinking after I first posted and, IMO, a good and potentially easy fix would be to keep the current mechanism in play but if you have so many in a area have let the gaps auto fill. I have had frustrating times of having a bunch of power that doesn't overlap enough so that there are tiny dead spots.but to not have those dead spots you need a LOT of transformers, so the game could just cut us some slack and if say theres 3 transformers with one or two squares of dead zone, that it just auto fills in.

Okay, I think I understand better now. I understand that you are writing, for example, about a single electric pole that would supply power to a small blind spot.
I don't know why, but hearing about power lines I imagined them being built all over the zoo and crossing all the paths in the air. Just like it looks like in cities.
In that case, I'm as much in favor as possible, so that sometimes one power lines will help power the zoo in hard-to-reach places.
They could add to each transformer one/two power lines of small size/space, capable of being placed at a distance of, say, 50 m? from the transformer. This would solve the problem.

But I am in favor of solar panels for roofs, because they are also needed. Just don't know how it would work, because mechanic has to fix.... Or he wouldn't fix...

 

[Przemo]

Okay, I think I understand better now. I understand that you are writing, for example, about a single electric pole that would supply power to a small blind spot.
I don't know why, but hearing about power lines I imagined them being built all over the zoo and crossing all the paths in the air. Just like it looks like in cities.
In that case, I'm as much in favor as possible, so that sometimes one power lines will help power the zoo in hard-to-reach places.
They could add to each transformer one/two power lines of small size/space, capable of being placed at a distance of, say, 50 m? from the transformer. This would solve the problem.

But I am in favor of solar panels for roofs, because they are also needed. Just don't know how it would work, because mechanic has to fix.... Or he wouldn't fix...

Or there would be an object nearby on the ground to fix the technician.

 

[XT]

The austrailian street lamps have solar panels on them and I don't think they need power because of that (it's been awhile since I used them). So, Frontier has thought of it in the past. My guess is that the don't really think much of the power system anymore.

 

[Pentoleaf]

Small, placable solar panel with an extremely small "range" (so you effectively have to place one per a light or facility) would revolutionize the game's power mechanic.

The biggest issue would be "how do mechanics reach them" but I wonder if they could be subject to vandalism instead of mechanical breakdowns just to make things balanced.

 

[Existentialist Knight]

The austrailian street lamps have solar panels on them and I don't think they need power because of that (it's been awhile since I used them). So, Frontier has thought of it in the past. My guess is that the don't really think much of the power system anymore

Exactly the concept I would have liked to see expanded for other objects and facilities. A shame they only used it once. Unfortunately, I don't own the Australia DLC.

The biggest issue would be "how do mechanics reach them" but I wonder if they could be subject to vandalism instead of mechanical breakdowns just to make things balanced.

They could also be repaired at the entrance to facilities/with the same animation for the vandalized object they are attached to (e.g. for education boards). That's why I initially suggested to have these as an option you can tick when placing down said objects, because then the repair spot and animation could take place at a defined place. In regards to balancing, if they make them just relatively expensive (e.g. 500 per panel compared to the 2000 for a solar module), you would still incentivize planing ahead the power structure of your zoo, as the larger power facilites cost less in regards to the area they can power.

 

[Frobacca]

also a potentially easy fix to make power slightly better would be to make the affected area square not round, that way there wouldnt be dead space

 

[Chihaha]

I think the mechanic's workshop should be replaced to a power station, where u can control all of your lights and power from there. It's like a hub for power and you connect it to other buildings with underground wires, maybe mechanics can do some research for bigger power radius or etc, idk just throwing this out here

 

[XT]

I wouldn't mind a power hub where you can pull up a list of powered items and switch them off/on that way, but I'd hate a power line system - just have an area of effect, square or round or whatever. Be nice if we could draw an area of effect like we do barriers.