Space Engineers: Any DBX pilots out there?

Let’s see...

IMO, if you’re playing solo survival, the best places to start are the planets. When you’re (re)learning the game, start on either the Earthlike world, or the Alien world with alien life turned off. Both have abundant, constant sources of energy thanks to wind turbines, requiring only a single battery to help even out energy surges, sources of oxygen, and the Earthlike allows you to work with your helmet open as long as you stay out of the mountains. Furthermore, I haven’t seen any pirates at all... until I went into space.

The respawn ship mechanic is that when you die, you respawn at a the last medical room, survival kit, cryogenic-pod you interacted with. If it happens to be missing (due to being destroyed, deconstructed, or off), then you need to respawn in a respawn ship. By default, your old one will be removed from the game... which could be a problem if you repurpose it like I do!

Mods are rather easy IMO: subscribe to them from Steam Workshop, turn on experimental mode under settings for a new save (or add it by editing the save in the loading screen), and then add them individually via the mods button.

But they never were removed when I played. There was always warning ship despawns and I load save of yesterday and all is there. I started once on Earth a while ago. Didn't like to start with such a base. I like to build from the ground up. It just isn't "mine". "mine" is important - even if it's ugly. I never continued with downloaded BP neither. It's just not as good if I don't understand fully what's what. Worst thing were the permanent drone attacks though. Didn't even have time to mine Mg or find everything at the base. I like challenge at my discretion. I'd like the alien planet, but haven't tried now, anticipating such an onset from the start.
The ship start also pitted me against non-stop pirates that send their drones after me while I explore a planet. Might be active beacon tho - I had the idea to turn that off in the later tries.
As far as I see no spiders start no unless you check experimental. Not sure what experimental is good for - I left that unchecked, disabled tool shake and set player inventory x10 - that eliminates most gripes for me. I might look into increasing speed of grids, but not sure. Might leave it at that and consider the self-replicating torpedoes as weapon. Or refine gravity guns. Hacksaw drones. But in the end it's probably just enjoying a sunset on Triton - by live feed from alien planet. In my underground bunker. Or cloud city. Ye, what about space elevator?
Then again, the bodies are curved, right? What if I build a giant accelerator? How does that even work? Is it just an illusion and everything is build straight? When I buy a tube from moon to earth it's straight but around the planned it's curved? How goes this?!
 
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I also played through the tutorial campaign (mainly to get the hang of the controls again). It's nothing big in story department, but has some nice moments in the first mission.
 
Not sure which options of the starting options you’re taking when you start a new game, but this has been what I’ve been doing for my games. I’m at work, so I can’t be more specific.

Start: Solar System.

Then I choose my settings. I’ve been using the experimental version to enable mods, but with hostile alien life turned off. Other settings I usually been leaving at default, except for “realistic” inventories, yields, and speeds... to force me to seek engineering solutions. Once I’ve chosen my mods, I start the game.

The next screen gives me a long list of starting conditions: on planets, moons, near destroyed ships, even starting with only a space suit. I feel like I’m still learning the game, so I’ve been choosing a “normal” start on the alien world... having gotten too comfortable starting on the Earthlike one. This puts me in a random location that matches my starting conditions. Most of them start me in a “survival pod,” which includes the bare minimum to start with:
  • a survival kit for refining stone into iron, nickel, and silicon, which can then be used to build very basic components
  • An h2/o2 generator with 300 units of ice, plus an oxygen and hydrogen bottle... use sparingly until you find your own!
  • A half charged battery that you may want find a way to save until you find a deposit of nickel.
  • Everything else can be salvaged for spare parts. It contains just enough advanced parts that you can use to build a very small, underpowered vehicle to make getting started a little easier... as long as you start on a planet or moon with an atmosphere, or in conditions that make wheeled vehicles, or a hydrogen powered ship, viable.
Hopefully, this is closer to the type of start you’re looking for.
 
Not sure which options of the starting options you’re taking when you start a new game, but this has been what I’ve been doing for my games. I’m at work, so I can’t be more specific.

Start: Solar System.

Then I choose my settings. I’ve been using the experimental version to enable mods, but with hostile alien life turned off. Other settings I usually been leaving at default, except for “realistic” inventories, yields, and speeds... to force me to seek engineering solutions. Once I’ve chosen my mods, I start the game.

The next screen gives me a long list of starting conditions: on planets, moons, near destroyed ships, even starting with only a space suit. I feel like I’m still learning the game, so I’ve been choosing a “normal” start on the alien world... having gotten too comfortable starting on the Earthlike one. This puts me in a random location that matches my starting conditions. Most of them start me in a “survival pod,” which includes the bare minimum to start with:
  • a survival kit for refining stone into iron, nickel, and silicon, which can then be used to build very basic components
  • An h2/o2 generator with 300 units of ice, plus an oxygen and hydrogen bottle... use sparingly until you find your own!
  • A half charged battery that you may want find a way to save until you find a deposit of nickel.
  • Everything else can be salvaged for spare parts. It contains just enough advanced parts that you can use to build a very small, underpowered vehicle to make getting started a little easier... as long as you start on a planet or moon with an atmosphere, or in conditions that make wheeled vehicles, or a hydrogen powered ship, viable.
Hopefully, this is closer to the type of start you’re looking for.
I leave most defaults on. Except for 10x player inventory. Assembler and Refinery is default at x3. Any less and I start designing huge factory halls with more machinery than needed. In my options the spiders seem disabled - it say it needs experimental to go active. Don't you have enemies spawning close and attack you? Does beacon deactivation help?
 
I leave most defaults on. Except for 10x player inventory. Assembler and Refinery is default at x3. Any less and I start designing huge factory halls with more machinery than needed. In my options the spiders seem disabled - it say it needs experimental to go active. Don't you have enemies spawning close and attack you? Does beacon deactivation help?
So far, I haven’t seen seen any pirates until I’ve gone into space. Even then, they’ve been at a distance of about 10-15km, as opposed to constant close attacks, and as long as I keep an asteroid between me and them, I haven’t been attacked. So long as I keep spiders/wolves turned off, the worst I have to worry about on the surface of planets has been the occasional meteor shower. I also don’t bother with beacons myself, preferring to rely on antennas instead. 🤷‍♀️
 
So far, I haven’t seen seen any pirates until I’ve gone into space. Even then, they’ve been at a distance of about 10-15km, as opposed to constant close attacks, and as long as I keep an asteroid between me and them, I haven’t been attacked. So long as I keep spiders/wolves turned off, the worst I have to worry about on the surface of planets has been the occasional meteor shower. I also don’t bother with beacons myself, preferring to rely on antennas instead. 🤷‍♀️
The starter ship has one. I guess I could just grind it down - it's valuable mats anyway.
 
So I started new game on Alien Planet. All well up to the moment I wanted to place a refinery and it only lets me place a basic one. Progressed just like on Triton, but refinery just doesnt pop up on the build interface.
 
So I started new game on Alien Planet. All well up to the moment I wanted to place a refinery and it only lets me place a basic one. Progressed just like on Triton, but refinery just doesnt pop up on the build interface.
That's not unusual. There's a tech tree of sorts in the survival games. You need to build a basic refinery before you're allowed to build the more advanced one. IIRC, you can see the entire thing under the "progression" tab of the tool bar setup interface (G by default).
 
That's not unusual. There's a tech tree of sorts in the survival games. You need to build a basic refinery before you're allowed to build the more advanced one. IIRC, you can see the entire thing under the "progression" tab of the tool bar setup interface (G by default).
Yes, I know. And I built that already. It worked fine on Triton, but this time the refinery doesn't pop up. Assembler no problem, but refinery just won't show. Dunno if it's the experimental mode? Some fault with the grid? I doubt it's the skybox - which looks lovely, btw. Gonna try building a separate grid - it drove me crazy yesterday. Maybe I go back to Triton.
 
You know back then, when I played first we'd hit some button "New Station" or "New Ship" or so, which I didn't find now and just placed a block down into ground when building the outpost platform. Is it maybe this?
 
Yes, I know. And I built that already. It worked fine on Triton, but this time the refinery doesn't pop up. Assembler no problem, but refinery just won't show. Dunno if it's the experimental mode? Some fault with the grid? I doubt it's the skybox - which looks lovely, btw. Gonna try building a separate grid - it drove me crazy yesterday. Maybe I go back to Triton.
Not sure, then. I've had something similar from time to time. Sometimes it was something obvious, like not having steel plates in my inventory. Sometimes it turned out I was trying to attach the item in question in a place which isn't valid, so I had to install a support block before I could place it. Usually happens when I'm building my utility vehicles. I tend to be very utilitarian when it comes to my small ships. It's a good thing this game doesn't calculate center of mass!

I doubt it's experimental mode or a bug, though.

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You know back then, when I played first we'd hit some button "New Station" or "New Ship" or so, which I didn't find now and just placed a block down into ground when building the outpost platform. Is it maybe this?

I've never done it that way myself. I just place a large block on the ground, and build out a base from there. Same with ships, though in that case, I just let a small landing gear drop, build it so it latches onto the platform I'd build so I had level ground, and build from there.
 
I doubt it's the steel plates. I always have steel plates. I'm not such a noob to have no steel plates. makes note to check steel plates

You should try having to make do with 400 liters of volume. It’s why my main air locks are connected to the conveyor system. ;)

It occurred to me on the way to work that two of the other common reasons I can’t place blocks are:
  • There’s something in the build area: components, rubble from mining, stray grid, etc
  • I’m standing too close, so I’m in the way.
Hopefully, you’ll figure out what’s blocking the placement of your refinery soon.
 
Past couple of sessions have been cycles of mining iron and building my base’s hanger. Eventually, it was finished.



My Firefly Atmospheric miner uses the horizontal gate. My Starbird space taxi uses the ceiling gate.



There should be enough clearance for the ship to launch vertically, saving as much precious hydrogen as possible for zero-g maneuvers and the reentry burn. (The sound you just heard was me remembering that there’s parachutes in this game :rolleyes:). Unfortunately, the docking port can’t be centered within the gate, so I need a quick burst of reverse thrust before I can head straight up.



The Firefly’s hanger, on the other hand, is time tested. I haven’t scratched the paint in ages. ;)

I also added a new vehicle to my base, a space construction vehicle. It may be ugly, but it works. Fortunately for me, this game isn’t Kerbal Space Program. The center of gravity is no where near the center of thrust.

Now that the base is finished, it was time to start my expansion into space. First, I decided what the Starbird's color should be. Can’t go wrong with Rocket Red. :)


Loaded it up with parts for four solar panels, plus as many steel plates as could fit in the remaining space. Turns out that that load, weighing about four tonnes, burned up 50% of my available hydrogen. I chose the ice deposit closest to the asteroid cluster with iron for my future fuel depot, found a relatively sunny spot, and installed the panels.


Next Up? Installing the battery and the assembler.
 
Flying a ship is a lot more interesting when you trying to conserve hydrogen. Back in Kerbal Space Program, I'd try to do the math for a suicide burn. Sometimes I was successful. Sometimes not. Looks like I got my math right this time, but I think I'm cutting things a little too close. Better give myself an extra kilometer just to be safe, unless I'm really desperate, fuel wise. :D


Next on my agenda was to bring up was the battery for my fueling depot, plus an assembler. It took two trips, but I got them into place, so I could start charging the battery.

Before returning to the surface a second time, I decided to do some more scouting of nearby asteroid clusters. After all, my hydrogen tanks were about 50% full, and I didn't need more than 10% fuel to return home if I was conservative with the thrusters, so I figured I might as well use it all up if I'm returning to the surface, where ice is plentiful.

First asteroid cluster I visited had iron, as well as PLATINUM!!! I'll be able to build ion thrusters now!


It'll be the first time I'm bringing the ship back loaded, though. 16 tons is almost twice the weight of the ship empty, so that makes the math a lot easier. Still going to give myself a safety margin, though. ;)


I love tunnels and caves in larger asteroids. This one was a bit claustrophobic, but at least I can check the interior for any mineral deposits that are outside the range of my ore detector.


Returned safely to the surface of the planet, and got the platinum into the refinery. My plan is to first make the final upgrades for my tools, then install ion trusters on Starbird. After that, move a good supply of my raw materials up to my base.


Ingots loaded up. Total mass of ship and cargo: about 25 tons. At least it flies!


Once I'd gotten into space, it turns out that my ship was too massive to move with the ion thrusters... at least with its current load. And getting the ship into space required over 60% of my fuel. But getting the ship to the refueling depot didn't require a lot of fuel, so it was all good. Started production on a second battery, four more solar panels, and a refinery. While I waited those to produce, I once again scouted nearby asteroids. First cluster had iron and cobalt!

That brings my total supply of space-based resources to:
  • Iron
  • Silicon
  • Cobalt
  • Ice
  • Magnesium
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Platinum

Still missing: Nickel and Uranium. I think I have 2k of nickel the assembler already, plus I can get more from the surface if I don't find it in space right away, so it's just a matter of finding the Uranium.

Next up: one last visit to the surface, to get the refined platinum, plus enough water, organic materials, seeds, and cloning stock so I can produce food in space, as well as as much refined iron as the ship can carry. After that, I need to start construction of a space-based miner. I need everything in place for when I strike Uranium! I may escape this system yet!
 
I finally got around to building a Krait in Space Engineers. This has been no trivial task, even in Creative Mode! It's not 100% done, but close. I call it the Krait Mk III since it's not 100% true to either of Elite Dangerous Kraits:

Krait III-1.jpg


Krait III-2.jpg


Krait III-3.jpg


Krait III-4.jpg


This ship is built to scale based those ED blueprints found on the internet. Nothing like space legs to give you an idea of just how huge even medium ships are in Elite Dangerous. Look carefully in that last photo and you can see I'm standing on the hull, just a tiny speck!

ps - thrusters in ED are magical. This thing flies like a pig in SE! But at least it flies :)
 
I've uploaded a Prototype of my Krait to the Steam Workshop. All you Space Engineer fans, check it out!

Now I need to prototype a "shipyard" so I can build this bad boy in survival mode and go exploring proper-like.
 
Satisfied with my simulations, I've now begun to build the Krait in my main survival mode save. There's no easy way to automate this, so I'm welding this beast together by hand. I actually enjoy the welding part using the holographic blueprint projector, it's kinda like 3D connect-the-dots. What I don't like is running back and forth to the factory to get more supplies, so I'm going to have to build myself a work truck!

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Building the Krait III from the ground-up, literally!

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This is going to take awhile. The shimmery part is the holographic version of the ship, with the brighter parts the sections I can weld (everything must be connected). This is the biggest project I've done in survival mode! Thankfully I've built my refinery / factory right on top of a very rich ore deposit. I'm going to need it!

ps - there should be two images in this post. Let me know if you can't see them.
 
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