Hello!
Since we suspect that the update for vehicles might be taking a bit longer than anticipated, we thought it was a good idea to talk a bit about the vehicle system and everything that surrounds it.
As it currently stands, we believe we're about 75% done, with the individual systems pretty much set up (with some polishing still needing to be done for some of them) for the vehicles themselves, the roads and in part the road stops. What still needs to be done is the factory side of things, and making those systems talk. In this devlog, we'll throw some information - and screenshots - your way so that you'll already have some idea of what to expect when the update lands.
Roads
The first thing we'll be talking about, are the roads. As with most of plexum, roads are hexagon-shaped, similar to a foundation. The only difference is that vehicles will soon be driving on them. To place a road, you'll have to have crafted it in a heating precision unit tool, with 500 grams of stone, 400 grams of gravel, 250 grams of sand, and 300 grams of synthite paste. This will give you an asphalt foundation (10 x 10) which you'll then place on top of a foundation.
a single placed road piece
The moment you place a road, you'll notice that there are markings on it: these are the lines that vehicles will drive on (and follow). This does not mean that they'll just drive around in circles, however. Once a road piece has been placed, you'll only ever be able to expand from this point onward. This is a deliberate choice, to always make sure that the road pieces line up just right.
multiple placed road pieces
As you'll place more roads, you'll see more lines showing up. This will allow for vehicles to travel further distances. You're also able to make intersections, which just work no extra work required, no placing of traffic lights, it will all happen automatically.
traffic lights showcase
Road stops
To make deliveries between factories, you'll have to place road stops. These go at the side of a road, and can be used by vehicles to make deliveries and pick things up. You'll have to craft, and then place a road stop. It will take 4 lead compressed sheets, 1 precision unit tool and 1 lead compressed foundation to craft.
a road stop with a factory in the distance
Road stops are placed on the side of a road, with nodes inside the road stop allowing for vehicles to drive inside. Connecting a road stop will create the road stop network: a collection of all the road stops on the given planet. A road stop can then be set as receiving or providing.
Receiver road stops will be the brains of the system, and will look for provider road stops that have the item that the player sets, and will give the vehicles jobs to deliver the items. Internally, there will be a few lists (available, claimed, in transit) to make sure that no 2 vehicles go to a stop for the same item.
The first road stop is intentionally fairly limited: only one item per road stop can be assigned. Later iterations of the road stop will allow for more items and more vehicles through multiple gates.
Vehicles
The first iteration will come with three distinct vehicles:
a hexagon-shaped vehicle will be the lowest 'tier'
a beetle-shaped vehicle will be the middle 'tier'
a 'face-shaped' vehicle will be the highest 'tier'
the three vehicles: beetle-shaped, face-shaped and hexagon-shaped.
Later road stops will introduce different vehicles.
A vehicle will follow the path laid out by the receiver road stop: it will give a vehicle a collection of nodes that it will follow until it reaches its destination. A vehicle is made directly in a vehicle depot. Recipes for the vehicles haven't been decided on yet.
Each of the vehicles has a specific part that allow them to follow the path, as shown below.
Vehicle depots
A vehicle depot is where a vehicle will start out from, so it will have to be placed on/near a road. Similarly to a road stop, a vehicle depot will have to be crafted, and then placed. The recipe for a vehicle depot is 4 lead compressed sheets, a stamper tool, a control unit tool and a lead compressed foundation.
The vehicle depot will hold several slots, and the ability to make vehicles. Once a slot is filled with a vehicle, the vehicle can be used to make deliveries. If you want to upgrade a vehicle, you're able to do so by adding the required materials for it, as the recipes will be compounding.
Factory connection
The factory connection is required to make factories be able to export and import from other factories or gathering tools/machine and make your operation bigger than what a single factory can provide. The factory connection will require a swinger arm or any other future logistics and automation parts to transport items from inside the factory to a road stop, since factories are sealed environments.
A tube will connect a factory connection to a road stop, to make sure that items stay in the controlled environments. To make sure that the factory connection will make the proper tube(s), you'll have to make sure that a factory connection and road stop are in close enough proximity to each other. A suggested way to make your layout is to:
where possible: place roads first, floors and factories after. This guarantees that the proximity is close enough
make sure that an airlock is placed away from your roads, keeping space for the factory connection near it
make sure that there's nothing obstructing tube placement. A factory connection and road stop should have clear visibility.
Further reading
While information on the road system currently is limited, there IS more information about other things that were talked about on our website: https://jephinca.studio/plexum/plexum which is getting updated as much as possible.
That's all for now. Keep an eye out for the vehicles update somewhere in the coming week(s). And as always: keep an eye on the time!
Stay plexum!