device for turning

[kostmo]

Toward #950 and #26

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slewing_bearing

[xsebek]

I like the concept (and shorter documentation), but I am not sure this should go in default entities.

threads still have turn, so how is this useful besides an academic “one-capability-one-device”?

This might as well be in a scenario and players would not have to waste resources on an extra device.

[kostmo]

how is this useful besides an academic “one-capability-one-device”?

It is only useful for custom scenarios, where limited mobility (and restricted access to treads) would be part of the challenge mechanic.

This might as well be in a scenario and players would not have to waste resources on an extra device.

I would be fine with defining this per-scenario instead, but I don't quite understand this statement. Why would making this a member of the default entities obligate players to waste resources on it?

[xsebek]

Because they will discover it through recipes. The game does not say “this entity is only for scenarios dont worry about it” in any way.

Also if we add an achievement like “all devices installed” then it will literally be required.

[byorgey]

Yeah, once you have the ingredients to make a particular entity, its name shows up in your Recipes. But then the only way to find out what it is and what it does is to actually make one. At that point you can finally read its description. I think I agree with @xsebek. As a player, I assume that when the UI flashes "new recipe!" at me, it feels like it is giving me a hint that I might find it useful to construct this new thing. Given that, I would find it annoying if after going to the trouble of making that thing, I find out that it actually gives me no new capabilities whatsoever. It would feel sort of like the UI lied to me.

I think we should either just define this in whatever custom scenarios need it, or add this and also remove the turn capability from treads. But that would just add more complexity to the early game and tutorials.

(Maybe we should change how entity discovery works, but that is a bigger conversation.)