GPS Rockets

[jswthird]

First off, questionable GPS aside, this is a pretty awesome game. So if anyone's reading this to try and get an idea of whether the game is fun (for some reason), this is just me grouching about a feature that seems useless; same old, same old as for any game. 9/10, would recommend this game even now without it being a 'complete game'. If it gets a special 'survival mode' with alien wildlife and a 'energy shield' that protects the suit, (maybe the wildlife is dormant or simply trapped underground... or both?... and wakes up more and more as you terraform the planet; alien wolves, bears, moose, etc) I would say 10/10.

Sooooo anyway... finally got around to launching a GPS rocket, decided to go with the tier two since I figured it would show me the entire playable area, or at least what is currently accessible in the game. That way I could figure out which areas I haven't been to before (if there are any). Except... I pulled it up and not only can you not move the map around, so you can see at least a general idea of what is what, it also doesn't actually show much on screen at once. It's... basically useless unless I want to perfectly position the map monitor at the end game and take a picture of everything I built. (I'm assuming it's center on where the monitor currently is as it seems like it's roughly centered on where I'm actually using the map as if it were a wrist device instead of a desk mounted monitor.) Feels like I have to deconstruct the machine and carry it to each of my furthest resource collection outposts and use it there.

Seems like a huge time sync when the rocket itself is supposedly able to see anywhere on the map already. Heck, I'd be fine if I had to launch a GPS rocket for each 'section' of the map... with the current playable area being the 'first section' or even 'the first four sections'. (Maybe when you launch the GPS rocket, you could get a screen that shows you locations you haven't put a GPS rocket over; so you can click it and send a rocket there?).

By the way, what does the tier one show if this is all I get with tier two? Is the tier one even worth getting? The tier two honestly doesn't even feel like it's worth getting. I used some material I really could have used elsewhere for the tier 2 gps rocket and... I just... feel cheated I guess? I don't recommend it until after you've already hit the end of the game and have spare resources. (It does look cool, and like I said: it might be interesting to take a picture of everything you've built in a small area). As is, I was looking for possible resource spots and now I'm down even more resources. I'm gonna bank on walking out to each of my distant resource collection huts and use the map there to see if I can find some kind of new area for resources. Bit of a hassle for something that could be solved with arrow key or wasd input to flip through each section or a scroll bar at the top and bottom of screen but I guess it at least won't have been a waste of time if I can go out to the area and do an on-site survey to look for new material.

Seriously though, I think I'm going to have to try and find a youtube video with the tier one gps rocket in it so I can see what THAT map looks like.

[Coops]

If you build a GPS terminal at another site, the satellite will interact with the new screen and give you a map of the area you are currently in.
You only need one rocket.
I am not sure that the T2 rocket gives any more information than the T1 at this point in development. You get then same map. Future updates are supposed to give you a better map.
The GPS screen is cheap just build another one instead of deconstruction.

[NorionV]

Just as an aside: the dev made it clear that they were never going to add combat into the game. It's in the roadmap post.

They *might* change their mind later... but it's described as a 'chill planet terraformer' so I'm not sure that's likely.

[RainmanRam42]

Originally posted by Coops:

If you build a GPS terminal at another site, the satellite will interact with the new screen and give you a map of the area you are currently in.
You only need one rocket.
I am not sure that the T2 rocket gives any more information than the T1 at this point in development. You get then same map. Future updates are supposed to give you a better map.
The GPS screen is cheap just build another one instead of deconstruction.

Did not know this but I still find the usefulness questionable.

[jswthird]

Originally posted by Coops:

If you build a GPS terminal at another site, the satellite will interact with the new screen and give you a map of the area you are currently in.
You only need one rocket.
I am not sure that the T2 rocket gives any more information than the T1 at this point in development. You get then same map. Future updates are supposed to give you a better map.
The GPS screen is cheap just build another one instead of deconstruction.

Cheap for you, maybe O_o??? Geeze... I guess I could just carry the compass microchip and find iron/ silicon in the field? No way I can spend more than two aluminium on a map that only does this.

[jswthird]

Ok, I found one decent use of this. You can see the meteors falling. Assuming this works for uranium rocket meteors, you could put a piece of clear hard plastic over the screen and call a meteor for uranium, then use an erasable marker to put a dot on every location the meteors land in order to know exactly where all the uranium lands.

[Mr. Fibble]

It gives you the lay of the land around you, usefulness will vary on whether or not you can translate that overhead view into what you're seeing from the ground and spot natural or manmade landmarks.

Once you learn an area there's not much demand to have a map screen there so are free to dismantle and use the materials for something else or place the map at a new scouting location.

[OndeTv]

If 2 aluminium is expensive for you, it just means you are still early in the game and/or haven't explored enough yet :)

Yeah, it would be nice if the map had scrolling, sure. But on the other hand if it had that it would be a little too easy don't you think? As Coops already said, just plop another monitor down where you want to look. And, if too expensive for you, deconstruct and reconstruct it over and over in all the spots you want to see.

The main thing here is you have to go to where you want the center of your image to be, which will require some effort (aka gameplay) rather than just scrolling from the safety of your main base :)

[I crash at random]

GPS T1, T2 and T3 have different zoom levels.
You can see more of the map depending on the highest tier you've launched.
Manual zoom/pan would have been awesome though!

[jswthird]

Originally posted by Mr. Fibble:

It gives you the lay of the land around you, usefulness will vary on whether or not you can translate that overhead view into what you're seeing from the ground and spot natural or manmade landmarks.

Once you learn an area there's not much demand to have a map screen there so are free to dismantle and use the materials for something else or place the map at a new scouting location.

Ya, I just think a wrist-mounted map slotted into the suit would do the same job without all the hassle of carrying around a microchip to find iron and silicon so you can see the map.

[jswthird]

Originally posted by OndeTv:

If 2 aluminium is expensive for you, it just means you are still early in the game and/or haven't explored enough yet :)

Yeah, it would be nice if the map had scrolling, sure. But on the other hand if it had that it would be a little too easy don't you think? As Coops already said, just plop another monitor down where you want to look. And, if too expensive for you, deconstruct and reconstruct it over and over in all the spots you want to see.

The main thing here is you have to go to where you want the center of your image to be, which will require some effort (aka gameplay) rather than just scrolling from the safety of your main base :)

Honestly, I would rather go into each 'Zone'... build a launch pad, launch a GPS rocket, (aka gameplay) and get access to FAR more map capabilities; and then access it from any monitor built anywhere that can scroll around and zoom to see any section I've got a rocket hovering over. Is it more aluminum in the long run? Yes. But it would let me see enough for the map to feel useful, and the map area that I get to see would be so much larger I could easily find out where I need to go to see something new and explore without having to either hand draw my own map based off what I'm seeing here or take screen shots and put them together in a paint file. (Which is NOT gameplay, and is in fact... boring... because it is NOT gameplay). Since I can see more of the map at once by scrolling around, that means I find more aluminium and that means I can spend more aluminium on sending up GPS rockets which makes limiting the range of the GPS rocket, but making it so you can see everything the GPS rocket can see, worth it.

[OndeTv]

Honestly though, once you upgrade your mobility, you will be zipping back and forth across the whole map. So you won't really need to draw anything as you will discover (most) things naturally or by accident moving from A to B :)

[jswthird]

Originally posted by OndeTv:

Honestly though, once you upgrade your mobility, you will be zipping back and forth across the whole map. So you won't really need to draw anything as you will discover (most) things naturally or by accident moving from A to B :)

True, I'm only on tier two jetpack with tier three boots. BTW... does anyone know if the boots affect jetpack speed?

[Atilio, el perrito raro]

I'm sure this whole feature will most likely be improved in future releases. I mean, adding more detail and functionality to the map. And I like the idea of a local map without the need of constructing a screen.
IIRC the T1 covers a bit of a smaller area, so no point in building it if you already launched a T2. Launching additional T2s does not do anything, I've tested.
In any case, I also think you are still too early in your base to be investing in the T2 GPS rocket. That's why:
a. You believe 2 aluminum is expensive.
Aluminum is only scarce until you realize you can just build an ore extractor in the correct place and then it becomes renewable. Of course you have to unlock the extractor first.
b. You need a map.
I agree a more functional map would be nice, but it's not necessary. At least not until we can get additional info from the map.
The playable area is not that big, you probably won't have trouble orienting yourself after you have visited each area a couple of times.

[ZuzanaCaputova]

to sumarize , no just dont do it ,dont build gps rocket, it is completly useless i was totally disappointed when i launched T1 then i was even more disappointed when i launched T2 and i gained like + 3 cm on screen and even more when i thought ok so other rocket stack so maybea gps stack too but well they dont just dont build it go download map and diskard resources for rocket to thrash that is better option i hope they will do something about this because map is rly important in every game :(

[OndeTv]

I, on the other hand, felt it was totally worth it. Especially since the image you receive is not a static one, but an overview of how the area looks at the moment you are looking at it.

In other words you can see both your building and terraforming progress with it which i personally looked at a lot.