Resource usage in Creative Mode

[Sir Sponge]

Is anyone else having this problem?

Suddenly in creative mode, ships are using power from the reactor and hydrogen engines are burning up fuel, where before they used to be infinite in supply. What's the point of a creative mode if resources are finite?

Anyone know if this is a recent issue?

[A Fat, Angry Serval]

Ships use power from the reactor regardless, power output has always mattered even in creative mode. Now, if it's consuming uranium, that's another issue entirely.

For hydrogen fuel, tanks seem to drain regardless of whether you're in creative mode or not, so you'll probably want to slap an O2H2 generator on your ship, or have a stationary one on-hand. Those shouldn't be consuming ice in creative mode, though.

[Sir Sponge]

I fixed the hydrogen issue by attaching an O2/H2 generator - thanks for the tip! I rarely use hydrogen engines, I always used ion engines.

In regards to the reactor, it does seem to be consuming uranium in the same way the engines were using hydrogen fuel. When I put a ship up to full throttle, it gives me a "battery life" so to speak - how many hours of power I have left before it runs dry.

[Dan2D3D]

Hi, the resource for Hydrogen is ice and why adding a empty O2/H2 Gen is needed in creative mode.

About Uranium, it's not supposed to use any in the Reactors, I awlays create in creative mode without Uranium, I add Uranium only when completed and ready to Blueprint for survival testing.

It may be a new bug I did not noticed but I can go in to double check, I'll be back in a few with more info ...

[Dan2D3D]

Testing done = Uranium is not used in creative mode world.

Details :

I tested Atmos ship and Uranium did not changed :
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3202366167
I also tested one of my Jump Rings and still no Uranium used :
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3202365347

Conclusion, so far :
-> Looks like it happens in specific worlds only and you have a save ready to send to the SE Programmers for testing.

+
You may publish that save in your Workshop and paste the item link here, I will load to see if the same for me.

[Dan2D3D]

Oh! The power left changes depending on thrusters used.

For example :

6 days of Uranium left holding the space bar to go up with Atmos and hydro thrusters :
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3202385629
16 hours of Uranium left once I turn ON the Ion thrsuters at about 15 000m :
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3202385975
But still no Uranium and ice used in creative mode, well in my testing worlds.

EDIT
There was no batteries in the ships I have tested.

[Sir Sponge]

Originally posted by Dan2D3D:

Oh! The power left changes depending on thrusters used.

Yes! This is what happens to me too. I built a small fighter and ran it up to full throttle (hydrogen engines), it had 17 hours remaining.

But once this hits 0 they should still keep running in creative mode?

[Dan2D3D]

I never noticed it going to 0 to be honest because I look more at the power needed that shows under the time stat when I am creating, so the line that goes red color when not enough reactors on the ship.

EDIT
+ I never made a ship that uses the hydrogen engine block as power.

[Ronin Planetary Industries]

This behavior changed a while ago... like months... (years?). Hydrogen tanks start out partially full and now drain while hydrogen thrusters are in use. You will need 02/H2 generators to avoid running dry. In creative, the generators fill tanks a LOT faster. So if you're testing ship endurance, you want to have them shut off.

[Dan2D3D]

A thing I have noticed is the power time stat in cockpit screen may show Battery time and not the Uranium time when having both Batteries + Reactors on the ship.

-> I turn OFF the batteries to show the Uranium time, so that is a thing.

[Sir Sponge]

I don't have any batteries on the ships that I've built in creative, just reactors, but it does show the battery time. To be clear, in creative mode, the power from the reactors shouldn't run out?

[A Fat, Angry Serval]

Originally posted by Sir Sponge:

I don't have any batteries on the ships that I've built in creative, just reactors, but it does show the battery time. To be clear, in creative mode, the power from the reactors shouldn't run out?

Because it's not a readout of battery time, it's a readout of total remaining stored power.

I'd recommend adding a programmable block, installing Automatic LCDs 2 on it, and setting up an LCD with the "PowerTime" command. In creative mode, on a reactor-only build, it should return a null value, even if the in-game HUD is saying that you have a limited amount of power left. If it gives you your remaining power time even without any batteries on the grid, then there might be a problem.

[Dan2D3D]

Originally posted by Sir Sponge:

I don't have any batteries on the ships that I've built in creative, just reactors, but it does show the battery time. To be clear, in creative mode, the power from the reactors shouldn't run out?

I doubled tested and I can confirm power is free in creative but we must add the needed power blocks for all to work properly.

+
Like I said earlier, send your save to the SE Programmers on their Support Portal if you find a bug.

[Sir Sponge]

I doubled tested and I can confirm power is free in creative but we must add the needed power blocks for all to work properly.

Thank you for checking! So I should only need to add the reactor in creative mode and nothing else, and not run out of power?

[Dan2D3D]

Yes but may need more than one Reactor depending on how much Ion Thusters used for example.

Also keep in mind Reactor as power give the best ship concepts of the game, because they can be more compact by using small reactors and never need to be recharged in survival.