Add Functionality for Delete Item or Reverse Fabricate (Preferably via Machine) and Fix Problems with Storing Items in Containers

[Magic Gonads]

The only way to delete items that I have found is to place them in a container and then deconstruct it, but this is not a nice way to do it, and such process could be a problem when storing items that cannot be dropped in the base, but you want to move the container to another location.

Suggestions

#1 Allow items to be dropped inside the base, especially items such as the 3x3 storage cube, gravspheres, and other items that take up large storage space. Furthermore, allow for whenever a container is deconstructed for all the items within it to drop to the floor one by one as it is being deconstructed (to avoid collision errors where multiple items are inside eachother)

#2 Add Delete Item functionality to the console so that items can be deleted regardless of if they are in your inventory or in the world, perhaps the command will delete the entity you are looking at, and if you run the command in the tab menu, then it will delete the item you have your mouse over.

#3 Add Reverse Fabricator and/or Incinerator to remove or repurpose redundant items such as old pairs of flippers and diving tanks. I have ideas for how these machines should look and function, both of these machines should look like the Workbench (have similar structure)

Reverse Fabricator
Takes either an item dropped on top of it or an item inserted via interface and positions it on top.
Then if the item was dropped onto it the player presses a button to initiate the deconstruction. Pannels on top retract and tiny bots similar to the bots on the constructor pop out and deconstruct the item (reverse fabricator). Then a panel opens up on the front face and all the components of that item are given back to the player.

Incinerator
Input via interface as a dropped item may be too big to realisticly fall into the machine. Once the interface is exited and there is an item inside it a sound effect plays and the items have been deleted.

Any ideas related to this problem would be greatly appreciated, and if the devs could take this into consideration for future updates that would be fantastic.

[Willi the Gifter of Chaos]

Sound like lovely additions. c:
Better question: Will the devs notice?

[RageMojo]

I am sure they will add a delete feature of some kind. Currently to get rid of items, just go in the water and drop them, it is faster. When you want to move a locker, build the new one first then transport the internal items before deconstructing the old one.

I am not in favor of reverse fabrication. Resource management would be pointelss if you didnt have to consider what you were building before you do it. Also once you melt down quartz, your not putting it back the way it was. Once i learned what i was doing, i purposely obtained the items farther from my starting point so i could get the close ones on the first couple nights.

[Willi the Gifter of Chaos]

for things like quarts i understand...ish. But what about everything else like titanium, gold, silver and copper?

[Scrogdog]

In principle, I agree with rage, but in a world where we make water from seaweed and bleach I suppose anything is possible.

[scoutxander]

If a deconstructor was added, it should be expensive to make, only accept certain items, use a fair amount of power, and have a long work cycle depending on the item's size. For example, deconstructing a Constructor would take a lot of time, and over that time a lot of power. But deconstructing, say, a first aid kit, wouldn't be that long of a wait. I definitely support an incinerator though. I think it would be cool if you could make a trash compactor, and use the compact junk to fuel an upgraded incinerator that functions as a generator.

[tran_fors]

One other thought - depending on the manufactured item, only some (or none) of the ingredients should be reclaimable. Small storage cubes? Sure, get most of that back. Radiation suit? The lead could maybe all be salvageable, but not all (any?) of the silicon rubber should be.

[RageMojo]

Originally posted by Williamster24:

for things like quarts i understand...ish. But what about everything else like titanium, gold, silver and copper?

No i still dont like it from a resource managment perspective, not a reality based one. If they wanted to go reality, you could melt down some items and not others. You could reform copper but not diamonds and you could reuse things like glass and gold with a percentage of loss. I would rather the enviornment have some regeneration of resources and we have to be more thoughtful in what we build as to not waste.

[tran_fors]

Yes and no... maybe I'm reading too much into it, but forcing the player to have heaps of non-recyclable detritus seems counter to what I get from the game's message.

[RageMojo]

Originally posted by tran_fors:

Yes and no... maybe I'm reading too much into it, but forcing the player to have heaps of non-recyclable detritus seems counter to what I get from the game's message.

Serious question, why would you have tons of stuff you dont need? The only things i have ever thrown away were when i was a noob and it was still only things like duplicate research items, or i didnt have the materials for a locker and had too much of one item. Over all this should honestly be a minor concern. If people are making 25 advanded wires they dont need, then i dont think recycling is the issue here.

[Zetachron]

The builder tool already has a build in deconstruction, so reversing constructs isn't really out of the question. The builder tool is also a perpetuum mobile - it can construct and deconstruct infinite often lossless and without power consumption.

I'd advise the devs to reduce the power of the builder and improve the fabricating devices to allow deconstruction or create a single universal mobile desintegrator that can deconstruct everything, but not lossless and without energy use and take that free function away from the builder.

There is an impact on the game though. Lots of people deconstruct underwater bases to build them somewhere else lossless and therefore multiple times. They are used to it. Non lossless deconstruction should not kill the game fun.

[Scrogdog]

The builder tool already has a build in deconstruction, so reversing constructs isn't really out of the question.

Yes, it does. But deconstructing a hatch back to titanium and rubber is a wholly different thing than trying to deconstruct a compound such as glass or rubber back to its basic components. Or Plastic. Or an alloy.

An apples to oranges comparison in my view.

[tran_fors]

Originally posted by RageMojo:

Serious question, why would you have tons of stuff you dont need? The only things i have ever thrown away were when i was a noob and it was still only things like duplicate research items, or i didnt have the materials for a locker and had too much of one item. Over all this should honestly be a minor concern. If people are making 25 advanded wires they dont need, then i dont think recycling is the issue here.

A fair question - I suppose I'm not doing it quite so much now, since I've been playing awhile, but once in awhile I'll be out in a new field base and I'll need a tool (eg: terraformer, to tweak the land around my new base).

Problem is, I keep my rarely-used tools at my main depot. Easier to just craft a new one than trundle over to my main base and back again - but then I'm stuck with something I don't need.

[Scrogdog]

Keep it on the cyclops instead. It usually is where you are. :)

[tran_fors]

Originally posted by scrogdog:

Keep it on the cyclops instead. It usually is where you are. :)

Not anymore, since the Cyclops uses power in Freedom now - I hate breaking immersion by using the console, so I use a Seamoth to go everywhere now. ;)

edit: FWIW, before anyone suggests it, lots of my bases are at 400+ meters, so I can only afford 1-2 storage unit slots in the Seamoth... and those are usually full of my pre-fabbed base ingredients. So, no room to take all my tools w/ me.

[Scrogdog]

I understand. I have a Freedom game going if I want to relax the pace a bit from my ironman save. It's kind of relaxing.

However, I personally don't mind the Cyclops using power in Freedom. Not only that, but contrary to popular belief, copper and salt are quite common in the game. I had a full locker of 48 finished power cells before I even took the Cyclops to Aurora. :)

Med packs too.