What is people's thoughts about the pollution mechanic?

[se05239]

As mentioned in the latest blog, pollution is something that you'll have to deal with if you own Biotech.

Personally, I am not sure if I'll like it. At least the option for turning off pollution spread on the world map could be disabled. Don't really want the entire world to turn into a hostile wasteland unless I am actively trying to accomplish just that.

Too early to tell, though! My opinion can always change, as it did for Ideology.

[HunterSilver]

It sounds like it'll resolve itself if things get too bad, as the news posts mention that some of the trees that grow in the pollution reduce pollution overtime. So unless you're actively trying to desolate the world, it'll be manageable.

It could be fun mechanic to balance, as you can use it to benefit your colony. Modify all of your colonists to be immune to toxicity or only use mechanoids to do outdoor tasks. Alternatively build up filtration suits and use those to do outdoor activities safely. Then raiders coming to hit you are dealing with toxic buildup penalties or outright falling unconscious trying to fight you. Meanwhile you're growing and cooking super potatoes that need toxic weather to survive.

That said you can always choose to just not leak tons of toxic waste onto the map. You can minimize how many mechs you're controlling to keep pollution in check, or just be ready for the relations hit for dumping toxic waste outside of your colony.

So I don't have any real concerns about it being awful. Worst case scenario, like you said, we can turn it off in the options if it is overwhelming or unfun for whatever reason.

[Blazikasu]

I'll turn everything into a desolate wasteland, idgaf. Inhospitable environment? I don't like to leave home anyway, drones can do that for me and maybe I can get genotypes that will help me survive. Powered up bugs? sure bud, send them to me, I'll tame the survivors.

[Postron]

I am sure there will be a mod to turn off polution pretty quickly.

[Garatgh Deloi]

Originally posted by se05239:

As mentioned in the latest blog, pollution is something that you'll have to deal with if you own Biotech.

Personally, I am not sure if I'll like it. At least the option for turning off pollution spread on the world map could be disabled. Don't really want the entire world to turn into a hostile wasteland unless I am actively trying to accomplish just that.

Too early to tell, though! My opinion can always change, as it did for Ideology.

As far as i can tell its only a thing you have to deal with if you use mechanoids, not if you own the DLC (at least not as a major problem, might still be a minor issue).

And there are plenty of ways to deal with it without causing harm to the environment, short term you can freeze it, long term you can burn it in a special high tech building. If you don't want to cause harm to the environment i'd wager it just means you have to scale down your mechanoid use until you have ways to deal with it and perhaps avoid using the new pollution generation power options.

[FluffyPotato]

I love the idea. I always play heavily modded and I found it quite fun to deal with nuclear waste from Rimatomics. Make like a heavily reinforced vault for waste inside a mountain and if it gets too overwhelming just ship it over to a nearby primitive tribe that has been a pain in the ass.

[Vermillion Cardinal]

It'll depend on how quickly we generate waste; are we going to pollute as fast as chickens can hatch (and just as explosive), or somewhat slower?

I'll probably limit deployment of mechs until I can explore that vague option that allows you to totally eliminate waste at a high cost. If all it needs is power, various mods already provide options so diverting some for pollution cleanup might just become a new operating expense to pay going forward. If it's more onerous than that, well, I'm sure a mod will come by to either eliminate it or simplify the process.

On the other hand, I've occasionally wanted to explore playing on a frozen toxic planet (even one under perpetual eclipse)...

[Chilli Dog Dave]

sounds interesting on paper but if its anything like the tree tending thing it'll likely be far to time consuming or pain in the ass to make it worth it resulting in some tweaks

[Demeggy]

Love it, the games been lacking more environmental aspects for years despite the potential.
What I'd really like to see is non-renewable energy also producing pollution; so chemfuel and wood based generators having an impact on the climate.
I'd also love pollution to actually alter a planets climate on an increasing scale. The latest preview notes talk about how actual world tiles can become polluted; it'd be great to see an increase in temperature in accordance with this.
Overall, very excited to see the potentials of pollutants.

[NyanMango]

Originally posted by Postron:

I am sure there will be a mod to turn off polution pretty quickly.

It can be disabled within the DLC itself, no need for a mod,

[martindirt]

Almost everything can be disabled in scenario editor.
I'm sure this will also disablable.

[RhyoliTe]

I really like the sound of it since it fits neatly in the 'actions have consequences' theme of the game.

I also hope its the team experimenting with different ways for us to interact with the world we're in so that we get more variety of it in the future.

[Shas'O O'Kais]

I don't think it'll be an issue unless you want it to be.
If you choose to settle in a polluted area, thats on you, you'll be able to see it on the map before you land.

Otherwise, I imagine you'll be safe from it outside of creating it yourself except for perhaps some events that may cause it. Like those ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ pirates that setup sometimes that do things like constantly EMP you or block out the sun permanently until you go kick their asses, then it goes back to normal. They'll probably be a "pollution generator" added to their little ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ rolodex.

There might also be a faction or two that generates it over time that you can just stay away from.

But I don't think it'll be a big deal personally. As long as nothing is actively creating more of it, if you do manage to get some, all you gotta do is wait for the pollution-eating tree to pop up and it'll clean up your map eventually.

I've been pondering how i'm going to deal with it in my first playthrough. I'll definitely be creating lots of pollution, so i'm wondering if after the pollution tree pops up, if I should begin to transition over to atomizing it with that new device and letting the map eventually be cleaned up, OR if I should just modify my colonists to live in it and be happy in that environment. I'm thinking the latter.

Though, I am sad you can't replant the pollution trees. :( I dislike the random nature of some trees and being unable to relocate them.

[Astasia]

I love the idea of pollution, I love how it changes the environment, I like the idea of being able to spread it, but my current take after reading the second teaser is that as a cost or consequence it doesn't actually sound like it matters. It seems like something I'd want to happen, just because it's cool and there isn't much downside other than wearing a gas mask early on and adding an extra bionic to the loadout later. Avoiding pollution and cleaning up the environment sounds like more of an RP concern, and it could be fun playing as like a tree connection meme in the middle of a polluted wasteland and trying to clean it up.

[Anowood]

Your playstyle being reflected in the environment is a great concept and it adds another layer of making bases more distinct. It also further promotes making clear decisions about how you want to play. And for people that just want to have the new features and have fun without consequences there will be, like always, more than enough options to customize the game just how they want. One way or another.

[Akadai]

I doubt I'll be doing much with mechanoids, so pollution probably wont be a big deal for me. That being said, dealing with pollution sounds like a fun little mechanic. If it means more high-tech buildings to solve a problem, I'm all for it. I'm also wondering if something like Dubs Hygiene mods might make some sort of use of it, or other mods