RADAR tower?

[Daivahataka]

Finally built a RADAR tower and want to check am I failing to understand how to use it correctly?
It shows the locations of all ores in the area and their purity so only marginally more useful than the hand scanner.
Then it shows the number of power slugs, hard drives and creatures but gives no clue as to their actual locations?
So what's the point of it considering the resources it requires? Was kind of expecting it might pinpoint power slugs and hard drives since I've already unlocked those in the scanner.

[xXsedo1992Xx]

u can always just deconstruct it and get those resources back

[Die Hand Gottes]

I like the tower and I have collected some areas (Update7) all snails and artifacts.
In Update 8 everything is there again and must start from scratch or let it I would not need the towers more but still I have the whole map so uncovered and know what is where.
The hand scanner I actually also no longer use have already built the whole map.

[Daivahataka]

Originally posted by xXsedo1992Xx:

u can always just deconstruct it and get those resources back

That's the plan if all it shows is where mining nodes are. Already know the nodes around my base and RADAR has a shorter range than the scanner if I have to hunt for something specific that's not in the area.

Could just reconstruct it along with a biomass burner in locations to expose the map if I can't be bothered to explore, but then I'd definitely miss out on the slugs and drives in that area so again seems pointless.

The proposed value seems to be based entirely on the assumption that you'll be setting up bases all over the map, each needing a full production chain from scratch, instead of having a central processing facility you send everything back to. Running the conveyors is hardly a problem since you need to either run power lines anyway, otherwise you need to create local power plants and will then need to run hypertubes since you'll regularly need to return to access the resources that have built up and to fuel those power plants.


But then I'm also baffled at the need for a jetpack given I've been getting everywhere just via ramps and foundations, they are far from expensive. Also makes conveyor belts and power easy to connect up if I find a node of value.


Anyway, thanks for confirming I wasn't failing to see how to target the resources of interest.

[Die Hand Gottes]

I have done it over the whole map to build
and have also scattered radar towers all over the map and cover almost everything.
And thanks to the tracks I have built everywhere on the map, I also have electricity everywhere.
But I had also previously with the normal power poles already covered much of the map especially from the grasslands to all the thermal springs there I have also always built a radar tower.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2926742129

[twifight]

I was somewhat disappointed in the radar too. It's power use is very high, depending on what stage in the game you are. Now that I have excess power it doesn't bother me, but I used them sparsely before.
What I did is just leave the buildings, but disconnect them from the power grid unless I actively needed them.

Still, they could make them a bit more useful, like a synergy with a bit more range and accuracy on your scanner while you are in a radar's range.

[Die Hand Gottes]

I've always had enough surplus to run the couple of radar towers.
What have the 30MW I think that's not much there are worse.

[info]

Built an elevated grid 1KM single line of Glass Foundations over the entire world. Every other one placing a Radar Tower. Using M for Map I will be able to see train movements and ore nodes everywhere once completed.

Building a Global Train network 1 floor down (60 Meters per floor) then resource processing, movement and eventually goods crafting on the next couple of floors and Terrestrial (Ground Level) networks of Trains, Belts and Pipes to bring everything to centralized locations to then be distributed to scattered factories (Think Screwville where all screws for the entire World Wide Factory are produced.).

For the Slugs/Hard Drives I wonder of each tower reports current and subtracts them once they are collected? I havent checked for that yet.

[info]

Originally posted by Die Hand Gottes:

I have done it over the whole map to build
and have also scattered radar towers all over the map and cover almost everything.
And thanks to the tracks I have built everywhere on the map, I also have electricity everywhere.
But I had also previously with the normal power poles already covered much of the map especially from the grasslands to all the thermal springs there I have also always built a radar tower.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2926742129

Thats is pretty awesome coverage of the Map there.

[ThemePark]

Funnily enough, I got the resources to build my first radar tower today, and also felt underwhelmed by it, considering it tells you there are certain animals and plants in the 1 km radius of the tower, but not where they are. So I searched the forums to see if I was missing something, and came across this as the first result.

The only advantage the tower seems to have over the scanner, is that the resource icons don't disappear from the map, and that you see all the different types of resources at once, where as you have to scan each individually with the scanner and they disappear after a while.

And btw, Daivahataka, it sounds like we have the same playstyle. xD

[Daivahataka]

TBH even if it was that you have to build 3 towers and can then triangulate anything in the overlaps I'd be fine with it, but yeah, just being told that X of Y is somewhere in the area is a little useless and instead the maps people have up on google are vastly more useful in spite of being free in terms of resources and electricity usage.
I've taken a break from the game for a bit but at this point my longest conveyor runs from the oil deposits on the east edge of the map back to my base on the west side, do have some pre-processing to convert the oil to fuel, plastic, etc... but that's it. Then using the fuel to run power plants with the power lines running parallel to the conveyor.

[info]

The (M)ap is great to have. It takes around 16 towers to fill in the whole thing, do them in a diamond layout (1km down 1 over and 2km straight line between each one).

Once done you can quickly travel to any Node by referencing the map, it show you and your current heading direction so once pointed the right way just run or fly like mad until you think you are getting close then look at the map again.

You can also travel with the map open so if flying you can use AWSD and Shift to navigate your way provided you are above obstacles.