Cable Managment

[ExpoStealth]

Okay when you are placing main power grid around base then connecting APC's to grid, do you make the grid power cables the heavy duty? Or is that only is its from solars to battery and battery to transformer?

[Arran Chace]

I always split my power over several groups, machines, life support, Non-essential doors, Airlocks, etc, each group gets its own cable color, and sometimes per group several APC's again to split networks as they tend to get huge scroll lists over time.

Most power hungry with me are often the lights used through out the base, still by splitting groups into subgroups again, with APC's fitted with Nukes... the network has enough reserves till day time to recharge..

So mostly the main power lines that serve several groups i have fitted with Heavy Cable, havent touched transformers yet, as with some good cabling layouts the 5k limit is never reached.
Normally you would spilt electrical systems into sub groups as well, so i just keep to the system i'm used too..

Downside is, it does require ALOT of cable coils, start producing them in masses if you use this approach

[ExpoStealth]

I get your approach, I think ima just do it like SS13 where its kinda like you approach but instead of station wide doors its the room wide doors and lights, maching, atmos, etc.

But you think for my main power line from batterys I should use heavy? And then branch off the heavy to APC's?

[Kraft51]

by segregating your power into sectors such as this, you are creating buffers in order to maintain certain systems over others; ie, life support takes priority over all other systems so having a separate power supply or logic grid that supplements life support when needed.

theres a lot of power management in Space Engineers and Stationeers takes a lot of its mechanics and puts it into play here. so if you start creating redundacies in your power systems you should never have to worry about losing power for one thing or another, unless the sun goes supernova or you've managed to deplete the moon of all its resources (lol sorry find that concept funny) then power shouldn't be an issue as you increase the tech within your bases infrastructure.

your bases infrastructure and how its designed will be a big part of the mechanic later on, at least it will be if the devs keep to their convictions. maintaining power systems will be a big chore at first but once you've optimized your systems a little things will start to be more managable with automation. i've already seen a Logic system one player has designed that auto-tracks the sun, this is one of those "problems" the player encounters early on and has to engineer their way out of.

otherwise its nothing more than a micromanagement nightmare and no one wants that :D

[ExpoStealth]

Kraft51, so are you saying mine way at it is good or that Arran is better?

[Arran Chace]

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/930424593526672322/D92DEB1AA33644E6F20C96BFC0A35E098EC5F37A/

Here is an example on how i wire my base, each color represents a other group, key systems have as you can see even their own APC with backup battery, beside ofc the general backups for the whole system itself..

Its alot of extra work at first stage to place it all, figure routes out so you dont cross cables as less as possible, uses ALOT of resources, but in the end this is what you want to work towards if you want a managable base later on when things get complex, and pulls alot of power.

But again, this is an habit for me, as wiring stuff is part of my RL job ;)