Science Sublevel Anomalies Rework and Xenobotany Relocation

[Saudus]

This suggestion very much relates to [mention]BurgerBB[/mention] 's overhaul suggestion of the main level science map https://forums.aurorastation.org/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=11273.

Essentially, the suggestion there is about Xenobotany being removed from the main level and a rework of the space left behind and adjacent areas. I very much agree with removing Xenobotany from the main level, but would much rather see it on sublevel next to Xenobiology rather than the construction level.

So, in order to get the space for Xenobotany, I decided to rework anomalies into a more space efficient form without losing relevant functions. I literally started learning mapping this week so don't expect perfection and it unfortunately might be prudent for someone to check my work or at the very least test it somehow before possibly adding. I got some excellent feedback from Archeology/Anomaly players ([mention]Asheram[/mention] and [mention]echotango23[/mention]) during the project and think I've added/fixed most if not all of what was brought up.

That said I need and want more feedback. Probably a few things I have forgotten or missed and just general thoughts are greatly appreciated.

(biology is in pic at edit3)

I've added some numbers on the picture to more easily clarify what some rooms are.

1 is the suggested new location of Xenobotany. It is 11x8 squares of open floors. The entrance would probably be in the lower left corer of the room and would require the maintenance area to be moved to the right a bit.

2 are rooms that are entirely untouched by me. I think they are fine as is and have done absolutely nothing in them.

3 are rooms that are new/different. The left one fills the function of the old room with the lockers and the windows, but also serves a bit as an entrance room. The right one is a small storage room for putting artifacts and harmless/inactive anomalies in.

Some other things to note:

• Removed the monkey pen, put monkey cube box and sink in as replacement. Sorry Xenomorph mains.
• It should be significantly more "safe" of an area now. Much harder to break in/out due to lack of windows and such. Can absolutely replace some walls with windows for balance purposes if it is wished for, but really feels a bit stupid and unrealistic to me to have windows here.
  
• I've been quite careful not to remove any items that were in before. Please let me know if you see/think you see something missing (duct tape is under the camera btw, just know someone will mention if).
  
• One of the things I've been asked to add but haven't was a bookshelf with some anomaly/archaeology related books. I simply don't yet know how to make a bookshelf pre-loaded with books.

 

Hope you enjoy it!

EDIT: Can't see well enough on original picture I think, adding second one here that only shows anomalies.

 

EDIT2: Added a shower to the anomaly entrance room and a laundry machine to anomalies main room. Also moved the maintenance fire closet to near the SMES and extended the hallway into where the closet was so botany location is now connected to the main hallway.

EDIT3: Went ahead and did botany too. Changed thread name to illustrate that.

This includes some changes to the hallways. It has everything the old botany have (I think) with some additions.

Two glass rooms for other types of gasses and such instead of one. One more regular tray.

An airlock like biology (hope it works, just made new instances of the biology ones and switched the things I think needs to be changed, i.e. name+id_tag+controller tag refs to interior/exterior).

A default open valve outside for the scrubbers (assume closing this might be useful in case of kois outbreak etc), thinking of adding id requirement to it so the wrong people can't mess with it (hope it works on digital valves).

Could technically make part or entire airlock of glass too, if people want it.

Pic of latest latest version.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Guest

[Asheram]

+1

I've already weighed in on the project and it is trimmed, has a more logical layout, and is plain neater than the previous incarnation of the department.

It has my full endorsement.

[Bauser]

Given how rarely the research sub-level is currently used, I support moving xenobotany there if it has to to be moved at all. By Burger's design, we would end up with a research wing that has 3 floors that are always empty, instead of 2 floors that are always busy. This is a good compromise combining his unnecessary main-level rework with the common sense of not taking a barely used job role with a small laboratory and isolating it on a new floor for no reason whatsoever. Since the only thing that would accomplish is keeping xenobotanists locked away from everybody else like virologists currently are. At least with this arrangement, they'd get to rub shoulders with xenoarch and xenobio and toxins.

[Saudus]

Given how rarely the research sub-level is currently used, I support moving xenobotany there if it has to to be moved at all. By Burger's design, we would end up with a research wing that has 3 floors that are always empty, instead of 2 floors that are always busy. This is a good compromise combining his unnecessary main-level rework with the common sense of not taking a barely used job role with a small laboratory and isolating it on a new floor for no reason whatsoever. Since the only thing that would accomplish is keeping xenobotanists locked away from everybody else like virologists currently are. At least with this arrangement, they'd get to rub shoulders with xenoarch and xenobio and toxins.

 

I think RnD is too small and cramped, especially given it's importance, and that xenobotany shouldn't be on the main level and these things requires some type of remapping. In the larger scheme of things, it would be really nice if the construction level actually got some relevant things placed in it and some love. But I don't think xenobotany should be placed there on it's own. The way I see it botany and biology should be close to each other, and that means either both on sub level or both on construction level.

I'm not a die-hard believer in either of the ways (stay as is / sub level / construction level), I really just wanted to try out mapping and heard of burger's work and decided to do something relevant to it.

That said, I think this is both a better and more compact version of anomalies. And if it would be decided botany is to stay/go to construction level I still think this version of anomalies is good and would just rework it by pushing it down etc.

[Bauser]

R&D is too small and cramped, but all you have to do to fix that is make the research hallway one tile skinnier, not rebuild the entire wing from the ground-up. Since R&D is only widened by one tile in his design, despite the fact that he eliminates a room the size of R&D (xenobotany) from directly next to R&D... so that he can put the server room there, move the conference room up, and include more of that exciting empty 3-wide hallway.

I'm also not sure how you've arrived at the conclusion that this is a more compact version of anomaly research, considering the fact that (as shown in your screenshots), it is just as big as the current one. Just fewer doors to walk through, really.

It's a neat location for xenobotany, though curiously, it doesn't seem to propose where to put the door into xenobotany... And it eliminates all of the windows into it, which is going to be visually boring as hell for xenobotanists.

[Saudus]

R&D is too small and cramped, but all you have to do to fix that is make the research hallway one tile skinnier, not rebuild the entire wing from the ground-up. Since R&D is only widened by one tile in his design, despite the fact that he eliminates a room the size of R&D (xenobotany) from directly next to R&D... so that he can put the server room there, move the conference room up, and include more of that exciting empty 3-wide hallway.

 

The hallway being 3 tiles wide is actually fairly useful, as it often gets crates and various things in it that make choke points otherwise. Current RnD primarily needs to be elongated on X axis (west/east) 1-2 tiles, not so much Y axis, although in general it would be nice to get it bigger as well. But this thread isn't about which parts of Burger's suggestion are good or not, or how the main floor should be.

 

I'm also not sure how you've arrived at the conclusion that this is a more compact version of anomaly research, considering the fact that (as shown in your screenshots), it is just as big as the current one. Just fewer doors to walk through, really.

 

When I said more compact it's because now it is one main room with adjoining rooms instead of a pointless 3 tile wide hallway taking loads of space for no purpose that is also splitting various rooms. Also did some quick back of envelope calcs, it seems to be 86 tiles smaller (didn't count outward walls). This isn't because the rooms are smaller (are actually larger and more spacious I think) but because of no useless hallways.

It does look similar in size when you look at it on the pictures, yes. You need to mentally think away the botany area and take into consideration the slightly changed walls in to the left and up to truly see the size. Or count tiles.

 

It's a neat location for xenobotany, though curiously, it doesn't seem to propose where to put the door into xenobotany... And it eliminates all of the windows into it, which is going to be visually boring as hell for xenobotanists.

 

I did state the location for the entrance in the OP original text and sort of also in "EDIT2". Bottom left corner of the room basically. For now I've just left it a blank space. Really, I kind of refer you to the name of the thread as I'm not currently working on xenobotany but rather anomalies and making sure there is available space for botany.

Regarding the windows, nothing stopping me from adding windows all over if it is wanted. Just put walls for now as it is a blank space. Windows that make sense would be into the two hallways (can't imagine why we'd add windows into maintenance or anomalies from botany).

[Saudus]

Played around with it a bit more and added botany as well. Added to original post (check edit 3).

[Jakers457]

I'm actually enjoying the layout of anomalies. If you could make a smart way to transport anomalies inside the lab, that'd make QOL peachy. Also, some Anomalies require atmos fuckery to get them to wake up, so if there was an airlock or something for exotic particle room, I'd be happy.