Update the Hoverpod to reflect Multi-Z Formatting

[DronzTheWolf]

The Hoverpods are sorely underused, and mostly because they're useless now. I'd like to see hoverpods reformed to fit in the Multi-Z formatting, with them able to stabilize and hover over holes, and move up/down Z's. I want them to be useful so they're actually used, I can see this being a fresh breath of air for miners who don't like/know how to use RIGs but want to pack around things. Bring along your box and crate in the cargo compartment.

It's also good for SecAntag who wants to take the entire armory with them in a crate.

[Pacmandevil]

see on one hand - this is a reasonable suggestion.

On the other hand - it's mech code.

[Azande]

see on one hand - this is a reasonable suggestion.

On the other hand - it's mech code.

 

Could you not just copy/paste some jetpack code from RIGsuits to have a 'Propulsion' tab when inside the hoverpod?

[Pacmandevil]

see on one hand - this is a reasonable suggestion.

On the other hand - it's mech code.

 

Could you not just copy/paste some jetpack code from RIGsuits to have a 'Propulsion' tab when inside the hoverpod?

 

See at first glance that sounds possible. but it's mech code.

Rigsuits are more or less armor that lets you do shit. Mechs are a glorified locker on legs.

[Scheveningen]

Okay, so code-wise, when you enter a locker and shut it, your mob is pseudo-removed from the z-level, with an exception added that you are added as part of the contents listing inside the locker. So when someone opens the locker, or you open the locker, or something blows up the locker through damage, you pop straight out. Your location prior to those conditions, however, is (0,0,0), because your mob is contained inside another object and not directly on the map. Naturally anyone can still ghost-follow you or see your suit sensors location since those are tracked with respect to the mechanic.

With mechs it works the same way, Viewing Variables of a piloted mech shows that the mech contains a pilot. In order to allow for direct control of the mech, though, the mob is technically located on 0,0,0 because it is not actually anywhere on the map visibly besides contained within another object. The mech, in this case.

The problem is that while it is fathomable to allow for objects to move upward or downward, it (mechs, particularly) is old-as-sin code that has not been meaningfully touched for just as long. With RIGs you still hold a lot of mobility and control over your mob, since RIGs just give speshul powertech stuff. Whereas with mechs, you would have to fundamentally add exceptions for z-level traversal that mobs by themselves currently have. This is primarily because when you use Move-Upward or Move-Downward, it is your mob's location that is checking if there is valid terrain above it. Assume you're at 122,122,3 and there's an open space above and you have a jetpack. You can easily make that traversal. With a mech that would likely require a vehicle exception to be written and properly playtested for the inevitable bugs and issues that may arise, because the mech would need checks for itself to see if it can traverse terrain, since checking for the mob's position (which is always 0,0,0 in a mech by default since it is contained in an object) is out of the question.

Possible, definitely. There are just likely some complications to it that make it less feasible than how it is for mobs.