Allow logistics transfers between space platforms

[Phantom329]

The very simplest implementation would be a target dropdown for when we shift-click in the hub inventory. It can use exactly the same cargo pod launch animation, but then the cargo pod lands on the other platform instead of the planet.

It's easy to suggest new buildings and items but I think it's much better to find other uses of existing features. Stations drop items for free to planets with the landing pods. There's no reason ship to ship should be different. Using the mech suit to spacewalk to another platform could just show the animation leaving from the cargo bay. I understand why the devs don't allow walking around a platform, so I'm not suggesting that.

[kaijyuu]

I also expected this to be in the game and was surprised when I found out it wasn't.

[Ghoulsberry]

Hello! I was thinking that it would be cool if you could transfer items between 2 ships orbiting the same planet. As of now, if I want to take something from one ship and put it to another, I have to send that item to the planet then back up to the other ship. But if the 2 ships are already orbiting the same planet, then it would make sense that they could transfer items to one another.

Thanks for an awesome game!

[IjstWannaSleepPlzUwU]

Is it possible to transfer cargo between different space platforms on the same planet's orbit, rather than through cargo landing pad and rocket silo ?
This is a natural and reasonable function, so that I can establish a Space Logistics Hub in planet orbit to replenish materials for other space platforms anchored on this planet, such as walls, repair packs, platform foundations, turrets, Uranium fuel cells, etc
This also solves the problem of automated rocket launches: when multiple space platforms require extremely small amounts of materials, they can directly send requests to the Space Logistics Hub, instead of letting surface rockets automatically launch stacks of materials

[myridium]

No, it is not possible.

You make a good point about collecting small requests.

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged several threads with the same suggestion.

[JohnAlekseyev]

Just came across this post while searching online on how I can send stuff to another platform instead just down to a planet - I thought I was just not finding the option, since it seemed so intuitive.

Please really add this! Orbital construction or docking stations are a staple of spacefaring sci-fi, and also just straight up make a lot of sense considering the huge cost of sending something up from a planet's gravity. It would also be great for gameplay, being able to give planets an orbital platform to send stuff to, that they can then transfer to another mobile platform passing by.

[erronius]

Another +1 on this, I was about to make this as a suggestion myself. I think it would be reasonable for there to be some kind of cost associated with this. Maybe it requires one solid rocket fuel per stack you're sending over, or has a power draw or something. But this would open up so many great options for space logistics which is currently a stumbling block for a lot of people including myself. I would really love to have a "staging platform" above each of my planets that holds all the things that I want to export. And then my transport platform shows up and grabs stuff from the staging platform.

Edit: better idea, the cost could be an explosives, since this would allow using the advanced asteroid crushing for sustainability.

[dev-cyprium]

+1 on this

I landed here in search of a mod, if not part of the base DLC, can someone at least make this via a mod?

[dev-cyprium]

I would mostly love to send extra asteroids from various platforms to a single one which turns them all into calcite

[Forblaze]

I would really like to have been able to make stationary platforms that act as refueling/rearming stations instead of needing every one to be completely self sufficient. Shame this isn't possible.

[Fharkas]

Super agree.
I was also one of those who started a google search for how it should be done, since it seemed as a no brainer.

For balance issues, so the make a moving factory challenge remains, some ideas:
- Have the transfer tech locked between one or two planets' tech. So the player needs to build a moving factory for first times.
- Have a maximum platform weight/size that is upgradable with tech (with new tech types added), so even a non-moving orbital hub/manufacturing/refueling station a bit of constraint
- After some time, lower asteroid appearance or make it fluctuating widely
- Have some other space hazards (solar flares, that fry, irradiate various stuff or micro, super fast meteors that do fixed damage so the platform needs walls to mitigate dmg)

Also, the whole Space Age so far super fun and well thought out, distinct and a solid foundation that allows for so much more. Looking forward to all the extra stuff that will be added over time!

[Saevon]

I do love the idea, as it means a lot more types of platforms and ships.

E.g. Not all ships would need to be self-sufficient (and thus there is more risk involved with sending one out without enough supplies: a logistical challenge!)

E.g. This would let you use multiple platforms as a larger "combined platform". Where each sends intermediates to the next to be processed (Not sure if that's useful, someone will enjoy it)

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I thought this would already exist when I launched my second platform, eagerly expecting to send the unused platform materials from my first ship (and the resources it gathered and assemblers I added to produce all the belts it would need to reproduce). And then I couldn't do anything.

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Similarly this would make rescue missions more doable without needing infrastructure on the planet itself.

Once I accidentally had a ship loop back and forth infinitely (the "ready to launch" circuit was mis-wired) and get stranded being shot by meteors on aquilo (it was meant to go and come back then resupply, not do 20 trips in a row)

There was nothing I could really do at that point, but consider it a loss. But being able to launch another emergency vessel, that then sends it supplies,,, would've made for a much more tense mission, a great story... and probably a new ship whose entire goal would be rescues (repair supplies and such)!

[CyberCider]

If you ask me, I think this would be detrimental to the game. I fully believe that the absence of this feature is deliberate. It would allow people to make simple, barebones platforms that are completely reliant on orbital stations for supplies. And self-sufficiency via in-flight resource collection and processing was one of the core ideas behind the design of space platforms. The devs always refer to them as “flying factories”, and not “spaceships”. This would be a fine feature for a mod, but it’s definitely not coming to vanilla.

[swecker]

As I read through this thread I changed my mind on what I'd want for this suggestion. At first I thought there definitely should be platform to platform transfers, and there shouldn't be any cost to do so.

I see the point that it could remove a lot of the current intended challenges, and that alone makes it a poor suggestion; but I still have to agree with all the people here saying that it's pretty integral to a space themed game, and it's honestly confusing that it's not in the game. Factories in space should resemble space stations more than ships, and what kind of station can't transfer resources to a non-planetary target?

So balancing would be needed, but locking it behind research or adding a resource cost just adds an easily surmountable up front hurdle, (and I assume that "docking"/merging scenes is off the table for technical reasons); so how should it be balanced?

My current thought is (and maybe this needs to be it's own suggestion, and would actually make perfect sense for a mod): transfers from planet to space costs a lot of resources, but rendezvous/docking requires a lot of logistical coordination. So don't add a resource cost per transfer, but require specific infrastructure to be built on each platform (on which you want to transfer resources), and transferred resources go in their own cargo containers, like asteroid collectors (and would similarly need to be on edge tiles) instead of magically being available in the central hub.

Maybe even have little ships (ie: space bots/ trains!) that travel between the platforms within the same orbit (which adds some of that resource cost back in, and an additional time cost) (and you have to make sure your platform doesn't leave orbit with them still docked or else they're stuck along for the ride).

Relying on transfers is no longer a fix-all shortcut that lets you build simpler/smaller platforms, but instead let's you build larger specialized factories and actually establish infrastructure in space.

Tldr: I don't want a feature that removes any current logistic challenges, but platform to platform transfers still feel very necessary, so make it it's own new (and still optional) logistic challenge.

[mrvn]

TL;DR

Allow importing goods from other space platform hubs.

What?

In the "Import from" selection for requests on space platform hubs allow picking another space platform hub as source for the import. The recent FFF mentioned that the current design allows trading between any 2 surfaces. But for this the request should only work as long as both space platform hubs are in the same system.

Why?

Importing from another space platform hub would allow exchanging goods between spaceships without having to send them down to a planetary surface and back up again with an expensive rocket. This would allow a true interplanetary trade network.

This would allow trading with Aquilo indirectly. Items would be shipped via Gleba or Fulgora with dedicated ships for each pair of planets and probably stationary platforms for each planet as trading hubs. Doing so via the planet is just too costly and really isn't logical story wise.

[macdjord]

Also would mean you can have a planet-side base ship items up to a station in orbit slowly, then have a ship come by and pick them all up at once.

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged into an older thread with the same suggestion.

[mrvn]

I don't think transfer of fuel or ammo from stationary platforms to spaceship platforms would be a game changer. You still need to produce the ammo in space or still pay the price of shipping to orbit. The benefits of not having the production facilities on the spaceship are minor and the drawbacks are huge. You get far more resources during travel than when stationary and if you ever run out of ammo then your ship gets destroyed. You could send far fewer ships with ammo production in orbit than with onboard production that I think this simply would not affect the balance.

Maybe at most you could have a single fast ship for Gleba, shaving off a little mass for speed. But is that really changing anything in the game balance. I have a single ship with one truster going to Gleba at ~50km/s and I'm all out of useful stuff to research already. I'm actually a bit disappointed how little you need to build on each planet and ship around to progress in the game.

[Tireon]

Just another +1 here