Ground-based worker bots for early-mid game

[Factory Lobster]

Abstract:
Bipedal or quadrupedal bots that can be built before logistics, batteries and flight, to carry out basic menial tasks.

Idea:
I would love the ability to build ground-based robot slaves earlier in the game to do tasks that are grindy. For example, building burner bots that run on coal that slowly walk around a limited designated area and find rocks/trees to harvest for you and either destroys the material (if you don't want it) or stores in an indicated chest. Perhaps the bots could even mine ore at a faster rate than the player but less than a burner mining drill.

I realize that this causes problems with the placement of the existing "robotics" technology, and where it falls in the order of advancement. However, that could be addressed by considering the existing robotics "advanced robotics" or "robotics 2" or whatever, and creating an earlier tech labeled "basic robotics" or "robotics 1." Placement open to debate. As you progress, perhaps the ground-based bots could run on batteries and personal solar panels, and move a little more quickly.

This doesn't have to be anything fancy, or even be integrated into the logistics network. Bots don't have to be crazy battle bots or anything unbalanced. It just seems odd that our intrepid engineer would skip simple terrestrial mobile robots altogether and build flying ones.

[blueblue]

Do you want to elaborate on the tasks these bots would perform? I like the idea of an automated tree-cleaner and it seems reasonably simple even for new players.

I'm working on a mod that makes the early-game more bearable for advanced players. I'm currently just giving access to the usual flying bots earlier than in the normal game. I hadnt considered using grounded bots but it makes a lot of sense so I'm interested in your take. Of course a mod has different constraints than the official game; I can have a steeper different learning curve than vanilla but I need to make performance considerations that arent present in vanilla. Still I'd like to hear the ideas you have for the official game and I might end up adapting some for my mod.

[Factory Lobster]

Do you want to elaborate on the tasks these bots would perform?

I think anyone could quickly think of their own bucket list, but some that stand out to me are:
-Chop down trees (either in specific work area or indefinitely) - either to retain the wood or destroy it
-Harvest rock outcrops (either in specific work area or indefinitely) - either to retain the stone or destroy it
-Place landfill in selected water area (must use landfill or any product you generate - robots can't assemble)
-Automatically mine or gather coal to self-fuel, if available in work area or chest that the bot is instructed to interact with.
-Mine copper/iron/coal/stone at faster rate than player but slower than burner drill. Place in designated chest or machines.

A robot would only do one of the above tasks at a time, chosen from a menu of tasks. Not sure how to handle the work area issue. They could have infinite range and just keep working forever, work within a predetermined circular or square area, or work within a click-and-dragged area (like how you'd choose an area for blueprints or deconstruction).

Again, I'm thinking that these bots could work with taking from or storing materials in a simple wood, iron, or steel chest and would not recognize logistics networks. The idea would be to only have a few of these things working for you, because having too many would probably become overwhelming and confusing.

Oh, and one more thing: these things should be extreme biter bate. Biters want nothing more than to kill these robots. #1 priority.

[chridder]

I am not sure if I like the idea of ground bots, but to solve the issue with the working area, it could be handled in some ways:

1. build a ground bot robot facility. It might be used for refueling as well --> similar approach as for later bot hangars
2. the can go a max. distance from any object you as a player build. That would keep them in the range of your base.
3. build a cheap fence, maybe something like a limiter where you just need to place a stick at each corner and they connect automatically via laser (always with the next one in each of the 4 directions).
4. they can only work in a radius around the player --> maybe not so useful at the end
5. they need a chest with coal to operate and can only stay within a radius (similar to 1)

next to that, they might need a target chest, where they put the stuff they harvest (e.g. wood), that could also define the working area.

If implemented I would propose to give them some check boxes allowing them to handle multiple tasks:
o cut trees
o collect stone
o fight aliens (only defense) --> a bit less strengths as early turrets, but more flexible as they can defend everything in working area and if you place several bots in a working area it could be even more efficient as turrets, but costly, as they need coal and material to produce the bots and ammunition.
o ...

[JimBarracus]

A ground Robot which can pick up a complete chest and place it somewhere else.

you have three Docking ports for a Special type of chest, the "ground Robot chest".
One port is placed at the starting Point, one at the Destination and one in between to store the spare chest, let's say the buffer.

How logistics would work:
Chest A at start, Chest B at Destination, buffer empty
Bot moves Chest B to buffer
Bot moves Chest A to Destination
Bot moves Chest B to start

To Limit movement you have to place hazard concrete on the ground, the bots won't leave this area.

[voddan]

For me the main motivation would be using blue-prints in early game Earlier access to personal construction bots

IMO ground construction bots should operate just like normal construction bots, but:
- be slower
- run on burning fuel
- park randomly near their last completed target
- not have an effective range, e.i. they should drive to me when I need them no matter where they are parked
- have a way to self-supply with fuel (from a logistic chest?)