Accumulators should prefer to drain at night

[thereaverofdarkness]

Accumulators only assist your power generation if you ever are using more power than you are generating. If you use solar panels to supplement your power generation in order to save solid fuel, but are able to power your whole setup entirely on solid fuel power generation, then the accumulators will never drain. At night when your solar panels stop producing power, your steam engines will work harder to compensate, and the accumulators will remain full.


If accumulators would gain a higher priority as a power provider and a lower priority as a power accepter during the night, then it would be easy to use a small solar panel rig to supplement your power generation without relying on the solar panels.

[Harkonnen604]

I suggested that about a week ago (with cutoff points on accumulator charge, like 50% - start steam, 25% - turn everything off except lasers). The answer was - 0.13 comes with two important things:
- Accumulators now report their charge level to cirtuit network as percentage
- There is new power switch item that acts as pole and can connect/disconnect network parts either manually or via circuit network conditions

[Unoxxis]

Accumulators are just that, a backup, therefore it makes sense that they have a lower priority than steam. If some users for instance use steam as primary power with backup accumulators for their laser turrets ("laser batteries") then your proposal would break their setup. You see: Regardless of priority order, there are setups that are easier to construct and ones that are harder to achieve.

The thing you are requesting is already possible with some tinkering - and in 0.13 with the new power switch and circuit networt entry for power level it will be much much easier!

[Harkonnen604]

Accumulators are just that, a backup

They are not just for backup. They also compensate solar panels' inability to produce electricity at night.

[ssilk]

If accumulators would gain a higher priority as a power provider and a lower priority as a power accepter during the night, then it would be easy to use a small solar panel rig to supplement your power generation without relying on the solar panels.

That's about the same suggestions, that tries to have a configurable power-priority.

( This search: search.php?keywords=power+priority*&fid=6 or this search.php?keywords=electric+network+priority*&fid=6 )

Well, the current idea for this is, that we wait for 0.13. Because there we will get the "power-switch". And then the community can play a while with that, if it is good enough to handle exactly that issues; but I'm nearly sure, that it is much more than enough to handle every power-situation by an in-game-logic. Which will be very fun.

So I move it to "fixed" for now (0.13 can be released every week). If the situation changes, just reply.

[thereaverofdarkness]

The answer was - 0.13 comes with two important things:
- Accumulators now report their charge level to cirtuit network as percentage
- There is new power switch item that acts as pole and can connect/disconnect network parts either manually or via circuit network conditions

That's great! I can't wait for 0.13 then!

So I move it to "fixed" for now (0.13 can be released every week). If the situation changes, just reply.

I agree. I think I have my answer! =)

The thing you are requesting is already possible with some tinkering

How would I accomplish this?

[ssilk]

Take a look into "Show your creations", the Wiki or "Gameplay Help"... also external sources like the redit forum.