Existing mods solve parts of the problem. No mod(s) solve all the problems without shoving absurd complexity at the user.
Goals:
- Control surface pipe connections
- Flexible connections for Surface-to-ground (STG) pipes
- Low complexity in Entity / Item / Recipe (EIR) and technologies
- Blueprint compatible
- Simple to use
Pipes of 3 different materials that only connect to their own type using connection_category. This allows pipe braiding as seen in NPT.
Underground pipes are a departures from what came before. STG will:
- have 3 materials (for all connections, above and below, utterly incompatible with other material pipes).
- connect in all 4 directions underground.
- Single EIR per material.
- not require any surface connections like underground pipe extension from AFH. This is the same EIR as STG.
- No active scripting, no UI, no complexity anywhere
- 15 * 3 sprites for surface pipes. 3 material types, 15 connection combinations.
- 15 * 3 sprites for STG pipes. 3 material types, 15 surface connection combinations.
- 16 sprites for STG pipes with no surface connection.
- 3 EIR for surface pipes
- 3 EIR for STG pipes
- Tunable mod parameter for connection length
- Reduce surface pipe EIR by auto-selecting material for click/drag pipes?
- Control which underground connections are enabled? Perhaps use scripting to connect underground, to avoid entity complexity.
- Underground pipe terminators? As stated, we may accidentally connect to distant underground pipes. Especially true if user increases connection length.
- Add a connector pipe and EIR, to connect pipes of different materials?
- How can I improve this design?
- Bugs or unforeseen problems?