Seismograph module#1141

Since the eruption timer might get removed (#76), and also might become a bit more random, we’ll need to pay attention to when rumbling starts to happen etc to know when to retreat. I imagine that the time it takes for these warning signs to appear would be greater with the game’s difficulty, so for example, on Easy mode, rumbling would start 5 minutes before the eruption, but only 2 minutes before the eruption in Hard mode.
However, a way to know approximately when the eruption will happen in advance would be great to plan bigger raids or exploration/resource gathering missions.
And so, we are brought here : the Seismograph module.

When deployed, it would look like a crane that deposits a device on the ground, beyond the ship (like the mining drone, for example - it extends farther than the ship’s wings).
Once deployed, it would work on its own, passively. But to be able to make use of it, you need to have a station. These seismograph stations would simply display the timer, as long as the module is deployed. You could place multiple stations to see all around your ship. Of course, it should not remove the rumbling and screen shaking, so even if you lose your module, you can still have an idea of when to go underground.
In order to counter a technique of quickly opening the module and closing it to see the timer without having a module consuming core slots and energy, there could be a 2 minutes cooldown between deployment of the module and display of the timer.

Now of course, there could be tiers of both module and station :
Station T1 : tells you data from the module, inside your ship.
T2 : Can display information on your HUD and control bracer, even when you’re away.

Module T1 : Tells you the eruption roughly 5 minutes before it happens.
T2 : ~10 minutes before it happens.
T3 : ~20 minutes before it happens.

None of the data given by the module would be exact. There could still be a margin of error of ~2mins, more or less.
For the lower tiers, if the eruption is too far away and data is unavailable, the timer would display something like ??:?? or –:–, or maybe “data unavailable” to indicate that the module is working but cannot provide information currently.

However, I can also imagine that in easy mode, it would be good to have the exact timer all the time, as it is currently. But then, the modules become kind of useless… Could they be given a use, or would they be just like beds and revive tools in singleplayer ?

i wouldnt change where the info is at but how far from the ship a player could be to get it. this could also play into a control bracer update where players have to be in range of the controler to send it undergound and what not

Honestly, that’s a really bad idea. If range comes into play with the control bracer, that’ll just discourage exploration. And it doesn’t really had any fun or any challenge, it’s just annoying, pointlessly.

Farming coal is pointless lol and it would make a challange maybe have it on harder modes with limited range where on easy modes it could go

T1 only zone 1 above and bellow
T2 ZONE 2 AND BELLOW +T1
T3 ZONE 3 + T2,T1

upgrade teasson is volcanic interference

What does coal have anything to do with the debate here ?
Anyways, I don’t think there’s any way to make it interesting and fun. But you’ve made an entire post about it, so let’s take it there, instead of cluttering this post.

Yeah i started the new line to avoided mixing ideas

I like the timer removal and also like the idea of a piece of equipment to mount that provides a hint as to when an eruption is imminent. Maybe there could be a Game Option checkbox for “Eruption Timer On/Off” for those who prefer the timer? (It’s too easy to plan/not scary with the timer imo)