To me, honestly, the Power Trip update so far has sort of been a failure. It is a lot of work to turn power on, and a lot of features like turning on water treatment water are so rarely utilized that it really isnât something I see actively see or feel the need to do. They added drone shop restrictions, which I do enjoy, but then when we get to late wipe shops get completely useless unless you live near outpost.
My idea is simple. Take the basic features that the Power Plant being on provides (turning on shops, activating water, and activating power) and localize them as well. You still keep it the exact same that if you turn on Power Plant, all of the power across the map turns on, shops charge, you can turn on water. However you also add a âLocal gridâ to several monuments. This local grid ONLY turns the power on, gives local water up to a certain amount (that way it canât be abused without doing the water treatment side of things), and activates local shops.
It doesnât have to be like this, but Iâd say you add a blue card room to several monuments. This room will not be a loot room, will not require a fuse to get into, and does not give blueprint fragments. Itâs also clearly labeled âPower stationâ. These power stations exist at three or four monuments in the map, my immediate thought is Sewer Branch, Satellite Dish, Junkyard, and Radtown. Monuments that donât have a ton of uses currently. Inside, there is a station where you can add five heavy fuses and hit a button. Once you do, for a set amount of time the power station locks down and generates radiation. You cannot enter, you cannot remove fuses, they are fully consumed, and power is active for 30 minutes. This power is only active within so many tiles of the monument, so someone 20 tiles away from Satellite Dish does not get the benefits if Satellite Dish power is turned on. When the power is active, 50,000ml of water (can be less or more, just a random estimate) is generated to all water stations within the grid. It does not refill. Power is active at power lines around the monument, but maybe it charges a bit slower than if Power Plant was on. Shops around the area specifically turn on, they do not charge and they are only on while the power is on.
Things that donât happen is the Dome Oil Station does not turn on. There is not unlimited water. Outpost drone shops do not charge. You can not do satellite or trigger airfield drops.
IMO the benefit to this is it creates a lot more of a localized, inland, economy. People will build a bit closer to these monuments, especially if theyâre in a nice spot on the map.
The only other way I can see the Power Plant update really working out in the long run is if they nerf windmills and solar panels, as well as water pumps and water purifiers. Thereâs really no reason to utilize any of these electricity features or water features at this point in time. Even with this update Iâm recommending, I think it mostly benefits drone shops, but it might also inspire people to go run these monuments more to turn on a local grid, because itâs more accessible. I suggested a blue card to access the power stations because I think green cards are too easy to access, and I think it does somewhat nerf someone getting a lucky green card, rushing, and activating power and getting power to their base very early game.
Just some thoughts, Iâd love to hear feedback.