Space Engineers Survival (Episode 42) - Drone LAUNCH System! [2024]

[@Serathim]

You can absolutely make a custom turret that can depress all the way down like a normal turret if you want. All you need to do is instead of building the guns facing the same direction as the hinge port, you build the guns facing forward while the hinge port is facing up. This will allow the guns to point farther down than the hinge normally can. You just need to do some extra conveyor piping to feed the guns.

[@dakaodo]

Yep, shifts one end of the hinge's 180 degree range to vertical, so that the full 180 can be used to pitch the guns down (though hinge base and ship hull will usually/always? prevent anything below - 45 depression relative to the ship hull). Turret builders can forget that the turret doesn't need to pitch above 0 degree vertical -- it can just rotate around to depress from 0 degree vertical facing the other way. For a really simple custom turret, doesn't need more than 1 conveyor junction block on the hinge head to do this. And thinking about it, the assault cannon has a side port, so you could just mount it directly on its side on the hinge head and stack cannons 3+ high (though that would probably look pretty ghetto, ruining the whole rule of cool purpose of custom turrets XD ).

[@mindlessmrawesome]

Andrew I have important knowledge that will change your life in space engineers; To control overrides on stuff like thrusters, wheels, gyros etc with timers, you can make duplicate groups with just the block in it and use those groups in the timer instead. So for instance, you could make 10 separate groups with just the thruster in it (or just two and then use the 10 different toolbars on the timer with the two groups activated each time) and then put those separate groups all in the same timer with increase thruster override. Then you won't have to turn the thruster on/off and can just control the thruster override.

[@AndrewmanGaming]

That is a very cool way to get around that issue!! I hope they add some way to set override levels easily, but until then, thank you for this life-changing information!

[@mindlessmrawesome]

@AndrewmanGaming yeah it's incredibly work-around-y. I hope they add something like the set command for the pistons/rotors for anything with a slider bar. Keep in mind that each thruster override increase action that a timer triggers only increases by 5%, so to get an override from 0%-100% you'll need 20 actions. That equates to either 9 duplicate groups across 2.33 pages of timer actions, or 2 groups across all 10 pages if you want less group clutter in your menu.

[@Dennys854]

Love this series (and escape from Typhoon). As always my 2 cents and up to a half a dollar. 1. I like the launch system, but think you are placing form over function. Here's a what if. Use a vertical piston (or elevator, I don't know Space Engineers). Make a build pad that can elevate to the hull level, then the fighter can be built below decks, when complete elevated to the hull level, disconnect and engage. You may save space doing this. Could also have an armored door as the roof (if there is such a thing) So Fighter built, event timer opens doors, elevates platform, launches fighter, retracts platform, door closes. When Platform gets to bottom, build new fighter. Again an Idea. Although the launch rail has a high cool factor. (I think you could get 4 fighter platforms in the same space you have 2 rails). See the 1970's British TV series UFO for Moonbase fighters. 2. Love the bunk rooms. Almost at the point of looking at paint schemes. Exterior COULD be like an atmospheric fighter, but reversed. Under Belly Blue/black, upper hull white/grey.. so from below it blends to space, from above it blends into the planet. Decks could be floor covered based on function: Command - Olive, Sleeping Yellow, Engineering Orange, maybe Recreation Light Blue, Medical(?) White. 3. Regarding the autocannons and other weapons - can they be renamed outside after they are built- As in Fwd Port A/C 1, 2, 3, 4 . Fwd Sbd 1,2,3,4 Fwd Port Belly Turret, Fwd Sbd Belly Turret, Port Turret 1, 2, 3, 4, Starboard 1,2,3,4, For Top Deck - Port Deck Assault, Port Deck Gatling, Sbd Deck Assault, Sbd Deck Gatling (and don't forget an Aft Deck Assault turret :) ) 4. Get the Uranium from the Moon! 5. When you get to the center belly repairs, don't forget the centerline ground suppression railgun :) Happy Spacing!

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Thank you for your 2 cents and up to half a dollar! All very good suggestions. I think I might have to swap the cool launch system for a piston system after all because of the inconsistency of the launch cart in zero gravity and when the ship is moving. The paint schemes are a good idea! We are definitely getting close to the painting phase. Maybe even in this next episode!

[@fredpryde8555]

that SANDSTORM is looking incredible such awesome ship the launch drone system blew me away that was so cool well done with that launch system

[@wtftolate3782]

Great work on the AMG Sandstorm. It would be great to see the rest of the AMG Sandstorm finished. I think you need some weapons around your tunnel and solar panels.

[@JamesAlexanderMartin]

That drone tram launch system is really cool! However, that tram is a real Klang risk. I would suggest doing away with the whole system and replacing it with a large grid piston on a hinge at the base of the launch tube then you can make the piston extrude the projection through a printer and push it clear of the main body of the ship. That's how I do my missile launch systems so I don't have to deal with the buggy ai pathing out of a launch tube (even though it would be cooler). You can definitely make a custom turret with full range using the regular configuration. I hadn't even thought of making them the way you're making them. You just build the turret at the hinges neutral position (0deg). That way it can hinge down Then it can only angle so the weps are pointing straight up but you don't need it to go over the top because it can rotate and angle down again giving you full coverage.

[@picklep3076]

The launch system was great. Way over complicate, but sometimes that's not a bad thing. A simple launch rail swung away from the ship using a piston, rotor or hinge with a merge block at the end would be a more reliable method. All though not as Kool. Yours has a more Battlestar Galactica feel

[@copeious3045]

4:04 I’m getting Starship Troopers vibes from this ship!

[@DeanVANDERDEAN]

Hello Andrew, I think a piston jolt gun would be the go for your on board drone launcher system. It would be smaller than your current design because you would not need the wheels and rails for them to run on and it will also be capable of firing drones on it's own with a adjustable force.

[@cmdr_speedbump]

for the railgun turrets you can use the stored power function of the event controller since railguns need to be charge to fire additionally railguns must be turned on to charge so that could prevent it from working

[@cmdr_speedbump]

solution : when one fires turn the other one on, then when the 1st gun has recharged turn it off

[@AndrewmanGaming]

You have a very good point!! The system needs a bit of a rework for sure. I'll check out the stored power property. Thank you!

[@Eclectic_MusicProductions]

For the drone launch system, you could utilize a piston with a new setup that executes an action to propel the launch carriage forward using the drone's full forward thrust at 100% override. Once the piston reaches the required length, the connector disengages, and the piston retracts using a slower set and execute action to prepare for the next print and launch. Additionally, you could inset the rail into the floor to optimize space.

[@AndrewmanGaming]

You're right, if I use a piston I don't need to have the rail so high above the ramp. Thank you for the tips!

[@davidalaric4012]

what about using Pistons instead of the launch cart, have the pistons velocity set high and you can set the distance. I think it will work, but haven't tried it. Anyway just a thought. Love the Series.

[@hunnybunnysheavymetalmusic6542]

The new drone launcher is TOTALLY EPIC!!!

[@billyjoe9842]

Some drone launch feedback, don’t forget to add room for welders so you can 3D print before launching. Would be sweet if it could all be done with one button from your cockpit. If the drones go unused or win their battle, can they be directed to a scrap pit to grind down and recycle? Please don’t end this season without some cool AMG missions. Or maybe that’s what the next season will consist of!

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Welders will definitely be added! I'm not sure about directing them to a scrap pit, that might be tricky if the scrap pit is on the moving ship. I can look into it though!

[@dakaodo]

Boy, that SG drone launch track would be so much cleaner in VRAGE3's unified grid system! :D A launch catapult mechanism is pretty cool, though my Clang-related PTSD says not to trust it in actual field conditions. ^^; I've had my own drone crash incidents too, and I prefer some combination of external/recessed bays with no roof, and/or a trailing launch bay with a hangar opening located aft. That way my ship can poop out drones as I accelerate away from or past a target. Exteral/roofless docking areas are more for small large grid drones that might be 10% or more of the parent ship's size, like external bomb racks but for drones. The aft hangar exit also helps prevent stray enemy cannon shots from going down the entrance to hit something internal. :P

[@nasodio1392]

i love your videos, saves me from mental breakdown during exam weeks

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Good luck on your exams!

[@csorgb05]

Ship needs more weapons! Maybe some custom small grid railgun turrets to give the ship more punch to destroy Reavers quickly.

[@marknorton586]

Great time lapse sequence. Do this moving forward

[@baalrog]

Railguns can't charge when they're off. My sequenced guns have an event block watch the ammo level of gun1. When it drops below 100% ammo it will start the other timers. The RESET timer turns all but gun1 off, after 2-3 firing cycles. That will give your other guns time to fully recharge. Timer 2 would turn on railgun2 after 6 seconds (or half the cycle rate, dont remember). This setup will turn the other guns ON in sequence, and turn the follower guns OFF after none of them had fired for a while. If your sequence turret is constantly firing, Gun1 is constantly pushing back the RESET timer until the fight is over. If something disables Gun1, your turret is useless however.

[@nickforgie4290]

27:55 Whip’s slavo script does what you are looking for.

[@matheusnutsu]

the lancher looks like a aircraft carrier catapult!

[@bitfiddler]

Launch cart will not work in space. There is no gravity to pull it back. You need either a piston to extend the drone. Or replace the cart h2 thrust with battery, and drive the cart with the wheels. If using the wheels, you will also need to offset the suspensions, so the front and back wheels wedge against opposite sides of the track to keep positive friction the track.

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Good point!!! I cant believe I didnt think of the lack of gravity!

[@jakethesnake2655]

Can't you use a gravity gen mass block or whatever there called 🤔

[@andyblondyn1898]

@@jakethesnake2655 you actually can :) So maybe Andrew will do that.

[@nasodio1392]

@@andyblondyn1898 yea, that could actualy work

[@the-scrap-gamer]

Andrew,armour plates exist,use them on the drone,also,while there are no targets,let the rail guns stay active to charge

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Good calls! Thank you :)

[@droppedpasta]

For that lip on the starboard side, maybe you could throw some spotlights in or greeble it up?

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Yes, definitely! I was thinking the same thing!

[@WarthunderAddict558]

2:29 Thé turrets are looking like they are having a party lol

[@nighthunter3039]

@AndrewmenGaming Hinge turrets can also depress all the way down (90° down and 90° up). It just depends on how you set it up. Basicly the connector point of the small hingehead needs to point up and the guns 90° away from it, so forward.

[@andyblondyn1898]

Love that episode!

[@ericseidel4940]

i would place the 1x1 suspension wheel horizontaly at the end of the launch rail, in such way it would act as choc amortizer

[@AndrewmanGaming]

That's a good idea! I think we'll end up switching the whole thing out for pistons to work better in zero gravity but thanks for the suggestion :)

[@chandranibh03]

Embrace the grace of Klang for the drone launcher

[@d9phoenix115]

As for your railgun situation, if you turn them off they will not charge. What i would do is when it detects a weapons lock, just have it turn off one of the railguns for a set time. Then turn it on and they will charge up and fire offset until they lose lock.

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Good point! That is a great solution and it's so simple yet so elegant. Thank you!

[@limitetpancake]

that launch system is super cool, now im wondering if you could build a mono-rail in se using that method.

[@AndrewmanGaming]

You can! I've done it in a previous season and after some tweaking to get everything just right, it worked very well. It even had a curve in it that was surprisingly smooth!

[@Bloreo]

To fix the problem with the wheels getting stuck, simply remove the suspension at the ends of the track and replace it with regular wheels without suspension

[@perah100]

You need a gravity block on the sled so it can return in space.

[@Cryolemon]

the launch system is cool, but it would be cool to be able to launch them from the main cockpit.

[@AndrewmanGaming]

For sure! That shouldnt be too tricky once everything is set up.

[@markrowbotham222]

at the end of the launch carriage you could turn the suspension around so it uses its suspension to spring the boogie back and also dampen it, for the turrets you could use the savo script so one fires after the other. if your using scripts

[@Nixalbus]

spaghettis syndrome is quite bad in sastisfactory to if you dont build a base with platforms and even then sometimes its unavoidable

[@strasakul7419]

Gotta keep in mind that there is no gravity in space to pull back the launch cart

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Aghh I'm a fool! You're right, a redesign is needed for it to work in Space.

[@strasakul7419]

@@AndrewmanGaming I think a reverse thruster would do the trick just fine 🙂

[@andyblondyn1898]

@@AndrewmanGaming just a gravity gen is enough :)

[@fernandocnobrega]

It will end up been a cruise ship with that amount of rooms... It should be renamed AirBnB Snowstorm

[@csorgb05]

How about a revamp of the ship's production facility.

[@CptGamerq]

Are you gonna make a blueprint of the amg sandstorm?

[@CptGamerq]

When it’s done🎉

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Absolutely!

[@CptGamerq]

@ sweet

[@TheRealPhilG]

So that WAS a steam issue. It was frustrating trying to play during that

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Steam usually does their updates on Tuesday in the evening for my time zone. I am used to it going down around that time, but I didnt expect it to mess with my timelapse camera's connection!

[@leelambertson8387]

Andrew the Decaffinator is no longer in the Steam Workshop. Can you please reload it.

[@interstellarsnow]

nice and early

[@oneboltshortofreason]

When 1.3Million Iron is low...

[@AndrewmanGaming]

Lol for me, it's a lot!

[@MikeHoughtonasUnit8720]

yes i can it is very slight shade different and this from a man

[@AndrewmanGaming]

My eyes couldn't tell!