I had an idea of maybe starting a server eventually, but had a few ideas about a spawn area. One idea was to have players initially spawn on a public space station (There doesn't seem to be a way to do this currently). This is when I had an idea.
Instead of having landing pads set up and having a steady supply of rockets, how about having drop-pods. This would consist of a launcher, which would be a simple block that looks and acts like a one block inverted airlock. On top of that would sit the drop pod. The drop pod would be 3 blocks high and made of glass framed by metal. The player gets inside and the launcher opens momentarily and the pod drops and falls to the planet below. Upon entering the atmosphere or a certain height on the planet, the pod fires thrusters slowing it down. The pod lands and pops open leaving the player to continue their adventure on the planet.
Tier 1 would drop a pods randomly on the planet below.
Tier 2 would drop pods randomly within a 50 block radius of a set of co-ordinates entered into the launcher by its owner.
Tier 3 would be the same as tier 2, but with 100% accuracy.
If it was made possible to have Space Stations as a server's welcome/spawn area, then tier 1 would be good for new players. Dropping them randomly makes sure they aren't near anyone and have tons of room to explore and build without having to travel ages on their own.
The pods could come with or without inventory space in the base (maybe even a third inventory only version). Using my server spawn area example, an admin could place a number of the inventory version of the drop pods and place certain items inside each one. A new player gets in and gets dropped on the planet, the top pops open and the player steps down onto the ground, turns around and looks inside the base of the capsule they just landed in to find it was loaded with a small starter kit of items.
The Drop pod launchers could be set to either drop on redstone signal or when a player gets inside, and there would be no countdown.
[Added from my later post]
Tier 3 would be 100% accurate. You enter co-ordinates and that's exactly where you land. This would be handy for getting down from your space station to a base down on the planet.
Tier 2 would be about 50% accuracy. It would send you in the general area within something like 50-100 blocks of the co-ordinates set.
Tier 1 would be a random drop. The only thing it would check for is an area with something like a radius of at least 10 solid blocks, so that it would always send someone to a place with at least 10 blocks in every direction (except up obviously). You'd never land out in the middle of an ocean.
Tier 2 and 3 pod launchers would work as if they were tier 1 when activated without programmed co-ordinates.
The pods themselves would also come in tiers.
Tier 1 would be made of glass and fit the player.
Tier 2 would fit the player and have a small inventory
Tier 3 would have a large inventory only.
Left: Passenger Pod (front view), Right: Cargo only Pod (front view).
Drop Pod Launcher (top view).
The total would be about 5 blocks.
Instead of having landing pads set up and having a steady supply of rockets, how about having drop-pods. This would consist of a launcher, which would be a simple block that looks and acts like a one block inverted airlock. On top of that would sit the drop pod. The drop pod would be 3 blocks high and made of glass framed by metal. The player gets inside and the launcher opens momentarily and the pod drops and falls to the planet below. Upon entering the atmosphere or a certain height on the planet, the pod fires thrusters slowing it down. The pod lands and pops open leaving the player to continue their adventure on the planet.
Tier 1 would drop a pods randomly on the planet below.
Tier 2 would drop pods randomly within a 50 block radius of a set of co-ordinates entered into the launcher by its owner.
Tier 3 would be the same as tier 2, but with 100% accuracy.
If it was made possible to have Space Stations as a server's welcome/spawn area, then tier 1 would be good for new players. Dropping them randomly makes sure they aren't near anyone and have tons of room to explore and build without having to travel ages on their own.
The pods could come with or without inventory space in the base (maybe even a third inventory only version). Using my server spawn area example, an admin could place a number of the inventory version of the drop pods and place certain items inside each one. A new player gets in and gets dropped on the planet, the top pops open and the player steps down onto the ground, turns around and looks inside the base of the capsule they just landed in to find it was loaded with a small starter kit of items.
The Drop pod launchers could be set to either drop on redstone signal or when a player gets inside, and there would be no countdown.
[Added from my later post]
Tier 3 would be 100% accurate. You enter co-ordinates and that's exactly where you land. This would be handy for getting down from your space station to a base down on the planet.
Tier 2 would be about 50% accuracy. It would send you in the general area within something like 50-100 blocks of the co-ordinates set.
Tier 1 would be a random drop. The only thing it would check for is an area with something like a radius of at least 10 solid blocks, so that it would always send someone to a place with at least 10 blocks in every direction (except up obviously). You'd never land out in the middle of an ocean.
Tier 2 and 3 pod launchers would work as if they were tier 1 when activated without programmed co-ordinates.
The pods themselves would also come in tiers.
Tier 1 would be made of glass and fit the player.
Tier 2 would fit the player and have a small inventory
Tier 3 would have a large inventory only.
Left: Passenger Pod (front view), Right: Cargo only Pod (front view).
Drop Pod Launcher (top view).
The total would be about 5 blocks.
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