Mech node

Mech node

A self-powered mechanoid node of unknown function. Mech nodes can be deconstructed to yield valuable resources - but only if they are captured intact. The internal micro power cell will flame out and ruin the materials if the unit takes too much damage.

Base Stats

Type

Building – Special

Market Value

200 

Mass

9 kg

Beauty

-20

HP

50

Flammability

0%

Path Cost

30 (30%)

Building

Size

1 × 1

Minifiable

True

Placeable

True

Passability

pass through only

Cover Effectiveness

50%

Blocks Wind

True

Light Radius

1.65

Creation

Deconstruct yield

22 + 1

Destroy yield

nothing

Technical

thingCategories

BuildingsSpecial

Mech nodes are light-emitting buildings that can be claimed from a mech cluster once it is defeated, assuming they are not destroyed in the fight.

Acquisition

Mech nodes can be claimed from a mechanoid cluster once it has been defeated. Simply claim and uninstall it.

Summary

The white area (1 tile out) is 50% illumination, required for best surgery success chance. These tiles subsequently represent 30% or better: adequate for all general labor, avoiding mood penalties, and for growing decorative plants indoors in plant pots.

A mech node provides 50% light to tiles directly adjacent, and no further. It also provides a small amount of cover. It has a beauty value of −20, so is very ugly to look at.

Mech nodes can be deconstructed for 22 plasteel and 1 component. It cannot be sold.^[Verify]

Like all mech cluster buildings, they not only have a Flammability of 0%, but also take no damage from attacks with the Flame damage type. This is in contrast to, for example, a stone wall which will not be ignited by molotov cocktails, but will take the 10 flame damage from the initial attack.

Analysis

Mech nodes are a reward for not destroying everything in a mech cluster. If they are preserved, nodes can be deconstructed for a decent amount of valuable resources. Whether this is worth protecting during combat mostly depends on whether it is possible to destroy the mech cluster without causing a massive explosion. This itself depends on cluster arrangement and your colony's combat prowess.

Otherwise, mech nodes aren't very useful as actual buildings. They provide very little light and are incredibly ugly, and so are not suited for general use as a light source. They can provide emergency light for surgeries during a solar flare, EMI or other power failure. However, a torch lamp is usually the far superior option, though it does rely on wood being available in your biome. They can provide cover, but their HP is low and they'll rapidly be destroyed. You can use them to lure raiders into poor cover, but stools are easier to build and the resources the node provides are worth more.

Typically, the best use is to just deconstruct them.

Version history

• 1.2.2719 - Added to the Royalty DLC as Gloomlight.
• 1.2.2753 - Fix: Gloomlight would prevent a sun lamp from producing "brightly lit" cells within the radius of the Gloomlight. Due to: the glowColor of the Gloomlight not having an explicit alpha of zero. It now correctly ignores the alpha from the xml.
• 1.3.? - Renamed from Gloomlight to Mech node, possibly to avoid confusion with darktorches. Description changed from "A self-powered mechanoid light. Gloomlights can be deconstructed to yield valuable resources, or used as lights - but only if they are captured intact. The internal micro power cell will flame out and ruin the materials"
• ? prior to 1.5.4409 - Cover reduced from full to 0.5.
• ? likely 1.6.4518, possibly prior - Moved from Royalty DLC to Core.
• 1.6.4518 - Fix: Mech nodes claimable while there are turrets nearby.

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Architect

Special

Glow pod • Infinite chemreactor • Psychic emanator • Vanometric power cell • Mech node • Monument marker • Unstable power cell

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Mechanoids

Mechanoids | Core

Centipede (Blaster, Burner, Gunner) • Lancer • Pikeman • Scyther • Termite

Combat

Centurion • Legionary • Militor • Scorcher • Tesseron • Cyclops

Command

Apocriton • Diabolus • War queen (War urchin )

Labor

Agrihand • Cleansweeper • Constructoid • Fabricor • Lifter • Paramedic • Tunneler

Cluster | Buildings

Condition causer • Count-down activator • Mech assembler • Mech capsule • Mech drop beacon • Mech high-shield • Mech low-shield • Mech node • Proximity activator • Unstable power cell

Turrets

Auto charge turret • Auto inferno turret • Auto mortar • Mini-slugger turret

Creation | Pawn

Mechanitor

Buildings

Band node • Mech booster • Mechband antenna • Mechband dish • Mech gestator • Large mech gestator • Mech recharger • Large mech recharger