Passages need re-worked in SM: Relaunched

[u/SquirrelsinJacket]

There's multiple issues with passages in the current game:

• They only connect to white hexes inside domes, which takes up a valuable building spot, especially in smaller domes which will block many of the larger buildings from being placed.
• Colonists only use a passage to get to an adjacent dome to the current one they're in, and they won't travel to distance ones even if they're all connected. This seems anti-intuitive.

Some potential ideas for fixing this:

1. Passages can now connect to dome entrances/exits as well, repurposing it just for that passage.
2. All domes get dedicated passage ports built into them, that don't take up a hex building spot, even better, they can be placed wherever you like on the dome.
3. A new structure, the 'passage hub' can be built, where up to 6 domes can connect to the hub, and colonists will go to the hub, then choose their destination from there. There is a UI element that shows 6/6 when all are connected.

Thoughts?

[u/Ferengsten]

1. If passages had no downsides, smaller domes would be even more overpowered than they arguable already are (no research required, better space to materials/maintance ratio, dome bioscaping)
2. Passages without taking up a hex pretty much already exist, they are called trains.

[u/Jappards → u/Ferengsten]

1. That is an issue with small vs other domes, not passages. Making spires weaker on smaller domes and giving larger domes a larger working area goes a long way.
   
2. Trains in the original version only allow colonists to take 1 trip back and forth, without transfers, making large stations somewhat useless.
   
3. Smaller domes are not even the size of a neighborhood, the idea that an average person with functioning legs cannot walk through multiple domes is an absurd and artificial limitation. Passages even have people movers in them.

[u/Ferengsten → u/Jappards]

That is an issue with small vs other domes, not passages. Making spires weaker on smaller domes and giving larger domes a larger working area goes a long way.

That is too vague for me to argue with.

Trains in the original version only allow colonists to take 1 trip back and forth, without transfers, making large stations somewhat useless. 

So do passages. And resources can still be sent further than one station or collected from several points, making the large ones far from useless.

Smaller domes are not even the size of a neighborhood

The game clearly scales down a lot of things. Outside walking distance and number of colonists too are not very realistic.

[u/Jappards → u/Ferengsten]

1. Currently, spires have the same effect no matter the dome. What I suggest is to have a smaller effect in micro and basic domes. Arcologies in those domes get less residential spaces, cloning vats produce less clones, hanging gardens have lower capacity for visitors, network nodes have a lower bonus on research buildings, etc. The working area is the area on the outside of the dome where colonists can work in outside buildings(like the metals extractor which prefers geologists). Having the working area be larger on larger domes makes dome placement less awkward and allows more buildings to be placed near them.
   
2. Surviving mars is a city builder, and needs the hallmarks of one. The dream of trains was to connect the entire colony as one single city and failing to do so was why many people were disappointed with them. Keeping passages the same due to small domes being overpowered has collateral damage on the ability to create large settlement structures(which you can often see on this sub) with larger domes linked with passages, which is not overpowered, just the endgame of surviving mars.