Mech node

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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 is defeated. Simply claim and uninstall it.

Summary

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 resources. Whenever this is worth mostly depends on whenever 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 can provide cover, but a plasteel barricade has more health. You can use them to lure raiders into (poor) cover, but stools are easier to build. They can provide emergency light for surgeries during a solar flare, but a torch lamp is easier to make, if wood is available at all.

There is also a tiny niche for emergency surgical lighting, being completely independent of fuel, power, EMI and solar flares and with light being vital for surgical success.

Version history

1.2.2719 - Added 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"