Aurora Alarm Clock

[Lone Trekker]

Hi everyone! So like the title implies, an alarm clock that buzzes during an Aurora. 

Set it next to your bed and when the Aurora arrives it’ll wake you up from sleep. It could even have an on-off button.

Just a little thing you can use for simple benefits... Waking up to operate the milling machine, Getting in some extra reading or crafting time, etc. 

[odizzido]

It makes sense that you could rig an aurora alarm. It would be neat to have it as a crafting option. It could also reduce the tedious sleep in hour intervals thing that happens which I think is a good idea.

[LoneWolf5841]

I would love this, maybe not an alarm clock for say as that would be very heavy to lug around. Instead it could be a small watch sized object that you could craft or find that will make a noise to wake you up when the aurora starts. Don't know what you would use to craft such an object, maybe you must find a watch that you will then repurpose into this aurora watch or it is crafted from scratch. The resources for if it's crafted from scratch would be scrap metal, this is for the device housing, a PCB (Circuit Board,) this could be acquired from the various electronics around you (I.E the computers at carter hydro dam), and maybe something else like a band or chain so you can wear it. In the end if hinterland adds a craftable device like this it will be ultimately up to them on the resources required to craft it. It probably would just be simpler if it can be found on a dead body with a note explaining that they invented a device to sound when the Aurora starts. 

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by LoneWolf5841
Spelling and punctuation fixes.

[Avril]

I like this idea! Just one problem... How would you set the alarm when the aurora isn't present? 

Edited December 23, 2020 by Avril

[LoneWolf5841]

31 minutes ago, Avril said:

I like this idea! Just one problem... How would you set the alarm when the aurora isn't present? 

That's another reason why I wouldn't have it as an alarm clock and just a device that makes a sound once powered. Obviously it would be silent if the aurora isn't present then active when it is. It would have a switch that if pressed in would be on, but if you press it in again it would pop up turning it off (this is so it doesn't constantly make a sound during the whole of the Aurora)

 

Or it could be that it's on a timer. Once it's powered the sound will last for a minute waking the player, then it would go off. Then when the aurora stops this timer resets, allowing it to repeat once powered again. Kinda like how if you unplug an alarm clock without the cell battery it resets the time back to 12:00

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by LoneWolf5841
Punctuation

[Avril]

The radio makes sounds when it is turned on during the aurora... Maybe the character could wake up by the sound. Would be easier to implement. 

Edit: A small "emergency radio" you could bring with you would be useful.

Edited December 23, 2020 by Avril

[LoneWolf5841]

2 minutes ago, Avril said:

The radio makes sounds when it is turned on during the aurora... Maybe the character could wake up by the sound. Would be easier to implement. 

Maybe but there isn't a way to tell if the radio is switched on without an aurora so it may or may not work.

[odizzido]

Lots of things have the power and volume as the same button so that could be an easy way. What might be harder to know is what band to set the radio to so that it makes enough noise.

Or the other way would be just wait for an aurora then set it up and you would know after the first one. It would require you to catch one and then prepare for the future. I like preparation stuff so I think this would be my preferred option.

[Mr. 0]

Its easy. Alarm clock could have animated big button on top (pressed - off, popped up on, default is off, so unless you activate it, its quiet). When turned on, it will beep when aurora is present and it interrupts sleep.

Like DIY device: Simple circuit with battery, on-off switch and old electric bell. It rings, when aurora is present. You can kill it with switch.

 

[Lone Trekker]

3 hours ago, odizzido said:Or the other way would be just wait for an aurora then set it up and you would know after the first one. It would require you to catch one and then prepare for the future. I like preparation stuff so I think this would be my preferred option.

This is how I had envisioned it working. I like the crafting idea. I had just pictured a digital alarm clock flashing 12:00 with alarm blaring. 

[LoneWolf5841]

2 hours ago, Mr. 0 said:

Its easy. Alarm clock could have animated big button on top (pressed - off, popped up on, default is off, so unless you activate it, its quiet). When turned on, it will beep when aurora is present and it interrupts sleep.

Like DIY device: Simple circuit with battery, on-off switch and old electric bell. It rings, when aurora is present. You can kill it with switch.

 

I like this but question, does it really need the battery? I say this because the car lights and radios work even after you remove the car battery. As long as there is an Aurora active then power works with or without a battery. Everything can be unplugged during an Aurora and it will still be powered, kinda like how the massive geomagnetic storm that occurred in real life on September 2, 1859 (the Aurora could be seen as far south as the equator during this storm). There wasn't much electrical items back then but the telegraph existed and it worked during that Storm, even after being unplugged (it did cause the telegram poles to short and spark so they had to disconnect them to save the equipment) During this storm they were able to send a telegram across continents. The air itself pretty much became the cable and the suns energized particles ionized the air and powered the telegraph while disconnected. This was called "Auroral Current''. If you don't know, the telegraph wasn't wireless. Each one had to be connected through a network of cables and these cables didn't cross the ocean. These cables is how the information traveled to the various telegraph offices in a specific country. 

Edited December 23, 2020 by LoneWolf5841
Spelling and punctuation fixes.

[Derek0311]

I like the idea and would love to see it in game.  But I also thinks it’s funny to think about the damn thing flashing 12:00 every time the aurora kicked off.

[LoneWolf5841]

2 minutes ago, Derek0311 said:

I like the idea and would love to see it in game.  But I also thinks it’s funny to think about the damn thing flashing 12:00 every time the aurora kicked off.

Haha our survivors are going to be so time disoriented

 

[Mr. 0]

14 hours ago, LoneWolf5841 said:

I like this but question, does it really need the battery? I say this because the car lights and radios work even after you remove the car battery. As long as there is an Aurora active then power works with or without a battery. Everything can be unplugged during an Aurora and it will still be powered, kinda like how the massive geomagnetic storm that occurred in real life on September 2, 1859 (the Aurora could be seen as far south as the equator during this storm). There wasn't much electrical items back then but the telegraph existed and it worked during that Storm, even after being unplugged (it did cause the telegram poles to short and spark so they had to disconnect them to save the equipment) During this storm they were able to send a telegram across continents. The air itself pretty much became the cable and the suns energized particles ionized the air and powered the telegraph while disconnected. This was called "Auroral Current''. If you don't know, the telegraph wasn't wireless. Each one had to be connected through a network of cables and these cables didn't cross the ocean. These cables is how the information traveled to the various telegraph offices in a specific country. 

Battery, because of flashlight. Aurora recharges it,  just like in flashlight so bell can work.

[LoneWolf5841]

21 minutes ago, Mr. 0 said:

Battery, because of flashlight. Aurora recharges it,  just like in flashlight so bell can work.

Hmm I always assumed that was purely for balance and nothing more as like I said before car headlights and radios work even after your removed the battery. 

[UTC-10]

I would change the assumed mode of operation of the flashlight to be more consistent with how it should work due to aurora effects.  The idea that the flashlight has capacity when the aurora is present but none when the aurora fades (and it does that rather abruptly) is inconsistent.  As long as the aurora powers the flashlight it should be capable of being ON for as long as the aurora effects last.  No need for capacity whatsoever.  For the high beam option, it might be more consistent to make that damage to the flashlight's condition due to the "high heat" of the setting, since the intent was to limit the use, which can be repaired with scrap metal and a toolkit (maybe even or only  at a workbench). 

If they want to keep capacity as a limiting factor on use, then the device should not abruptly stop when the aurora ends but the capacity should degrade quickly. 

I don't see the devs implementing an aurora trigger alarm device.  In all of Great Bear, the player only needs one and the implementation may require more consideration by the devs than you or I may think is necessary. They have to live with the consequences of their decisions.