Gaslamps!

[OakTree]

  Gaslamp System with Boiler Mechanics (Coal-Fueled!)

Hey everyone!
I've been playing Vintage Story a lot lately, and I had an idea for a mod that I think could add some really exciting depth to the game — especially for builders and survival players who love industrial/steampunk vibes. (I got it after visiting the archives)

The Idea:
A gas lamp system! (like the one in the archives)

• Boilers: Craftable machines that you feed with coal (maybe charcoal too?) to produce gas under pressure.
   

• Pipes: To transport the gas safely from the boiler to the lamps.
   

• Gas Lamps: Beautiful, soft-glowing lamps that rely on a constant gas flow to stay lit. If the boiler runs out of fuel, or if a pipe breaks? Lamps start flickering or go out.
   

• Dangers: Maybe if pressure builds up too much in the boiler or pipes (bad maintenance, wrong setup), they could burst or explode! (Would make placement and upkeep more strategic and immersive.)
   

 

Why This Would Be Amazing:

• Fits perfectly into Vintage Story’s atmosphere — a slow, gritty technology progression.
   

• Makes lighting not just aesthetic, but mechanical and strategic.
   

• Would open up tons of beautiful builds: cozy streets with gas lamps, spooky mines with flickering lights, industrial towns with glowing pipelines!

 

Gameplay Details / How It Could Work In-Game:

Boiler (Crafting Recipe Idea):

• 5 copper Plates
   

• 1 Copper or Brass Pipe
   

• 2 Fire Clay Bricks (to withstand heat)
   

• 1 Mechanical Component (for pressure valve)
   

Gas Pipe (Crafting Recipe Idea):

• 2 Copper or Brass Ingots → 6 Pipes
  (You could bend them in a "pipe bender" station or just a basic anvil.)
   

Gas Lamp (Crafting Recipe Idea):

• 1 Glass Pane
   

• 1 Copper/Brass Pipe

 

 

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Mechanics:

• Boiler Behavior:
  Feed it coal or charcoal to build gas pressure.
  It slowly fills the connected pipes with gas.
   

• Pipes:
  Must connect from boiler to lamp with no gaps.
  If a pipe is broken (like, mined out or damaged by mobs?), pressure leaks out and lamps go out.
   

• Lamps:
  Automatically light if pressure is present. Flicker when pressure is low.
   

• Pressure Management:
  Boilers can explode if over-pressurized (too much coal stuffed in and no output), damaging nearby blocks and players! (Could make a satisfying boom!)
   

• Maintenance:
  Maybe later you could add pressure gauges or pipe valves as upgrades — fancy builders could have entire "city gas systems"!
   

Balance Notes:

Lamps should burn a very long time on a small amount of coal, so it's not tedious.

I'd love to see this realised one day :)). 

[Nuberus]

I love the idea!

And I think that in the roadmap, they have something about wanting to add early steam age.

[Maelstrom]

On 4/28/2025 at 11:24 AM, OakTree said:

Why This Would Be Amazing:

• Fits perfectly into Vintage Story’s atmosphere — a slow, gritty technology progression.
  

Well, there's the gasifier in the RA already.  The main reason why I wish I could relocate my home to the RA

[Facethief]

I’d actually laugh if you could make an anaerobic digester in VS, bonus points if you can put manure in it. Maybe rot powered? That’d naturally make it require a good food source to power.