Robber Proposal

A route that players can craft rubber from currently available assets.

So rubber irl is made from combining naphtha (3 classes of this form of crude oil, class ii is paint thinners), Carbon black, and natural gas in various forms and times frames, then vulcanized with heat and steam.

I suggest that we give players the ability to mix paint thinner (A current in game item with little use and a large in game supply) and Carbon (an item with little use for mechanics to purchase from choppers because they have direct route to purchase). Then press this combined solution into a non-vulcanized rubber block. Then Vulcanize the rubber into the normal rubber block we all use and need.

As far as location this could be done.
This all depends if Devs want to make an area you can enter or if this is done in the main game world without entering a building. The first option is the oil fields and refinery east of main city.

The oil field area had open covered buildings it could be done, as well as doors that could be made to enter a simple MLO with refining equipment.

Second option.

This would make a decent building where you would have to enter a door to the processing area.

Next would be equipment required to process.

First step would be mixing paint thinner and carbon into a form-able mixture. I have not found an in game asset that would be a good mixing vat.

Press for form-able rubber mixture.
Same as above, with some trick placement this could be a simple tall pipe almost.

Vulcanizer, This is done by inserting your soft formed mixture into the machine and applying heat and steam in an oven like machine.
Humane labs has some assets that might work but I don’t know if you can yank them and put them somewhere.

The only thing left to determine would be the input vs output. I would think 1-4 paint thinner x 1-2 carbon makes 2 rubber. BUT I do not know all avenues of accessing these items so I do not deserve final say in how much is output.

I hope this helps alleviate some stress some mechs not able to get enough rubber and gives chop more reason to be done, as well something to do with carbon. With this system mechs could get easily attainable paint thinner and buy carbon(I believe they can purchase it from local, not 100%) worst case.