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This is my proposal for the revival of the Shepard Station project. @Design Team (I am not sure who to ping, I'd appreciate some help in making them aware of this). I am interested in developing Shepard Station again and getting it added to the game, but I have read mixed opinions on the matter of adding another map to the game from some people and wish for a clear answer on whether or not the design team thinks itd be good for the game. We had a few days of tests on this map a while back now, and it had its challenges but I think the majority of the playerbase thought it was fun and an interesting map to play on. The map has been updated to the latest version of our codebase, and has already been through a meticulous review process, and as a result is basically in a merge ready state. Of the 4 maps currently in rotation 3 are of extremely similar layout, a central box hallway with spurs off it that house all the different departments. The design of Shepard Station was done in careful consideration of the current game's needs, but also with a unique take on game balance which informed its design. My case study was the Cyberiad, which is about 1/3 maints. Originally, 7 years ago or so, the Cyberiad was less than 1/4 maints and with them all being more isolated. Over the years on the Cyberiad the maints have gotten more bloated and more connected, which I feel like is a worse outcome for the game. So antags need maints, as a place to loose people following you, as well as a place far from too many eyes to get up to mischief. Larger and more interconnected maints only serve to increase foot traffic in these areas due to them being more of a destination and a shortcut. This has eroded the efficacy of the maints as a gameplay element, as well as segregated the antags from the rest of the players due to the uncanny effectiveness of the maints. On Shepard I returned to a 1/4 maints ratio, and along with the rest of the station made them a whole lot more separated. This is probably the most contentious design element of shepard, so I took the time to explain my reasoning above. My intent with the design was to balance the smaller and less connected maints with longer travel times (as well as retractable space bridges, which I never got to implementing but would act as a further aide to antags [Can implement if needed]). I understand its a radical step, but I felt good taking it as I believe there isn't alot of difference in playstyles between the maps. And I think maps supporting a different playstyle would enliven the game greatly. The maints are still connected, and you can make a grand circuit from engineering's lobby through science, and service to cargo. Theres a larger maint surrounding medbay and SouthWest Dorms too on the opposite side of the station as the aforementioned grand circuit. And lastly a diagonal cut from service to engineering's lobby through the center. Also there being many more seperate smaller areas of a similar volume to that of the cyberiad means each has a less chance of being searched or traveled through making each do their job better. Anyone worrying about the travel times; I'd argue they are only an ever-present issue for sec, and I've taken the liberty of increasing the segway count to 4 as well as adding a shortcut for them through the command module. For the long travel times of late arrival scientists I've since added another hallway going directly east from engineering for this explicit purpose (but it lead to EVA, and dead ends in science for all other roles) It's a larger map by a bout another 1/6 of the cyberiad's in turf count alone, but I think with paradise's pop its warranted (we might have to consider limiting it from being played on low pops). It also demands a different playstyle out of antags and sec, assigned patrols of areas probably being encouraged, as well as a more high stake field for antags, and the time to perform them in. Last but I think not a small point is that Shepard has more windows, its too easy to forget you're in space on other maps I feel, and with them you'll encounter it more often :P. 4 tile wide main hallway!! Thanks for reading through all of this for those that did. I am excited about the new maptick-threading that we've gotten from the byond devs, and wouldn't be proposing readding shepard otherwise. I think with the new addition of the maints above the station, and the hallway to science from engi the map might play alot better. LMK what you all think, design team especially. EDIT: I also removed all the lattices and nearby-station-areas from around the station, hopefully to drastically cut down on lighting costs.

Name: Xenith iteration 4200. Preferred Nickname: Xen Age: 30 Gender: Genderless Race: Grey Blood Type: AB+ General Occupational Role(s): Xen has been tested and cleared for employment in all departments except Engineering Biography: Xen was born February 5th 2537, on Mauna-B the sole clone of a well esteemed member of the Technocracy, Xenith 4199 who served as head of xenobiology and foreign ambassador. At this point in time NanoTrasen and the Technocracy had been in cooperation for nearly 2 decades and as such the previously encapsulated society of Grey was becoming more familiar and comfortable with the culture and capitalism of the broader Sol Gov. As the child of an ambassador Xen had the fortune of travelling alongside their father visiting various planets and stations throughout both SolGov and USSP space going so far as to attend the NT sponsored "Excellence through diversity!" program, a foreign exchange education program allowing young teens from all reaches of the universe to attend the last 4 years of their education at an NT college on Earth. By the time Xen returned to Mauna-B in their late teens it was apparent that like many of their peers they had no desire to remain planet side spending their life researching every little wiggle of bluespace and instead took the first opportunity to enlist with the Technocratic Fleet as a Mecha repair technician and pilot. Little of Xen's service records remain unredacted as far as NT can uncover through interviews Xen was involved in clean up operations, usually deploying to stations and outposts where the synthetic workforce had gone rouge. What records do exist state plainly that Xen had difficulties with their superiors, often disagreeing over uses of force and was reprimanded for insubordination several times before being dishonorably discharged after 4 years of service. Instead of returning home however Xen found themselves on Ahdomai following an invitation from Local Tajaran troublemaker Brak H'raza who Xen had befriended at school on earth. Through Brak's connections Xen was able to set up a lab in the attic of Brak's cousins bar in the Ahdomai capital making money hand over fist selling custom implants and improvised bluespace tech to the locals, earning the trust and friendship of a local street gang in the process. Unfortunately for Xen eventually a piece of tech purchased from their lab was discovered at the scene of a botched heist and traced back to them leading to an even more botched raid on Xen's lab in which a shootout (escalated by NT officers) occurred between several Tajaran bar patrons and NT security forces. When the smoke had settled Brak and Xen were arrested and charged with several counts of distributing unlicensed bluespace technology, distribution of narcotics, posession of illegal firearms, discharge of firearms, operating a bluespace jiggler without a license, public endangerment, and loitering. After a few days in prison Technocracy officials arrived to expedite Xen and 2 weeks later Xen first arrived at NT Employee Orientaion with a fully binding employment contract and a look of extreme displeasure in their face and has since worked on station about 2 years. Qualifications: Master Biomechanist Master Mech Pilot/Repair Tech Master Surgeon Qualified in Law and Forensics Certified Scientist Employment Records: Technocratic Expeditionary Fleet as Mech Technician and Pilot. 2557-2561 Self employed tech dealer 2561-2565 NSS CYBERIAD 2565-Present Security Records: Arrested for several illegal laboratory operations and weapons charges in the NT capital on Ahdomai. Expedited to Mauna-B before contracted to NSS Cyberiad Medical Records: DO NOT CONTACT WITH WATER. Requires Speech Implant [clean S.E if surgery unavailable] Personnel Photo (Appearance text): Xen stands about 5'2 slightly taller than most grey and somehow balder than most grey. Their eyes are a bright aqua color and they have a slightly bemused look in their face. White tattoos around both eyes Other Notes: