Review of lesser-used Uplink items.

[Sothangel]

I'd like to go over a list of items that I believe are used too little that need reviewing, either mechanically or TC wise.

I know someone has a list of how often things have been purchased, do please link to that whoever you are. I think it was @Purpose2 but I'm not certain.

 

Ambrosia Cruciatus, 2TC - Not really sure how much these can be improved as I think they will never be relevant.
Boozey Shells, 6TC - I don't think I've ever seen these used.
Fibre Wire Garotte, 12TC - Whilst effective, the high price does turn a lot of people off from what I've seen.
Camera Bug, 1TC - Very rarely useful, perhaps if it gave the user an AI-like method of viewing cameras and/or tracking people it would be more used.
Hacked AI Module, 14TC - Often skipped out on because R&D have the ability to effectively replace this at will.
Dart Pistol, 4TC - The size bonus is nice, but the RSG gives you more chance if you miss your first shot; and can be made for little material cost.
Binary Encryption Key, 5TC - Likely due to access to :b is much less valuable than hearing security.
Syndie Surgery bag, 4TC - Majority of items can be made from a 'lathe for little material cost.
Military Belt, 3TC - Very quick red flag that something is going on, despite not being S class contraband and made moot by Bag of Holding in most situations.

 

If anyone else knows of any other traitor items that may require a review on what they do and/or their price, I'd be interested to hear. 

 

[Purpose2]

This took ages to pull together and santitise the data for, so glad its getting some use: 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yeAHKzOrXecRc0BK1DemdtbB-vhpvOStHVnD6V4Jt6w/edit?usp=sharing

Do note though, that this currently includes Nukie rounds... is 2016 data, and also includes things from surplus crates as purchases.

Edited May 25, 2017 by Purpose2

[CPTCoffee]

Briefcase full of bees is 10 TC. While hilarious,  10 TC is pretty steep. Maybe include MORE BEES or just lower the price. I mean the barber scissors only cost 5 TC. 

[MarsMond]

As the wiki says, the bees can be multiplied with a strange reagent, and botany, who should get that case, can get the reagent with some effort.

The ambrosia cruciatus is technically able to be made by yourself i think, and it isn't very likely that your target, or anyone else meaningfull for your objectives, would want such a smoke, so maybe a chemical that might be a bit more effective than THC and Bathsalts, and only accessable with that plant would be good. Currently, the cruciatus kinda does even heal and reduces stuntimes, besides fucking you up in the long term from the other bathsalt effects.

The camera bug likely has the problem of a very, VERY bad interface. One single entry per line list, only seeing the name of the camera, which can be somewhat different to the name of the area it is seeing. Recycling the camera console interface, where you also get a small E or EMP button besides the camera if you have it bugged, or a right click menu, to get the abilities you can do at that camera (Track a visible person, Disable the camera) would go a long way at making it more usable. Bonus points if you get one red dot on the map interface for the person you are tracking.
Having an AI-like camera thing should be more of a mask, like some servers do have, put it on, use the gui button, and you can look around like the AI.

The syndicate dufflebag is mostly for the syndicate MMI i figure, and if you can borg someone, why spent 4 TCs if you can spend 6 for an emag, and get more than just one cyborg bound to you. It might be nice if the syndicate MMI would enable a special syndicate borg module to be choosen over the current module, to go loud at a certain time, should be somewhat like the syndicate medical borg combat-strength wise.

The military belt, no idea why a such a highly visible low use belt is that costly. I think you mostly get a belt full of pocket size storage, and well, the most use it does find is that it becomes a fancy toolbelt when found in maintenance. Might become worth it if it would be able to store more than the usual 7 items, hide some items in the inner pockets, be disguisable, or not give a message if used. Not an exclusive or, but not sure how to really help there.

The binary key use is more that you would have speak access to the binary channel i think, which would be :+, which isn't that well known, but you would need to have EVERY synthetic under your command. If only emagged/hacked AIs would be able to decode the binary message, the rest wouldn't hear it, as lorewise they think it's static, so filtered out, and not shown to the player, that might make it more worthwhile. Would need the hacked synthetics to have a :be, for binary encrypted i guess, and maybe a :+u for talking on the unencrypted channel, to make demands to non-subverted synthetics.
The hacked AI module should probably not make only ion laws, which can be wiped with a single reset board, but maybe more work like an emag on borgs, but as that would mean the AI would need to die for the rest of the round, and can't be rebuild, you could fix the AI by repairing it in the AI integrity restorer. The AI would also get the law manager, so could talk around the fact it's subverted, but won't get the other malf/traitor-AI abilities. Not sure how well you can sync the access to encrypted binary access to the borgs. Might be even wanted that synthetics would get one lawset they are bound to, and one they would state and show, as of currently, you technically get emagged, get a law 0 that only XY and people he says are are syndicate agents, you load paladin as it was your old lawset, and now you have one law that defines people as bad, and you should go against bad guys as per your laws. If that would be used that way, we will talk to you about that, but that would prevent such problems, while letting you toy with your supposend lawset. Let the AI card say "Desynchronised laws detected", and only show the outside lawset the AI would/should show, while putting it in the integrity restorer, and specially fixing it, which takes some time and can be stopped, so you could rescue the AI from being deconverted, would overwrite the hidden laws with the normal laws, and makes them synced again, such restores the AI to normal functionality.
Both combined would still cost 19 TCs, which would leave you with buying soap to cover your tracks or the toolbox to get access to the upload, but well, you would have a save channel with the AI which can't be deconverted that suddenly.

[CPTCoffee]

@MarsMond it's not mentioned in the wiki that you can multiply the bees via strange regeant. 

 

https://nanotrasen.se/wiki/index.php/Syndicate_Items

[MarsMond]

Yeah, my bad, i just remembered it getting said somewhere, figured it was the wiki, but it was the original PR adding it:

Quote

There is no way to put bees back into the case, but rumors abound of a reagent that can replicate syndi-bees. How strange...

Point still stands, it's possible.

[necaladun]

Ambrosia - never seen this used..no idea how to make better.

Boozey Shells - never seen them used - 6TC is very high, maybe reduce?

Garotte - Expensive, but awesome. Maybe make it cheaper? I've never used it due to my lag making it unreliable, anyone got input on it?

Camera Bug - Better interface would be nice, might even be worth a few extra TCs if it was easier to use.

Hacked AI Module - Gets a lot of use. While R&D can replace it, it's not like you can just go to the desk and ask for it. The main hoop to jump through is getting an upload board. I think it's fine personally where it is, wouldn't object to 12 TC price though.

Dart Pistol - RSG is way better and doesn't scream "I"M A SYNDIE". 

Binary - situational, generally best with the hacked AI module. Barely used, could be cheaper IMO.

Syndie Surgery Bag - The main utility of this is that it can be plucked out of thin air. While it can be made in the autolathe etc, unless you're planning to do surgery in advance, this can be a lifesaver/brain remover when you weren't planning for such things in advance. 

Military Belt - I think this was just added in because nukies get it. It's not very useful really. Maybe make it non-contraband? It is just a belt, after all...

[Malphystoh]

Pickpocket gloves anyone? :3

 

[Enginseer-42]

Those are lesser used? I use them literally every time I get traitor as an assistant.

[Tayswift]

11 hours ago, Sothangel said:

Boozey Shells, 6TC - I don't think I've ever seen these used.

Just tried them out. I fired a shot at a Skrell and it downed them momentarily, for like 5 seconds. It's literally more effective just to load a syringe gun with ethanol and shoot the skrell, which takes them out for almost 2 minutes.

However, on further inspection of the code, it looks like it increases the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream and disables you depending on how much alcohol you have in your bloodstream. That might not be apparent to the person buying stuff from the uplink, though. I think it's a stealthy way to get someone who's already a little drunk drunk enough for you to take them out and drag them away somewhere else. So it's not a very effective item on its own, but could be quite good if used properly.

[saywat_the_15th]

8 hours ago, Malphystoh said:

Pickpocket gloves anyone? :3

 

Those are fine, when there is a janitor/civilian traitor, chances are high that they have picpocket gloves.

Those things are hands down (pun intended) easiest way to pull off most of the theft objectives.

[Sothangel]

Pickpocket gloves are amazingly great for general fuckery and when combined with agent IDs.

Can also be used for assassinate objectives, I guess. Strip that Voxygen and run before they know what happened!

[Malphystoh]

7 hours ago, saywat_the_15th said:

Those are fine, when there is a janitor/civilian traitor, chances are high that they have picpocket gloves.

Those things are hands down (pun intended) easiest way to pull off most of the theft objectives.

 

2 hours ago, Sothangel said:

Pickpocket gloves are amazingly great for general fuckery and when combined with agent IDs.

Can also be used for assassinate objectives, I guess. Strip that Voxygen and run before they know what happened!

I've tried them a few times, it takes me a bit to get the click drag timing, and hoping so and so doesn't move. Granted I was trying to steal the CE's boots after taking off his hardsuit at the time sooooo not exactly easy lol