Randomized Maintenance

[Bxil]

https://github.com/ParadiseSS13/Paradise/pull/9019

Hello, hello!

So, there is this fun thing I made. To quote the PR:

Quote

Keep in mind it does not generate any piping, wiring, [...], thus those should be pre-mapped. It can use some fine tuning [...].
I did not touch actual random loot drops! Maintenance contraband is exactly as rare as before.

Pros:

• On station cults!
• Every round is a new adventure!
• Nerfs metagaming: no longer wandering in maint in the dark because you memorized every route!

Neutral:

• Easier to hide in.
• Very easy to get lost.

Cons:

• Buffs shadowlings.
• Most of the time hallways go nowhere, and can feel unnatural.

As per intention, this was not meant to replace current maintenance, but to co-exist with it. It would be pretty horrible for engineering to get lost forever while looking for the solars, yes?

Here are examples:

Spoiler

 

[Benjaminfallout]

It looks more like a mess of tiny hallways blocked off by fuel tanks and tables and less of something that would be on a station. That and how is all of the piping going to work?

[WingedYordle]

Does look a little sloppy. 

Iike the idea however I feel NanoTrasen has a higher standards when it comes to organization in the tunnels. Not totally organzied obviously with syndicate items, blood and broken glass laying around

[Benjaminfallout]

That and we lose the old bar and the other pre-made structures like the restaurant below medic and the 2X5 room with the tinted windows that I love making houses in.

From my knowledge the map we have now had been made and tweaked over a long period of time to both help with our population and balance and randomizing about half of it doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[Bxil]

49 minutes ago, Benjaminfallout said:

That and how is all of the piping going to work?

6 hours ago, Bxil said:

Keep in mind it does not generate any piping, wiring, [...], thus those should be pre-mapped.

 

26 minutes ago, Benjaminfallout said:

That and we lose the old bar and the other pre-made structures like the restaurant below medic and the 2X5 room with the tinted windows that I love making houses in.

6 hours ago, Bxil said:

As per intention, this was not meant to replace current maintenance, but to co-exist with it.

We would lose the tinted windows, but not the other two. Can you please read the post the next time before you comment? EDIT: Now that I read this twice more, it came through a lot aggressive than it sounded in my head, sorry.

 

As a more general response to both of you:

6 hours ago, Bxil said:

It can use some fine tuning [...].

Thus it is not in its final state, the amount of items should probably be lowered, or the chance of them blocking a hallway drastically lowered.

 

EDIT: Also please look at the current things that static maintenance cannot provide. Also remember that this is balanced, because both crew and the antagonists will have to explore it (as said, this is somewhat a buff to shadowlings). It also tweaks cult, because now they can do their stuff on the station, instead of being forced to move to off-station every damn round.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Bxil

[Threeinone]

Seems pretty interesting, definitely something i'd love to see perfected.

[ZN23X]

bThere was a different version of maint that was on Boxstation for a month or two about a year ago. They ended up reverting to the old version of maint. I always thought it would be cool if the map switched between the 2 (or more) types of maint, mainly just to add variety, but also other reasons mentioned.

No clue how hard that is to program but if someone is able I'm down for anything that breaks up the meta.

It'd be nice if we switched between Box and Meta station frequently enough so that you dont have dozens of asshats saying "NOT MY STATION" on comms every time we go to Meta.

[Bxil]

@ZN23X

Changing between several maints is sadly not a solution. On Baystation visiting away sites is a regular and organized activity, with many people moving. They have 15+ randomly selected away sites, and the thing is that all of them get regularly metad. People LEARN them. All of them. Even if they don't want to, it's not that hard.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Bxil

[Benjaminfallout]

How much of maintenance do you think needs to be randomised?

[dapocalypse]

Honestly I think we need to handle gateway exploring more like baystatiom does. RP and mechanics wise.

[Bxil]

12 minutes ago, Benjaminfallout said:

How much of maintenance do you think needs to be randomised?

For example most of sci-maint. But there would be a premade route below pipes, wires, and to areas like solars.

7 minutes ago, dapocalypse said:

Honestly I think we need to handle gateway exploring more like baystatiom does. RP and mechanics wise.

Honestly, I never did gateway for one, second, out of scope of what I am trying to accomplish here.

[dapocalypse]

4 minutes ago, Bxil said:

For example most of sci-maint. But there would be a premade route below pipes, wires, and to areas like solars.

Honestly, I never did gateway for one, second, out of scope of what I am trying to accomplish here.

The I think we should port mini ships on the station and create a hangar bay. 

[Benjaminfallout]

Red= Places that I beleve need a set path.

Blue= Places that I can see randomization working.

I can see it working if we have a metric fuckton of premade areas with randomization taking place within them. Such as access levels on doors and fake walls.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Benjaminfallout

[Bxil]

@Benjaminfallout

We pretty much share a vision. Fake walls are already generated, but obviously cannot be seen on the pictures (Most areas that seem blocked actually have a false wall leading into them). But why would doors need access levels?

Also what premade areas? Did you check the images I posted for example? Those are completely random, not made from templates.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Bxil

[dapocalypse]

There should be specific maint areas kept and a large area added on and randomised.

[Benjaminfallout]

I ment that instead of being completely random they should be made of a large amount of templates with the randomization taking place within them.

The doors just being an example of the randomization taking place within them.

Let's say there is a template for a room with a hole into space, and let's go over some of the randomization that may occur that template.

The room being completely walled off, the room having windows to warn the player of the breach, a blood trail leading to a fake wall into the room, a note on a door saying to stay out, inflatable walls and an inflatable door leading into the room, baracades set up to prevent entry into the room but not preventing space from getting in.

But that's just how you get into the room, but what was it before it was breached?

An office space, drug lab, arcade, shower, bathroom, a tiny house made on the station, or just an empty room?

But how was the hole made?

Do you find grenade casings in the room, mini meteors, a dead NPC in a turtleneck floating in space, glass scattered around the room, or do you never find out?

Just some stupid ideas I have.

[Bxil]

57 minutes ago, dapocalypse said:

There should be specific maint areas kept and a large area added on and randomised.

That's the goal.

@Benjaminfallout

Welp, that's completely different from what I made. That would still be easily meta'd though if we only had that; and nerfing the meta is pretty much the purpose of this PR.

However I might add something like that to this on the long run, we will see.

[dapocalypse]

I think we should use something like the dnd dungeon generator in the 5e dms guide. 

[Bxil]

Explain please.

[dapocalypse]

Do you have the dms guide?

[Bxil]

Obviously not.

[dapocalypse]

Find a pdf pirate a copy online. See appendex A

[Bxil]

Can't you just quote it to me, give me a page number or something? I can't see any appendixes.

[dapocalypse]

It has alot. Can you double check the end of the book.

[Bxil]

No. >:C