Karma Role Suggestion - Contractor

[Karmasakakiki]

• Players need 200 karma to unlock the contractor
• There can only be 1 contractor per round
• Contractor starts with their own shuttle that has two rooms
• The main room is 4x3 and has the door to exit, the contractors console for managing contracts and purchasing a custom room such as a make shift medbay, ect.
• The main room also has a space suit fabricator that can create different types of space suits based on what the contractor desires, but, cost credits to use
• The secondary room is 4x4 and is a room that can be changed similar to the holodeck, but, cost credits and creates real items when changed
• Contractors can't do anything without a contract to do so and may accept contracts or reject them
• Contractors may use credits to purchase access for themselves, temporary access cost a certain amount of credits per minute while permanent access cost a flat rate
• Contracts may have either an expiration date or a specific task to be complete, which cost more than the expiration date
• Contractors may make their own price per minute and may end specific task at any time they desire, but, should base rates off what will give them the tools they need and more
• Contractors may accept contracts from anybody, even the syndicate
• To use the PDA for contracting the contractor, players need 5 karma for the contract cartridge
• Account and pin must be inserted into the contract cartridge in order for credits to be used

The idea for the contractor came to me when I realized that the engineers don't always set up the engine. The hydroponics don't always farm. The blueshield isn't always around. The syndicate can always use a helping hand. Contractor is a role that would be something people would play and it would get the player more involved in every activity, allowing for task to get done that don't normally get done merely because people don't feel like playing the game while being told what to do. Contractor would be more likely to get things done, as if they don't, they won't be able to unlock much to complete any contracts and if they suck, they're not likely to even unlock contractor in the first place.

[DJ_Speedin]

Self-antag merc role? No.

[Splgrk]

The onyl way I could possibly see this fly is as a re-skinned version of an ERT. I.e. admin-spawned. 

[Pokebro2000]

Well, the karma cost is fairly high, so that should limit the shitlers getting access. Overall, I like the concept

[CPTCoffee]

I'd be down with this idea. Sounds fun. 

[Threeinone]

Karma is what's supposed to separate people just trying to have a swell time and people who want to play a role, it's why karma exists in the server. I'm personally for this, as it gives value to your credits and bank account.

[TheClosetMailman]

I can already see myself paying a contractor to build the ultimate IPC killing machine.

Or, you know, a EMP grenade but I'm too shy to ask for one, I mean, why do you think I wear a goddamm balaclava.

 

I don't hate IPCs, but they tend to always be my targets, that, or vox, but I can point a suspicious flashlight at them too and "fix" them.

[Kyet]

This doesn't seem viable to me, for many reasons.

Top three problems:

- Command already has the ability to prioritize jobs, and even transfer crew between jobs, which largely fills the role of 'we need more people in job X' on the station. Why would command want to use a contractor when they can just hire a legitimate person into that role?

- 200 karma is unafforably high. Even plasmaman is rarely played, and its only 100 karma. Requiring people to have 5 karma to even ask for a contract also means most players won't bother.

- This would require a surprisingly large amount of dev effort. E.g. the contracts system you describe, not to mention the code to switch out their shuttle.

Edited December 14, 2018 by tzo

[Shina]

I basically like the idea of veteran roles, especially since they could potentially be different every single round and thus pose a challenge for those getting bored. 200 karma might be just a bit too expensive, but it would ensure to put someone with experience in. So that has merit, but might just give the role to a very small number of players at best. It has too many other issues as well, in my opinion:

- Hit or miss role - if nobody contracts you, you'll pretty much just be a civilian that cost you a ton of karma.

- 5 karma for one contract in a round is too much for anyone to bother. Take that away, and all the antags will just try to call first dibs. I feel it would just end up as perma antag role.

- Credits are extremely easy to come by, yet there are not too many ways to get them. I personally don't want to see a role farm the slot machine every round for the sweet moneys to buy their all access ID. Or the contractors, for that matter, to pay the contract fee. So before credits get a major overhaul I wouldn't implement a role that depends on them in its entirety.

In general, I'd love to see a mercenary role though, but better as a midround random event character for ghosts, since this would spice things up a lot. A mercenary for instance, would not be crew, and could get a set of objectives that are not necessary antag ones.