Suggestions on improving (usage of) newscasters

[Landerlow]

As some of you may know, I have recently created the Nanotrasen News Network. I plan on mainly using this (the NNN) as a newscaster-only thing, with a few priority news broadcasts announced over comms (like cc announcements). However, the sad reality is, is that barely anyone pays attention to the newscasters (from what I've noticed so far), which is truly a shame.

I would like the community's input regarding what can be done to improve the usage of newscasters. (such as new sound effects, new functions, etc).

So, let's hear it.

[Nikitaw99]

From what I've noticed, on Baystation, the station announcements are also put in a newscaster feed (I think the public station announcements feed) incase you missed it or just want to read it again, which is really nice and gives newscasters atleast a basic practical use. It would be cool if we had that as well.

Maybe the news feeds could be reworked to be more interesting.

Perhaps the news feeds could be slightly tied to random events or something. Maybe there could be news of trading and that could indicate the possibility of a trader shuttle or something, etcetera, but that could probably metagamed or powergamed or whatever. But could be fun.

Newscasters lack functions though, too. They should have surveys and votes and stuff! Would help for everyone who uses newscasters and needs the public's opinion. Like the Captain wanting the crew's opinion on what action to take. Or thepsychologist wanting to know what everyone's favorite colors are, for research purposes. Or the journalist asking about random stuff. Or something creative you admemes can come up with.

Perhaps you could add an option for restricting certain feeds to certain access. Only doctors can post to the medical news feed for example, or you could set a feed only accessible by your friends.

Newscaster articles should also get formatting. Like, come on.

...Can't come up with anything more and it's late, maybe I'll add something tomorrow, but those are my thoughts.

quick edit: forgot to mention, there's also kind of a bug where images wont load in a feed unless you refresh and reopen the feed a few times, that really should get fixed.

quick edit 2 final edition: Wanted to mention that I don't exactly make newsfeeds often, but I try to make one when I play Journalist. What really sucks however is how easily the Captain can just destroy all my efforts with the D-Notice feature just because I'm "causing a panic" or something

Edited November 28, 2019 by Nikitaw99
quick edit 2 final edition

[Carthusia]

I do love the newscasters, but i very rarely actually make use of them myself. 

 

More in depth features and some polish would be nice.

 

I'm not 100% sure if it already does this, but perhaps when an arrest warrant is put out, there's an area in the newscaster that automatically lists active warrants, BOLOs and includes their ID's photo witha little blurb.

[Landerlow]

The problem is the pictures in the warrants caused issues/crashed, at least so I've heard a while back. Currently, we're only able to publish one wanted issue at a time. It would be nice if there was a higher/no limit on wanted issues. 

[Nikitaw99]

Oh yeah, now that I think about it, other types of notices would be really cool to have as well. Like a MISSING notice if a crewmember hasn't been seen for a while.

[Landerlow]

Perhaps the ability to create advertisements

[Shina]

I have seen the HoP use it sometime for listing open job slots. That's where I did use it to see what job is open before I even go to stand in the line.

I'd also like it for advertisement, too. Or trading.

And it needs a secret section where you can enter your syndie code to get to a syndie messaging or trading section.

[Nikitaw99]

1 hour ago, Shina said:

I have seen the HoP use it sometime for listing open job slots. That's where I did use it to see what job is open before I even go to stand in the line.

That's already a normal feature, HoP doesn't have to do anything. Just select the view open job slots option.

1 hour ago, Shina said:

And it needs a secret section where you can enter your syndie code to get to a syndie messaging or trading section.

That does sound cool, but it should have a cost. Maybe require a new special item, or an agent id, or just an emag. Something. I mean, comms key costs 2 TC, so should this.

Also, space ruins and gateway maps with newspapers should have news relevant to them instead of being completely empty.

[Shina]

Regarding the syndie feature: I don't think it should have much of a cost, since it's already more risky to use as it is - since you are doing crime stationary and obviously the screen would go red for any onlooker. I doubt many people would bother spending 2 TC. Giving it a cost limits the number of people buying it by a lot - and thus making it useless for those who actually would. You could make it a TC item that unlocks the feature once, or just make it emaggable, thus making it usable to any traitor afterwards. Repairable only by deconstruction.

Another newscaster idea: add a PDA cartridge for a portable newscaster function (read-only).