Cyborg Engineering kit, Basic circuit fabricator.

[Genymene]

The idea : engineering module that allows cyborgs to print basic circuits such as APC, air controller, airlocks, fire alarm.

Why: Dragging a container everywhere so you can do minor repairs is an unnecessary and inelegant solution. In many cases items that require these circuits will never get replaced once damaged due to round time constraints or antagonist activity. So making it easier for eng borgs to make these repairs quickly and efficiently would benefit everyone.  

[Generaldonothing]

Engineering borgs are already kind of engineer+. It seems silly to give them a buff

[Genymene]

13 minutes ago, Generaldonothing said:

Engineering borgs are already kind of engineer+. It seems silly to give them a buff

They can do it already, except they have to drag lockers around everywhere. Is it really a buff?

[Leanfrog]

As already stated by General Do Nothing, engineering borgs are already effectively superior to engineers in many fields (infinite RCD, effectively infinite metal and glass, innate atmos and rad immunity, etc). They do not need more buffs. Additionally being able to outright print things on the fly, most likely at the mere cost of energy because of how cyborgs work which is a whole other can of worms, is an entirely different ability from having to go to an autolathe/circuit vendor, get a locker, then haul that locker out to where repairs are being done, as a side note there's nothing stopping an engi borg from just always having a circuit in their grasper. Maybe if this was basically just a personal case it'd be more possible but I doubt it'd be accepted to begin with due to the above mentioned reasons. Cyborgs are meant to have certain things about them weaker than their organic counterpart because there'd be no reason to not play a cyborg at that point.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Leanfrog

[wow50000]

what if engineering borgs could have a "circuit storage pouch" that works similar to a trash bag so they dont have to drag a locker around and look goofy as hell doing it

[ID404NotFound]

12 hours ago, wow50000 said:

what if engineering borgs could have a "circuit storage pouch" that works similar to a trash bag so they dont have to drag a locker around and look goofy as hell doing it

I disassemble the robot control console, the circuit printers, protolathes, stuff them into my circuitboard dimension and then have my malf AI lord enact their plan

[Spacemanspark]

8 hours ago, ID404NotFound said:

I disassemble the robot control console, the circuit printers, protolathes, stuff them into my circuitboard dimension and then have my malf AI lord enact their plan

Have an exceptions list that blocks these specific boards, then. Alternatively, have the boards fall out if the borg is flashed or otherwise disabled. 

[Rythen]

I personally like the idea of engineering borgs being able to have circuits on them.  In particular I like the idea of a "circuit storage pouch" that was mentioned above.  I think that, just like playing a physical engineer, it should require intentional preparation.

A humanoid engineer can be unprepared if they don't fill a box with things they might need before heading to a job site.

If a borg always was just printing or generating circuits then they would have a clear, unarguable advantage because they would ALWAYS be prepared without putting any effort in that the humanoid engineer has to put in.

If, however (like was suggested), the borg instead has to also do the same type of preparation that a humanoid engineer would do and have to fill their own box of circuits, have a limited amount they can hold, etc.  Then this doesn't give them any sort of advantage over regular engineers and there would still likely be just as many borgs who don't bother doing the prep as there are human engineers that don't bother with the prep.

I think however that this circuit carrying case should be limited to "standard" boards like the following:

APC board

Airlock electronics board

Air alarm board

Fire alarm board

(probably some other basics that I'm missing)

This would mean that they can't (and shouldn't be able to) just stock up on every type of circuit board you can print in RnD just in case they need it.  Those types of boards they can still carry one at a time in their gripper to install as needed but they can't have a huge stock of them hidden away inside them or anything.

I see this more as a quality of life change rather than a buff.  Engineer borgs are still limited in a lot of ways such as being unable to use plasteel, being unable to move things around with hands, etc.  I don't think this change would make engineering borgs any BETTER than they are already, all it does is make it so they don't need to drag a silly locker around to accomplish the same thing that they already can.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Rythen

[procdrone]

While i don't particularly care for this idea one way or another (lugging a locker is fine imo, and it allows everyone to check what you're carrying, but its also would be convenient to be able to print boards on the move), if we are to go this way, i would only limit it to "basic" boards like Rhyten proposed, APC boards, fire, air, alarm electronics. That gives an opportunity for emmaged borg to have an expanded list of boards?

It wouldn't be too hard to code too i recon, would only need a subtype of the device service borgs use for dispensing glasses and basic foodstuff items.

What i found more annoying as an engi borg was inability to pickup and use plasteel for reinforcing walls. always had to leave these repairs to organic counterparts even if engineering is slacking off as always, but i figure its an intentional flaw so the borgos arent perfect.

[Genymene]

I'm glad this idea did not fall into the dumpster, I think a basic circuit storage pouch would be a great compromise.