Mechanic change: do it yourselfer

[Midaychi]

 

This is a suggestion to attempt to make mechanic a much more interesting and potentially effective class while avoiding changing the station ecosystem when there's not one around.

 

In order to turn the mechanic into a handyman of station quality, they could spawn with a special box kit that must be unpacked. The box contains most of the harder to get parts to assemble a protolathe and a circuit imprinter, and the boards to create a mechanic-specialized protolathe circuit imprinter and r&d console. This includes late joiner mechanics.

 

If no mechanic spawns, then this doesn't exist, thus is a non-issue for the station.

 

A mechanic can then go to wherever they want to set up, bring the remainder of materials they'll need, and set up their mechanic lair. They can sync their science levels by piggybacking off the R&D network. (though crafty mechanics can set up a deconstructor, but doing so is against NT regulations.)

 

Their mechanic lathe and circuit imprinter prints boards specific to mechanics and station rebuilding. It wouldn't have mechs or weapons or such; mainly parts. Possibly parts that R&D doesn't have if necessary.

 

Mechanic would then be responsible for restocking and making new vending machines, fixing and upgrading existing machines, stuff like that.

 

R*D can still do this without a handy man, however, just that the handyman's job specifically is to do this sort of thing.