Cyborg Improvements

[Surrealistik]

 

Most of these are convenience/quality of life improvements ported over from Baystation; others are more crucial:

 

Miner Borg:

Integrated Mason Scanners: Convenience improvement for assessing breaches and structural layouts; prevents the Engineering borg from having to devote a precious module slot to the scanner. Accessed via Sensor Overlay selection.

Integrated Nightvision: Convenience improvement for construction in dark environments. Accessed via Sensor Overlay selection.

 

 

Janitor Borg:

Integrated Nightvision: Convenience improvement for construction in dark environments. Accessed via Sensor Overlay selection.

 

 

Engineering Borg:

Integrated Mason Scanners: Convenience improvement for assessing breaches and structural layouts; prevents the Engineering borg from having to devote a precious module slot to the scanner. Accessed via Sensor Overlay selection.

Integrated Nightvision: Convenience improvement for construction in dark environments. Accessed via Sensor Overlay selection.

Integrated T-Ray Scanner: Convenience improvement. Toggled off and on from the Robot Tab. Accessed via Sensor Overlay selection.

Magnetic Gripper: Allow this to attach assemblies to walls, such as the APC assembly and light fixture assembly. Allow this to pick up and input proximity sensors which are used for camera upgrades.

 

 

Security Borg:

Integrated SEC HUD: Convenience improvement; prevents the Security borg from having to devote a precious module slot to the scanner. Accessed via Sensor Overlay selection.

Integrated Nightvision: Important for navigating and pursuing criminals in dark environments it is (and they are) likely to move through; for example Maintenance. Accessed via Sensor Overlay selection.

Crowbar Module: So it can't be stopped dead cold by depowered doors which is silly.

Code Red E-Gun Module: An energy gun module that can be selected and is _only_ usable during Code Red (even if emagged or controlled by a MalfAI). Allows the Security Cyborg's capabilities to better keep pace with its humanoid counterparts during emergencies.

 

 

Medical Borg:

ChemVac Module: Replaces the dropper. Essentially works as a dropper that can hold and transfer up to 120 units. Used for filling large beakers from containers in a reasonable amount of time and clicks; ain't nobody got time for dropper/syringe transfers.

Space Cleaner/Sterilizine Spray Bottle: 120 capacity spray bottle. For cleaning and disinfecting surgery areas and equipment. Synthesizes a 50/50 mixture of Space Cleaner and Sterilizine.

Med Storage: 7 storage slot container for storing pills, patches and pill bottles only. Collects pills and pill bottles it's used on if there's room. Clicking on the pill storage module toggles its inventory open or closed; it remains open even when deselected, so long as it's equipped. The medigripper can retrieve pills and pill bottles from the module's inventory.

Medigripper: Allows the cyborg to grip, apply and manipulate organs, meat (insertion into cloner), food, iv bags, pills, patches, pill bottles (can open these), masks and anesthetic tanks. It is also capable of buckling and unbuckling the cyborg and other creatures while active. Very similar to the Engineering gripper. Essentially acts like a hand for a subset of items/functions.

Biomass Processor: Turns corpses and meat into biomass which can be transferred into cloning arrays. Using it on a corpse, meat or gibs will loudly blend/grind the substance. Using it fresh blood and gibs will process them into small amounts of biomass. Using it on machinery that can accept biomass will deposit the biomass. Its transfer rate can be set via right click menu. Blood from syringes can be injected into the processor to yield small amounts of biomass.

Integrated Crew Monitor: Obvious.

 

 

All Borgs:

Integrated Floodlights: Toggled on and off via the Robot Tab. Because all Cyborgs need to deal with the dark, and devoting a module to a shitty flashlight is a total PITA.

 

 

Window Based Module Selection:

Baystation innovation where the Cyborg selects modules from a window as opposed to having to precisely click module sprites which clutter the screen (especially handy when it comes to the Engi borg!). It is visible in the upper right corner of the below image; I of course recommend making the window much more polished and aesthetically pleasing:

 

 

Edited May 16, 2015 by Guest

[Jack Fractal]

 

The module selection window is awful. The backpack method is much superior. It's not perfect, but it's better then that danged selection window, especially for engineering cyborgs.

 

All cyborgs on paradise already have both huds integrated.

 

I think that most of the stuff with night vision is a bad idea, but taking away the specific flashlights for the cyborgs and giving them toggle-able headlamps would help. Right now mining cyborg on paradise is really awkward, as you can't see the ore box that you're dragging behind you without a light, and you need masons, your satchel, and your drill as your active tools to dig.

 

This means you end up doing a lot of module switching between the masons and the mining lantern while digging, which is an enormous hassle. Humanoid miners can put the lantern in their pocket, which makes things a heck of a lot easier.

 

[davidchan]

 

Mesons should be a Sensor option like Medical and Security HUD (Which all Cyborgs have.)

 

Night Vision could be an upgrade through Robotics once mining get Uranium and research does their job (Like how RnD can make Night Visions, NV Mesons, NV Medihud and NV Sec Hud.) Similar to how VTEC works.

 

Janitor Borg getting the improved mop through upgrades would be nice. As well as Service borgs getting better drink synthesizers, right now it's just beer and what ever they can snag from the bartender. Being able to fabricate toys as a service borg could make things interesting too, maybe even a laser tag item to play with the lonelier crew who don't play well with others.

 

Security Borg laser/lethals should be reserved for Emags, they can already get a disabler cooler and hyper cells if Mining/Science is doing their jobs, which allows a Borg to rapidly put down fire. Being able to upgrade to a Hybrid taser would be nice, though.

 

Integrated headlamps (like what Unbound Travels has) would be a godsend, imo. Robotics commands> Toggle Lights activates their flashlight (like how drones work.) and would remove the flashlight from their inventory.

 

I drafted a post with several ideas for Cyborg Upgrades (through Robotics fabricator, just like VTEC and Mining Jetpack modules) but never got around to finishing it.

 

Though, I do NOT want to go back to the module window. It's pointless and the backpack makes it much easier to deal with things. I wish borgs handled similar to how humans do (pressing 'e' to store items, pointing, etc...) but going back to that clunky window that remove focus from the game window if left open is fucking annoying, and makes what should be simple if labor intensive tasks (surgery, construction, apprehending suspects and cuffing them) annoying as you have to constantly pause to force the window open to refresh then close it so it doesn't prevent you from acting.

 

[Surrealistik]

 

The module selection window is awful. The backpack method is much superior. It's not perfect, but it's better then that danged selection window, especially for engineering cyborgs.

 

All cyborgs on paradise already have both huds integrated.

 

I think that most of the stuff with night vision is a bad idea, but taking away the specific flashlights for the cyborgs and giving them toggle-able headlamps would help. Right now mining cyborg on paradise is really awkward, as you can't see the ore box that you're dragging behind you without a light, and you need masons, your satchel, and your drill as your active tools to dig.

 

This means you end up doing a lot of module switching between the masons and the mining lantern while digging, which is an enormous hassle. Humanoid miners can put the lantern in their pocket, which makes things a heck of a lot easier.

 

Though, I do NOT want to go back to the module window. It's pointless and the backpack makes it much easier to deal with things. I wish borgs handled similar to how humans do (pressing 'e' to store items, pointing, etc...) but going back to that clunky window that remove focus from the game window if left open is fucking annoying, and makes what should be simple if labor intensive tasks (surgery, construction, apprehending suspects and cuffing them) annoying as you have to constantly pause to force the window open to refresh then close it so it doesn't prevent you from acting.

 

I _hate_ the backpack method. It clutters my screen (especially as an Engi borg), it requires precision clicks, and it slows me down compared to the window. It is a total PITA. I'd compromise with you guys though; I'd have both if it means I can have my window which has much more click space to get the module I want than say the damned screwdriver.

 

I'm not sure why you (Jack) dislike Nightvision; it's perfectly useful and appropriate for every last module I've suggested it for and is a massive quality of life improvement. Do you find it's too strong? If so, sure, let's give them integrated floodlights (also a Baystation thing), and make NV an upgrade per David's suggestion.

 

 

Mesons should be a Sensor option like Medical and Security HUD (Which all Cyborgs have.)

 

Exactly.

 

Night Vision could be an upgrade through Robotics once mining get Uranium and research does their job (Like how RnD can make Night Visions, NV Mesons, NV Medihud and NV Sec Hud.) Similar to how VTEC works.

 

I'd prefer it as a default integrated sensor for those modules I've mentioned, but if that's thought to be OP (I don't really see it), then yes, it can be implemented as an upgrade. If it _is_ an upgrade though, Cyborgs absolutely need integrated flood lights (though I think they should all have this). Like Jack said, Mining is the most fucking annoying thing in the world as you try to juggle between your shitty flash light to see, and the modules you need to do your work, and then there's trying to do your work in dark areas of Maintenance/depowered areas as an Engi borg.

 

Janitor Borg getting the improved mop through upgrades would be nice. As well as Service borgs getting better drink synthesizers, right now it's just beer and what ever they can snag from the bartender. Being able to fabricate toys as a service borg could make things interesting too, maybe even a laser tag item to play with the lonelier crew who don't play well with others.

 

I think they should probably get a high capacity spraybottle/synthesizer of Space Cleaner.

 

Security Borg laser/lethals should be reserved for Emags, they can already get a disabler cooler and hyper cells if Mining/Science is doing their jobs, which allows a Borg to rapidly put down fire. Being able to upgrade to a Hybrid taser would be nice, though.

 

The taser cooler isn't really that impressive, not to mention that many mobs are outright immune to stuns. Further, why should antag borgs get exclusive access to lethals? It absolutely makes sense for protag borgs to have them on Code Red so that they are armed at least a fraction as well as the rest of Security then.

 

Integrated headlamps (like what Unbound Travels has) would be a godsend, imo. Robotics commands> Toggle Lights activates their flashlight (like how drones work.) and would remove the flashlight from their inventory.

 

Yes, I feel all Cyborgs should have integrated floodlights by default and _doubly_ so if Nightvision is upgrade only.

 

 

Also, can you guys confirm that the Medical overlay is equivalent to the full one from the Medical HUD?

 

[davidchan]

 

Night vision should not be default for borgs. It'd be pretty overpowered. Only people who get Night Vision on spawning are Syndicate Nuke Ops and ERT/Deathsquads. The upgrade modules are terribly underpopulated, and making night vision an option shouldn't be that difficult, and it might encourage a few people to be mining borgs to speed up the process off getting tasty minerals.

 

As for the backpack vs window, I've already stated my opinion. The backpack can be left open or shut as needed, precise clicks really aren't a problem as I can tell unless you are flailing to grab items. If you have problems with the current set up, you probably have problems getting screwdrivers out of toolbelts and such. The windows are just innately buggy in my experience, and the force update they do can completely stop what ever you are doing, moving, targeting someone, even typing or sending a message. It's just annoying.

 

I play Medical Borg a lot (HYPO) and I can confirm that Cyborg Huds are pretty much identical to the eyepiece versions available. Medical HUD reads out the same, shows condition, if they are infected with a known disease, etc. Security HUD has no flash resistance, but that's just fine.I don't believe it would be that hard to add Mesons/Engineering HUD to the options.

 

[Surrealistik]

 

Night vision should not be default for borgs. It'd be pretty overpowered. Only people who get Night Vision on spawning are Syndicate Nuke Ops and ERT/Deathsquads. The upgrade modules are terribly underpopulated, and making night vision an option shouldn't be that difficult, and it might encourage a few people to be mining borgs to speed up the process off getting tasty minerals.

 

I don't think power should be assessed based upon what others get so much as what the actual impact is. Nightvision on cyborgs doesn't really have much of an impact except making their lives easier; I'm not opposed to it being an upgrade, but it works just fine on Baycode without in any way materially impeding the antags.

 

As for the backpack vs window, I've already stated my opinion. The backpack can be left open or shut as needed, precise clicks really aren't a problem as I can tell unless you are flailing to grab items. If you have problems with the current set up, you probably have problems getting screwdrivers out of toolbelts and such. The windows are just innately buggy in my experience, and the force update they do can completely stop what ever you are doing, moving, targeting someone, even typing or sending a message. It's just annoying.

 

The Unbound one doesn't have forced updates. The only issue I've had with it is the fact that you sometimes need to manual refresh. Further, it's not that I have problems getting screwdrivers out of toolbelts, it's that selecting the screwdriver in the window is generally materially easier than clicking it in the window.

 

 

What do you think of the other changes?

 

[Jack Fractal]

 

The window one requires you to read, which sounds silly, but it's true. If it had icons? Maybe. What I really want to see is clicking on something in the backpack while you have an object selected swaps that tool for the tool you clicked on. Having to manually put them away makes something that should be a one-click process three clicks.

 

Oh! And a hotkey to deselect the active module so you can wirelessly interact with a computer without having to click the bit of space on your selected icon. That would be nice.

 

[Fj45]

 

I don't think power should be assessed based upon what others get so much as what the actual impact is. Nightvision on cyborgs doesn't really have much of an impact except making their lives easier; I'm not opposed to it being an upgrade, but it works just fine on Baycode without in any way materially impeding the antags.

 

 

....what?

 

 

And it working fine on baycode means nothing for Paradise, baycode does not equal Paradise. Bay also couldn't balance a paperbag.

 

[Fox McCloud]

 

Bay also couldn't balance a paperbag.

 

It would probably slice your entire hand off and give you a gangrene infection that not even a festering cesspit could rival.

 

[Surrealistik]

 

....what?

 

 

And it working fine on baycode means nothing for Paradise, baycode does not equal Paradise. Bay also couldn't balance a paperbag.

 

Regardless what you think of Baycode, Nightvision on borgs does _not_ in practice result in any kind of material imbalance; this is the important/salient point.

 

What kind of theoretical imbal would it result in anyway, even assuming all parties were powergaming to the max? Seeing vampires further away in maintenance? What?

 

Edited May 2, 2015 by Guest

[davidchan]

Malf rounds mostly. AI can kill the lights at will, if all the cyborgs have night vision it's pretty damn easy to take out all of sec in short order if they can't see it coming, or really any antag that relies on darkness or stealth, only for a borg to be slightly farther away than the nearest lightsource to easily pick them out.

[Surrealistik]

 

But all the borgs rely pretty much exclusive on CQC (whereupon they get instashrekt via Flashlock cheese) with the solitary exception of Secborgs via Laser Carbines that can see crew with lights a couple of tiles before they can. That said, the carbine takes time to recharge, takes 5 hits to critical a target without any armour, and it's doubtful that those tiles end up being a scale tipper in a macro sense.

 

Honestly, a well executed widespread phoron/plasma meltdown triggered by a Blackout is far deadlier and more impactful in MalfAI.

 

Edited May 2, 2015 by Guest

[Fj45]

 

But all the borgs rely pretty much exclusive on CQC (whereupon they get instashrekt via Flashlock cheese) with the solitary exception of Secborgs via Laser Carbines that can see crew with lights a couple of tiles before they can. That said, the carbine takes time to recharge, takes 5 hits to critical a target without any armour, and it's doubtful that those tiles end up being a scale tipper in a macro sense.

 

 

 

Once again, what?

 

[Surrealistik]

I'm not sure what's confusing you about that.

[Fox McCloud]

 

if theoretical imbal would it result in anyway, even assuming all parties were powergaming to the max? Seeing vampires further away in maintenance? What?

 

Seeing *anyone* further in maintenance--traitor, vamp, ling, etc. Having that is a gigantic advantage.

 

[Surrealistik]

 

I doubt it, especially since it's also a situational advantage which is often not applicable, even within maintenance (where there are corners/turns/doors). How many times do you really expect NV on a borg to specifically make or break an antag's round?

 

Again, I wouldn't mind relegating NV to an upgrade module so long as borgs get integrated lights, but I definitely think calling default NV 'OP' is a gross exaggeration.

 

[davidchan]

You do realize that a single click and a borg can disable an APC main breaker. This is a situational advantage they can force at will as long as they can see the APC of what ever room they are in. Flashlights reveal you, night vision does not. In CQC, first hit/stun is usually the victor, if you can't see your opponent you can't evade, it's pretty damn easy for a secborg to take down a blind opponent and cuff them. As I stated above, Malf AI rounds are my biggest concern here, because the borgs would be pretty unstoppable starting out with NV, all the AI has to do is shut the lights off or burst the circuit to smash them and the borgs will be able to prey upon +80% of the crew without much worry of retaliation.

[Surrealistik]

 

You do realize that a single click and a borg can disable an APC main breaker. This is a situational advantage they can force at will as long as they can see the APC of what ever room they are in. Flashlights reveal you, night vision does not. In CQC, first hit/stun is usually the victor, if you can't see your opponent you can't evade, it's pretty damn easy for a secborg to take down a blind opponent and cuff them. As I stated above, Malf AI rounds are my biggest concern here, because the borgs would be pretty unstoppable starting out with NV, all the AI has to do is shut the lights off or burst the circuit to smash them and the borgs will be able to prey upon +80% of the crew without much worry of retaliation.

 

Who doesn't carry lighting? It's a survival must have that's immediately below emergency internals in importance. This goes double after you know it's a MalfAI round. All it takes is a flashlight/headlight and you can more than hold your own against any borg in this situation coming at you assuming you have a flash (and if you don't have a flash, you're probably boned anyways).

 

[Surrealistik]

 

Updated Medical Borg:

 

 

Medical Borg:

ChemVac Module: Replaces the dropper. Essentially works as a dropper that can hold and transfer up to 120 units. Used for filling large beakers from containers in a reasonable amount of time and clicks; ain't nobody got time for dropper/syringe transfers.

Space Cleaner/Sterilizine Spray Bottle: 120 capacity spray bottle. For cleaning and disinfecting surgery areas and equipment. Synthesizes a 50/50 mixture of Space Cleaner and Sterilizine.

Med Storage: 7 storage slot container for storing pills, body/stasis bags, patches and pill bottles only. Collects pills and pill bottles it's used on if there's room. Clicking on the pill storage module toggles its inventory open or closed; it remains open even when deselected, so long as it's equipped. The medigripper can retrieve pills and pill bottles from the module's inventory.

Medigripper: Allows the cyborg to grip, apply and manipulate organs, body/stasis bags, meat (insertion into cloner), food, iv bags, pills, patches, pill bottles (can open these), masks and anesthetic tanks. It is also capable of buckling and unbuckling the cyborg and other creatures while active. Very similar to the Engineering gripper. Essentially acts like a hand for a subset of items/functions.

Biomass Processor: Turns corpses and meat into biomass which can be transferred into cloning arrays. Using it on a corpse, meat or gibs will loudly blend/grind the substance. Using it fresh blood and gibs will process them into small amounts of biomass. Using it on machinery that can accept biomass will deposit the biomass. Its transfer rate can be set via right click menu. Blood from syringes can be injected into the processor to yield small amounts of biomass.

Integrated Crew Monitor: Obvious.