Several Suggestions

[Bradstein]

 

Hello! So I've only been on the server now for a few weeks, but I have noticed some things which I think could be improved upon! As with any suggestion, I welcome any and all feedback. Thanks!

 

1. Replace the X-Ray genetic mutation with a thermal version.

 

Alright, so recently I've seen plenty of people complaining about how X-Ray is seriously overpowered when distributed to Security personnel, especially in combination with Telekenesis. It enables them to find antagonists that are forced to "base" (such as Xeno's or Cultists) as well as many other antags very quickly and effectively, giving little time for the antagonist to set up or react to the impending stampede of lethally armed crew. Combined with Telekenesis, security can literally attack the antag behind the safety of reinforced walls and the antag will have no idea where the person attacking is. I would recommend that you simply make it harder to get X-Ray, but since it's still possible to get it, I still don't think it goes far enough to preventing such easy and quick shut downs of antagonists. Now obviously it all depends on who Security is when determining the effectiveness of X-Ray vision, but from what I've seen, if they get it early-mid round and the antagonist hasn't had time to set up, the antag rarely if ever has much of a chance of progressing to any decent level.

 

So, what I am proposing is swapping it out for some form of thermal vision. I've never used the syndicate thermal goggles, so I'm not entirely sure how they work, but this is what I have in mind. Instead of seeing through the walls directly, instead just have smudges of red light where there's heat outside of vision range. This would show up for warm blooded life forms and machines or consoles. Having this instead of full vision would mean it is harder for Security to instantly identify a threat, give the antag more time to hide or react, as well as generally making actually search, rather than just running around maint with full vision of everything.

 

Unfortunately I have no knowledge in coding for Byond or SS13, so I have no suggestions on that front, but I hope it wouldn't be too hard to implement if the idea is similar to the thermal goggles.

 

 

Another idea I had in place of the thermal mutation, was the ability to see electrical signals. This would allow the user to see brain signals, as well as machines, consoles and cables. I think this would be pretty cool in comparison, but I thought this would be much harder to implement from a coding point of view, but I thought I'd drop this in a spoiler anyway.

 

 

2. Add a preview option for the Chaplain's null rod.

 

Just like with the bible or cyborg, I think a preview option should be available for the null rod so the Chaplain can view the different appearances before having to choose. Not knowing what the result of your pick will look like is quite frustrating, as you're forced to stick to what you know or run the risk of picking something you don't like. Although it's only minor, it's quite annoying, and I imagine is equally annoying for admins when people ahelp to have it reset so they can choose something else.

 

 

3. Add a syndicate item which replicates the appearance of a loyalty implant on a Security HUD.

 

This would allow agents to effectively impersonate Security Officers, which in my view is very important. Since officers can't start as a traitor, and are automatically implanted, I think there needs to be an easier way for agents to infiltrate security without people realising they aren't implanted, or them being forced to be loyalty implanted. This would open up many more options for the syndicate in terms of security, which otherwise they'd be very limited to doing stealthily unless they're a traitor command or decide to just go full brute force. Completing traitor objective stealthily is difficult since, as has been discussed in another thread, Security basically have unlimited knowledge of antagonist items and will often perma brig or even execute someone for just being in possesion of a single antag item, even if it is disguised. This item would be much more difficult for security to pick out someone as being antag, even if they did know it existed, making it far easier for the traitor to conduct stealthy operations.

 

[monster860]

You can just inject a normal loyalty implant into you. All they do is prevent you from being converted to cult/rev.

[tigercat2000]

 

1. Replace the X-Ray genetic mutation with a thermal version.

 

 

no thanks, X-Ray is a vanilla power, it's been the same for fucking years, literally one of the original 4 powers

 

[Earthdivine]

 

1. Replace the X-Ray genetic mutation with a thermal version.

 

 

no thanks, X-Ray is a vanilla power, it's been the same for fucking years, literally one of the original 4 powers

Changing it won't change many problems that are associated with it (other then Antag powers acting strange, such as room-wide Shadowling glares).

 

As for what Thermals does, it is just seeing people through the walls, without seeing the areas in which they are in. Infact it's more powerful because you still have darkness obscuring people with Xray, you cant hide anywhere with thermals.

 

At the moment the problem with Genetics is more how ridiculously easy it is now. Most geneticist players can get a full set of powers in 20-30 minutes.

 

[Keroman]

 

... you still have darkness obscuring people with Xray ...

 

Xray completely negates darkness as far as I know. Maybe it wasn't like that in the past?

 

[Bradstein]

 

You can just inject a normal loyalty implant into you. All they do is prevent you from being converted to cult/rev.

 

Yeah, but you can't do that without going to the Warden or a Command Officer and asking to be implanted. Here's a scenario, you kill the HoP whom for whatever reason has been implanted, so if you try to impersonate them they'd know you were an impostor because of no implant. However, you can inject yourself with the replica that shows up as a loyalty implant, so they'll never suspect if you effectively replicate their appearance.

 

1. Replace the X-Ray genetic mutation with a thermal version.

 

 

no thanks, X-Ray is a vanilla power, it's been the same for fucking years, literally one of the original 4 powers

 

1. Replace the X-Ray genetic mutation with a thermal version.

 

 

no thanks, X-Ray is a vanilla power, it's been the same for fucking years, literally one of the original 4 powers

Changing it won't change many problems that are associated with it (other then Antag powers acting strange, such as room-wide Shadowling glares).

 

As for what Thermals does, it is just seeing people through the walls, without seeing the areas in which they are in. Infact it's more powerful because you still have darkness obscuring people with Xray, you cant hide anywhere with thermals.

 

At the moment the problem with Genetics is more how ridiculously easy it is now. Most geneticist players can get a full set of powers in 20-30 minutes.

 

Well, fair enough I suppose. But if you look at the antag win rate, it's very low. Rarely do you ever see anyone completing all 3 of their objectives, and I don't think it should be so rare. Genetic powers go a LONG way to ensuring people don't achieve their objectives. If you won't remove X-Ray, then yeah, I'd suggest just making it much harder to get. I've gone as the Geneticist before and got X-Ray on the first block, and I think this needs to be addressed. As Earthdivine said, the difficulty just needs to be increased really. Also, thanks for clearing that up about the thermal.

 

... you still have darkness obscuring people with Xray ...

 

Xray completely negates darkness as far as I know. Maybe it wasn't like that in the past?

 

Yeah, darkness is completely negated with X-Ray, which is unfortunate but true. You're basically a ghost with X-Ray, without the ghost ears and ability to go through walls!

 

[Earthdivine]

 

... you still have darkness obscuring people with Xray ...

 

Xray completely negates darkness as far as I know. Maybe it wasn't like that in the past?

Defiantly isnt how it used to be, before you needed to have Mesons on to attain that. I'm guessing this was buffed when we changed our lighting. I haven't played genetics for a long time due to how boring the job is and I felt bad for having the potential to ruin an antags round just by existing.

 

[Bigtimetripod]

 

... you still have darkness obscuring people with Xray ...

 

Xray completely negates darkness as far as I know. Maybe it wasn't like that in the past?

Defiantly isnt how it used to be, before you needed to have Mesons on to attain that. I'm guessing this was buffed when we changed our lighting. I haven't played genetics for a long time due to how boring the job is and I felt bad for having the potential to ruin an antags round just by existing.

 

 

As of right now, getting x-ray means night vision, thermal and materials vision aka as vision that has no limit except screen border and lighting does not exist. This pretty much covers atleast 12 TC worth of tator if there was such things as "x-ray" glasses (thermal glasses are already 6 or 8 TC). Maybe make it so that light is not removed as in it does not give night vision. This would force people to wear mesons or night vision glasses/huds.

 

 

As game development inches foward, there are multiple ways to gain night vision now.

 

Main source is genetics ofcourse. Difficulty: RNG/easy

 

X-ray implants Difficulty: Medium (high levels of research and high material cost)

 

Wiznerd orb thingy Difficulty: Rare

 

[monster860]

 

You can just inject a normal loyalty implant into you. All they do is prevent you from being converted to cult/rev.

 

Yeah, but you can't do that without going to the Warden or a Command Officer and asking to be implanted. Here's a scenario, you kill the HoP whom for whatever reason has been implanted, so if you try to impersonate them they'd know you were an impostor because of no implant. However, you can inject yourself with the replica that shows up as a loyalty implant, so they'll never suspect if you effectively replicate their appearance.

 

 

You can surgically remove the implant. If you are holding an empty implant case in your alternate hand when you do the surgery step that removes the implant, it will move itself into the implant case.

 

[pinatacolada]

If you kill the HoP you can just order a loyalty implants crate and just get done with it