Plasma Forge and Blacksmithing

[thebeoni]

 

Basic idea adds plasma forge that can heat up metal which with right tools can be forged into stuff.

 

"stuff" can be really anything from cosmetics to armor and weapons.

 

(i just do not feel like writing wall of text currently)

 

[Keroman]

 

Someone once brought up an idea wherein the Mechanic job was altered so that they provide minor upgrades to various pieces of gear that can be found on the station, from weapons to mechs to tools. The upgrades would be very minor at best, but convenient enough that people would actually seek out the Mechanic to have them done, and as an upside it would give the Mechanic a reason to stay on the station so that if they're the target for an antag they're not quite as likely to be putzing around in space.

 

I imagine the upgrade system would require special tools or a machine that the Mechanic can run. Upgrades would need certain materials to be successfull, and the Mechanic could ask for something in payment as well.

 

For upgrades you might have something like:

Welder upgrade - Requires igniter, welding actions are 10% faster

Welding helmet upgrade - Requires plasma glass and duct tape, gives the welding helmet a similar view range as the welding goggles

Stunprod/Stun baton upgrade - Requires capacitor, grants one more use before running out of power

 

I'm sure we could come up with a much bigger list of things to upgrade. As for the upgrade process maybe there could be a way to make a mini-game out of it so it's not just "insert items, push button".

 

[duckchan]

 

+1

especially as a mechanic job.

 

you could even do more dubious things, like upgrades for robotic limbs, or things like armor plate inserts for jumpsuits/jackets/exosuits

 

[Keroman]

 

you could even do more dubious things, like upgrades for robotic limbs, or things like armor plate inserts for jumpsuits/jackets/exosuits

 

People who play Miners regularly would probably throw a fit but I could imagine removing their ability to upgrade their hardsuits with goliath armor plates on-the-fly. Make it so they have to take the hardsuit and plates to the Mechanic!

 

[GelatinousGlob]

 

I think a blacksmith would be pretty cool and there are a lot of parts and pieces and shit that could be moved to a blacksmith job. I don't think we need to combine it with mechanic though. It could possibly be part of cargo or be an engineering and cargo cross department. A plasma forge could be how you make plasteel or plasma glass too. Or if not, it could be used to make more refined materials that could be stronger, even possibly a different material for walls and floors. There are many many possibilities and options available for a blacksmithing or metal working shop. You could have a drop forge for producing better or stronger crowbars, wrenches, cutting tools like scalpels, knives, circular saws. Blacksmithing could be used to produce better security armors and helmets. Produce better mech armors than robotics, they could make riot shields and such.

 

It could even be used to upgrade jumpsuits or other clothings. Give a jumpsuit 10% melee resist or 10% bullet resist, 10% rad resistance, air pressure loss resistance. You would of course have to choose which and have the materials, some possibly rare or hard to acquire. Some pieces might require production by research but installed via a blacksmith. Improve robotics limbs or attach addons,, maybe some small EMP resistances. You could have parolees get stuck with a tracking legband that is riveted on by the blacksmith.

 

 

Honestly, there is an almost endless amount of shit we could make or even already make via autolathes and protolathes that could be produced by a blacksmith position.

 

[Alexshreds]

 

I'd love to work on something like this, but the biggest problem with giving buffs is balance. Inserts for clothing and some upgrades are going to have a drawback to them. On the other hand, minor upgrades or materials that require super special materials from both mining and chemistry plus require time to make may see past some drawbacks.

 

Also, blacksmithing for professional corporations is a thing of the past today. In 2560? They'd probably hire metallurgical engineers and machinists.

 

[GelatinousGlob]

 

I figured it would have some more modern tools, just call them the blacksmith because its cool. We could use presses, power hammers, drop forging, lathes, english wheels and more to choose from for whatever operation. Possibly have more machines that are built when needed. It could maybe be used as a way to balance against science's massive power over pretty much every other job. Besides things like better tools and utility objects that could be made, I think armor would be a good focus, especially if you end up using a number of different exotic materials to work with. Stab vests, bulletproof vests, ablative vests. Hell you could even have a reactive teleport vest that is embedded with bluecrystals giving it limited uses. Each shot breaks a crystal. Science's top teir stuff has a lot of powerful guns and lasers, a metalsmiths top teir gear would have strong armor. There are other things that could be embedded in custom armor pieces likes health monitors, drug injection systems, anti-stun. Of course some of this stuff should probably be either locked or otherwise very difficult to get the materials for.

 

Also, imagine the clown in a banana yellow samurai suit.

 

[Farya]

 

Honestly thats why I think robotist must be divided from science corps and become part of engineering like mechanic. Being robotist is more like being industrial engineer rather then researcher. And that new mechanic could make a great pair with robotist. One produce things and the second will improve them to better degree. And how cargo is sub-department of civilian department(with HoP being their big boss), mechanic and robotists could become an industrial sub-department of engineering, assigned to manifacture station equipment.

 

By the way, Goons mechanic would be awesome to port here. It just cool.

 

[Splgrk]

Hm. Merging pod mechanics and roboticists seems to make sense anyway. They do similar things, in theory. Except one of them builds mechs for others, the other builds their own pod and then leaves the station.

[Farya]

 

Hm. Merging pod mechanics and roboticists seems to make sense anyway. They do similar things, in theory. Except one of them builds mechs for others, the other builds their own pod and then leaves the station.

Honestly I think merging them and making mechanic more useful for station(and reducing karma cost for one acordingly) would be neat. Instead of being useless guy with pod for 30 karma, you will be optional but moderately useful guy.

I also think that science should not be industrial force of the station. Protolathe must be machine for producing imperfect prototypes which science need then polish into perfect condition. While engineering will take the role of manifacturing finished product for crew.

 

Edited August 17, 2016 by Guest

[Tauka Usanake]

 

I would really enjoy Robotics being removed from Science. I fucking hate the RD most of the time. A sub-department of Engineering might actually be nice but I can't help but to think of some backlash from them being removed from Science. They can surely survive apart from it and R&D can already max themselves out without Robotics help. I'm thinking more of some sort of social backlash.

Also you'd need to give them a room near Engineering. Maybe the assembly line or that recent addition to maintenance above Mechanic?