evandorf

I thought the improved version was much safer.

The more I think on it, the more I like having the better version of PsiProtect as an alternative. It still allows for the OOC consideration Fyni spoke of while sidestepping at least the unathi issue with the implant. I don’t know much about Skrell but it sounds like anything used would block the Nlom, but it the decision comes down that the OOC consideration trumps lore, I don’t know what else to do about it.

In these cases we're talking about characters who already have strong morals/beliefs about implants to the point where they would refuse them. I could see hiring processes be even more rigorous for these people where they wouldn't have the job without the implant if the SCC wasn't certain they would put their own needs below those of the crew and ship. I also wouldn't encourage people to immediately off themselves, but the longer they are under the control of the vamp and the more consequences there are for what they allow, the more strongly they would feel the urge to find an escape. But TBH, getting into the weeds of character motivation and SCC policy is only touching the symptoms of the larger problem these sorts of antag types have. Vamp and Cult are the only remaining modes that allow for forced integration of other players into your mode/gimmick. Much like how the amount of ahelps from changeling has gone down since we made it less kill-dependent, we should move away from forced interaction mechanisms which require the mindshield in the first place. (As an aside, with the introduction of PsiProtect, you could also make the pills an alternative to the implant.)

I disagree. If allowing yourself to die is unreasonable, why is the option there at all? Similarly as a thrall, if you are a command member and know that you can’t disobey a vamp’s orders but know that you will do extreme harm to the crew if you continue to be under their control, it would be one of the few times suicide would be a viable option. A captain, dead by suicide, alone in their office is rife with RP and investigative potential. So long as you’re not giving the antag away.

I don't think the OOC protections are as necessary as they used to be. Let me provide my reasoning and see if you agree. To my knowledge, vamp thralling is the only antag ability remaining that is both unavoidable and a persistent compromise of these elevated positions. Turning a Captain or HoS into a new vampire already bypasses the mindshield since it is more of a whole body experience and the new vamp is not bound to the antag. Cult conversion is not guaranteed and can be resisted. In the propsed changes, the mindshield will be optional, not completely removed. I think to Seniorscore's point above most will have drank the koolaide of the SCC and will want the protection the implant brings. The option to go without will only be for niche characters. Given the above two points, you're looking at a very small percentage of instances where you have a niche antag and a niche command member who is susceptible to that antag. Even if you were to run into an issue where a susceptible Captain or HoS was thralled, vamp commands to their thralls, unlike AI laws, are not omnipresent. Thralls keep their own identity, perspective, and feelings, so much like how a subverted AI will be expected to not instantly vent the ship, thralls are resources for the vamp and not trump cards. Beyond the mixed effectiveness of a thrall, the Captain and HoS are not unimpeachable to the crew. The Captain can be ousted through command vote if he is acting against the crew or SCC interest. The commander requires even less. The effectiveness of these roles to a vamp will be primarily in the midgame where the whole issue isn't yet known to the crew at large. Once secrecy is lost the rest of the crew will ignore or contain the affected command members. All that being said, I would reiterate that this is only a concern for certain niche command members and that the likelihood of it happening in the current server climate is rather low.

I don’t think there was an intention, and this is more than likely two different aspects of lore that don’t mesh but it’s relatively niche so it hasn’t been addressed. Other people might be able to provide more insight.

I guess my personal biggest hang up is the unathi angle. It was confirmed to me recently that all unathi require a religion and that spirituality is a key aspect of their culture. The only unathi religion that doesn’t have an issue with implants is Aut’akh, but they are not command viable for various reasons. @Lent23 can correct me if I’m wrong but even though there are possibly agnostic/atheistic unathi out there, our characters are expected to keep to general standards set forth in the lore. So how can the discrepancy be addressed? I feel like we’ve mostly just ignored it in the past but IMO the mindshields feel like a relic of older server culture and don’t quite gel with the scarcity vibes recently, not to mention NBT2.

I run into this issue with Unathi Heads of Security from time to time. A lot of unathi wouldn't opt for implants and those that do (Aut'Akh) aren't command viable. I'm sure there are other groups that would prefer not to be implanted, but even individuals might just have personal hangups about it. I think the server culture has evolved past the OOC need for these to be constantly guarding against vamps, cult, and whatnot. Even so, if you want to be protected I think you can just make it a loadout item only applicable to the chosen roles. The only other thing I think would need to be considered is if there are active regs about it that need to be changed. @CatsinHD , thoughts?

I don’t really have a strong opinion on whether or not minors should be allowed, but I’m struggling to see a reasonable way to verify someone’s age. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but AFAIK the community is kept PG13 due to legal CYA caused by the likelihood of minors present. If you were to say that explicit subjects and materials are allowed because you prohibit minors from the space then you would need to have mechanisms in place showing that you are taking appropriate steps to verify age. I’m not sure of the exact law the server falls under since it’s not hosted in the US. There’s also the argument that most things needed for general storytelling are allowed under existing rules. What do you feel is missing that you can’t talk about currently?

That sounds amazing! Is part of this plan to change how turfs or zlevels work? I might tinker with a proof of concept for the planet but it’ll be good to know if there will be changes to exo and turf generation. The abstracted resource collection you mentioned; are you envisioning actual interaction with the atmos system on the planet or something more remote from space nearby?

I think it might be simpler than it seems, but I wasn’t intending this post to try and shoehorn the gas exos into the existing PR. I personally enjoy very dangerous planets and I could see a zlevel that is basically in the clouds, with floating platforms for extraction, and as long as you are wearing a jet pack you’re fine. Things like lava already check for flying vars, so I imagine it could function like the abyss tiles. I don’t think it would be especially jank. I imagine that, especially in NBT2, resource extraction will be an important part of a ship being self sufficient. I love the lone spacer ship’s atmos collector, and we’ve done similar setups retrofitting the Intrepid.

With the removal of certain gas isotopes from the atmospheres of existing exoplanets (https://github.com/Aurorastation/Aurora.3/pull/22509), we should add gas planets to allow for the extraction of these resources. Hurdles to overcome: - How to map the “ground”: my first idea would be that the general turf would be open air, like the rooftop holoprojection. It would need to be decided how dangerous these planets would be, since I would assume falling into the skies would be a quick descent into the high pressure gasses and death. You could try to overcome that with mandatory jet packs on these missions, but I’m open to ideas if you want to make it safer. - I’m not sure if the gas isotopes were removed because of planetary fires or they were not balanced or lore accurate or something. If they are meant to be no longer an option for resource extraction, let me know. I'm sure I'm missing some things so feedback is welcome.

As a Vampire, I want to be less reliant on blood for progression. I think the changeling mode greatly benefited from making evolutions available without having to absorb DNA. It made the mode less kill-dependent, and gave it greater flexibility. Much like the changeling horror form, I think some Vamp abilities need to be gated behind sucking someone's blood, but requiring the same progression over and over makes the mode stale. Likely thralling and turning new vampires would still require the suck mechanic.

My first thoughts are that the broadcast interrupts whatever the holopad is being used for but, like normal operation, you can turn it off if you don’t want to hear it or need it immediately for something else.

My first thought was that this would be a tweak to the existing holopad system where someone with command access could activate a holopad connection to all receiving pads across the ship, with the projection being just the character who initiates it. Basically another way to keep the crew informed, but it has some advantages over the standard announcement system. For situations where a longer, more nuanced announcement is needed, this allows you to break up your speech into multiple typed sentences and prevents a common occurrence where some command member isn't responding on comms and is just staring at the command console until they're done typing up their essay. It also lets you pivot if more information is needed or if someone asks a question over comms. It gives the crew a visual of the speaker, which for command might not be that exciting, but this could also be something event characters or antags can also tap into, which allows more of the crew to have eyes on and converse with persons that might normally only be relegated to command interaction. It has a more cinematic feel. Your mileage may vary. I'm not suggesting a replacement of the announcement system or in-person meetings, but more options are better, IMO.