2 dismissals Allow crew to vent-crawl with significant penalties

[NerdyVampire]

I am envisioning a reworked version of the changelings' vent-crawl which would allow crew to do the same, for the purposes of granting other options for entry than breach/hack/teleport. The reason is simply that it would be interesting to mix it up a bit. Here's the mechanical highlights I think would make sense.

• Entering: To enter a vent you have to first unscrew the cover with a screwdriver (changeling bypasses this), then you can enter. This takes about 4 seconds to do.
• Moving: You can move at half or quarter speed within the vents. If you 'run' you make a lot of noise, if you walk you make a little noise.
• Exiting: To exit a vent you must unscrew the cover with a screwdriver (changeling bypasses this), then you can exit. If you do not take time to reapply it, it is plainly visible to anyone that the vent has been opened.
• Detecting: Engineers can detect abnormalities in the pipes with their T-ray scanner, appearing as some sort of blob. Moving through vents create noise, depending on the speed you move at.
• Dangers: You can get stuck in pipes if someone welds the pipe (and you don't have a welder), or if the pipe leads to an area under the floorboards (in which case you simply can't go that way.
• Two people cannot move past each other through pipes (changeling bypasses).

Probably a bunch more that would have to be considered, but these are the main thoughts I've had so far.

[GeneralCamo]

These pipes are so small, I cannot realistically see any crew members crawling through them. It's a dumb trope in movies and shows for a good reason too, since they're terrible for any kind of stealth entrance (unless the guards are deaf), and often times the small ducts are realistic.

Sorry, but I am against this. 

[greenjoe]

sus
no

[Carver]

Only if it's comically loud.

[Fluffy]

You know what? I'm not really convinced it's beneficial, but I'm down to at least try and see how it goes, so that's a +1, at least to try it out, for me

[4000daniel1]

It is a neat idea and I like it, but realistically if it was very loud  I'd imagine it'd never get used. You'd probably be better off just hacking and waltzing through if the sound from crawling through the vents announces your presence anyway.

I'd say, make it very slow, and make it have quite a low chance every time you move to make a sound.

[Colfer]

I'd say yes, but to the amazing boon of being able to vent crawl past rooms into new areas, it should have massive downsides, namely, you should only be able to see the pipes you are crawling through, not the floor around you, not other pipe networks nearby, and no more than 5 tiles around you. Also, using any item in your inventory should emit a loud banging noise, and if you stay still for longer than 30 seconds or so, 'air quality' starts to decrease, and you begin to lose oxygen after 2 minutes. Also prevent people from moving backwards in the pipes, so it is possible to get stuck and die (Unless your a changeling)

This would mean that its very disorienting to move through the pipes unless you know exactly where your going and how to get there by using the pipes.

On the topic of sound, I think it should be dependent on what you are wearing at the time of vent crawling, if you only have a jumpsuit and tools in your pocket, you should make almost no noise, but if you have full gear, jacket, helmet, backpack, shoes, and are holding your tools in hand, people up to like 10 tiles out should be able to hear you banging around in the vents, amplified by sprinting

Shoes, Backpack, Exosuit (Armor, jacket, etc), Hat (Hats with armor especially) and tools in hand/in pocket should amplify the sound, where as a person that is completely naked aside from holding a single screwdriver can almost not be heard unless you are standing ontop of the pipe that they are moving through

[LordPwner]

These are how big our air pipes are, blue being vents, red being scrubbers... I can not see a universe where even the smallest, most underfed dreg is squeezing into these things. They're at best similarly sized to under sink PVC pipes. I refuse to listen to engineers talk about crawling through these horribly small piping. Where as a disposal pipe, something normal humans can fit in- is just slightly smaller than the tile. -1

More importantly, when it comes to getting around as an antag, you can get at toolbelt to deconstruct/hack doors, steal ID's, chemical warfare the walls, and the card that breaks doors on use. Depending on the type of antag, you also have other methods (vamp's shadow step- changeling's vents since they can change their shape, and tech*no*'s teleport)

[Colfer]

1) I dislike the argument that "These are too small", these are sprites, representing an object in a manner that allows it to be interacted with in the gameworld on a mechanical level, made by somebody a while ago, if I made sprites that were much larger, those got approved, and were the standard for atmospheric piping, would this argument change?
2) These pipes are placed under the floor the same way disposal pipes are, and disposal pipes can transport human beings from how large they are (MECHANICALLY), so it could be fair to say that oxygen/scrubber pipes could potentially be as big, and this would also be supported by the fact they can hold upwards of 20,000kPa without bursting
3) The pipes are big enough to hold full monkies, slimes, changeling forms, diona nymphs (unlimited on a single tile, though this could be considered an oversight), and while yes, two of those can cheat because they are shapeshifters, all I'm saying is that just because the pipes are represented as "Le' small" doesn't mean they are that way.

3b) If we went on that logic, then universal translator depicted in the same photo must be massive, having to be held with two hands, but is only represented by two pixels when in hand
The same way that a character with a missing eye isnt represented by the fact that both eyes are the same color in game, but rather their flavor text/eye patch/whatever

I don't think the "The sprites are too small therefor this is a bad suggestion" argument is a good one in my opinion

[Evandorf]

This is silly, and I would normally say it’s unrealistic but if you make it to where someone can get stuck and can’t get out without the help of engineering I’m all aboard. 

[Dreamix]

I think this is too silly.
I would hate to see non-antags vent crawling for no reason, or as a "joke", or going to places they should not be going to.
I cannot imagine vent crawling as it is suggested to see any use. Both antags and non-antags have other tools to get to places. This is inferior to basically any other such tool.
I'd rather people break down a door or wall with a chair, than completely disappear from the game for 5 minutes to vent crawl.
I can only imagine it to become just another mechanic that is so niche and underused that only the most veteran players remember it even exists.

[MattAtlas]

Voting for dismissal. Not a mechanic I want in game: too silly, potentially too good and would break a lot of SS13's gameplay foundations.

[Garnascus]

1 hour ago, MattAtlas said:

Voting for dismissal. Not a mechanic I want in game: too silly, potentially too good and would break a lot of SS13's gameplay foundations.

Agreed with matt and also voting for dismissal. If crew could vent crawl its a skill everyone could consequently do and the crew being able to potentially get past every door is reaaaaaaaaaaallly strange for game balance because now every antag round would become "Ok do we have a good reason to vent-crawl yet??". No thanks.