Hydroponics - Feedback from hydro players

[CourierBravo]

Hey folks,

 

I'm working on a project to bring back some life to our more neglected roles, and I'm starting with hydroponics. In this thread, I'd like to hear what previous hydro players liked about the job, what they dislike, and any change you think would be good. Though, please try to keep the changes you'd like to see in a small scope, such as adding already existing objects/items for example. Unless you think its really important to think up a far broader addition or change, then some ideas like that would be welcome.
(There will be repercussions for derailing the discussion too far beyond its intended task, I'm trying to hear out ways to improve things. Please keep it in the scope of hydroponics.)

[furrycactus]

I think Hydroponics is in a pretty good place currently, as someone who occasionally no-lifes the role in week long stints. My only real complaint about the current layout is the number of trays available to grow things. A lot of people might think the current amount is just fine, and honestly, it's hardly a game breaker - but a lot of new produce and recipes have been added over the last few months, and sometimes it feels hard to keep up when you have excited chefs that have a pretty varied menu. That said, I understand space is at a premium, and I can't much imagine for the life of me where extra trays could go.

Otherwise, the only other (very minor) gripe I have is the three trays in the downstairs part. They're so out of sight and it's very easy to forget you have stuff growing in them until they die from lack of care. Perhaps the beekeeping supplies could be kept downstairs? That could also help eliminate the "oh my god are those bees???" panic that often grips the crew if a single swarm escapes the hive? Not sure, but just a thought.
 

Otherwise, I really really like the proximity they get to the Kitchen, and the public garden. Makes you feel reasonably involved in all the commotion when people are socializing at the kitchen.

EDIT: Just thinking - a destination tagger and some wrapping paper like the kitchen has could be great for mailing produce to Ops for bounties.

Edited August 20 by furrycactus

[CourierBravo]

12 hours ago, furrycactus said:

I think Hydroponics is in a pretty good place currently

I dont think that's true. I don't have the stats for how much the job is played, but I very, very rarely see any hydroponics players. Hence, this thread.

[Roostercat]

I think a big problem with the more neglected parts of the server (science, some parts of service like janitor, machinist) is that they don't have something that has replayability/ a task that can be focused on whenever throughout the shift and is optional. I'm really not sure how to word it, so let me give an example. 

Science used to (or at least I think this was removed) have circuits, which were completely optional and didn't have much of an effect on the round, but if you CHOSE to sink time into them, you could do really cool things, like make little drones or the funny smoke gloves. I know multiple people who played science just for this and I personally even sunk a good bit of time into it a few years ago. Its optional, but it is only limited by creativity. 

Another solution is just more things they can do to pass time between big things during the round, such as cargo having the mail packages they can deliver to away sites if they choose. Its something to do and the interactions involved (getting people to help etc in this case) can drive RP. 

For botany, I think a solution to this could be either the addition of utility plants that perform some form of function (one I can think of is a plant that cleans the atmosphere of toxins naturally or a fungus that eats mess on the floor and then dies off, maybe a plant that produces leaves capable of being a replacement for gauze). This gives botany an actual goal to work toward in addition to just supplying the bar and kitchen with stuff. Ideally something that can be influenced with creativity on the player's part would be best, but I'm not really sure what could be implemented to follow that without just being xenobotany.

[CatsinHD]

22 hours ago, Roostercat said:

I think a big problem with the more neglected parts of the server (science, some parts of service like janitor, machinist) is that they don't have something that has replayability/ a task that can be focused on whenever throughout the shift and is optional. I'm really not sure how to word it, so let me give an example. 

Science used to (or at least I think this was removed) have circuits, which were completely optional and didn't have much of an effect on the round, but if you CHOSE to sink time into them, you could do really cool things, like make little drones or the funny smoke gloves. I know multiple people who played science just for this and I personally even sunk a good bit of time into it a few years ago. Its optional, but it is only limited by creativity. 

Another solution is just more things they can do to pass time between big things during the round, such as cargo having the mail packages they can deliver to away sites if they choose. Its something to do and the interactions involved (getting people to help etc in this case) can drive RP. 

For botany, I think a solution to this could be either the addition of utility plants that perform some form of function (one I can think of is a plant that cleans the atmosphere of toxins naturally or a fungus that eats mess on the floor and then dies off, maybe a plant that produces leaves capable of being a replacement for gauze). This gives botany an actual goal to work toward in addition to just supplying the bar and kitchen with stuff. Ideally something that can be influenced with creativity on the player's part would be best, but I'm not really sure what could be implemented to follow that without just being xenobotany.

I'm just gonna mention 2 things before I add some ingredients to what you're coking.

I actually low-key like janitor. I think it's neglected insofar as there's next to no PRs for it, but gameplay wise it's chill. Messes are a constant, broken lights and vendors running out of stock are a constant. I would play it more if every time I played I didn't get absorbed by a ling (I am dead serious. I made a new janitor, of the 5 rounds I played with her 3 ended with being killed and absorbed).

Second, science should have access to circuits iirc. They might've been nuked in the remap? It's not too difficult to re-add them, though, unless there's some issue with the whole "you character should have limited expertise" thing since robotics (which circuits is arguably and extension of) is in ops. Idk.

Anyways, to add onto this suggestion, I think some more complex bounties would be cool. The same goes for xenobot btw. Having bounties for X amount of fruit, veggies, whatever would be pretty nice. Xenobot would have the benefit of getting a more complex requirement, such as "3 fruits with X Y and Z traits" which would go on alongside what would (hopefully) be research into strange seeds from exoplanets or ops.

Giving hydroponics more utility plants would be nice. You can already make Tajaran plants that can be used for their herbal properties, having one that makes a form a gauze (as you mentioned) would be chill. Same for one that can make splints, or is a natural burn ointment (for balance reasons, you could even say that the natural ointment doesn't disinfect). These are obviously more medical focused as I am a medmain, but cooking some other options would be neat. Further animal care could be a cool idea, but would likely be a little heavier in terms of code. Making animals that can be used as mounts for expeditions would be soul imo, but there's more discussion needed there.