Map talk

[Guest]

What we've been shown of the brig looks okay, in that it seems largely centered around the Wardens visibility of the cells and communal. You might want to put the riot gas system somewhere a little more secure than 'openly accessible in the main corridor', though. It's not fun when officers without atmos experience gas the whole brig. Probably put it in the Wardens office itself, but I can see it's a cramped room, so maybe consider expanding the warden office up to that grassy area and absorbing the whole gas connector area.

 

The windoor leading too that canister is access restricted to the warden and above. Officers should not be gassing prisoners. They have the ability to walk into communal to deal with prisoners if no warden is available. The warden's office will most likely be revised, if not by scale then at least by the layout.

 

REMOVE MEDICAL ACCESS BUTTONS ON THE INSIDE OF MEDICAL'S DOORS; MENTAL PATIENTS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO WALK OUT WITH THE CLICK OF A BUTTON >_>

 

The button is fine there as long as it has access restrictions. You can put access restrictions on buttons so John Dibbly Doo Daa, the assistant, can't just walk into the bridge and lock down the entire station.

In fact... you can put access restrictions on a lot of things.

[LordFowl]

Medical seems nicely laid out, though personally I'd swap the sleepers and scanners, that way emergency treatments are moved further in and there isn't a cross flow of traffic for patients who require emergency sleeper treatment and those who need a full diagnostic scan. Is it intentional to be missing any sort of recovery area? Would it be possible for the cloning room to have its own dedicated cryo chamber, so you don't have to drag naked clones through general medical, and then ferry their gear around too?

 

Sleepers and scanners have been swapped - it's a good point to bring up. A patient ward capable of supporting up to four people has been added, but individual patient rooms will not be added. The cloning room will not have its own cryo chamber, however it has been moved closer to cryo.

 

I can't see genetics anywhere yet. Fowl said it was back, but different.

Genetics has been divided into two subroles. Genetics Researcher and Biologists. Genetics researchers have access to the DNA modification computers, and are part of research, with no influence in medical. Biologists have access to Skull's biology features and the cloning bay, and have no influence in research.

 

Can we have department guards for Security? It's literally one of the greatest things, because it keeps Security easily organized as to where they should be, and makes sure that Security doesn't have half the place uncovered so when someone screams they're being shot by , it doesn't take Security two minutes to run there.

 

Departmental guards will not be added as of this time. A suggestion like this would be better suited for a full-fledged Suggestions and Ideas post.

[Nikov]

I read that the engine is being changed to tesla coil.

The supermatter gets boring, but a tesla coil engine will get boring too, in time. Any single type of engine is boring.

Give engineering a flexible engine room, and the ability to setup and/or experiment with multiple types of engines at their discretion

 

I have to strongly second this. Here's a thought. Make the engine modular, and use BYOND's tile replacement mechanic that we use for shuttles. Put all engines on another Z-level, with perhaps this new Tesla engine as default. Chief Engineers set their occupational preference sheet to include their engine preference. When they spawn in at round start, and round start only, that engine and all supporting infrastructure is then teleported into standard-sized rooms. He will always pick an engine he is interested in, and we won't have to do as much set-up as a flexible engine would require.

I was genuinely unhappy when Miranda Transen told Manfred they were taking away his supermatter engine.

An engine that catches lightning bolts or keeps a black hole inside a force field seems interesting in a science fantasy setting, but the supermatter is a nuclear reactor at its core operating principle. Beyond the supermatter undergoing radioactive decay when tickled by a laser (in which "supermatter" is science fantasy and the rest is science fact) everything is gas laws and specific heat. It runs on hard math and broken dreams.

All of the engines need to be "set it and forget it", as baby-sitting an engine is dramatically less fun than it sounds. It also means the engine isn't constructed with a governor of any sort.

[Lucychan42]

If it's already been mentioned then my apologies!

As a medical officer, we definitely need a second OR. Looking at the map that was given, I only see one. There is rarely a shift where we aren't using two at once, and I've even had it happen where we had two patients waiting for surgery while both ORs were occupied. Three ORs would be way too many, but two would be a good balance to have to ensure that in the event of multiple injuries requiring surgery, they can be treated.

As well, two cryopods.. might be okay. I suppose in the end we never need more than two at a time. It just gives me a nervous vibe for some reason. Patient ward was added from what I did read so that's good! Those are my only comments for now. Personally I loved spess station more than asteroid station but I feel it'll be a really cool difference to try~

[Butterrobber202]

On the derelict station, make it repairable so it's possible to to make a fully functional station out of it for events and stuff, also, make it worth going/getting to, if I spend 45 minutes in space, I want some good loot for doing so.

[LordFowl]

Here's a thought. Make the engine modular, and use BYOND's tile replacement mechanic that we use for shuttles. Put all engines on another Z-level, with perhaps this new Tesla engine as default. Chief Engineers set their occupational preference sheet to include their engine preference. When they spawn in at round start, and round start only, that engine and all supporting infrastructure is then teleported into standard-sized rooms. He will always pick an engine he is interested in, and we won't have to do as much set-up as a flexible engine would require.

 

This is a very interesting idea, but it will not be implemented. It is far to Out of Character a consideration. Ultimately, my team and I have reached the decision that the best way to incorporate both the Tesla and the Supermatter engine is to return function to the Engineering 'outpost'. The supermatter engine will be attached to main engineering because it is the most space consumptive, whereas the Tesla engine will be attached to the Engineering sublevel. The benefits of this arrangement is that either engine can be used to power the station, or both engines could be used to power the station in synchronization, as the sublevel is directly attached to the main power grid. The Singularity engine will not be returning because it no longer makes sense in this setting.

 

I was genuinely unhappy when Miranda Transen told Manfred they were taking away his supermatter engine.

Miranda Trasen does not know as much as I do in these concerns, and in this matter she is incorrect.

 

If it's already been mentioned then my apologies!

As a medical officer, we definitely need a second OR. Looking at the map that was given, I only see one. There is rarely a shift where we aren't using two at once, and I've even had it happen where we had two patients waiting for surgery while both ORs were occupied. Three ORs would be way too many, but two would be a good balance to have to ensure that in the event of multiple injuries requiring surgery, they can be treated.

 

When we began mapping it was amidst the debacle of adding a second OR. It was in this time that our team reached the decision that we would not be adding a second operating room, and would be using the NSS Aurora's medical proportions as a reference point. If you would like to see the return of the NSS Exodus' second operating room, then I would advise you create a secondary thread about the topic and attempt to garner public opinion - the first thread was to divided for us to reach a consensus.

 

On the derelict station, make it repairable so it's possible to to make a fully functional station out of it for events and stuff, also, make it worth going/getting to, if I spend 45 minutes in space, I want some good loot for doing so.

 

The Derelict will have the necessary items required for power generation, and it will have other items of interest. Furthermore, the derelict and surrounding z-levels will be map instances that are continuously edited and changed by the mapping team throughout the course of our existence so as to 'keep it fresh', as the kids say.

[Nikov]

I agree it would be immersion-breaking to have the engine change every round. I agree the singularity is not viable given the change of scenery, and am glad to see the solution you've arrived at.

Also.

Zippo engines are now a thing. Hopefully these little stunt rounds generate some interest in the !!ENGINEERING!! to be had with the Supermatter's TEG mechanism.

[Feorn]

Ultimately, my team and I have reached the decision that the best way to incorporate both the Tesla and the Supermatter engine is to return function to the Engineering 'outpost'. The supermatter engine will be attached to main engineering because it is the most space consumptive, whereas the Tesla engine will be attached to the Engineering sublevel. The benefits of this arrangement is that either engine can be used to power the station, or both engines could be used to power the station in synchronization, as the sublevel is directly attached to the main power grid. The Singularity engine will not be returning because it no longer makes sense in this setting.

 

That is fantastic news. It means that engineers can set up one engine to power the station and run fun little projects on the other.

I've wanted to try to refit the supermatter engine as a plasma combustion engine a few times, but didn't want to cut the station's power to do it.

[Dreviore]

Keep in mind Miranda still has to appease investors and her board. If her board has decided it would be safer for the crew to locate the tesla off the main branch, there's likely a reason for it.

One question i have. Are we going to be able to walk through the tunnels to reach the engineering outpost or is it gonna be by shuttle still? I think it would be incredibly great if we had to traverse the tunnels slightly.

[LordFowl]

Miranda may have to appease investors, but I answer only to mapping ethics, the community, my team, and Skull. Whatever 'Miranda' has told you is just because the person who played her happened to be mistaken, or was potentially playing something up IC. I don't speak for the lore-team or whoever runs Miranda events, so I don't know. That said, what is said on this thread and more importantly the Memorandum thread is factual. If anything changes I'll be sure to inform you.

The engineering 'outpost' is a sublevel facility like xenobiology, the vault, and the AI core. It is accessible directly through engineering by their lift, and in times of power-outage can be accessed through a ladder that leads into a maintenance shaft that connects most of the sublevel structures. All sublevel facilities operate in an identical fashion, although their respective lifts are located in their respective departments. All sublevel and surface level structures share the same disposals, power, and atmospheric grid with the main level, meaning that any engine activated in the sublevel can in fact power the main level, and vice versa.

[Lucychan42]

I don't think anyone's called this out and I dunno if it's been fixed since the screenshots are a little dated but...

Sinks! The medical OR needs a sink to wash hands after being elbow-deep in some bloke's abdomen.

Just one will do, though the hygiene area was cool it was never, ever used. Sinks in the OR are quite useful though, if not necessary to prevent infections and all that icky stuff.

[LordFowl]

The operating room should have a sink. If it doesn't it must have been mistakenly deleted.

[Ordessa]

Alrighty, Science suggestions! Buckle your belt and hold on to your posterior!

1. Change the misc testing room chamber on the research sublevel from 3x3 to 4x4. Make room by pushing it into the asteroid by one, and decreasing the length of the observation area.

2. Place at least one liquid fuel tank in the toxins storage.

3. Give xenobio and scientists access to eachothers departments. Creating crazy experiments is really difficult when xenobiologists don't even have access to misc research.

4. This is the big one. I understand this would be a lot of effort, but it would really help for all sorts of messing around (read:!science!) Instead of that huge window in the sublevel, use that as the entrance to this room I'm about to suggest. A second holodeck. Sounds stupid, but hear me out. Instead of having court rooms, and nightclubs, or whatever the civilian holodeck has, let it switch between a few different environments, jungle, desert, forest, mountain, etc etc. Then, put in it a few protohumans, a goat, some monkeys, and maybe a selection of mobs from golden slimes (not hostile ones). The idea is, this would be a "biodome" of sorts, to house various animals for use as all. Not only does this give xenobio something to experiment with other than slimes, it gives us some other test subjects other than monkeys or the greytide. Size-wise, I would suggest 5x5 or 6x6.

5. Finally, add some more random shit. I'm not joking. Anything you add, someone will find a way to experiment with. "Whats the largest size object you can fit inside a protohuman without killing it?" for example. Honestly. Anything.

[LordFowl]

The map team is confused as to what you want. We'd like you to think this idea through more thoroughly. You do understand that mobs spawned in the holodeck will be holomobs, and thus cannot leave the holodeck nor be dissected, and in fact will disappear when they die. They'd only serve really as shooting targets.

[Ordessa]

Maybe I should have worded it better. I meant real mobs. I was not suggesting that the animals spawned with every holodeck switch, in fact, the holodeck was really just an extra, to allow you to choose an environment appropriate to whatever creature you are storing in it. Something akin to a biodome, to house live animals, but with the holo aspect so we can have different biodomes without squeezing multiple biodomes into the area.

If this is too much work, or not feasible for any reason, can we just have a little forested area in a glass dome, with one or two protohumans and some other appropriate mobs you can find (or a goat, if you cant)

[Nikov]

For the love of God:

The electrical and atmospheric systems need to be loops feeding off of loops, not bus topologies. By adopting a loop, you have to cut it in two places to stop power or air from reaching the opposite side of the loop. With other loops feeding into the first loop, these breaks can be bypassed creating a more robust system. I've seen a number of rounds where wirecutters in the halls cut power for the entire station, because we have a bus topology for these things.

[Feorn]

For the love of God:

The electrical and atmospheric systems need to be loops feeding off of loops, not bus topologies. By adopting a loop, you have to cut it in two places to stop power or air from reaching the opposite side of the loop. With other loops feeding into the first loop, these breaks can be bypassed creating a more robust system. I've seen a number of rounds where wirecutters in the halls cut power for the entire station, because we have a bus topology for these things.

 

In my opinion this is something similar to the two OR thing. Make the map so that it is almost redundant but requires some effort to get there. They've already said they're putting in the power substations, which provide local backup power for nearly thirty minutes or more. More than long enough to repair breaks if you have a midway competent engineer.

[Nikov]

I disagree. Its one thing to go click click click, here's a chemical for medbay. Engineers laying a new power line takes several minutes and is almost likely to get you arrested without stamped paperwork. I spoke with Fowl briefly and it seems a web topology will be used. Our current network really displays the failure of bus topology at surviving damage. Exactly one cut wire will kill power to everyone but engineering, at a place that isn't even behind an airlock. If the power line ran behind Medical and into the medical/research substations, then connected into the civilian loop on the back end, which itself connected into Security on the left side... it wouldn't be so easy for a Visitor to kill power for the whole station with five seconds and no gloves. Competent engineers don't make a system which is easily broken and repaired. They make a system that resists being broken in the first place.

[Guest]

The powernet mapping and the atmos network needs to be short, sweet, effective and relatively easy to maintain and repair in the event that damages are sustained.

We have had shuttle calls over a clipped wire in science maintenance. The system cannot be that stupid and unintuitive, unless we're going the route of bay in an effort to perpetuate an antagonist hugbox where they're rewarded greatly for carrying out stupidly simple things.

[LordFowl]

I've already confirmed to Nikov my intents for this sort of thing in-game, but let me make it perfectly clear for everyone who happened to be absent during that particular discussion. Firstly, the new map will be having a system of parallel circuits for the main power grid. It will also have substations. There are many reasons for this, but the primary reasoning I'd like to share is as follows:

When we look to what sort of features we're porting over to the new map, we compare the Aurora map to the Exodus map. The Aurora map takes precedence in our minds, so anything that the Aurora map had that the Exodus map does not have will be considered for implementation. This is why we're returning parallel circuits. Anything that the Exodus has that the Aurora did not have will also be considered for implementation. This is why we're keeping substations. During consideration, we'll take into account numerous other things, so this does not necessarily mean every feature from either map will be implemented. That said, anything that the old Aurora map had will probably be implemented, and will definitely already be taken into consideration by the time you ask for it. Community suggestions and our own intentions fit somewhere in this chain as well.

[ArcBot]

I would like suggest that a portable air scrubber be added somewhere in the Science department for Phoron Researchers. It's imperative that you empty phoron tanks (303kpa) before filling them with your explosive mix and you need a portable air scrubber for that.