Skull's Final Idea - Magnetic Door Locks

[Skull132]

Final idea before I go back to doing new map or actual important code that Scopes wants me to do.

For anyone who's played Alien Isolation, these things should be familiar enough:

 

They're security bracers for doors. Or hydraulic door locks. Or whatever the fuck. Basically: they stop the door from opening until they're either removed with proper identification, or dismantled.

Now, here's my idea for having them ingame:

A bulky, w_class 4 item that you can apply to an airlock and lock. Once on a door and locked, the airlock cannot be opened until the device is removed, or dismantled. These devices would come in three flavours: security, engineering, and ERT, and are controlled by IDs with that specific access. So a security officer can remove a security bracer, an atmos tech can remove an engineering bracer, and command staff members can remove both. Let's say, at the start of round, we give engineering 3, security 2 (in the armoury), and have new ones be ordered from cargo.

How are these useful?

Quite simply put, tape is shit. And tape doesn't stop half as many people. So having these around, for doors that you really don't want anyone to get through, might give the specific departments a little more control over the situations they are required to manage. So, let's say there's a plasma fire on the other side of a door. Or an open construction area. Just slap one of these on, and only people with specific access can roam through.

Disassembly:

You would require a standard toolbelt, nothing special. So a welder, screwdriver, crowbar, etcetera. The only thing is, it would take a bit of time. Like a minute or two, to properly go through the motions and have the lock broken. At which point, it'd fall off, and you can go through!

You could also emag it, which completely breaks the lock just has it drop off immediately. So if you gotta go fast, there's that.

A curious note:

Cake suggested making these run off of energy cells. Batteries, basically. I'd say a starting charge of like, 30-45 minutes is enough. This way, they "wouldn't be too OP".

Thoughts, comments, recommendations?

[Vanagandr]

I don't think they'd need a time limit; there's pretty much nowhere you could put one of these that people would be completely unable to bypass it.

How would they interact with those three-wide hallway airlocks?

[Skull132]

UH, they wouldn't. You'd have to apply one per door.

They're more meant for blocking off rooms, which have optimally 2 entrances, rather than hallways.

[TechnoKat]

Five for security, three to engineering, and I'll totally agree.

[Skull132]

Five for security, three to engineering, and I'll totally agree.

 

A-aha no. Sec already has the barricades, which extensively serve a similar purpose.

[SierraKomodo]

Five for security, three to engineering, and I'll totally agree.

 

I feel like Engineering should get the larger number of the two.

Will these fit in backpacks?

[Skull132]

Five for security, three to engineering, and I'll totally agree.

 

I feel like Engineering should get the larger number of the two.

Will these fit in backpacks?

 

My initial idea is no. But maybe?

[TechnoKat]

Five for security, three to engineering, and I'll totally agree.

 

A-aha no. Sec already has the barricades, which extensively serve a similar purpose.

 

I thought about suggesting changing security barricades, something you can shoot from, collapse/set up again.(everyone can use it though) How does that sound?

I mean, these magnetic door locks can serve more for security than engineering mostly. (greytide virus, etc)

[Nogo3]

Five for security, three to engineering, and I'll totally agree.

 

A-aha no. Sec already has the barricades, which extensively serve a similar purpose.

 

Similar, but it's not quite exact. I'm guessing what you're going for is to set these things 'on' to doors, which is something a 'little' bit more different. Might not be unreasonable to have one or two for security so they can lock down a door itself rather than set up some tape or cram a barricade in. Something along those lines doesn't seem too bad, I don't think.

Be fun to set up on doors to a crime scene.

[Killerhurtz]

I love this.

Though honestly? If Research could get one or two, as well, it would be useful - there's a few uses I could find about it, like blocking off Telescience if there's been an incident and the RD is fed up, or locking off Xenobio if something goes wrong, and so on.

Thoughts?

[Conservatron]

I love this.

Though honestly? If Research could get one or two, as well, it would be useful - there's a few uses I could find about it, like blocking off Telescience if there's been an incident and the RD is fed up, or locking off Xenobio if something goes wrong, and so on.

Thoughts?

i feel like these are things that research calls security down to do

also, because these are magnetic locks, would they only be operable on one side of the door? So like, you can lock down a door so someone on the other side can't hack out

[Conservatron]

better yet, allow toggling permissions while item is in hand, like with airlock boards.

[Skull132]

No. Research has gotten its hand in the reconstruction of surgery and otherwise tables, so they've had their share from me. It's now time to give engineering, sec and cargo something.

Also, for the sake of ease of use, I'm considering having them visible on both sides. Fuck immersion, it's just better that way v.v

[Guest]

Fine by me.

But only if we get to resprite the wrench into the maint jack!

[Nikov]

1. This is a good thing, resembling the lock-out tag-out safety measures in modern workplaces.

2. Physically smashing the lock with a fire axe or shooting it off with a ballistic or laser weapon should be possible, if arduous.

3. The lock in the image seems overwrought; a smaller device should be enough. It needs to clamp down on some anchor point on both halves of the airlock and trigger the "beep-doop" failure to open sound.

4. Engineering and Security should both be able to lock down the same door, so the locks can be off-center.

5. The locks need to be applied to one side of the airlock or the other, so you could have your escape route locked off by an officer on the other side of the door.

6. If it doesn't fit in a backpack, Engineers won't carry it. See the inflatable barrier boxes. We just grab one or two and stuff them in our backpacks.

[Gollee]

4. Engineering and Security should both be able to lock down the same door, so the locks can be off-center.

 

I approve.

I can see a security officer and an engineer glancing at each other before the heavily secured door of Xenobiology, glancing at each other, readying arms, and slowly swiping both IDs down the locks.

[Killerhurtz]

I like all of this. And your point is entirely fair, Skull.

So far I really like this idea.

[CakeIsOssim]

I suggested they have a cell because I also suggested that the door the lock is on can also not be hacked until the lock is off of it.

So, I need to get through this door, and security is hot on my ass. I've got the tools, or even an emag. But, let's say I also don't have access. I've got to hack through both the lock and the door. This can be solved with an emag by just emagging the lock and then the door, and you're through in a second or two, but what if someone doesn't have an emag? Or even tools? I can think of other examples where emags aren't an option because the round type isn't nuke/traitor.

Having a cell in the thing would prevent someone from putting it on a door, and building a fort that no one can get into on the other side. And the only thing preventing someone from opening the door is either a toolbelt or an ID card. So, have a cell that lasts about 20 or 30 minutes, and once it runs dry, have the lock fall off.

Also because a high-powered magnet should require a power source.

(although, realistically, if you wanted inside of someone's fort, just go through the wall..)

[Skull132]

Theeese are pretty much done, now. I'm still sort of torn between having them energy consuming or not, but I guess I can mull on that until I get the sprites.

I will also look into making it possible to shoot them off, or destroy them with energy swords and fireaxes and such.

Speaking of which, I will now go and bat Killer for some sprites.

[Killerhurtz]

Already on it - though I just realized, if we don't want power consumption - pneumatics/hydraulics are definitely an option, and those would only need energy to change state - so as long as the valve doesn't break, it will stay on there forever. Also gives a convenient mechanic: if a door lock has been disassembled/broken instead of unlocked, there can be slight overpressure/a massive oil stain to show it.

[Killerhurtz]

And it is done.

I'm going to need to go over it for sure (because I just sprited it after what I thought was a logical pattern - screwdriver panel off, pulse with multitool, twist handles away, wrench bolts off to release cover, crowbar cover off, wrench bolts of subcover out, cut both support rods off with welder, then cut wire in main circuit to force the pistons to retract, gives a broken item) but it's a start, right?

[Skull132]

Looks pretty swell. Also, because I'm going to use one file per item, you can get fancy, and have lock/unlock animations, and I'll code them in.

As for the deconstruction, I went a slightly easier path. 4 steps sounded like the optimal, so it's:

2. Screwdriver off the plastic shell, thus exposing the metal skeleton/shell
4. Weld through the metal cover
   
6. Crowbar off the now-welded through metal cover, thus exposing the wires
   
8. Cut the wires powering the magnets

[Killerhurtz]

Right, I'll re-package the files to reflect that new deconstruction path tonight.

Though I'll need more information on how, exactly, the lock is coded to behave if you want fancy animations.

Is it like, you need to place the item and THEN swipe it for it to lock, and the unlocked lock stays on until you grab it?

(also speaking of fancy animations, now that I know exactly how the lock is deconstructed, I might just make fancy animations for the whole process )

[Skull132]

You click door, and it's attached and activated in one go right now. I think I'll keep it like that, for simplicity's sake. And it's removed upon swiping an ID with access.

[jackfractal]

Are you going to be able to smash these things until they stop working or is ordered deconstruction the only way you can get them off the door?