Automated Pill Style selection

[Nanako]

An apparently little-known chemistry feature, because i rarely see anyone doing it.

When making pills in the chemmaster, you can select a visual style of the pill, by clicking on this little icon in the lower right

 

As can be seen, there's quite a variety of options

 

But as mentioned, i rarely see anyone doing this. Possibly because its inconvenient and they're in a hurry.

So i'd like to propose a feature to improve things a bit here (and if it's well-liked, ill code it myself)

For most commonly-used compounds, ill define a default pill style. Chosen based on a common-sense matching of the pill colour with the compound colour

Then, whenever a chemical is moved into the Chemmaster's buffer, if it's the largest quantity currently there, the chemmaster will automatically select the pill style, based on the default i've defined in code. Much the same way as the appearance of a mixed drink is chosen based on the highest quantity in the glass.

Like Dexalin/Dexplus, and dylovene

 

Or bicardine and dermaline

 

That way, the pills will automatically come out in a style and colour that allows you to easily identify what it is, without having to remember to set it whenever you're making pills.

But i don't want to override player choice. This would not replace your ability to choose the pill style you want to make. If you want a different pill style from the automatically selected one, simply choose it after you're done moving chemicals into the buffer, before you print the pill. The automatic selection will only happen each time you add something to the buffer.

This would be a simple, interesting feature that would work transparently, and cause chemists to always output pills with a helpful appearance.

Some things that i'll choose a pill style for:

Dexalin/Dex Plus

Dermaline

Kelotane

Bicaridine

Alkysine

Dylovene

Carbon

Iron

Paroxetine/citalopram

Oxycodone/Tramadol

Rezadone

Synaptizine

Hyperzine

Basically anything that's ever likely to be dispensed in pill form, i'll choose an appearance for.

I could even make some new sprites for pills that don't have a suitable appearance already, like a black one for carbon

Thoughts?

[Jennalele]

I think Kelotane/Dermaline should share a pill color, as with Dex/Dex+. Dylovene's fine being its usual green. I mean, it works, but if you prevent it from being changeable at all, it removes a fun antag gimmick: Labeling something benign or harmful as something else. Example: Make a pill of mercury, label as Bicaridine, ???, profit.

[Nanako]

I think Kelotane/Dermaline should share a pill color, as with Dex/Dex+.

 

You're probably right, they're closer in tone to each other than dex/+ are. I was really just thinking based on which pill icons are available

 

The one i selected is yellow and orange, so it'd do well for both kelotane and dermaline. the pure yellow one can be used for alkysine instead

I mean, it works, but if you prevent it from being changeable at all, it removes a fun antag gimmick: Labeling something benign or harmful as something else. Example: Make a pill of mercury, label as Bicaridine, ???, profit.

 

I thought i made it clear, the OP contained this text

But i don't want to override player choice. This would not replace your ability to choose the pill style you want to make. If you want a different pill style from the automatically selected one, simply choose it after you're done moving chemicals into the buffer, before you print the pill. The automatic selection will only happen each time you add something to the buffer.

 

So it wouldn't affect that antag gimmick at all. In fact, i think it could help it, with pills being autocoloured, people would be more likely to trust a pill of a familiar colour and name, and hence more likely to swallow it without question. It could even give the chemist some plausible denial

"Hey it's blue, the machine made it that way automatically, of course its just dexalin. Wasnt me that poisoned him"

[Jennalele]

The color for Kelotane in the fire aid kits is the shiny/smooth green one, and dylovene is more of a matte tablet in texture. Dexalin is faintly two toned blue IIRC.