Buff Malfunction Abilities.

[Arzion]

Ah, Malfunction. One of the more disliked gamemodes because the malfs rush nuke or vent phoron down the vents.

Why not buff it?

Basic Encryption Hack : No cost. Rejoice as most of your lost research time is back!

Advanced Encryption Hack : No longer can have a "critical failure" and make the entire server meta-know. Higher cost to compensate.

Elite Encryption Hack : No longer can have a "critical failure" and make the entire server meta-know. Higher cost to compensate

System Override : Increased time and percentage required until it starts sending out the first message about a system hack.

Recall Shuttle : Cannot improve what cannot be improved.

Unlock Robot : Can unlock lockdown-wire-cut robots. (If they already can do this, then that's cool.)

Hack Robot : Decreases time required to 15 seconds.

Hack AI : Decreases the time of hack required to 1 minute.

Hack Camera : If no camera is existent where you click, you can choose to construct a new one, which will take 10 seconds, but it will cost more.

EMP Pulse : Can now be directed.

Emergency Force Field : Slightly tougher.

Machine Overload : Halved cost. There is a great dissonance between an ability that allows you to detonate the station's nuclear bomb and an ability that allows you to detonate machinery.

Dual CPU : Nothing to improve.

Dual RAM : Nothing to improve.

Turret Focus Enhancer : Renamed to "Turret Illegal Upgrade" (or a variation of it). Almost instant "activation" process when a person enters within range. Can switch between laser cannon, laser carbine, and laser minigun.

APU Generator : Actually generates power. While active and functioning, your core will not consume any electricity, and the SMES will be slowly filled with electricity.

Core Self Destruct System : Supermatter-size explosion. Takes out most of the central ring. No longer a 4-square pity explosion.

Feedback, suggestions, and questions are appreciated.

[Shadow]

A gamemode that most people hate. A gamemode where the AI usually kills a lot of people. You want to buff it?

I don't know where to start with this so Ill point out the most obvious ones.

Hack Camera : If no camera is existent where you click, you can choose to construct a new one, which will take 10 seconds, but it will cost more.

Constructing a camera out of nowhere doesn't make sense.

Unlock Robot : Can unlock lockdown-wire-cut robots. (If they already can do this, then that's cool.)

How are you going to bypass a physical lockdown as AI? Can you somehow magically mend the wire again?

Core Self Destruct System : Supermatter-size explosion. Takes out most of the central ring. No longer a 4-square pity explosion

No. Just no. The explosion of an AI is, by far, not as powerful as a supermatter explosion.

Turret Focus Enhancer : Renamed to "Turret Illegal Upgrade" (or a variation of it). Almost instant "activation" process when a person enters within range. Can switch between laser cannon, laser carbine, and laser minigun.

A laser minigun? A minigun. Would be instant death to anyone that walks near it. And would cause horrible damage to everything around the target.

[Zundy]

Make it a Gatling autolaser cannon and we're in business.

[Guest Complete Garbage]

Zor'a Blaster turrets. That's all there is to say on the matter.

But for real, how the fuck will any of this solve problems with malf? If anything, increasing the potential for shitmalf incidents will just drive more salt towards that gamemode. Instead, I think malf should either;

A.) Stay how it is,

B.) Recive minor tweaks for balance/antimeta purposes

or,

C.) Undergo a complete rework that will likely spend months in development hell.

[Zundy]

I'd say get rid of blue screens (lame and meta) and maybe add random objectives for the malf?

[Skull132]

I've wanted to give malfs the ability to intercept faxes and emergency messages for the longest time. Basically, give the malf AI 120 seconds to review a sent message and make a decision. If he decides to block it, there's a high chance the message won't reach CC.

[Synnono]

The only 'buff' I think I'd like to see to the AI is for it to gain the ability to convincingly 'sign' those fake centcomm messages. Mostly so people can't freak out that Alex Graves isn't the one telling us about the (fake) revolution on Biesel, or something.

Even though they're supposedly listening to the announcement, not reading it. I dunno.

 

(lame and meta)

As for the suggested changes, most of them seem useful to a violent AI, or appear to be breaking the laws of physics. I don't find murder computers to be all that fun in the first place, and the ability to magic a camera out of nowhere seems to defeat the purpose of having limited sight based on cameras in the first place. There are supposed to be blind spots, and as an otherwise all-seeing, all-powerful supercomputer, there has to be a weakness or three for the fleshy crew to exploit. Remember that most of them will be playing dumb, even when their players figure out the gamemode in the first ten minutes.

It's a bit personal opinion, but the best malf isn't one that can control the station completely, or overcome the crew's tactics. It's the one that creates an exciting story and provides opportunities to the crew to interact in ways that aren't normal. Instead of unlockable cyborgs, powered-up turrets, and cameras to see anywhere when you're outed as rogue, it would be much more interesting to try and convince the crew to leave you be without strong-arming them into it. And if they kill you in the end? That's okaaaaaay, you did a thing, they responded to it, and now it's extended.

[Snoopy11]

I'd like to see the ability to blow up borgs from laptops gone, that's... kind of awful. That's a good buff, there- maybe add an ability to remove/de-activate the destruction mechanisms in borgs, or something.

[Arzion]

The only 'buff' I think I'd like to see to the AI is for it to gain the ability to convincingly 'sign' those fake centcomm messages. Mostly so people can't freak out that Alex Graves isn't the one telling us about the (fake) revolution on Biesel, or something.

Even though they're supposedly listening to the announcement, not reading it. I dunno.

 

(lame and meta)

As for the suggested changes, most of them seem useful to a violent AI, or appear to be breaking the laws of physics. I don't find murder computers to be all that fun in the first place, and the ability to magic a camera out of nowhere seems to defeat the purpose of having limited sight based on cameras in the first place. There are supposed to be blind spots, and as an otherwise all-seeing, all-powerful supercomputer, there has to be a weakness or three for the fleshy crew to exploit. Remember that most of them will be playing dumb, even when their players figure out the gamemode in the first ten minutes.

It's a bit personal opinion, but the best malf isn't one that can control the station completely, or overcome the crew's tactics. It's the one that creates an exciting story and provides opportunities to the crew to interact in ways that aren't normal. Instead of unlockable cyborgs, powered-up turrets, and cameras to see anywhere when you're outed as rogue, it would be much more interesting to try and convince the crew to leave you be without strong-arming them into it. And if they kill you in the end? That's okaaaaaay, you did a thing, they responded to it, and now it's extended.

 

That is why I included the suggestions of removing "critical failures" on advanced and elite encryption hacks. Just the thought of critical failing and making the entire station meta-know is enough for most malfs to hesitate using those abilities.