Lets talk about Science Department.

[Tenenza]

So, before I get to ranting, I want to first say that I like the science department, and the characters dedicated to it and the players behind them.

But, everytime I hear or see some of the things that are happening in Research, it pushes me ever closer to insanity.

So, lets talk about Science Department for a bit, because, from my point of view, we've got three rather large issues:

 

1. 1: Scientists not doing their actual jobs: Scientists are supposed to do research. They are not supposed to be security, or medical, or engineering, or any of the other damn departments. That's not your job, and frankly, it isn't fun for anyone else, since you're taking their jobs away from them. And, IMO, using expensive high-tech experimental testing equipment for trying to do anything other than Research is weird.
   
   2: Research isn't being done: Science is not about production. It's not about making stuff, it's about producing Publishable Data. That means, you shouldn't just be maxing R&D and then just sitting around all round acting like some sort of super-cargo. You should do research, run real tests, gather data, take notes, make graphs, and compile them into real Publishable Data, with repeatable results, objective data and measurements.
   
   3: Lack of Teamwork: Alot of scientists go crawl into their own little labs and stay there. The only exception is Robotics and R&D, and that's only temporary, and pretty much ends once R&D is maxed. Frankly, the majority of actual research requires people working togeather to get the data. And, I think this is kinda part of the reason why so little actual research is being done, since most people don't realized they have access to the effectively unlimited resources a coordinated science department has.

 

So, yeah, that's my Rant.

Any questions?

[Guest]

Another detail.

In a code red situation, please do not go wandering about the station outside of your own department. When trouble arises, it doesn't matter if you're a soldier/researcher. Stay alive. Keep people around you so that they stay alive, too, and have a better chance against people with more malign intentions.

[Farcry11]

On the rare occasions that I play a scientist, I run clinical trials involving monkeys, electropacks, and burn meds.

Is this good science?

[Guest]

As long as you document it.

[TishinaStalker]

I try to RP that the stuff being made in RD isn't something common knowledge (like the Lawgiver for example) so that I can, you know, create RP for most of Science. Then, suddenly, everybody and their mothers are weapon experts. You have Botany and Security talking about Lawgivers on the public channel, and scientists looking at you like you're some sort of idiot for IC'ly thinking that it's new, cutting edge technology. So I get laughed at (because it's sort of difficult to conduct research and make RP with things that everybody already knows about in Science), and then quit Science (as to why Lunea Discata is now a Chemist). One time I had an RD laugh at me for the paperwork I was submitting concerning how the Advanced Energy Gun was made, what was used, what it can do, what I think it can do, what could go wrong, and then later that same round "Make more of those for Security. Now." I said no because, you know, it's using an experimental mini nuclear reactor, and then I get brigged for Failure to Execute an Order.

TL;DR: If somebody's trying to RP that something is just being made... Don't be a dick and tell them to stop being an idiot when they're trying to make RP as long as it's something that makes sense like AEGs or the things in the Bluespace / Illegal Items trees.

Edit: Same thing has happened to me with xenoarcheology with a claymore. Tried to spin it off as a sword from an alien civilization. Nope, the 16th century Scottish somehow got on the asteroid.

[Tenenza]

Tish, bring me the names of the degenerates, so that I may lay ruin to their homelands and set them ablaze. They know too much, IAAs must be called in, and a manhunt for their informants must begin. Once the rivers run red with their blood, return to me, on my throne of femurs, and lay down your sword, and only then, shall justice be done.

[ForgottenTraveller]

I completely agree with you. And I must say I am a little guilty of the know about the gear for the stuff made before you get to needing minings help. I have however just made a RD character and have been planning on getting him working on inter-lab work, safety, paperwork and written reports. Lowering the gun-wielding-medical-doctor-supercop-genetically-enhanced-durand-piloting scientist attempts [bomb-defusing toxins worker I am fine with. We have to many officers and cadets that have full EOD training it seems, and none of them wear a bomb suit to do it.] And above all else testing the odd and new stuff.

We can do it. We can put the science into screwing around.

[Guest]

In my eyes anyone that knows what a bluespace bag is or what stuff is at the max research level without getting there is not roleplaying science right.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

I tried being a scientist, and I had varying levels of success. I tried doing experiments involving monkeys, then doing a test to see what monkey cubes did when people ate them - I tried drugging someone with different chemicals using different methods of injection (smoking it with a cig, drinking it, inhaling it in a grenade) and every single time some other scientist got all fucking smug "How could you not know this already" at me.

LOOC/IC: "If you didn't know this is how x worked you could have just asked me."

This happened even when I was making stuff - I'd IC'ly get excited over something the prolathe made and run off to do experiments, and some pink hair'd snowflake would roll their eyes, call me dumb, then mass-produce whatever I made. The only exception seems to be the laser scalpel, because I give a single one to medbay to "test and tell me how it works for you" etc etc and the surgeon just got giddy but no one else cared. I ended up just not caring anymore and did insane experiments on Travis "He signed the consent form!!!" Davis consisting of teleporting him around the station bucklecuffed in a chair while recording the results.

RnD needs a major reformation, the attitude of a lot of scientist regulars in there is completely toxic, and I have no interest in going back. The closest I'll get to research is Virology, because doctors with virology degrees that tell me how to do my job are few and far between.

[LordFowl]

Whenever I return to the science department, I'm going to try to uphold the standards placed by this thread. Where others have failed, perhaps I shall succeed.

[Lady_of_Ravens]

I very, very much agree. People have trouble RPing not knowing stuff that seems like common knowledge 'cause they've done it again and again and again (there's a reason I stopped doing R&D, and not just 'cause of the sometimes toxic environment). We deal with this with antags by having rules requiring that nothing about them is remembered, but this seems like a poor way of dealing with R&D... not the least because a lot of stuff from the protolathe should be common knowledge. Mining drills, enhanced power cells, meson scanners, and so-on are all standard things people are going to know about and want, but which have to be 'researched' first. As a game mechanic it makes sense, as a way of promoting RP it kinda sucks.

[Jakers457]

Research is a mixed bag, we'll always have problem children who will rather max everything out so that they can grab a Bluespace backpack to fill it up with other dangerous shit and then join that one Roboticist who'll illegally build a weaponized Mech suit before raiding the kitchen to kill the cow. I mean, every other department have a similar problem but science usually has the dangerous stuff. If I were to make any suggestion, lacking faith in the randoms that occasionally flock to this server, we should make things a little less streamlined?

[Nik]

The issue is that we lack any variables, so research can't actually exist after a certain point. Hell, even me doing my pill bullshit back when pills were instant, I imagine at least SOMEONE before me figured it out.

It's just one of those things. Science doesn't actually have anything to research that wouldn't be general knowledge, or the Autolathe wouldn't make it. It just devolves into "what can I do involving murder that's creative". Which, is funny. But it's not exactly worthy of an actual researcher.

Frankly, Research is the worst part of the RP on board because we aren't researching new things. Or in my opinion, at least.

[NebulaFlare]

I just RP that we take items, break then down to components to study them, then upload the data for blueprints for the lathes/fabricators/imprinters. The scientists' goal is to use their knowledge to separate what research is necessary and what are not. Then, that knowledge can be applied to perfecting already mass-produced designs.

[Tenenza]

The issue is that we lack any variables, so research can't actually exist after a certain point. Hell, even me doing my pill bullshit back when pills were instant, I imagine at least SOMEONE before me figured it out.

It's just one of those things. Science doesn't actually have anything to research that wouldn't be general knowledge, or the Autolathe wouldn't make it. It just devolves into "what can I do involving murder that's creative". Which, is funny. But it's not exactly worthy of an actual researcher.

Frankly, Research is the worst part of the RP on board because we aren't researching new things. Or in my opinion, at least.

 

Take head.

Remove from box.

Think big.

Example:

Spent several rounds graphing out the Atmos equations.

One of those rounds involved spending an hour and a half re-piping toxins lab to recirculate system back into itself and inject as much gas into as small an area as possible. Then I cycled plasma through the heat pipes on a constant loop, and then ignited the modified burn chamber. I then spent two hours looking at the valve pressure and temperature displays, taking the data, and punching it into a excel spreadsheet. By the end I had over a hundred data points, auto-graphed them, and tada, behold the wonderful temperature to pressure relationship for plasma.

This is the tip of the ice berg.

And it doesn't matter if someone has already studied this. Double check their data if you know it, or just learn it yourself if you don't. And don't make the data public information ever. Leave secrets to people so they can learn it too. You can trade science secrets with other researchers, but people need to work for their data and knowledge.

[Gollee]

temperature to pressure relationship for plasma.

 

If you give that to me, I might be able to work out the true molar mass of plasma.

[Tenenza]

temperature to pressure relationship for plasma.

 

If you give that to me, I might be able to work out the true molar mass of plasma.

 

Already got the molar density to pressure temperature coefficient.

It was actually the greatest moment when I figured it out.

[SgtSammac]

Teneza..... you have all my admiration for that post about researching plasma.

[NebulaFlare]

Has anyone figured out the chemical compounds of Plasma yet?

[Tenenza]

Has anyone figured out the chemical compounds of Plasma yet?

I've got no idea.

Carbon might be involved, just based on all the CO2 produced by plasma fires, which, although I haven't run specific trials for, is higher then what I'd expect and predict from an fuel fire of the same size. But wielding fuel is strange, and I haven't tried aerosolizing it, which could effect comparability with the plasma equations.