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Live Animal Traps/Cages


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I'm not gonna lie. This is to mostly further my future plans I have with Dionae, this one in particular focusing on Nymphs, but also because it was one of my main frustrations as a Xenobiologist.


So basically, these would be able to be ordered by Cargo or constructed by Engineering to create a humane trap for medium-sized beasties. When on-hand, it can scoop them up like a glass jar on a mouse or spiderling- just make sure you activate it in hand to open the door. You can activate the door again to release the animal in hand- but that isn't advised (or we can forego this and just leave it at scooping it up, this is mainly to add an element of danger). And when you set it down you can activate it like a bear trap, let an animal walk into the tile and bam! You got yourself an adorable, pissed as hell Diyaab in a box. Activate the trap once more on the ground and the hangry Diyaab will be set loose in whichever direction you set the box down at- it will only have one door access, and will be directional. If the animal moves back onto the tile, it won't be able to get to you as it'll just walk back into the trap. Additionally, you can put in food as bait for an animal attractant, of course!


I would like three trap types:

- Small (pickup item, can hide under tables): For small mobs like mice and spiderlings.

- Medium (pickup item, can hide under tables): Medium-sized mobs such as Diyaabs, Cats, Monkeys, Yithians(?), Nymphs, and the occasional wandering pAI and perhaps Maintenance/Spider Drones. "HELP!"

- Large (Reinforced, drag-only): For Dogs, Spiders, Carp, Space Sharks, Xenomorphs, Vox Armalis, etc.


The traps will be able to catch player-mobs such as Nymphs, Mice, pAI, and Drones. For it to be fair, it will act as handcuffs for these complex mobs and give them an oppertunity to escape where simpler mobs cannot, given the same amount of time it takes for a human to break out of a pair of handcuffs. And much like cuffs, the timer will be reset when moved around, but also when being actively held in hand as people can just push the door closed- for large cages and Xenomorps/Vox Armalis, it would take as much time for an Unathi to escape in cuffs and equally as fast for a monkeyling that transforms into a humanoid. There would be an oppertunity to escape if put into a bag (small and medium traps would take up the same size as a nymph), but that time is doubled because it'd be harder to escape if there's a bunch of junk blocking the door. You can also sedate a creature with a syringe (just click on the cage with the syringe in the active hand) for safe release... If there are mechanics for simple mobs to be sedated, that is.


On top of it all, I would like to add a futuristic feature where you can upgrade it and add a signaller onto the cage. A signal will be received from it to alert you when you've successfully caught something, and when you send a signal, it will release whatever's inside from a safe distance (and can be used for antaggery when you secretly release a hungry Diyaab into a crowd).


Now, onto the lore aspect. I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to capture a creature as a Xenobotanist and to have that be a near impossibility. Either there was no way to safely do so, or they were valided. "Nienbox ur stupid we got lockers lul" True on both accounts. But think about the player-controlled mobs: they can escape easily unless a locker is welded. And for large ones, you'd often need a team of security to make sure no one gets hurt, medical in case someone does get hurt, engineering to weld the lockers, and if there's no engineer to weld it shut some moron will open it as an officer is dragging it to Xenobiology and get mauled by a cuddly spider (plus, it makes no sense that a horizontal and large animal can fit into a vertically tall, narrow space). This will allow for a much safer capture and release for simple mobs, and level the playing field for player-controlled animals.


But how would this impact players? For one, Science can commission Security to capture a live specimen, or Security can safely capture a creature to be disposed of elsewhere away from crew. But most importantly, it is the interaction between crew and player-controlled animals that is the best focus here. Xenobiology wants you to capture that monkey that is actually Mary Sue with strange and wonderous shapeshifting abilities that you'd like to study and experiment on? It managed to escape your grasp while being held or attempting to cuff (yes secmains, you can in fact cuff monkies) and disappeared into a vent. That Diona Nymph that's been biting the hand that feeds it and a Gestalt is threatening you charges if you hurt it instead of safely handing it over to be trained better or watched by a Xenobiologist? It bit you too, and guess what, also scuttled off into a vent while you dropped it and cursed it's mother. A Vox Armialis or Xenomorph that the the Captain and Central wants you to capture at all costs? Hope you have a big ol' "clone me" in your post-mortem instructions.


This will actually create a better drive and relationship between the important bond between Xenobiologists, their occupation, and alien lifeforms in which they study without having to valid them and remove them from the round. It will actually stress the importance of a Xenoboiologist's occupation for such situations, and I feel, make it a more popular option and create more roleplay situations.


Feel free to put in your two cents, I personally think this will be a great addition and don't think I'm missing anything or think anything's too much. And no, I don't know how to code and have difficulties in attempting to sprite. Forgive me ;_;

Edited by Guest
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Sounds awesome and I can already imagine the fun to be had. I'd like to suggest the addition of it being able to remotely opened via an attached signaler as well. If it catches something, it sends. If it recieves, it opens.

 

Great idea, and I agree! Editing my OP to reflect my head-nodding.

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  • 4 weeks later...

You have got to be more careful with your wording if you're going to recommend making "live traps" orderable from cargo.


Anyway


As a janitor main, I would certainly enjoy any opportunity to increase my options for pest/animal control on the station. Adding humane animal traps would really let me scratch that Metal Gear Solid V itch, catching any beasties without having to murder them.


It reminds me of the recent canon event where Nathan Trasen visted the station, and I ended up seeing my janitor partner strangle a cow to death just because it was walking around freely in the hallway. This is an (I repeat: it's canon now) occurrence I would like to avoid in the future.

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I planted the original idea of this into Elohi's head so I'm in full support this, not having a way to properly catch animals and beasties really made me tear my hair out back when I played my Xenobio skrell as I hoped to make some dank papers on their lifestyle and behaviour but instead got my speciments shot to death because nobody wants to catch them in a locker.


So yes, full support.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

Greetings, it's me again. I'd like to show that there are sprites, all that's needed is the coding. Additionally, the slots between the wires can be colored to show what's inside, and the cage can shake like a locker so whatever's contained can attempt to escape.


Closed:

TrapS.png

 


Opened:

TrapSO.png

 


Credit to [mention]DronzTheWolf[/mention] for the sprites!

Edited by Guest
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  • 5 weeks later...

Additionally, I would like to add different color codes between the bars to represent what animal is caught using their primary color, and it will state which animal is caught upon examining if any at all. Maybe even bait attractants can be used, like meats for Diyaabs or fruit for monkeys. When caught the cage can shake/rattle and also use the sound that the animal makes if they have one once in a while.

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  • 1 month later...

Posting progress update - I have made core and base of traps. I have added and tested small and medium traps, small has sprite, medium doesn't(bear trap is a placeholder). large trap will be also added, it has slightly different mechanics. Here is a screen of tests38348157_2018-11-25(1).thumb.png.a4d334078f0402036f66411f8a206e49.png

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