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50 (19.3%)

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44 (17%)

Total Members Voted: 257

[QuakeIV]

Hey, can anyone host? Id play.

[Dr. Johbson]

Ya, whatever happened to the make all B12ers mods idea?

I've asked a few times, I got about two PMs. So, Ill ask again. Anyway want to be a mod?

Regarding headset stuff, I do think that would be a good idea, but I also think it could use a few changes, that I shall explain later when I have the time. But for now, it looks good. Also, Ill send out the link to the files that were the newest yesterday.

[Thrain]

i had another idea there shiold be some sort of help key or something like you would type ^ and press enter and you're radio will send out a messege saying were you are. this would be use full if you got pushed into space. or were about to collaps from cold or something.

[Volatar]

Ya, whatever happened to the make all B12ers mods idea?

I've asked a few times, I got about two PMs. So, Ill ask again. Anyway want to be a mod?

I would

[Dr. Johbson]

Ya, whatever happened to the make all B12ers mods idea?

I've asked a few times, I got about two PMs. So, Ill ask again. Anyway want to be a mod?

I would

Alright, is your byond name different from your Bay12 name, in any way? Also, you're actually going to have to log on to byond now.

[Trorbes]

To be absolutely honest, I don't really care for your suggested changes, Cernunnos.  I'm rather hesitant of qwerty's proposal, in fact.  Really, most of the problem is that people are too used to the headsets and the station frequency that they simply don't bother with anything else.  It's good for its use - communicating with the station at large - but if you're using it to conspire or send valuable information, then it's your fault for not being clever.  People are too used to having instant communication that people simply don't think of trying anything else.  Even one-on-one communications across the station frequency are more bad roleplaying than a broken system.  This shouldn't be "corrected" by changing the mechanics, but instead by trying to get the players to do it better.

Besides, having an easy way to communicate to the whole station allieves several problems
-In danger, one can at the least send out a warning, which would be impossible if they had to use an intercom or even an SBR.
-It allows one to direct the station in general, in emergencies for example.  Imagine how trying to alert the station to sabotage or invasion if you had to stop and find an intercom, and hope most people were around a working intercom on the same frequency.
-Security would be all but useless in the absence of the above two points.
-Most importantly, it gets rid of the isolated feel of the station, which not only makes the game boring and monotonous if you're an engineer or a plasma researcher, but makes it feel like a single player game.  If someone feels like they're the only player, they're probably going to start breaking things and not care about the rules.  Again, engineers and plasma researchers would suffer the most, and they pose the biggest risks in this situation.

If I had to suggest changes to the radio system, it would have to be:
-Make it easier to adjust your headset while wearing it.  At least be able to turn it on/off or switch frequencies without having to take it off first.  There are a bunch of useless verbs in the list as it is (Does anyone use Rotate from that list?) so why not put it in there?
-Give security a special radio which communicates on a secure frequency, either randomized or only accessible by a special or modified radio.  I think they should still have the headset (after all, how else will they be called) but there should definitely be a radio specifically for the security team.

[Aavak]

All fair points and I thank you for your feedback Trorbes Could I ask what you think about the suggestions I made to intercoms for the AI, which by and large take nothing away from what it has at the moment but instead add to it.

[Trorbes]

The AI's two "extraneous" intercoms have a purpose, actually, in that they are set to the frequencies of the remote signaling device and the electropack, respectively, presumably so that they are aware of their use.  I agree with changing them, unless it's agreed that they're currently useless.  Besides, I would rather see the AI simply be able to communicate over radio frequencies by itself, without needing intercoms or anything.

Actually, if the AI were able to hear over all frequencies while only being able to communicate over one at a time, that might make it interesting and reasonable - but to avoid making it too aware, maybe only allowing it to hear unencrypted messages would be necessary.  This would require something of an overhaul of the code, allowing for encryption of some sort (maybe a number value is needed, or else it comes out jumbled) and some method of creating this encryption in modified radios.

Also, while I kind of like the idea of the AI being able to read lips, I don't agree with a general "You can hear everything near the camera," thing.  It would I think work better as a command of some sort, and possibly the result isn't totally clear.  The concept is good, but it also makes the AI too omniscient, and thus harder to deceive.

[beorn080]

The AI is an interesting problem. On the one hand, its extremely weak. It has almost no ability to kill someone directly, and with a few precautions (internals, insulated gloves, and a fire suit) it really can't kill anyone. I think it should get some sort of boost, specially for malfunction, but I'm not sure how.

On the other hand, the AI is hard enough to get rid of that most traitors are deterred, specially considering the radio and camera system, and the aforementioned camera system renders AI's incredibly annoying. I'm not sure if it was changed, since I haven't played AI in a long time, but don't they see everything on screen at once?

We need to play some nuclear on this map. Should be interesting to see how infiltration tactics work on it.

[Aavak]

Well one compromise regarding the camera and listening in, and something I think needs to be added anyway (as it doesn't make much sense currently) is that it can clearly read lips, but this ability as well as actual sight, should be subject to line of sight in the same way players are. It doesn't look difficult to insert this functionality so that a camera can't see around corners, or through walls which would create more than a few blind spots for the AI even in rooms that have cameras currently, and likewise would restrict lip-reading only to people in view of the camera (so if they're having a conversation with someone around the corner then the AI will only get one half of that conversation, even if the other person is visible to another camera the AI is only actively monitoring one of them)

The AI poses some pretty interesting design and balance issues for the game, because on one hand you do have the potential to make an unstoppable force, but on the other you also suffer from the fact that the AI is actually a human, and while players will make requests of the AI as though it were an all seeing computer able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, the player is still left to frantically move around from camera to camera opening doors, finding where someone is or trying to look up what job someone has. It sometimes breaks the immersion when the AI is stuck trying to catch up to a list of commands it's been given as the players roll on forward, sometimes becoming very impatient with the AI or leaping to the conclusion that it's malfunctioning and intentionally not completing it's task.

I think some more tools for the AI to use to help perform it's duties would be very well received and make interacting with and playing the AI much more fun. A simple command to list all the members of staff and on what camera (or none) they can be seen to swiftly answer the "Locate Urist McEngineer!" questions it gets thrown every few moments. And the ability to communicate directly with specific crew members, if they have a headset or are near an intercom would add a lot of versatility to the role, and in some ways make it feel less omnipresent if when you're speaking to it, it talks back to you on a more personal level. Though as was pointed out regarding crew member's ability to speak in an emergency, any new commands or systems developed to facilitates such discussions would need to be intuitive and easy to control or they wont be worth coding as no one would use them if it's just as difficult as the current cumbersome system to set up private discussions with specific people.

[Giant Snowman]

How about some ai only commands that automatically make it say things? You could track Uri Gellar or whoever and then press the "announce tracked location" button to say: "Uri Gellar is currently in the Courtroom". That would make that recurring job a bit faster.

Another recurring job for the ai is to open doors for unauthorized personel in an emergency. Doors could have a button for requesting the ai to open them. This could appear as one of those clickable messages for the ai with open/ignore person/alert authorities options.

The RP problems with players being overwhelmed by requests and tasks would be solved by changing from a computer to some sort of cyborg.

[Apple Master]

Hey, how about a server
Also I liek Snowman's ideas.

[cib]

Changes to the A.I. are somewhere on the top of my list, right after I have a better idea of the code and gotten rid of the chaos in the crucial areas. My todo list is actually included in the bazaar distribution.

Also, please keep in mind that I'm working with the bazaar repository, and while I may be merging changes from files that I didn't modify in, it would mean additional work and the chance of losing some of my own work, so I'd rather that you commit your changes directly through Bazaar. My server's not always online, but I will try to keep it up as long as possible.

I may also consider changing to git, if it can be used simply and intuitively. SVN is a no-go though for me, since it doesn't support decentralized repositories.

== edit ==

If you like getting your ideas into the game, now's the time. I'm currently writing new procs for damage, which I will then bit-by-bit replace the old damage code with.

These damage procs will actually use the same interface for all atoms(so that not only includes humans, monkeys and A.I.s, but also walls, windows, etc.)

There will be different damage types. Each damage type affects the types of entities differently. For example, fire damage will cause severe burns to humans, while leaving walls untouched. So far, I can think of these damage types:

- sharp damage(bullets, lasers, knives and so on)
- impact damage(explosions, blunt objects, and the like)
- fire damage(obvious)
- electrical damage(very harmful to electrical devices)
- stun damage

I think these damage procs could be very useful for implementing things such as explosions destroying items and so on.

[tp12]

A server you say?
byond://86.87.246.125:12311
(Or is cib's up?)

[cib]

Naw, whenever I host, my laptop can't do anything else. Joinin' time!