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[Krath]

While they did remove all the complicated atmospherics and replaced it with something simpler, I think it was for a good reason. The second they did that, lag was improved immensely. And since the goons get so many players, they really needed to lower the lag somehow. Yeah, alot of us miss gassing the bridge with plasma from maintenance, but I think it was a fair tradeoff due to just simply how much lag it removed.

[nuker w]

Just a thought since I hopped onto Baystation today just to see what it's like. I normally play Goon servers.

Is there any way you guys could reduce the lag from atmospherics? Goon Station did something with their atmospheric coding that involved removing vents and such, and it got rid of almost all lag. Explosions on Baystation however, remind me of Donut Station, where a meteor impacting the hull will lag the game for a good 30-45 seconds.

Yeah, just a thought since I have no Baystation experience and am spoiled by the goon servers.

Er, they quite literally removed their Atmospherics. Like, fully. You die on space tiles now AFAIK.

[breadbocks]

They left some vestiges of atmos, IIRC. It tracks what's in a room. It's just any movement in gas was taken out.

[Krath]

Er, they quite literally removed their Atmospherics. Like, fully. You die on space tiles now AFAIK.

Yeah, you take quite a bit of damage over time when standing on Space tiles. But yeah, Breadbocks is right mostly. If someone opens a hole to space in the escape arm, it will slowly lose air, people will slowly gravitate towards the hole, etc etc. Plasma and gases still spread out slowly over time, but they don't have the massive vent system and constantly moving air that I'm pretty sure is the cause of the lag.

I really did enjoy the Bay12 server though. Especially since I logged on to an admin-driven round that was about recovering and restoring a derelict ship. The only other possible problem I have is the fact that rounds last 2-3 hours, and as time drags on the lag seems to get worse.

[breadbocks]

Oh, man. I would love derelict, were it not for the lack of any way to fix piping.

[Neonivek]

Spacestation must be a very draining game.

How many people said they would make an improved version but never did?

[Grakelin]

Probably less than the number of people who have added something to a Spacestation 13 server at some point or another, to be honest. All the groups who run a server also update regularly.

[Neonivek]

Probably less than the number of people who have added something to a Spacestation 13 server at some point or another, to be honest. All the groups who run a server also update regularly.

Does it run more fluidly now? or is it a goop monster as always?

[Simmura McCrea]

It's fairly fluid until you get to more than about a dozen people online. Around 20, it's pretty unplayable.

[Grakelin]

I haven't seen any trouble with the 20-man games. The 'main plot' (that being the one that decides the fate of the vessel) usually centers around between six and seven people, with the other 13 people being delegated to 'sub plots' and set dressing. One of the flaws with BS12 as I see it is that the higher ranking people get to be a part of all the story, and there is a lack of things for everybody else to do. Since we're told to act within the confines of exactly what our role tells us to do on fear of ban, lower ranks often sit and do nothing for long stretches of time. This issue has been raised before, and even acknowledged once or twice, but it gets ignored because the regulars all have their own favourite job, which they rarely deviate from, making it more difficult for them to sympathize. Also, it is easier to add a new object than design a new job.

It's still a pretty good game overall, though, as long as you can avoid getting shafted with 'stare at console' duty. Sometimes the lowliest crew members get to take the forefront when everything looks bleak.

The worst cases are when people start complaining about things that happen to them in the OOC Chat, which is understandable due to the sometimes frustrating nature of the game but nonetheless annoying when you are a traitor who has to hear about your 'Un-RP Friendly' crimes for the next several days.

[Spaceman96]

Us admins just don't want bartenders running the engine core, or doctors hunting down traitors with guns. The main point of the server is RP, if the traitor does not encourage RP, then they are doing it wrong.

[Trorbes]

Unfortunately, in every story there are lead roles and there are background characters and walking props, nothing can really be done about it.  Still, I think there are only a handful of roles that are truly useless story-wise - bartender, chef, detective, counselor/chaplain, and of course, the unassigned/assistants, and excepting the detective and unassigned there's really nothing they CAN do but roleplay.  Of course, all of them could easily become part of a major plot - the traitor confessed his crime to the counselor, the bartender overheard a plot against the captain, the chef makes DAMN good burgers - but a lot depends on how much the other players interact with them, and in that instance there's nothing that can be done.

Also, as far as I know there's no preferential system for job assignment; the regulars are just as likely to get their preferred jobs as the newbies.

[Deon]

Let's see how chef/bartender is useful one my cooking overhaul is done .

[Man of Paper]

Sadly, I've not had the chance to play a game on the BS13 server. Been having to make due with the goon servers. Not enough roleplay for my liking (though still very fun). Though I have noticed that when I'm playing and get into my role that people interacting with me tend to lean that way. It's like I'm a disease of win.

[Grakelin]

It is actually quite easy to get yourself involved in the main plot. During an admin round of CentCom, I was the CE, and at one point started to help the guy while he killed off various crew members. He ditched me though, but otherwise, a very fun round. At midnight. Which is probably why he ditched me.

The Chief Engineer is generally one of the 'main characters'. Because there is relatively little to do, we see the 'senior officers' take the forefront most often because people are more willing to accept them getting involved in things.

I agree with everything Trorbes said, except that the Detective is easy to play as because you get an excuse to go around and talk to people without them telling you to get lost.

I wish we had more people to play likable characters, too. The assholes that populate the ship (like Lister Black) are fun to play with and all, but it makes the life of the crewman miserable to not have any friends, and it makes roleplaying moments harder to pull off. I remember when I was a bit more active than I am now, I would naturally gravitate towards Strumpetplaya's character, and we would generally be good buddies. It made it all the more powerful when one of us died, or turned out to be a traitor, or whatever (it even gave us more reason to pause before brutally murdering the other, which is something we ought to think about when complaining the traitor ganked us). On the other hand, aside from Lister Black (who plays the 'jerk' better than anyone else I've seen), whenever some grumpy jackass dies, I don't even care. With Black, it usually ends up being an ambivalent feeling, which still makes great roleplay. It's just diluted when all my colleagues are like this.