Content Suggestion Equipment Rework (Stripping, Comms, Keycards)

[Zen]

What does this suggestion change/add/remove:
The overall goal here is to consolidate all weapon and other stripping into the same E interact menu as the new weapons/comms stripping.

Specifically, I suggest making the following changes to the new/MRP strip system:

• Allow players the ability to strip individual weapons (and other contraband) from a target, rather than always every weapon
• Allow players the ability to strip weapons, comms, and other equipment separately, rather than all at once
• Add the ability to strip the following using this system:
  • Keycards
  • Chemicals
    • Works by removing the ability to consume/drop them from your inventory until they are "returned to you"
• Add the ability to keep each of the stripped items for yourself, rather than just removing it from the target
  • E.g. system to steal comms access, ability to take keycards for your own use, and ability to take weapons for your own use - rather than just making them unavailable
  • Would not apply to things stripped from VInventory - those would just temporarily remove access, not allow full on removing from the person.
• Make it so that the person who stripped the weapons now "possesses" them, and only the person currently possessing someone's items can return them
• Add the ability to strip stripped items from somebody else
  • i.e. if Person A has stripped items from Person B, then Person C should be able to strip those items back off Person A, meaning they are now in possession of them
• Add a new item, available via dispensers, that is a crate for storing stripped items
  • Has a passcode system, the same as briefcases. Can also be hacked to force it open, the same as briefcases.
  • Can be placed on the floor in a way similar to the prop placer tool, and then interacted with.
  • Interacting with the crate will give you multiple options:
    • Take all items
      • Takes all items from the crate and puts it in the user's possession
    • Pick up the crate (only available when empty)
    • Put items into the crate (only available if you have stripped items in your possession)
    • Change code
    • Destroy items
    • Retrieve your own equipment
      • Rather than putting it into your possession, just returns it to you normally, as if you were un-stripped
  • All of the above options would have options for e.g. taking one person's items versus taking all of the items

Alongside this, I would suggest generally improving comms access in the following ways:

• Add a system similar to the keycard dispenser, where SA/SC can produce a comms device that gives access to the comms channels they specify
  • Interacting with it would give a list of all comms channels you have access to, and you can then select which ones to give the new comms device
  • Picking up the produced comms device would give access to all specified channels
  • Upon creation, would be given the ability to select a name/colour/etc. to display outgoing comms messages as
    • So e.g. O5 could create a comms device that displays themselves as "Site Inspector David Morse", rather than their spawn identity of "Overseer 'The Infobreach', or they could create a comms device that appears to be someone else entirely like "Tech Expert Joe Bloggs" for e.g. ISD to do covert ops.
• Allow people to switch between possessed comms devices using a C menu button and a keybind/command
• As implied with this, and with the previously mentioned stripping changes, allow people to strip and then use comms devices they have stripped from someone
  • So e.g. CI could steal access to Foundation comms by stripping them from a Foundation member
  • Possibly nerf this to some extent - maybe there's an X% chance it fails, or it requires Y stripped comms devices to work
  • Can also be used for direct impersonation - e.g. ISD takes Tech Expert Joe Bloggs' comms device, and then can communicate over comms pretending to be them. Also useful for DCs.
• Change the faction comms blocking to target individual comms devices, rather than players
  • Meaning if you respawn, you get a new comms device, so the block goes away
  • And meaning that you can give that character their comms back by giving them a new device, while blocking the access the stolen comms device has
  • Possibly also add a permanently destroy option on top of the temporarily disable option
    • So that e.g. if CI have a comms device from Foundation, it can be permanently destroyed rather than remaining and clogging up the comms device list
• Spawning with comms access, and the relevant VJobEditor options, would now essentially work by just giving the player a pre-set comms device.
  • Could also possibly allow a character to spawn with two different comms devices, e.g. O5 could spawn with two - one for their O5 name, and one for their Site Inspector persona.
  • Additionally, could add VJE settings to change the default comms names/titles for different jobs
    • Some kind of formatting options, like defining it as "$FULL_JOB_TITLE $CHARACTER_NAME" or "Site Inspector $CHARACTER_NAME"

Furthermore, add persistency for held keycards and comms devices.

• i.e. some way to keep a keycard or comms device you have as you switch jobs/leave the server/etc.
• Possibly some way to store them in VInventory, but in a way in which you can only access that item on the job and character that you stored it on, similar to the chemical banks (but with job restriction, too).
• Upon leaving the server or switching job/character, if you have either of these that aren't identical to the one you would have spawned with, then it is saved. Upon coming back to that job and character, you would then get it back.
• Meaning that if e.g. faction leadership gives you a different comms device or keycard to the one you spawn with, you can get that back when you go back on the job without having to get them to re-dispense it all over again, even though you never died or anything, just "went to sleep".
• Likely a good idea to leave an exception for e.g. D-class jobs - don't want things like low pop farming to become an issue during high pop.

I would also suggest making it so somebody can hold multiple keycards of the same type/level. E.g. you can hold two CL3 Foundation keycards at the same time.

With this persistency change, I would then suggest adding an option in the faction command tablet menu to disable/destroy keycards remotely.

With this all, you would then be able to remove all weapon checker and interrogate tool SWEPs, as all functionality provided would instead exist via the player interaction menu. Could perhaps keep them on the server for GM stuff or whatever, but they would at least be removed from all jobs in favour of this.

Finally, some rule changes for this:

• Adjust stripping powergaming ruling to also cover keycards/etc. due to the new functionality replacing it
• Make comms checking allowed, because this is now actually something that is fair for factions - they can just steal a comms device to pass this.
• Possibly some restrictions on creating/stealing/using comms devices

And staff tools/options to view a message's actual player rather than their comms display name, so they can still see that "Trainee Minge" sent the message that appeared in chat as "Guard Jonathan Giles". Possibly a toggle option, right-click option, and maybe with an additional indicator just showing when messages are using comms that don't match their actual character name (like an asterisk next to the name that only staff can see, and then they can right-click to view who it actually is).

Also recommend more staff tools in general in this areas, both to support these suggested changes, and to support existing stuff. Like (if it doesn't already exist) logging for keycard printer usage, ability to strip someone back to their default keycard/comms device, ability to manage comms blocking, etc.


Has something similar been suggested before? If so, why is your suggestion different?:
Not as far as I'm aware.

Possible Positives of the suggestion (At least 2):

• Makes the stripping system one combined system that has all of the features, rather than having one good interface via the E menu that doesn't do everything, and two separate SWEPs that do things it already does but better individually.
  • Makes things less complicated for players - just E for all stripping - and just generally a much better experience.
• Brings back the RP-friendly nature of weapon checkers where they make it so only the person who stripped weapons can actually return them (rather than magically, everyone else being able to), while also adding a way to still return/keep stripped items if that player has to go/switch jobs/die/whatever.
• Generally makes stripping much more fleshed out and RP-friendly.
  • Chem stripping, better functionality, etc.
• Massively improves comms access in many ways.
  • Faction command can give people their comms back in an RP-friendly way.
  • Faction command can just give people comms devices with different access - e.g. if they want to give a specific member of AO access to ISD comms, or give a CL4 person CL5 comms, they can do anything they'd like with that. Lots of RP potential.
  • Adds a way for O5 to communicate without displaying their name and title (which everyone then has to ignore because we don't know that in RP - which is a stupid way of handling things)
  • Adds a way for EC to communicate as Site Command without giving their status away - could just have a separate comms device with a different title and name.
  • People can finally steal comms access for various purposes. Better DC/ISD/etc. roleplay.
  • Faction command comms blocking is no longer a huge pain in the ass. Right now, it never disappears regardless of your job switches, deaths, or whatever else, unless someone manually unblocks you. I don't think there's even a staff way to fix this that isn't just set-jobbing themselves to a job that has that access.
• Makes it so the use of keycard printers (and a theoretical comms device configurator) can persist. No longer would you need to wait until e.g. Site Admin are back on the server to regain something they'd already given you and you'd never lost in RP.
  • Just generally great for allowing people to continue RP after having to leave or whatever. No longer will you be forced to either restart upon leaving, or regain stuff you've lost for no reason - you can just continue with the key things you had when you rejoin the server.

Possible Negatives of the suggestion:

• Serious balancing considerations needed - some aspects could cause unexpected problems, so parts may need to be tweaked, or additional features added such as staff tools or low-pop disabling of certain features.
• Dev time.
• Seriously changes some RP elements, which will take time to adapt, and may need RP changes like IC policies and the like.

Based on the Positives & Negatives, why should this suggestion be accepted:
All of this would overall massively improve RP flexibility and the like for all factions and jobs. It also gives more power to IC positions rather than SL, which is always nice.

 

[Emilia Foddg]

+Major Support
Stripping changes are sensible. Keycard changes feel a liiittle lofty? They make sense on the surface, but part of me wonders if this is worthwhile implementation-wise and what the particular purpose of allowing someone to hold multiple of the same clearance keycard would serve.

Undermining the security of comms and opening its vulnerability to infiltration would create a more tense and enjoyable RP environment. IMO, it doesn't make sense that comms are this safe haven that you can never doubt the veracity of anyone speaking in it. Although the potential for someone being not who they say they are in comms, means that a minge can potentially use that as cover for FailRP (i.e. They say a bunch of dumb stuff and then try to pass it as "Oh that wasn't me, that was someone pretending to be me"), would need a way for Staff to check who actually said what.

This would also allow for O5s and such to be able to type in comms under a fake name (& job?) if they make or have someone make for them, a comms device with that setup. Similarly would allow stuff like whistleblower-type situations: For example, you could have someone be a plant in a group you're investigating, give them an additional comms device with a fake name and role - Have them use that when they need to communicate something or say some kind of code phrase, etc. When something needs to happen, which you would do when you have a plant like that and it would protect them. I'm fairly certain that's standard procedure.

Overall would enable a lot of interesting potential RP situations, without leaving combative stuff entirely out of it, but is definitely more roleplay focused, over combative engagement. IMO, a compelling prospect.