Denied Prop Placer Tool Update

[Zen]

What does this suggestion change/add/remove:
This comes in two parts. Firstly, I suggest reworking the Prop Placer Tool SWEP so that it is something that is configurable in-game. When giving a job the SWEP, it would be possible to select which props that job can place using the SWEP, along with things like "Is it breakable by shooting it?", "How much HP does it have (if breakable)?", "Which surfaces can it be placed on (walls, ceiling, floor)?", "How far away from the user can it be placed?", and "What's the maximum amount of this prop that the user can place at once?" for each prop that is made available to that job. These would also all be available options when giving someone the tool using FAdmin and the like (for GMs and RP enhancement stuff).

Secondly, I would suggest the following prop placer tool changes and additions for the following jobs:

• Technical Expert, CI Technical Expert, GOC Engineer, Engineer:
  • Some warning barriers, such as models/props_fortifications/traffic_barrier001.mdl and models/props/street/contruction_barricade.mdl
  • Some kind of step stool/ladder for use in reaching things like high-up CCTV cameras
    • The only ladder prop I know of, which is used in various places on UK as a permaprop, isn't actually climbable because its collision is seemingly just a sharp slope, so something else or an update to this prop would be needed
  • Some kind of out-of-order sign or warning sign
  • Some kind of flashing warning light
• IT Technician
  • An out of order sign
• Various ISD, AO, MTF, etc. jobs
  • A sign saying that an area is temporarily off-limits

Other jobs might also have props that would be useful to them, but these are the ones that I came up with off the top of my head that seem particularly useful.

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):

• (Editable SWEP) Allows SL and the like to change things up without needing a dev involved every time for prop placer tool changes
• (Editable SWEP) Allows mods and GMs to give out the SWEP as needed, whether to themselves or to regular players, for use in RP enhancement and events
• (E&TS Tool Use) Makes cameras actually reachable without requiring that SL always place them super low, and generally gives some good RP enhancement stuff for them to use
• (ISD, AO, etc.) They often need to block off an area for an investigation or because a VIP is there or something, this makes it a bit easier and more RP-based

Possible Negatives of the suggestion:

• Possible abuse of props
  • As long as they've got reasonable configured limits, shouldn't be an issue. E.g. the Janitors' signs can all be shot to destroy them.
• Initial dev work
  • A good trade off for not needing it at all for future prop placer tool changes/additions

Based on the Positives & Negatives, why should this suggestion be accepted:
This would generally be very useful, both in general and for the specific jobs mentioned above.

 

[Emilia Foddg]

A highly interesting and compelling idea - A flexible & modular system like this would have potential benefits across the board, expanding possibilities for normal RP while also being a potentially powerful tool in the GM toolkit -

In terms of normal role usage, I can see this possibly being useful for a whole host of different jobs - Aside from what's already mentioned, some ideas that immediately come to mind:

• CI - I actually see CI getting the most use out of this, funnily enough. They tend to come up with a lot of interesting roleplay ideas (And it's no coincidence why a lot of GMs tend to have overlap with CI) and this could add to that.
  
  
• Nu7 & DEA (& GOC) - Surface Ops where they do stuff either in compound (or for GOC, in the surface part of GOC base or even just outside) or in Pinewood itself (also potentially anything joint with GOC, dependant on relations).
  
  
• Rangers - Similar to the above; I think this would just add more content to work with in surface RP.
  
  
• Research - A very powerful tool for tests, although they'd need to come up with the test ideas to be able to follow them through.
  
  
• Assistants, SA, SC - I can see this being useful to supplement specific RP situations.

As for usefulness to GMs, even though GMs have access to props and prop manipulation in the standard GMOD way (A potential issue here is that this would also have to consider how this might interact with their prop limit; I.e. Could a GM place the max number of props allowed to them and then effectively use this SWEP to bypass that limit?), having access to a SWEP like this means that you can more easily plan for the kind of event where, you set something up and plan to have some kind of thing happen in roleplay where the GM puts something down during the roleplay that gets contextualised ICly, as part of the event story (I can't think of any examples off the top of my head), as opposed to it already being there, which can be an important distinction.

This is of course, already doable via a few methods, but access to a prop placer SWEP of this kind, for this purpose, would provide an additional & less clunky way to do so, and expanding the GM toolkit would not hurt either. It may also prove useful to budding TGMs learning how to use props to create roleplay and would provide a potential avenue for them that invariably prioritises learning the intricacies of design (e.g. Putting an interesting and compelling scene together) over the intricacies of function (Wrangling with GMOD's jank), which I would argue is more important.

Additionally, I must stress that when it comes to roleplay and event ideas, I am mostly banging rocks together - GMs with a more refined craft than mine such as Napoleon, Julien or Broda may find techniques facilitated by the use of a SWEP like this that would prove useful in creating engaging roleplay.

+I Cannot Overstate How Much I Support This

 

[Niox]

+Support

 

[Sebastian]

-Support

It's a good idea in practice until you realize 99% of ET&S are minges and this would be used to minge.

 

[Zen]

-Support

It's a good idea in practice until you realize 99% of ET&S are minges and this would be used to minge.

Except for the fact that Janitors have had this for like a year and this has never been a notable issue.

 

[Sebastian]

Except for the fact that Janitors have had this for like a year and this has never been a notable issue.

Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not an issue.

 

[Emilia Foddg]

-Support

It's a good idea in practice until you realize 99% of ET&S are minges and this would be used to minge.

Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not an issue.

...So the entire suggestion is bad because you don't particularly trust the idea of giving this to E&TS jobs, when the suggestion is clearly about more than just that? That seems overly harsh.

 

[Starling6]

What does this suggestion change/add/remove:
This comes in two parts. Firstly, I suggest reworking the Prop Placer Tool SWEP so that it is something that is configurable in-game. When giving a job the SWEP, it would be possible to select which props that job can place using the SWEP, along with things like "Is it breakable by shooting it?", "How much HP does it have (if breakable)?", "Which surfaces can it be placed on (walls, ceiling, floor)?", "How far away from the user can it be placed?", and "What's the maximum amount of this prop that the user can place at once?" for each prop that is made available to that job. These would also all be available options when giving someone the tool using FAdmin and the like (for GMs and RP enhancement stuff).

Secondly, I would suggest the following prop placer tool changes and additions for the following jobs:

• Technical Expert, CI Technical Expert, GOC Engineer, Engineer:
  • Some warning barriers, such as models/props_fortifications/traffic_barrier001.mdl and models/props/street/contruction_barricade.mdl
  • Some kind of step stool/ladder for use in reaching things like high-up CCTV cameras
    • The only ladder prop I know of, which is used in various places on UK as a permaprop, isn't actually climbable because its collision is seemingly just a sharp slope, so something else or an update to this prop would be needed
  • Some kind of out-of-order sign or warning sign
  • Some kind of flashing warning light
• IT Technician
  • An out of order sign
• Various ISD, AO, MTF, etc. jobs
  • A sign saying that an area is temporarily off-limits

Other jobs might also have props that would be useful to them, but these are the ones that I came up with off the top of my head that seem particularly useful.

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):

• (Editable SWEP) Allows SL and the like to change things up without needing a dev involved every time for prop placer tool changes
• (Editable SWEP) Allows mods and GMs to give out the SWEP as needed, whether to themselves or to regular players, for use in RP enhancement and events
• (E&TS Tool Use) Makes cameras actually reachable without requiring that SL always place them super low, and generally gives some good RP enhancement stuff for them to use
• (ISD, AO, etc.) They often need to block off an area for an investigation or because a VIP is there or something, this makes it a bit easier and more RP-based

Possible Negatives of the suggestion:

• Possible abuse of props
  • As long as they've got reasonable configured limits, shouldn't be an issue. E.g. the Janitors' signs can all be shot to destroy them.
• Initial dev work
  • A good trade off for not needing it at all for future prop placer tool changes/additions

Based on the Positives & Negatives, why should this suggestion be accepted:
This would generally be very useful, both in general and for the specific jobs mentioned above.

Spoiler: Tldr

This suggestion proposes two main changes to the Prop Placer Tool SWEP:

1. **Configurable In-Game SWEP**: The suggestion advocates for allowing in-game configuration of the SWEP, enabling job-specific customization such as prop types, breakability, HP, placement restrictions, distance, and quantity limits. It also suggests that these settings could be adjusted via FAdmin by GMs or for RP purposes.

2. **Additional Props for Specific Jobs**: The suggestion outlines specific props for various jobs, such as warning barriers, ladders, out-of-order signs, and flashing lights for engineers, IT technicians, and other roles. This aims to enhance roleplay, provide necessary tools for specific tasks, and improve functionality for certain job types.

### Changes/Addition:
- **Reworks the SWEP to be configurable in-game**, offering more control over what props can be placed and under what conditions.
- **Introduces specific props for certain jobs**, enhancing roleplay possibilities and practical functionality for different roles like engineers or IT technicians.

### Positives:
- Allows more flexibility and customization for GMs and players without needing a developer.
- Improves roleplay elements, making tools and props more accessible and practical.
- Supports a wide range of job-specific needs for props like barricades, ladders, and warning signs.

### Negatives:
- Potential for abuse of props, though this can be mitigated by setting limits on their use.
- Requires initial development work but offers long-term benefits.

### Conclusion:
This suggestion is beneficial by adding flexibility and improving roleplay experiences, especially for specific jobs, while balancing the potential for abuse with configurable limits. It should be accepted for the improvements it brings to gameplay and RP dynamics.

+ soup

 

[Bananolas]

+Support
People are going to probably say -Support as people will midge with it i would say make the props placed destructible easy

 

[Zen]

+Support
People are going to probably say -Support as people will midge with it i would say make the props placed destructible easy

Which the suggestion already includes

 

[YandereMuffin]

Except for the fact that Janitors have had this for like a year and this has never been a notable issue.

I wish to note this has 100% been a problem, not an insanely notable to be honest but Janitor props are small and can still be used for many things.

That being said though, I do like the idea and think it could be good (but jesus the props).

 

[Zen]

I wish to note this has 100% been a problem, not an insanely notable to be honest but Janitor props are small and can still be used for many things.

That being said though, I do like the idea and think it could be good (but jesus the props).

Yeah, I am fully aware that this does happen now and then (both when I was staff and since then), but I think I can actually count the number of times I've seen this be abused or rules be broken with it on one hand. Even when it has happened, it's generally not even a significant problem because you can just shoot/stab/punch the props a few times and they break, plus those with prop placers have a very limited amount of props they can place, usually around 3 of each prop.

 

[Aphex]

+Support, I want to minge with props i can already spawn so it wont count as staff abuse!!!

In all seriousness I like this suggestion, particularly the AO/ISD sign that signifies an area being under investigation/off limits, and also creates a AOS line for those areas, which would be very convenient.

 

[Bill Nye The Guy]

id just like to point out a jank ladder can be made by putting a ladder prop down + an invisible rack (from the rack provided by gmod, attached a pic of what im talking abt below you'll defo recognise it) following the profile of the ladder so your suggestion for one is completely doable if you ignore the occasional fall damage you take from going down it too fast

 

[Zen]

id just like to point out a jank ladder can be made by putting a ladder prop down + an invisible rack (from the rack provided by gmod, attached a pic of what im talking abt below you'll defo recognise it) following the profile of the ladder so your suggestion for one is completely doable if you ignore the occasional fall damage you take from going down it too fast
View attachment 21236

You can also take fall damage IRL if you go down a ladder too fast

 

[casper]

Stop making suggestions but +support

 

[Sebastian]

+Support
People are going to probably say -Support as people will midge with it i would say make the props placed destructible easy

It's a great idea, but the current player base already abuses place able props (which can already be destroyed but it doesn't stop the issue); just making them easier to get would increase the amount of misuse.

 

[Verlocity]

Suggestion Denied

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Hi @Zen ,

Thanks for taking the time to make a server suggestion.
The Content Team has chosen to deny your suggestion due to the following reasons.

Reason for Denial:
We as content believe that this wouldnt be used on the server to benefit roleplay that much, as it wouldnt be used that much. Furthermore, it would be abused if we give prop places to jobs such as tech experts which is already known to be a job that you mess around on.

Your suggestion will now be locked and marked as denied.​