Expanded Access when under a Threshold of Players

[Ikarrus]

What I'd really like is if access automatically changed if a certain threshold of players at round start was reached.

For example, <30 players and ass/sec maint and extended access would be enabled.

>30 players and neither of these roles would get maint, and minimal access would be enabled.

Low population rounds having more access in general would make it easier for people to run the station, as not all jobs are going to be likely filled. Limiting access during higher-pop rounds would stop things getting out of hand really quickly.

We already have these options coded, but they're server configs. I'd like to make them automatic (or, a config option to enable it being automatic)

EDIT: I did it

https://github.com/tgstation/-tg-station/pull/7244

[Steelpoint]

It seems like a good idea. Low pop rounds tend to be far more slower and less crowded, so even if Assistants and Security have maintenance access it does not mean that maintenance will be crowded.

My only suggestion is that there is a automatic announcement (like the round start "welcome crew") about what the access levels are.

[Ikarrus]

Yeah, good to mention that.

[Scones]

"Welcome, crew. Suboptimal crew population detected - Extended station access has been enabled on certain IDlock doors"

Something like that?

[Steelpoint]

"Welcome, crew. Suboptimal crew population detected - Extended station access has been enabled on certain IDlock doors"

Something like that?

Yeah, something like that.

The question is, should the access levels revert if the round's population goes over the 30 player threshold?

If so, there should be a grace period to allow people to get out of a area they may soon lose access too.

[Ikarrus]

Keeping it IC in this case makes it seem needlessly wordy. We already have welcome text. Just append to it.

Welcome to Space Station 13. Expanded Access is currently enabled. Enjoy your stay.

And no, I think having it change mid-round is just going to result in confusion and frustration for everyone. How are you going to handle mid-game job/access changes made by the HoP?

[Lo6a4evskiy]

I think it's a great idea.

Players leaving/joining shouldn't cause too much trouble, access is not that big of a deal.

However, I think there should be a clear way to check whether it's true IC. The reason is so that people could distinguish trespassers and people who just got extended access. I don't doubt there will be cases where someone gets arrested for "trespassing" (see what happens even now when you walk into brig as a non-HoS non-captain head).

[soulgamer]

I would like special jobs that only open up after a certain number of people have joined.

[Wizardjenkins66]

I would like special jobs that only open up after a certain number of people have joined.

Like assistant.

[Bombadil]

I would like special jobs that only open up after a certain number of people have joined.

Like assistant.

Greytide hunters.

They spawn with crossbows that slay assitants in one shot if they get hit

[Ikarrus]

https://github.com/tgstation/-tg-station/pull/7244

[Fatal]

Setting limits to certain jobs (not assistants) when this is on would be a good thing

Janitor was recently upped to 2 slots default, as was the Cook (chef), surely we don't need those, so lower the limits by 1 of any job that has 2 or more slots while this is on

[dezzmont]

I don't like the idea of access not changing back if more people join. You could avoid the "Suddenly trapped" problem by having an announcement go off saying that in 2 minutes the access will lift.

During certain times of day round pops can suddenly jump up very rapidly and result in a flood of people joining into the station.

I do sort of like limiting jobs based on population. As is many popular jobs have multiple slots they don't need during low pop rounds, there is rarely a need for a second chemist for example until the round gets big, so limiting slots until the station fills up, both in low pop rounds and as an aspect of job selection code all the time (because sometimes you get 2 botanists, 2 cooks, 2 chemists, 2 geneticists, and no engineers even on a meaty round), will allow the station's roles to be more evenly spread.

[Ikarrus]

It gets far too difficult to find out who needs what access stripped from them mid-round if we do that. Our jobs aren't static. We would have to consider job changes and HoP modifications, multiple ID cards, stolen ID cards, renamed ID cards, agent ID cards, as well as custom jobs that don't exist anywhere in the code. Many of these things could be used to circumvent the access changes, or inadvertantly get someone screwed if we don't make it as needlessly complex as such a system would demand.

The default threshold is the same number in which most game modes would become available. We don't often cross that boundary, save for server reboots and early American mornings. The threshold is low enough to suit most rounds on tg, and even then having slightly raised access isn't going to ruin the game. It will, however, add a lot of scalability to the game to suit the population ata given time.

Scaling job slots is also a good idea, but is a different idea altogether. It does not solve the problem that I intend to tackle here.

[dezzmont]

The good of the many outweighs the good of the people who play at 4 AM I suppose.

[Ikarrus]

It's just technically unfeasable. Too many variables in this game.

[dezzmont]

I believe it. It would only really affect one round during those points anyway. Makes an interesting pseudo event.