Expensive Cosmetic Items/Items that provide a minor advantage

[BeeSting12]

The only complaint I've seen about the economy that hasn't been addressed properly so far is that there's nothing to buy when you have a lot of money. I've been thinking about adding some mainly cosmetic items at expensive prices. The requirements for these items are as follows:

1. Must be cosmetic or give a small advantage over existing equipment. For example, a blue engineer's helmet similar to the CE's white helmet. A reskin of the taser to make it gold. An RCD with a three tile range over empty space (not through windows). Don't make something stupidly OP and lock it behind a really high price just because.

2. Should be themed toward whatever department has it in their vendor. Engineering would get the ranged RCD and the blue engineer's helmet in the previous example. Security would get the reskinned taser.

3. Should require interaction with the economy beyond going AFK and receiving paychecks.

4. On the subject of items that give advantages: It should be something Nanotrasen would realistically have the technology to build, it's just too expensive to make standard issue. "Why would the department not just get them for free?" Think of it like an office job. Some companies would probably pay for whatever keyboard/mouse you want, but others will have you buy and bring your own if you want to work comfortably. Nanotrasen is the latter- if you want to make your job that much easier, you gotta pay for it.

There may be some existing items that fit within these categories that can be worked in. If it's a cosmetic item for the department, put it in that department's vendor and make the custom_price something expensive. If it's an item that gives an advantage, put it in that department's vendor if applicable. Security, engineering, and medical all have their own vendors, other departments might need a new one.

Ideas guys post here and maybe a coder or spriter will like it and make it.

[Nabski]

It seems like heads of staff both start off with more money, and a budget card. What's to keep them from just buying it for themselves?

[Mickyan]

If it's a cosmetic item for the department, put it in that department's vendor and make the custom_price something expensive. If it's an item that gives an advantage, put it in that department's vendor if applicable. Security, engineering, and medical all have their own vendors, other departments might need a new one.

This doesn't really accomplish anything since your own department vendors are free people will just grab these at roundstart

If only there was a distinction between basic and premium items you could have the latter always cost money

[iamgoofball]

If it's a cosmetic item for the department, put it in that department's vendor and make the custom_price something expensive. If it's an item that gives an advantage, put it in that department's vendor if applicable. Security, engineering, and medical all have their own vendors, other departments might need a new one.

This doesn't really accomplish anything since your own department vendors are free people will just grab these at roundstart

If only there was a distinction between basic and premium items you could have the latter always cost money

You can make them cost money, slap down a new vendor and set the department flag to NO_FREEBIES.

[Mickyan]

Being too lazy to fix bugs is one thing, suggesting ridiculous roundabout solutions to make """intended features""" actually work because you're incapable to admit your code isn't absolutely perfect is another but why do you have to do both

Did I forget to mention to get everything for free all you have to do is carry a vending machine to lavaland

[Dr_bee]

Robustin put in a bunch of engineering equipment for his engineering GBP system that would be a great thing to put in an executive equipment vendor. Should still be in the code.

[Floiven]

A gold/extra fancy version of the primary tools of each department, with a ridiculous price and no other benefit other than showing off. Make the sprite sparkle and shine or something, to show off. Golden Knife/Rolling Pin for Chef, wrenches for engineers, shaker for bartender, etc. Maybe fancy dress uniforms with very slightly higher defensive stats?

Gatchapon machines with collectible stuff in them would probably work as a money sink too, people love that shit. I'll try and think of more later.

As for people complaining, it's a lot more constructive to come up with solutions and improvements to a system, than just whine about it. Bitching and moaning is a lot more convenient though, I guess.

[Ispiria]

What I really liked about this thread title was the "minor advantage" bit more than the cosmetic bit, although that's cool too.

The first thing that came to mind while reading this was with regards to this gold taser idea - how about on top of just being a reskin, the taser also comes with a mindshield firing pin and possibly labelled as belonging to the officer vending it? The advantage there obviously being that a mindshield pin taser can't be easily used against the officer, and having it labelled is an extra cosmetic touch.

For medbay, maybe one third-capacity hyposprays? 10u total instead of the CMO's 30, significantly useful for doctors while being both within Nanotrasen's tech range and not being gamebreakingly OP. Medical vendors could provide additional epinephrine autoinjectors at a higher price as well, since the only way of getting more once the station runs out is through cargo. Some enhanced antiviral masks that completely immunize the wearer to airborne viruses, maybe?

The minor advantage angle is really the best way to approach an endgame rewards system for accumulating money, although the obvious issue of economy still needing balance remains. As CMO what's to stop me from just emptying the department budget and stockpiling all the best stuff in my office? Or for the Captain to drain the station defense budget and run around collecting every powergamey choice for himself? Keeping the items from offering too much of an advantage is probably the best approach there.

These were just a few ideas I had off the top of my head while on my lunch break at work, more things that offer small bonuses besides just looking cool should be easy enough to come up with for each department. Also the bit about labelling them with the vendor's name is probably important in case an item gets stolen - engraved instead of labelled?

[Yakumo_Chen]

The minor advantage angle is really the best way to approach an endgame rewards system for accumulating money, although the obvious issue of economy still needing balance remains. As CMO what's to stop me from just emptying the department budget and stockpiling all the best stuff in my office? Or for the Captain to drain the station defense budget and run around collecting every powergamey choice for himself? Keeping the items from offering too much of an advantage is probably the best approach there.

The solution is simple here, either don't keep a limit on the items or keep the advantages minor enough that heads of staff who may want the item already have better alternatives.
Easy way to make use of the economy is for heads to use their budgets to also reward other people with the premium items.

I also think that as a side note, the department budget cards should not have a lump sum of cash to start with, but like crew pay should accumulate funds over time, to keep heads from just emptying out the premium items with their budget cards at shift start, or also doing what I do as captain every round and just dumping the entire budget into cargo so I can buy an expensive shuttle or 3 crates of nice items.

[Steelpoint]

If a crewmans pay came from their departments budget, that might be a disincentive for a head of staff to empty their departments budget since if they did, their subordinates would no longer be getting paid.

If the CMO decides to empty the entire budget just to buy some fancy looking medical items and clothing, he'd have a department of people who are not getting any money who might now be pissed.

[Floiven]

If a crewmans pay came from their departments budget, that might be a disincentive for a head of staff to empty their departments budget since if they did, their subordinates would no longer be getting paid.

If the CMO decides to empty the entire budget just to buy some fancy looking medical items and clothing, he'd have a department of people who are not getting any money who might now be pissed.

Sounds fun!

[WarbossLincoln]

A gold/extra fancy version of the primary tools of each department, with a ridiculous price and no other benefit other than showing off. Make the sprite sparkle and shine or something, to show off. Golden Knife/Rolling Pin for Chef, wrenches for engineers, shaker for bartender, etc. Maybe fancy dress uniforms with very slightly higher defensive stats?

The gold tools should emit a couple tiles of yellow light too.

Chef - Knife
Janitor - Mop of course, Roger Wilco had a golden mop I think.
Botanist - Plant Analyzer
Bartender - Shaker
Doctor - Health Analyzer
Chemist - Large Beaker
Chaplain - Bible
Engineer - Tool Belt
you get where this is going

Is it possible to charge different jobs different amounts, or is it just Free or Not? You could charge the intended job an amount that's high but realistically obtainable for their job and a ridiculously high amount for any other job.

It should also cost different amounts for each job.

For example a Doctor's item should cost more than the chef's, because a doctor is going to take payment from any unconscious patient while the chef is going to earn less by asking for tips or selling special food. A gold health analyzer could cost like 2k$ for a doctor and 10k for anyone else. A gold chef's knife like 1k$ for a chef and 10k for anyone else.

[confused rock]

Can we give tacticool turtlenecks armor again? Not like they’d be the only arcade loot with benefits. (Inb4 miners hack drobe for armored shirt)