Information Technology/Communications

[kevinz000]

Yes, I know it's been like a week since my last "massive pipe dream" idea thread.
tl;dr
I'm thinking about an overhaul to communications, with the primary focus being unifying circuit/modular computers/pda/radio traffic/literally everything that requires ranged signals into a single system, with two modes for the system, being radi oand subspace, where radio is radius-locked based on a transmitter/receiver power, and subspace is cross-z. this would more or less nullify relay linking unless it's added so relays can only receive from linked machines. while NTSL wouldn't be reintroduced, all the machines would be repurposed to do a specific thing in the communications chain, and possibly you'd have more machines like firewalls/selective filters/voice processors built into telecomms.

Anyways: Right now, we have what, radio, "radio" (embedded controllers and shit that are """radio""" signals but aren't really processed by telecomms to my knowledge?), ntnet (quantum entanglement magic stuff that works across all zlevels if you'r ea circuit, not simulated signals, used by modular computers too), subspace (radio but it's cross-z with relays?)

Assuming this doesn't all get crashed by lag issues with implementation.
I'm proposing we change that to:
All communications are converted into signals (Unless it really won't work, in which case it'll be snowflaked to act like one) and integrated into the following:
Radio: Circular radius locked instead of full zlevel. Transmitter/receiver power would change distance or make it outright full-zlevel.
Subspace: The cross-Z signal method. Any signals sent to relays/whatever will be sending across subspace will be "heard" by all other relays, nullifying the need to link relays. If that sounds ridiculous you could make them require to be linked to "decrypt" the signals.
Everything would have basic circular radius radio coverage, except maybe headsets if that's a bit op . To send across the whole zlevel you'd have to use a high powered radio (like intercomms or bounced radios) (everything by default would be a high power transmitter except things that as of now requires subspace to work, like radio headsets). Telecommunications machines would be a high power transmitter and receiver allowing them to relay signals from all intercomms and headsets, however when receiving they "convert" (set a flag) on the signal to digital form which would require processors to turn back into analog signals for them to be heard without massive amounts of static because radios aren't powerful enough to convert them back without high masking/interruptions.
This above would basically replicate the current telecomms, minus the fact that all integrated circuit/computer signals would go through this (except maybe comms console, for obvious reasons, and probably initially actually a lot of them as they can't be all converted immediately).

The magic here is that the system would support linking more machines into the "signal chain", allowing for things like firewalls, network voice triggers, voice filters/blockers, hell you can install wiretaps if you want. Telecomms servers could be added that hosts the records servers and others, you could have departmental servers linked to the main telecomms room.
While NTSL would probably never return, this would probably add support for the closest thing you'll ever get to it in the process, a radio chain that is modular and able to be modified by players in game.

This would end up initially reducing a little bit of complexity but add the room to add far more complexity, to both telecomms, to what we think of as an in game network, and possibly computers. DWAINE anyone? (although I believed maintainers specified in the past they didn't like DOS interfaces, but we can always make a GUI for it.)

With everything unified, we could someday port things like IC cross server messages and newscasters to it, which allows for certain machines to send cross server. You could have server linked radios if you so wanted (although that would be a horrible idea, so don't try it!)

Thoughts, opinions, comments?

I'm turning into an ideas guy..

[Lumbermancer]

while NTSL wouldn't be reintroduced, all the machines would be repurposed to do a specific thing in the communications chain

But can they run trivia?

[kevinz000]

while NTSL wouldn't be reintroduced, all the machines would be repurposed to do a specific thing in the communications chain

But can they run trivia?

only if circuits aren't removed because ntsl won't be readded in its old form ever.
maybe a new version that wouldn't have balance problems but that would be a massive pipe dream of its own.

edit: if it ever gets finished feel free to code a trivia module to add to the signal chain.

[delaron]

Part of me wonders if the locked circular radius computational overhead would be staggering on high pop.

How will things like radio jammers interact?

What happens with bouncing/echo signals?

How is a current radio message from a headset seen in the game code vs how it would be in your update?

It sounds like a bunch of work but interesting also. Is this more a pet project or do you see it being quality of life improvement?

[Cobby]

> modular computers/pda

let's take it with smaller strides by just unifying these first.

[kevinz000]

@delaron: More of both. I think it would allow for new possibilities for coders and players alike, and it's sort of a pet project, one of many.

@Cobby I would if TGUI wasn't a laggy piece of shit to run for me and I had any intention of making opening my PDA be as laggy as opening a rapid pipe dispenser which is quite laggy.

Also the way I tackle refactors is "do the big ones", which is probably why I'm so horribly burned out. But hey, it works well[citation needed] half the time!

[Stickymayhem]

You autists won't stop until you can literally just be a sysadmin in SS13 while you're sad an alone in your real life server farm basements

[Lazengann]

Make sure common radio is gone

[delaron]

Make sure common radio is gone

I enjoy our space Barrens chat thank you very much!

[Lumbermancer]

Make sure common radio is gone

Might as well just kill everyone at that point.

[kevinz000]

You autists won't stop until you can literally just be a sysadmin in SS13 while you're sad an alone in your real life server farm basements

tfw you're fucking right

Anyways, currently making modular computers a component and refactoring it to make this stuff easier to do later.