Ideas to turn pAI into a job role which could help ease player into true station AI

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ChilliDogDave
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2022 10:53 pm
Byond Username: ChilliDogDave

Ideas to turn pAI into a job role which could help ease player into true station AI

Post by ChilliDogDave » #639253

as someone that really enjoys playing as the AI, borg and pAI me and a few players who have balance and tip discussions on playing these 3 positions have all agreed the pAI has potential to be a true job role that can serve as the capability of giving new dynamics to antags, command, general crew and newbies to any of the following since it opens up more of an ability to introduce a better co-op synergy to using a pAI.

having pAI become a true job role would also open up a new selection to silicon which could honestly use more positions to pad out the station AI unlock and possibly increase the required hours slightly as pAI could be the stepping stone to becoming a true station AI as after all, a newbie AI is going to make a shift a hell of a lot harder, going from Borgo to AI is a massive jump in terms of difficulty as well as responsibility.

some things i suggest could be done to improve the pAI experience as well as balance said experience could be along the lines of the following categories (obviously these are base suggestions and subject to debate and change)

Gameplay changes/improvements :
  • give the pAI some technology tree upgrades which can either be bought from the computer vendor (after research) which ties into computer and cyborg research, some upgrades needing to be placed into the pAI device itself while others requiring the pAI to go back into its pad and "update software" this would also open the option for traitors or syndicate TC spenders to unlock "illegal/malicious" software for the pAI they use.
  • the pAI MUST be DNA bound to access many of its features and some even requiring the pAI be slotted into a PDA, Laptop, Tablet or Terminal(expanded further down) to balance out just activating and letting it loose as well as prevent theft and immediate abuse.
  • the ability to "jail break" your own or someone else's pAI with digital hacking tools opens up a new possible "brainwashing" playstyle or "freeing" the pAI from its user, this can be used to free a pAI from being stuck to an owner if said owner dies, goes SSD or outright just stealing a pAI for the thief's usage (because you know, THEIF)
  • holo emitter is no longer accessible until slotted, and when the pAI "dies" it is recalled to its device rather than falling on the floor, the user may also force a pAI to recall using the device its slotted into as well as the pAI manually being able to recall itself back to its user (no more getting stuck in maints), add in more pAI displays and creature forms (i'd personally love to roam around as a dwarf fortress Dwarf or have a dorf AI holopad display)
  • holo emitter now has a max range (until late tech tree which makes it map wide) so the pAI is more... well PERSONAL AI rather than "oh ima go explore byeeee!" unless given the ability to do so, the final free roam tech requires a signal physical install from its user so the pAI cant decide to free roam on its own unless given permission (or allowed by a hacker/theif), going outside your max range slowly damages the holo emitter form until it "dies" and recalls.
  • an upgrade that allows the pAI to pull small items (things that can be picked up in one hand) must be manually installed by user with a new part "Holo-field enhancer", handy for the busy roboticist, lazy crew member or for that crafty thief (using recall in any way due to manual initiation or "death" loses grip of said item)
  • an upgrade that give the pAI a single hand for picking up an object, same as above require a new part upgrade, the pAI cannot use or activate the held item (same rule, cannot recall with said item)
  • an upgrade to allow the pAI to use its single "hand" to recall with the held item (but not pulled) another manual install that is considered mid level tech for the pAI, very handy for passing butter, playing "fetch" or thieving
  • ID imprinting that allows the pAI to mimic the users ID electrical coding to access doors and switches (not terminal interfaces like news broadcasts or computers) the ID has access to, this is considered mid level tech (this would likely need server ruling about abusing a command players pAI access similarly to AI access
  • an upgrade component that allows the pAI to remotely activate electronics like doors, switches and computers the users ID allows access to, this requires a part install, same stuff as above
  • an upgrade to increase the pAI installation space for programs by 20 40 and 60 based on the part/tech
  • a tech upgrade to reduce the space usage of all programs by 5 (this will lower the cost of programs at 5 to 0 making them free usage), is updated into the pAI system
  • the pAI now runs on battery which can be charged either by placing the device into a cell charger or placing a new cell into the pAI device
a new program which costs 45 storage space that allows it to be inserted into a department terminal (usually a heads office) that can move around a specific departments department regardless of max range (

Balance changes to compensate for new functionality :
  • the pAI device should spawn at minimum 1 per department lobby as well as one in arrivals + dorms [edit] also 2 spawned into syndicate base and may be ordered with 2 TC, ordering pAI device this way comes with all the part upgrades built in
  • the pAI player spawned in via role is toggled on or off similarly to assistant (this is up to debate i guess as some folks prefer free roam assistant over serving someone but i figured an on/off toggle is better than a priority list) and when spawning into the map they cannot use holo emitter unless slotted and DNA bound by a user
  • the holo emitter now has a max range (this up for debate but im thinking 3 tiers. 75 tile range, 150 and map wide with the base amount being 50), this is upgraded with tech and "updating"
  • pAI nerfed to 70 storage space down from 100
  • pAI installation space increasable with storage drive upgrades in 3 tiers, 100>125>175
  • the user is able to uninstall programs if they deem them un-needed
  • the user can disable or enable the pAI from installing programs of its own accord, disabled by default
  • majority of the pAI's tools and programs may not be accessible unless DNA bound, a user who not the DNA user of the pAI may not use its features unless "hacked/jail broken" this is to balance out its flexibility as well as require effort to use someone's own device against them, this is also to help prevent a pAI defying its user by trying to frame its user for issues it helped create (self antagging)
  • the material cost for building a new pAI device is tripled and does not include a battery
  • holo emitter slowly drains the pAI's battery, the battery drain is increased by x10 when outside its range, while slotted into a device and not using its holo emitter battery drain over time is halted
  • some programs drain power such as the door jack, pull function, pick up function, etc even when slotted, this is to help control power creep
  • the pAI may now get viruses from events, viruses require the user do a virus scan which will deactivate all of its programs and abilities for 2 minutes
  • the pAI may now have its components damaged by EMP or high electrical damage (such as revenant, weapons etc) delt to the user which will require a hardware repair or replacement (fixing speech button is removed and added to virus scanning)
  • "dying" with the holo emitter now drains a small amount of power to reduce its "meat shield" capability
  • the pAI holo emitter has 50% less health to reduce its "meat shield" capability
  • pAI has increased speed while close to its device and less speed when near its max range which scales as low as 75% reduced speed, this is to encourage the pAI to stick around the area of its device
  • pAI light will now work while on a belt slot, while carried in holo emitter form or worn as a hat
  • disabling the pAI's holo emitter while it is outside of its device will forcibly recall the pAI and lock its emitter
with these changes i hope to see a true pAI role becoming a thing as well as it being a great way for someone to help newbies to the game as well as allow newbies to learn from their user by observation while opening a whole new co-op themed playstyle that both benefits the antagonist or station crew depending on who owns one, with it becoming a role option this could also allow servers to job ban specific trolls from abusing pAI to self-antag
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Itseasytosee2me
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:14 am
Byond Username: Rectification
Location: Space Station 13

Re: Ideas to turn pAI into a job role which could help ease player into true station AI

Post by Itseasytosee2me » #639327

You can currently slave a PAI to you with an emag
- Sincerely itseasytosee
See you later
ChilliDogDave
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2022 10:53 pm
Byond Username: ChilliDogDave

Re: Ideas to turn pAI into a job role which could help ease player into true station AI

Post by ChilliDogDave » #639338

Itseasytosee2me wrote: Sun May 01, 2022 8:37 pm You can currently slave a PAI to you with an emag
true but its currently a waste since it doesnt do much
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Rohen_Tahir
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2019 1:00 pm
Byond Username: Rohen Tahir
Location: Primary fool storage
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Re: Ideas to turn pAI into a job role which could help ease player into true station AI

Post by Rohen_Tahir » #639349

This contradicts a design doc or something along these lines.
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