The mime's PDA should only be able to use emojis

[Farquaar]

I always thought it was strange seeing mimes who communicate by sending PDA messages instead of actually miming. At best, PDA messages are a crutch for bad mimes. At worst, they're a powergamey way to evade the consequences of breaking one's vow of silence. So what then should be done?

I propose that the mime PDA be made incapable of sending alphabetical characters. Instead, it can only send emoticons, emojis and symbols.

The current list of emotes that already exist in the game should be sufficient, but adding the different mime masks (happy mime, sad mime etc.) shouldn't be too much of a stretch.
https://tgstation13.org/wiki/Emoji_cheat_sheet

Let us usher in a new age of gesticulation and non-verbal communication!

[Coconutwarrior97]

I like this idea, but Id rather it be an optional thing. Basically like a PDA cartridge for the mime which when inserted disallows the use of anything beyond emoticons. I feel something like this is bordering on the line where some people would welcome the extra RP aspect while others would find it annoying/cumbersome. PDA cartridge seems to be the best option imo.

[Farquaar]

I like this idea, but Id rather it be an optional thing. Basically like a PDA cartridge for the mime which when inserted disallows the use of anything beyond emoticons. I feel something like this is bordering on the line where some people would welcome the extra RP aspect while others would find it annoying/cumbersome. PDA cartridge seems to be the best option imo.

I agree. The easiest way to implement it would be as a PDA cartridge, I'd imagine. Theoretically, a mime could just eject it, but it would still serve to curtail the verbosity of loquacious mimes while adding a bit of humour to the game for people who enjoy playing mime properly. If the goal were to prevent mimes from using paper or PDAs completely, then a policy change would be in order. This idea is more motivated in the spirit of good fun, rather than outright restriction.

From a player education standpoint, PDA-reliance is mostly a problem with newer mimes who haven't yet learned how to express themselves by emoting and think that the PDA is the only way they can convey complex ideas. My hope is that this little feature would tell new players "oh yeah, I should be communicating non-verbally", instead of "oh cool, I can just talk normally using this machine without losing my mime powers".

[bandit]

fund it

oh shit I mean

[confused rock]

Actually fucking love this idea, I hate mimes who think pda and paper are fine, it's against the POINT. How did nobody think of this?

[firecage]

https://tgstation13.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=32

[Lumbermancer]

Slut.

Anyway, I would make it default communication mechanism for Mime, having emotes menu. Because few do real emoting/miming to communicate, and even fewer mime more than few words.

[Davidchan]

Why just the PDA, make all Mime words, be they spoked or written, come out as emoji.

[bman]

can someone give the breaking vow button a different icon from the wall button, whichever lemur-necked troglodyte thought that's a good idea belongs on a cross

[Lumbermancer]

Why just the PDA, make all Mime words, be they spoked or written, come out as emoji.

Or or, Mime language, where everything typed would come out as emoji.

[confused rock]

Wingdings

[delaron]

now this is a poll done right!

Shut up and take my money!

[Lumbermancer]

Lads lads, you have a neat idea here, but you don't apply it to fix the problem at its core.

Mimes communicate through PDA instead miming. So don't change the PDA, make it a Mime language, so they actually do.

[confused rock]

no, change the pda, so mimes have to communicate through miming instead of the pda.

[L_Nacho_Chaos_L]

I like this, but chose no because it's a clown. HONK!

[DrunkenMatey]

I feel I would prefer mime PDA messages to always be "..." or just " ", so I can use them in the HoP line to intimidate the HoP into giving me makes an all encompassing gesture.

Hot damn. Does that mean you remember my days of all encompassing gestures to the HoP as mime?

As for on topic... as a mime who uses PDA and Paper often when trying to communicate with (shit)curity I actually think this idea could be pretty fun. I used to put more effort into emoting but I used to get people just yelling at me to PDA or write it down or ignoring me because they didn't get what I meant; so I got lazier and just skipped to PDAing. That said, having your PDA stolen as mime can be really crippling as you often can't get people to hold still and watch you come up with emote gestures that aren't stupid shit like "/me spells out "whathisface is a ling with their finger" or other ways of basically talking through emotes. Anyways sounds fun to try.