HIGHLY ILLEGAL contrabanned, this item is the visual representation of a Tider’s desperation to do things they’re told not to. Rebelling against mommy and daddy now possible, with only 2 planks of wood, 2 improvised handcuffs, and1 wirecutter.
It can be somewhat difficult to get insuls if you aren’t a syndicate or befriend an Engi. I think the game is a bit more interesting when door-hacking is technically possible, but you gotta look absolutely ridiculous doing it, and everyone KNOWS what you’re doing.
Here’s my suggestion:
“The Doohickey”. It literally just wood planks, attached to wire cutters via 2 handcuffs.
HOWEVER, it has extra stipulations, just to drive home how stupid it is.
Every time you snip a wire, because of how big and heavy it is, there’s a 30 percent chance you snip one of the wires next to your intended one.
Theres also a 30% chance you still shock yourself.
Its so big and heavy that it needs to be wielded to be used. And doesn’t fit in a bag.
and finally
(and this is my favourite) -It requires a chair or table between you and the door, to balance the doohickey on. You can use a folding chair, or if you have steel, build it on the tile infront of the door.
On the plus side, it has 2 tile reach for door snipping. Not sure how useful that be, but still.
So instead of guaranteed chance to get shocked, you only get shocked on 30% chance?
But besides that, isn’t it easier to beg engineers for insuls, instead of robbing security for cuffs? Due to that, it would make this obvious to everyone item into something completly not worth the time and effort most of the time.
Rerouting disposals compared to this is way easier, cheaper and more concealed option - and personally I find it more fun than door hacking.
not handcuffs. like handmade handcuffs or zipties. same as all the other stuff tiders can craft, stun baton, bola, etc.
but also that’s the point. its meant to be a ridiculous and pointless time waste
if you’re using it, you should constantly live with the feeling that you’re being stupid for using it. it’s making fun of tiders.
that and like, yeah sometimes your ONLY option will be to use The Doohickey, but you should feel like you messed up somewhere if you are.
That and having an option for evacs where everything is broken and destroyed is a nice option too.
cable coil improvised cuffs do make more sense that robbing security.
But Im still not sold on the idea, due to how complex it would be. How would you have to discover that the chair is required? I guess, maybe instead of item used in hand, it would be more a free standing tool like APE, that you would construct/deconstruct into the normal item part, and used chair? So the only howto that is required would be knowledge to anchor and/or rotate the whole thing so it faces door you want to cut wires from.
You could have a section in the guidebook on basics of doorhacking. Add it to that section.
You could have it have a little information i with a circle around it on the item description.
You could have a little white text notification pop up when you try that says “this item is too heavy to hold, find a table or chair to balance it on”
You could have a description on the item that says “this item needs to be wielded, and have a chair between you and the object to be used”
You could have that little magnifying glass thing on items give an extended description when clicked.
Out of all the arcane and complicated things in SS14, I don’t think this would be that weird. Sure, maybe its unique in how it works compared to everything else, but that just means people are learning about a new way items can interact. The info should be freely available if you know how to search the in-game guide.
No its like a shotgun. You hold it in 1 hand, but can’t use it unless its wielded.
You COULD make it like an APE if you want, sure, but I think it makes more sense to have someone pick up a folding chair in 1 hand, and The Doohickey in the other and just set it up.
APE shots can go through glass, and you can’t use items on people behind walls, so its not like there’s not a way to check what is in front of an entity when firing a bullet or making an interact check.
Just add a check for if a chair is in the way of line of sight instead of a wall.
If it’d be easier, you can literally fire an invisible bullet at the door, and check if that projectile connects with a chair. If it does, then you get to start snipping.
Chair can be any direction in this, its just checking if there’s a chair or table disrupting line of sight.
I think TEG and syndicate bombs are the closest to this, generator shows you in which direction gas should flow, and the other just opens guidebook when you click it. The doohickey should not explode in your face, so I guess such extended description would just get in the way if the guidebook contained some information about its usage.
He’s onto something actually. With some tweaking this might work.
One of the main reasons insuls aren’t restricted to engineers (despite galoshes being jani restricted, jackboots and some gloves being sec only… basically any clothing item that offers any benefit is restricted. Only insuls get this weird carveout…) is because that’s the only way to avoid shocks. “You can’t stealthily break into places without them so insuls have to be reasonably available.”
This provides a.. not entirely unreasonable alternative. Tweak to be somewhat more viable, but still leaves insuls being the best option rather than the only option.
I maintain my position that as non-antag you shouldn’t be breaking space law and breaking into places causing more work for sec. If there is a good reason to break into a department you have clear options to, such as;
asking station AI under Laws 1 or 2,
pulling aside a borg or radioing for one
getting jaws of life later into the shift from sci
radioing for assistance to enter a place from those with access
Asking HoP for emerency access to perform a vital task (such as helping setup TEG when no engi/atmos exists)
Trasnfering jobs or getting a job with the department you desire
Rerouting disposals to send you into the department
deconstructing a wall (requires 1 shard1 wrench, 1 crow, 1 screwdriver, a weilder and a uniform)
but even so you should have a good reason to do so to avoid being arrested.
Me with a screwdriver and crowbar, devilishly walking towards your APC (there is a secoff around the corner and I have to RP monologue for the bit on LRP):
Oh trust me. As an engineer main i deal with it constantly, and have to restrain myself from feeding tiders that break in to the tesla… purely because I’m tired of them breaking in all the time.
Though I think half the issue is described well if jokingly in the intro. Contempt for rules and being contrarian is part of being a tider. “I’m going in here because I want the things there. You will not stop me.” Is just how tiders are… Everyone wants a maints bar, and they think it’s okay if they disassemble half the station for it.
I made this maints bar without breaking space law as greytide.. this was a few months back when i decided a cat-cafe would be neat. I even made my own holo and got my own fax setup
Easy yes, but still half the thing of tiders is b&e is almost cultural to them. Yes I hate it too. In fact I’m trying to learn enough to put in a PR to make insuls engineering restricted. Since in my earlier post, they’re the only clothing item with that weird carveout.
I dont think they need more restricting than currently exists where Sec can take them when they get caught. but they certainly dont need cheap jaws of life
That’s the thing. Sec never does take them. “Those aren’t contra.” They all say. “I found them in maints.” Unless they admit to stealing them, guess who’s keeping their gloves.
Anyway that’s quite off topic for the thread. OP, I think yes this should be expanded on a bit to make it a slightly more usable option. Again one that makes it more usable, but still makes real insuls (or working budget insuls) the nicer option, especially for fine work.
