Modular Test Chambers

[XanBloodfruit]

Currently sci is the most boring job to play, their main point methods are RNG and keeping an eye on anomalies, which get very repetitive while also hogging up all their attention leaving little time for them to RP.

Since the maintainers have stated that they don’t want anything powerful to be gotten from research points, how about instead we add variety to what sci can do in their department with more things they can research inside of sci.

My idea is to have the test chambers for artis be round start bare with the materials to build the setup the chambers for different types of research, arties could still be an option but we could also have:

A minor form of xenobio, where the spiders and slimes that pop up from random events can be captured (using a net gun maybe), and studied in the chambers, by giving them materials that sci must make or get from other departments, the creatures become more dangerous for a time, maybe break out and what ever methods can be used to contain them won’t work, but after some time, they calm down and enter a passive state and won’t harm anything and they drop an item that sci can put into a machine to get points, after some time the mobs return to a normal state where they can become more dangerous once again. We could also get random behaviour while in this state but mostly in the form of how they act: only targeting windows and ignoring crew, becoming stationary and hard to tell when they calm down but still attacking all who come near while hostile, and any other forms of behaviour.

Bluespace rifts, portals made by sci at a rift base that anything could come out of, but can be turned on and off at will, but the longer they are on, the faster points are generated, at the cost of more mobs, and even deadly mobs coming out. Other things could also be included to help balance and make them more enjoyable: giving them a cooldown once they are first built and if you turn them off, every rift is different but you know everything about it once you turn it on, properties change everytime they are turned off and on again
Any other ideas are welcome

[Flesh]

Sci absolutely needs more things to science, so nice to get ideas flowing.

You could treat Xenobio like Xenoarch, giving the mobs random traits as they interact with the catalysts. With a risk of creating the ghost spider.
Though an alternative form of research I’d suggest is gradually producing points that can be harvested, but requiring procedures to take care off and keep them docile enough and alive.
Maybe add some form of breeding, too.

The rift is, if nothing else, absolutely on theme for a bunch of crazy scientists in space.
You could tie it to Xenoscience by making it a relatively consistent source of alien lifeforms and artifacts.
Maybe have it create some kind of stable-ish artifact or alien tech with some sort of use, but needing to be tested itself.

As for an “original” idea, some kind of biological research on either animals or humanoid “volunteers”. Some sort of bounty-like system to inspect the effects of different chemicals, (if implemented) biological agents or artifacts on the living subject. Could come with some sort of “exotic chemicals” with different effects depending on the round.

[inkyblinky]

A lot of the problems you bring up is simply because Science is an unfinished department. Robotics isn’t fleshed out, and other avenues of research like Ordnance and the E.X.P.E.R.I-MENTOR aren’t even added.

I think it’ll be a while before these get prioritized too, because compared to other departments (cargo especially), Science is the most “complete” department in the game right now. The other departments need a lot more love sooner rather than later.