+- Goonstation Forums (https://forum.ss13.co)
+-- Forum: Discussion (https://forum.ss13.co/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Forum: Ideas & Suggestions (https://forum.ss13.co/forumdisplay.php?fid=8)
+--- Thread: Teleman needs a thirty second delay (/showthread.php?tid=24877)
Teleman needs a thirty second delay - CatzCatzCatz - 01-24-2026
After observing multiple rounds of shenanigans involving teleman and packets, it has become apparent that after the initial difficulty of setting it up, you essentially can prolong engagements with the crew as antagonist by having speedy teleports on demand.
This is not fun to engage with as you can set up teleman in some random spot away from the station and there is no counterplay besides getting telejammers at the Flock Trader.
Thus someone suggested that teleman needs at least a thirty second delay to keep fights and interactions relatively fair for everyone.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Silent Majority - 01-24-2026
Hey! Ive ran into these a few myself.
Part of the issue is once someone knows hoe its often done in 2-3 minutes it seems.
This doesn't feel intended. It feels like mechanics abuse almost. I understand the approach but when so many things have timers to prevent spamming teleman not having one baffles me
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Munien - 01-24-2026
I think 30 seconds is quite a long time (count to 30 and imagine everything that could happen ingame in such a short time for a fun experiment). While I agree abuse of telesci is a pain, this feels overly punishing for antags using telesci. Maybe its not an issue but still worth taking into consideration how it affects telesci as a part of the regular science department gameplay. I do think there's definitely validity to the fact there's almost no counterplay beyond jammers or deleting the mainframe though, and thats something that should be worked on.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Lord_earthfire - 01-24-2026
Honestly, it's indicative that any interactions secoffs can't fight directly via baton and tasers will get complained about on the forum or discord... Especially with the suggestion of a ludicrious 30 second delay this sounds like a salt-post.
(01-24-2026, 02:26 PM)Munien Wrote: I do think there's definitely validity to the fact there's almost no counterplay beyond jammers or deleting the mainframe though, and thats something that should be worked on.
You don't need to delete the mainframe. Just cut the wire to it and keep it out of commission until you have the crimer. That doesn't need to be worked on.
But the really most obvious counter is lethals. If they are slippery, just kill them. Even if you just wound them, they are out of the fight for quite some time.
In general, such people can be at best fought by the whole crew. Just get them involved so you deprive the teleporting freak of recources. Or make them your eyes so they can find the crime den, if they really went to the debris/asteroid field.
If you really want to change something on the code side, prevent the use of PDA's while stunned/on the ground. Although i am not sure if that's already the case.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Emimiyu - 01-24-2026
At what point that teleman is player issue or mechanic issue? Usually, I try to ahelp situation where teleman is overused, but it feels like snitching at people for testing or trying new mechanic. Another issue with it, people who use teleman probably know how to go to computer core and just fix the wires. Not to mention cyborgs who rely on teleman etc. Sure, you can just beat up that person or cyborgs, that if you have advantage over them.
Not to mention, if core is down, whole sci is down.
Maybe we do need mechanic approach, but it can be unfun. Also, punishing people who abuse it feels odd too...
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Lord_earthfire - 01-24-2026
(01-24-2026, 04:27 PM)Emimiyu Wrote: Another issue with it, people who use teleman probably know how to go to computer core and just fix the wires. Not to mention cyborgs who rely on teleman etc. Sure, you can just beat up that person or cyborgs, that if you have advantage over them.
Not to mention, if core is down, whole sci is down.
Firstly, telesci is the only thing that needs the mainframe.
Most scientists in artlab barely use the machines and instead get the handheld alternatives (cryostylane for cold, radium for radiation, multitool for electric, welder for heat etc.). Chemistry or toxins don't use it at all.
And hey, if you really get the artlab down, maybe you got a few angry scientists who can help you get the telesci-user. I think noone of them would complain about the opportunity to blow someone up or splash a beaker of saxitoxin onto someone.
Secondly, if people need to fix the wires, they need to reconnect their PC and, more importantly, they need to get to the wires first. You can ambush them. Cutting the mainframe is ample of opportunity to get the person who cut it. If you can't catch them while fixing the wire, it's neither a mechanic nor a player issue: It's a skill issue.
You can also just deconstruct the telepad. that works as well.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - GARGATHUGANOKSREVENG - 01-24-2026
wow now we'd need to wait an entire minute to calibrate telesci, god forbid you input the wrong coordinates.
please, please, please, please never add this change.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Agent reburG - 01-25-2026
I wouldn't mind, if security could get access to portable Tele-Jammers like you see em in the debris field.
But the prompted nerf is ludicrous, most likely, these nerds would just get a second or third tele then.
Consider this, what ever you throw at someone that knows what they are doing, they will find a workaround.
But, you also throw it at 50 people just wanting to use said thing, which then stop bothering with it and give up.
So Tele-Sci would be the only one really suffering from it.
Without offense, Security just might have to use something besides their batons for once.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Emimiyu - 01-25-2026
(01-24-2026, 04:38 PM)Lord_earthfire Wrote:(01-24-2026, 04:27 PM)Emimiyu Wrote: Another issue with it, people who use teleman probably know how to go to computer core and just fix the wires. Not to mention cyborgs who rely on teleman etc. Sure, you can just beat up that person or cyborgs, that if you have advantage over them.
Not to mention, if core is down, whole sci is down.
Firstly, telesci is the only thing that needs the mainframe.
Most scientists in artlab barely use the machines and instead get the handheld alternatives (cryostylane for cold, radium for radiation, multitool for electric, welder for heat etc.). Chemistry or toxins don't use it at all.
And hey, if you really get the artlab down, maybe you got a few angry scientists who can help you get the telesci-user. I think noone of them would complain about the opportunity to blow someone up or splash a beaker of saxitoxin onto someone.
Secondly, if people need to fix the wires, they need to reconnect their PC and, more importantly, they need to get to the wires first. You can ambush them. Cutting the mainframe is ample of opportunity to get the person who cut it. If you can't catch them while fixing the wire, it's neither a mechanic nor a player issue: It's a skill issue.
You can also just deconstruct the telepad. that works as well.
You know what, I do agree. Teleporter are usually noticeable that you can dodge and turning off core is easy peasy. It is not like most of the time it is impossible.
I retract the statement again, remembering a lot of my issue with teleman is not as bad. (Only two experience when someone made it ultra impossible)
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Chasu - 01-25-2026
(01-24-2026, 04:38 PM)Lord_earthfire Wrote: Firstly, telesci is the only thing that needs the mainframe.
Most scientists in artlab barely use the machines and instead get the handheld alternatives (cryostylane for cold, radium for radiation, multitool for electric, welder for heat etc.). Chemistry or toxins don't use it at all.
And hey, if you really get the artlab down, maybe you got a few angry scientists who can help you get the telesci-user. I think noone of them would complain about the opportunity to blow someone up or splash a beaker of saxitoxin onto someone.
Secondly, if people need to fix the wires, they need to reconnect their PC and, more importantly, they need to get to the wires first. You can ambush them. Cutting the mainframe is ample of opportunity to get the person who cut it. If you can't catch them while fixing the wire, it's neither a mechanic nor a player issue: It's a skill issue.
You can also just deconstruct the telepad. that works as well.
I agree for the most part, the exception being that art scientists barely use the machines, but even if their work is disrupted, what is so wrong with that?
Having even more people motivated go after the antag is a good thing. This is exactly the kind of station-wide consequence a fight with an antag should have.
A cut mainframe wire is, exactly as Earthfire said, a great ambush opportunity.
There are so many ways to fight this with the current means we have ingame.
Afraid to lose track of them? Get the implant gun and a tracker.
Want to slow them down? Open the armory and get a stasis rifle.
A 30-second delay is absolutely ridiculous and would blatantly punish all telescience players for wanting to do their job, as well as discourage interaction and experimentation with telescience in general.
Now, I won't deny that such encounters are difficult to counter, so if we really wanted to change something, what could one do to make them happen less?
Simple, make telepads use up telecrystals for teleportation. This would up the requirements for fully self-constructed telepads some more (on top of the material costs telepads already have).
"But this makes even legitimate telescience reliant on mining"
Give science a starting reservoir of, say, 15 telecrystals.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Lord_earthfire - 01-25-2026
(Yesterday, 04:19 AM)Chasu Wrote: Now, I won't deny that such encounters are difficult to counter, so if we really wanted to change something, what could one do to make them happen less?
Simple, make telepads use up telecrystals for teleportation. This would up the requirements for fully self-constructed telepads some more (on top of the material costs telepads already have).
"But this makes even legitimate telescience reliant on mining"
Give science a starting reservoir of, say, 15 telecrystals.
Why not just up the power requirement for teleportations? That way, the station bound teleporter are less affected than the one you could do with a setup somewhere off-station.
Telepads don't require telescrystals to build, which honestly is kinda odd...
For portals, the power requirements are just right, i feel for receive/send they could be higher.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - GARGATHUGANOKSREVENG - 01-25-2026
(Yesterday, 05:51 AM)Lord_earthfire Wrote: Why not just up the power requirement for teleportations? That way, the station bound teleporter are less affected than the one you could do with a setup somewhere off-station.do you, or have you seen people, use telesci before?
the power already goes out extremely fast if you're not rationing it and noob scientists are always complaining about the power being out and hardly any of them know how to replace a cell
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - aft2001 - 01-25-2026
Unless you're playing VERY lowpop, chances are *someone* is gonna know how to counter a packetnerding telesci spamming antag. Security can absolutely deputize someone who has the specialized skills/knowledge to countering the specific threat you're up against (chaplain is a great example), especially with the announcement computer.
This isn't to downplay the impact that nerding, especially telesci nerding, can have. It can be VERY frustrating to go up against someone who's leveraging mechanics you're not familiar with. This is when you can leverage your greatest strength: Bribery Prayer Asking people to help. Not everyone will notice your Security announcement asking if anyone knows how to shut down telesci, but SOMEONE will. Meta-knowledge can also be useful here for recognizing knowledgeable players if that fails. Really, Security isn't just about whacking people with batons - it's about knowing how to play at a disadvantage, and how and when to leverage every resource at your disposal. (Also tracking implants exist.)
*Admittedly* I do think we should curtail the raw power of off-station telesci builds, but I'm honestly not sure how to go about that. Require an actual APC so you can't build in perma-powered areas? Cooldown on teleports going across z-levels and not to a designated pad like you see in azones? I dunno. However... yeah no please do not give a lengthy cooldown for ALL telepad teleports, that would suck so bad.
Another option that I like and have seen suggested by both myself and others is giving Security a couple teleblockers. These already exist in a few places, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to give Security access to them. It would also mean escaping with a hand tele is now more counterable, which is nice.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Lord_earthfire - 01-25-2026
(Yesterday, 07:10 AM)GARGATHUGANOKSREVENG Wrote: do you, or have you seen people, use telesci before?
the power already goes out extremely fast if you're not rationing it and noob scientists are always complaining about the power being out and hardly any of them know how to replace a cell
I am very aware of telesci usage. This is why at the beginning i written down the ways of countering the telesci usage, because i know how to nerd this mechanic and thus the limitations of it.
The only times when the power goes out is when someone uses the portal mode too much or the engine is not set up. Making the second case more impactfull is why im suggesting the power drain increase. when the power is not set up, or you are not on-station and have enough power on hand, you shouldn't expect to use power-hungry mechanics like telesci.
(Yesterday, 08:02 AM)aft2001 Wrote: Require an actual APC so you can't build in perma-powered areas?
Right, we have the problem of azones and offstation networks to have magic bullshit-power. That honestly needs to be looked at.
RE: Teleman needs a thirty second delay - Kotlol - 01-25-2026
So wait... this is telesci abuse? Okay I see a lot of ways of dealing with it then just jammers.
If it was an OFF SITE telesci then yea... that needs nerfing, but this is INSIDE the station.
I think Lord_earthfire has the best approach here.
Increase power drain.. something like: A cooldown period that increases the drain more...
OR.... increase chances of weird stuff happening.
Like if you keep spamming port-a-sci, you sometimes get send to the slime dimension, set on fire, lose an organ and such.
Simply put. A cooldown period to keep it safe is fine, but spamming it would increase risks of going wrong.