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+--- Thread: Make artbombs scarier (/showthread.php?tid=24662)
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Make artbombs scarier - Glamurio - 10-24-2025
Anyone who's ever been in Science knows what I mean.
You detect an artifact bomb, and before you can even finish your sentence, one of your coworkers has rushed to eject it, unless of course you are said coworker, because you know it's kind of your duty and not ejecting it is kind of against the rules. It's a slippery slope!
But let's be honest. Artbombs are cool and funny. And we have a bunch of different effects for them, it's kind of a shame you rarely see them. We don't want them exploding every round, but we do want them exploding sometimes.
All of this stirred up a discussion in Discord about what can be done with them to make it more interesting, such as:
- Make them lock in place for a while first
- Teleport them to a random room on the station
- Lock them in place and you have to bash it down physically
- Have them warp gravity or push you away akin to tanks
- Disguised art bombs that hide their true appearance for a few minutes
Many ways to tackle this, these are just some mentioned. Would love to hear general thoughts on this.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - GARGATHUGANOKSREVENG - 10-24-2025
Hahaha yes. For the teleporting one I think it'd be more fair and funnier if it had the same alert system warning telling the crew what location the artifact has teleported to though.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - SalmonidJester - 10-25-2025
Fucked up funny idea that I don't think should ever be added is a player controlled naked evil clone being generated that has to defend the bomb the best they can.
But for real, I like the idea of teleporting or having another artifacts effect being active while the artbomb is activated
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Taylorstar - 10-25-2025
It would give reason and purpose to having an artifact tracker active, additionally it could potentially stop it from being activated and more deliberately sent to a department less capeable of disposong of it.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Chasu - 10-25-2025
Maybe instead of teleporting instantly, the artifact would move to the location over time and leave a trail. It'd also be worth considering alternatives to dispose of artbombs, like smashing them or cutting wires depending on origin. Maybe martian bombs would absorb food and organs, wizard ones would take gems and ore, precursors could be damaged to reduce their damage and eventually defuse them, and silicon artifacts would be defused via some wire-cutting/-pulsing. Just brainstorming here.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Agent reburG - 10-25-2025
(10-25-2025, 02:46 AM)Chasu Wrote: Maybe instead of teleporting instantly, the artifact would move to the location over time and leave a trail.
Haha, thought about the same, but it would need a set amount of teleportations or long cooldowns to prevent frustration.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Taylorstar - 10-25-2025
Artifact suddenly becomes a small somewhat guided singuloose. before its devestating explosion.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Glamurio - 10-25-2025
(10-25-2025, 02:46 AM)Chasu Wrote: Maybe instead of teleporting instantly, the artifact would move to the location over time and leave a trail. It'd also be worth considering alternatives to dispose of artbombs, like smashing them or cutting wires depending on origin. Maybe martian bombs would absorb food and organs, wizard ones would take gems and ore, precursors could be damaged to reduce their damage and eventually defuse them, and silicon artifacts would be defused via some wire-cutting/-pulsing. Just brainstorming here.
I kinda like this idea a lot. We could have some origins like precursor / ancient turn them into drones that walk to a location to detonate there. Wizard ones would probably float, maybe martian ones would slide there and leave a slug trail. And then yeah, based on origin we could disable them. Adding some gameplay and having to play as the science bomb defusal squad adds a bit more drama to it, too.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - RSOD - 10-25-2025
next up: 2% chance for nukie drones to come out of the bomb to protect it
jokes aside, i really like the idea. bombs are big and scary, but with how they are right now, they're really a non-issue as you drag the Evil And Scary Huge Bomb to the ejector and press your funny button
RE: Make artbombs scarier - LorrMaster - 10-25-2025
I think artifacts should be capable of having secondary effects. For example a gas radiator could also be a forcefield generator, warper, lamp, darkness generator, or flinger. So basically an additional trait that you can add to some of the more dangerous/chaotic artifacts to keep them unpredictable.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Kotlol - 10-26-2025
Art bombs do IMMENSE damage and putting more stress on them isn't as fun.
I'd be like chemistry blowing up since the chemical compound became randomly unstable. Wich in reality is possible but it ain't fun.
That said... I got ideas of my own.
Artifact science is already very RNG and I do find science to be more fun the more knowledge you have.
And with artsci, you can only know what effect an artifact has by activating it... wich with heat hazes and gas... is unavoidable since you cannot deactivate them and are INSTANT! Unless you got an art key.
So either for these idea to go on, you can find "alternative ways" of knowing in advance what the artifact will do when it activates.
I'd take some time, but... there needs to be a way to find out what it does before you activate it or atleast.... narrow the field to:
"Can be a wish granter or a light" -Doesnt say if its a bad wish granter either.
"Can be a bomb or an aura maker" - Again two ways.
If you can do stuff like that. You can prepare for it. But the reckless scientist will let the bomb get activated without being prepared.
THAT SAID... for side effects. Warping away is a no thank you. Since it could get stuck in a wall wich will make MAJOR STRESS to remove the dang thing in time. Especially if it teleports across the map, gets stuck in a wall and then still has to be dragged to an ejector in time. Since artifacts in walls cannot be teleported out or dragged out without breaking a wall.. and in the most time of art bombs? It's not enough time.
But insted I'd like to add a few other things.
- Locking into place (yes) and then smashing it.
But also
- Locking into place and then launches an artifact key somewhere in the station insted. This key can disable the bomb, but at the same time you can bash the bomb loose. But if you find the key you get pay day!
Maybe also add effects like "everyone becomes magnetized in the area" so when scientists scramble they fly around the place. You know smaller annoyances.
Also add a jokey version where if it blows up... it spawns several clown NPCs and 1 Cluwne NPC. "It was an ancient joke!"
These artifacts when blown will be worth nothing in the end
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Mouse - 10-26-2025
Yeah I don't think we need more ways to "accidentally" kill half the station.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - GARGATHUGANOKSREVENG - 10-26-2025
(10-26-2025, 12:21 PM)Mouse Wrote: Yeah I don't think we need more ways to "accidentally" kill half the station.It's been months since I last saw someone accidentally or intentionally deal damage to the station during a round with an artifact bomb. What problems will they cause if they're made a little more exciting?
Oh no, people have to work together at surviving a giant disaster event where there's a bomb that has either blown the station apart or is threatening to if we don't do something about it. Dammit, the sci fi game I'm playing is actually playing out like a movie now and I'm invested in whats happening, I really wish 10 hours of boring nothingness was happening instead.
Or worst case scenario where someone just calls the shuttle. Or worst, worst case scenario where everyone somehow dies in the blast radius at once and you just ask an admin to restart the round.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Lord_earthfire - 10-26-2025
(10-26-2025, 12:21 PM)Mouse Wrote: Yeah I don't think we need more ways to "accidentally" kill half the station.
No, we do need more. Especially engineering was made so safe that its frustrating to cook the station with the TEG.
The station desogn got safer on the last years. And thats not a good development, in my opinion.
RE: Make artbombs scarier - Kotlol - 10-27-2025
(10-26-2025, 09:55 PM)Lord_earthfire Wrote: The station desogn got safer on the last years. And thats not a good development, in my opinion.
Yes on the improvements. It is good.
But no we dont need more scenerios to blow up half the station killing them... ON ACCIDENT.
Nothing is more frustrating for staff and antagonists when "half the station is gone" or "so much big damage 3 departments are essentially out of commision"
While it does open up interresting ways for antags to go about their business... this only counts for some of em.
Changelings would thrive here.. but vampires? Nope they hate that. Since now they can't use vents as much.
Arcfiends hate it since now there is less APCs to absorb or power will dissappear all together.
Spiefs hate it since now they can't cash in at certain points.
Wraiths hate it cause now people can easily draw more salt circles.
Wizards hate it since... they can't breath in space.
Traitors might like it since... well... they prepare for this stuff.
While I think the idea is neat, it needs to be within reason. Having 1 scientists RNG a bomb and that RNG makes the bomb go somewhere that is hard to reach and not enough time is there to dispose of it... is not fun.
Besides... big holes in stations mostly results into voting: "Station fucked? Shall we leave?"
Though more engineers mostly start cleaning up a singuloose lately (yay since mostly it's contained within engineering anyway).
But big bomb explosions in science? Well most people just go: "Science wing is gone and medbay took huge damage, we aint recovering that."
Heck... if you blow up medbay... I assure you 9/10 people will go: No medbay let's leave.
Unless an ADMIN does this for an ADMEME. (Like Crash) People prefer to ditch the station.
So with the art bomb... it would be more fun.. if you can tell from the start it might be a bomb. Not only cause it gives the scientist a way to go: I ain't activating a bomb. Or inform security an art bomb might go off... BUT....
If that scientist is an antagonist... they might want to hide the bomb somewhere in a corner and then activate it... forcing the panic and scramble.
Simply giving that quality of life. Will make these bombs more fun. Since now you can utlitlize them as an antagonist more.
Besides... you know how old it gets to have bombs go off every shift inside specific departments to cripple the defenses of the station?
It's not fun having back to back shifts where an antag bombs security or medbay... since the 1st time it's OH SHIT! What do we do?
The 2nd time it's: Again?...
3rd time it's: Ugh.... can we skip?
So as much as you guys want more destruction of the station outcomes. You gotta mind it also ups the frequency of it... and if it litterly becomes: "incompetent staffy blew up the station again" vs "Antagonist blew up the station again."
People will hate a staffy blowing up the station again.. to the point people will just stop anyone from doing anything around it.
As for bombing of antags? People will ask to nerf it if it is constant... but... atleast antagonists can be a reason for bombing if they are creative.
And that's the gist of it. "Was it creative?"
Staffy who fucked up isn't creative... It will just make you go: How do we idiot proof it more?
An antagonist blowing up the station?...unless it's a sensless bombing...it can be fun since you can put a threat on it... build it up and more.
And that's why having more ways for the station to get damaged should remain in the hands of antagonists so they can be MORE creative.
Just adding it for any dumb staffy to stumble upon is not as fun for everyone and is why stations have become safer. So that one newbee will not end up destroying half the station cause: "I never done this before"
If 1 player would have to end the shift early.. it should be an antagonist doing antagonist things. Not a newbee scientist who accidentally activates a bomb and doesn't know where the ejector is or how to use it.