Robotic limbs with different abilities

[kyle2143]

So, I was thinking about how departments like genetics and the QM often can be involved in helping fight antagonists like blob or nuke ops rounds by doing things unique to their job to assist the crew in the general effort. Be it distributing some useful gene for free in the gene booth or by ordering phasers or flamethrowers.

Robotics doesn't have a lot to do that can help in such an impactful way. Sure, you can replace all of somebody's organs with cyberorgans and treads, but that takes a lot of time or a good bit of skill if you want to do it quickly.

I think that roboticists should be able to construct special robot arms that can be used by the crew either in combat or for general utility. Of course balance should play a part, I think any arm should give you a stamina penalty and have other specific penalties that don't make it extremely overpowered. Or for the more dangerous robot arms, they should require you to hack the arm to remove the safety or get a Sec/Command ID to swipe to remove the safety or just emag it. Or completely removing your hand slot like with stapled weapons.

I didn't have a ton of ideas on the actual arms, but here are some of what I could come up with:

1. Laser canon arm - Can shoot a small damage dealing projectile like a weaker phaser, damage based on stamina the player has when they try to fire. Remove safety for more damage at the cost of possibly damaging or stunning yourself. Completely covers hand slot.

2. Extendo Arm - Increases the distance from which you can pick up an item or interact with things by a tile, maybe two. Remove the safety, the punches could send people flying like one of those boxing gloves on a spring.

3. Utility Arm - (stole this one from yass in discord) Basically gives you an omnitool for an arm. I'm thinking it would take a second or so to cycle through each option so it's slightly worse than a real omnitool. And it could even lower your stamina regeneration rate while it's active. Removing the safety lets you switch instantly or maybe something else too, but gives you a probability of stabbing yourself each time.

4. Hammer Hand - Has a higher brute damage to doors and later walls (when I get around to my wall health rework), or can bust down tables. Longer time between hits. Remove safety for reducing the stime between hits. Maybe it could have a similar scaling power with current stamina like the laser.

I think they should be constructible in robotics out of heavy robot arms and other items, sort of how flame throwers are constructible. Like the laser cannon arm could require a power cell and a matsci lens as well as wires and other components perhaps. That sorta thing.

[GORE]

5. Discount Dan's Teleportation Extension

Essentialy replacing one arm and working similarly but different to the "Extendo Arm" - it does not pick items up per se - but rather teleports 1 item on a tile within your visible range to your own tile. The farther away said item is - the more stamina it does cost.
Using it without enough stamina will produce some flavortext that your own biological energy is not plentyful enough to make use of the device.

Normally a max-range to perhaps 6 tiles is applicable but should one hack the device and install it there would be potentialy infinite range.
This infinite range comes at a cost.
The inability of using this device when one has too few stamina is also removed and instead - using it now over-the-treshhold will have a chance to teleport organ parts from yourself to the tile you clicked on.

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6. Discount Dan's Chemical-Touch-Experience

Tired of getting your fix of healthy stimulants only once per serving? Fret not!
Today it is possible to create such wonderful devices to absorb chemicals and spread their influence infinitely over.

Create this device with several star-stones (3?) and replace one of your arms with this device.

Inserting any chem beaker will give you the ability to inject some chemicals into someone (be it yourself or anyone else) by mere touch or punch.
The starstones grant much slower chemical depletion than normal and thus a large beaker will generally just use 1u of chems per appliance - while injecting 10x as much.

[Sundance]

Good idea.

I always felt like robotics should be more geared towards utility than outright buff (stamina buffs just feel overused in terms of counterplay, should be limited to cyberheart) - I feel this general concept could be expanded into robotic organs, i.e: Instead of lungs enhancing stamina, has a slow recharge oxygen reservoir which could be toggled, or a stomach acidifier which allows you to throw up on players for a significant burn attack if enough food is eaten (setting them on fire/freezing them if you eat spicy/cold food!). That sorta stuff.

I don't like locking balance behind IDs, I feel that's a bit too cheesy. I also don't think we need another buff for EMAGS, although it might be fun to have a syndicate version of the utility arm which has a ... sharper option.
While the intention would be for the roboticist to seek approval from the MD, what would actually happen is they'd get ignored and heads/security would just end up hoarding the enhancements exclusively (i.e, the Captain/MD would just end up operating on themselves).

I think the pros and cons for the base limb would be just dandy as it is, it is balanced.

I like all your suggestions though! 
I sense problems from a security perspective regarding the utility arm/hammerfist. I.e: You arrest someone and they immediately bust out via wall/window, even if you balance it that it requires insulative gloves. 
Potential way of removing a robotic arm non-violently or without surgery, perhaps quite slowly via strip menu? As in, it requires surgery to install, but once installed it can be "unplugged" via strip, but easily plugged back in again by simply hitting yourself with it should it be retrieved. 
This could also pave way for a different version of your extendo arm - Rocket arm, with some fuel can be launched at a player for significant brute damage, at the cost of your own arm!

[GORE]

Sundance - I'd add to your idea with the removal that to do so one might need a screwdriver or wirecutter in one hand for it to work.

Similar to how gift wrapping works - one needs to have a scissor or wirecutter in the off-hand.

[Sundance]

Screwdriver with the overhead construction timer (as seen in building stuff, etc) could work!

Mightn't even need to implement the strip menu then, as that sounds like a pain in the ass to code. Just target limb, screwdriver, WHRRR noise, removed!

This again, would not require a surgery table and could be done while standing. It might also add a balance of players who opt for two robotic limbs - you're in danger of security/jerkass/syndicate of them removing both your arms with a screwdriver if they have you cuffed and stunned. Then you're in for a bad time.

[Alphaeus]

2. Extendo Arm - Increases the distance from which you can pick up an item or interact with things by a tile, maybe two. Remove the safety, the punches could send people flying like one of those boxing gloves on a spring.

imagining myself as a miner with an extendo arm forsaking my jetpack and somehow getting set adrift, farting desperately so I can get close enough to extendo-grab the station and pull myself back to safety.

[Enakai]

As mentioned in the potential changes to robotic limbs thread I made https://forum.ss13.co/showthread.php?tid=14406 , while this isn't an ability suggestion, I'd like to see robotic limbs have some sort of "damage" function. Electrical pulses and other such things damage the limbs and require the users to go to robotics to get them repaired, otherwise they might suffer from debuffs and stop functioning properly.

[Erev]

I mean, why stop at limbs? Specialty robots or robot bits that could be swapped out in a charging bay would be excellent.

[GORE]

How about a special borg-head?

Instead of using an upgrade slot for the propulsion upgrade - this special head would allow the borg to seperate their head from their body and fly away with small boosters fitted right to it. That mechanism would potentially allow to allow a damaged or ambushed borg to get away to safety or safe on the propulsion upgrade - in case of being trapped in outer space; giving room to another type of upgrade.

[Frank_Stein]

Arm upgrades:

Pen Finger - Deployable Pen
Cash Dispenser - Hand can store and dispense cash
Finger Flashlight - Deployable light
Hand PDA - Your Hand is a Pda
Finger Water Pistol - 15 Unit Sprayer, 3 units a spray
Finger Lighter - Deployable lighter

Leg Upgrades:

Balance Stabilizers - Decreased Slip Chance and times
Roller Skates - Deploy Skateboard style wheels from your feet
Sound Dampeners - Reduce Footstep noises
Padded Protection - Increased protection from glass while barefoot

[Daktangle]

I had been thinking of something similar as a fun addition for roboticists to work on, based on Warhammer 40K's mechadendrites. Extra arms, limited to a specific function, made in a very similar way to what you are thinking of, so I very much support this idea.

[DJ-Fireball_did_this]

(Note: This isn't including suggestions for non-robotic mods, like synth-eyes)

How about some occular implants more focused on utility and fun than just buffs?

• Air scanner - Acts similar to an upgraded air analyzer, in that it tells you the atmospheric contents of the clicked tile or pipe.
  
• Plant scanner - Identical to the botantist's plant analyzer.
  
• Forendic scanner - Identical to the detective's forensic scanner.
  
• VR uplink - Allows one to enter VR without a headset.
  
• DT scanner - Lets one see the local wires under tiles without prying them up.
  
• Multi-tool - When a power cable is clicked with an empty hand, it displays the power currently in it.
  
• AI uplink - Lets the AI see everything you can, like a mobile camera.
  
• Geiger counter - Colors irradiated tiles green.
  
• Camera monitor - Like the security camera monitor, but acivated with an a button.
  
• E-meter - Identical to a hand-held version.
  
• Material scanner - Identical to the hand-held material scanner.
  
• Geological Scanner - Identical to the hand-held kind.
  
• Clown vision - Make it look like everybody's dressed as a clown for...some reason.
  
• GPS - Displays your current cords.
  
• Genetic scanner - Lets somebody see the active and potential genes in somebody. Missing the rest of the functions of a genetech scanner.