The Port-a-Brig

[swinglow20]

It's been mentioned, but it's worth keeping in mind that changelings can break cuffs instantly. And to what Nihisohel said, the port a brig is pretty much the only way to get criminals to the station when they're on any other Z level.

I'll be honest, this might be more of a Classic thing, but I haven't really had issues with the port a brig. But this is coming from an RP perspective. There are plenty of ways for someone to just kill you or prevent you from using your PDA before it comes down to detaining the criminal for transport. If anything, it'd just make handling self antags a scosche harder. The other thing is, once the port a brig is gone, its gone. If we have someone brigged and they bust out, it means we either held them too long and it broke or we were so busy with other stuff going on that we didn't remember to process them.

[Chayot]

Hiya.
Pretty sure I'm the HoS referenced in this post. I both Fought and captured Masked as they were a ling.
No, they weren't in the port-a-brig for "30 minutes"--that's damn-near impossible as I know it to be.
I summoned it once to show two crewmembers why I was in critical condition when they found me.
Then I summoned it twice more in the Morgue as I was scared to get close to it, 180s would soon come.
It wasn't some attempt to "Spam" The summon to "reset the timer." As I know it to be, that doesn't work.

Werewolves and Changelings in particular, having the brute force to do so, are capable of breaking the port-a-brig permanently.
In this case, Masked may have simply chosen to wait in the port-a-brig for me to get her out, as they then shambled, and I had to fight them again.
Otherwise, It takes 180 seconds--3minutes, not 30, to escape the port-a-brig so long as you're uncuffed. (Which again makes the ling ideal for escape.)
I'm not against Increasing the time necessary to place someone into a Port-a-brig, however "requiring that they be cuffed" will never work against a ling, will it?
Save for silver cuffs, this applies to werewolves as well.

Moreover, I am against decreasing the time down to 50 seconds. With 3 minutes, I have time to sprint to my destination and maybe I'll make it.
Beyond that, I already fought and captured them, why should I have to do it again just because I didn't sprint fast enough?
If a Vampire or Arcfiend gets out of the port-a-brig in 45 seconds, I'm going to have to hunt them down again. I may not see them again.
If it's a werewolf, it's going to be a bloodbath. If it's a ling, likewise if they shamble.

Maybe 120 seconds may be more appropriate.
However as it is, I fear what this will do for antags and secoffs alike.
As a newer secoff, and as an HoS currently, I use the extra time to recharge and heal.
If you're going to escape as a WW/Ling/Arcfiend/Bat, before I can recharge, I'm going to have to use lethals and or beat you down.
What would've been a prison sentence or "gimmick" punishment now turns into your death. Better?
If nothing else, maybe they'll kill me because I have no gear, or I'm already in low health. Congrats.

Overall, I like the recent change of increasing the time it takes to put someone into the port-a-brig, I think that was a great balance.
(Just maybe needs a little touch regarding wizard Poly/Cluwne spells as discussed in another post).
Decreasing the Port-a-brig's holding time too much, I don't think it'd contribute neither to Antagonists nor Security in a worthwhile way.
If they can't capture you, they'll just kill you. Is that really what you want?