Comms Controller: A New Job

[atamusvaleo]

Job Title
Comms Controller

Starting Access
Bridge, Maintenance, Tech Storage 
I think that's what it's called

Responsibilities
Oversee the station/ship's communcations and observe local phenomena via console in the bridge (having a spare console/computer board in tech storage). By observing local phenomena he/she will be able to alert the crew and take measures to thwart these phenomena.


What The Heck Am I Talking About?
The phenomena I'm referring to above are ion storms, radiation storms, solar flares, meteor showers, magnetic storms, singularities, and whatever other (currently random) events plague the station and its crew. Implementing this role would require a few changes to the current random event coding.

My idea is that there would be a console, similar to the long range teleporter that allowed the Comms Controller to scan local space for potential incoming storms (sort of like a space meteorologist). The CC would be able to set up beacons or shields to divert/protect the crew from these events. As an antagonist, a unique traitor item could be a beacon that attracted events to their location (eg: need to destroy Research? Place a beacon nearby to attract that local metoer shower as it passes by.).


Let's discuss pros and cons, likes and dislikes, problems and solutions. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

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I forgot to add they would have access to comms console and be able to call the shuttle (maybe even select different shuttles if tha feature is implemented in the future).

[Mordent]

If this sort of role is added, we should probably look into giving them something to do in the "downtime". It would make sense that they could mess with radio waves, so the console could mess with (wireless) packets as well. This could also take on the form of messing with telecomms similar to how some other servers allow you to (though I'd highly recommend toning down the flexibility here - having your radio comms messed with every round would get old pretty damn fast).

Rather than just monitoring anomalies, could we introduce some level of "mini-game" via the console to be able to avoid them/encourage them? Analysis of the phenomena could identify some key information about it. Examples:

• A solar flare that wipes out radio frequencies in the 123.1 - 143.6 kHz range is incoming; they have the ability to apply an offset to station comms to shunt all station comms out of this flare range, or to shunt all comms into that range.
  
• Long range sensors detect an asteroid belt, with meteors incoming at 94.3, 94.7, and 95.4 degrees. Targeting the PTL can destroy these meteors before they get close, at the expense of not generating income while doing so. Alternatively, a large asteroid that's going to be a near-miss could be hit by the PTL which would cause it to break into pieces, some of which impacting the station.
  
• A merchant vessel is travelling nearby - decipher their obscure language/communications to invite them to dock with the station, which would add them to the trader list at QM and/or simply have them dock.
  
• An ion storm is approaching. The power in each area runs at a certain frequency (50-60Hz), areas that are affected are determined by random chance dependent on how close that area's power is to the storm's resonant frequency. Tell the engineers to go mess with the APCs to help reduce the amount of issues!
  

[Nnystyxx]

Oh, that actually sounds really cool, being a guy who can maintain the communications and talk to distant aliens to trade with them (or deliberately piss them off!!!) among other things
Sounds like some good RP too

[misto]

maybe instead of a wholly new role this could be something that the ai (already sits on its ass paying attention to cameras and radio all day) or the hop (ppl frequently complain that the hops job is too shallow) could do. or perhaps they could both collaborate on these services. although that "placing beacons/shields" part sounds like it falls under engineer/ce purview, which is fine because they need something to do once the engine is running smoothly/irreparably ruined