Goonhub
04-17-2014, 09:33 AM
It's not suprising how few people play quartermaster, considering just how awful and boring it can be. A fairly simple way to greatly improve the job would be to allow players to order more crates in one go.
Why?
Try being a good QM for only a round or two under the current system and you'll come to the realization that something has to change. This probably isn't a perfect idea, but I would take it being too easy to order things over it being too hard.
How?
Easy implementation: If a player puts xAmount in the comments box, it orders that many. Example: >Order menu>Condiment Crate>Comment "x3]OK: You get sent three condiment crates labeled (1/3), (2/3), and (3/3). Have a piece of paper start in Cargo Bay explaining this.
Easy implementation: >Order Menu>Novelty Crate>Quantity selection or entry window>Comment>OK: The computer informs you that you do not have the budget to order 46,000 lasers.
Hard implementation: Rework the QM's console to be a well designed, responsive bastion of coding prowess in face of BYOND.
But!
Ordering multiple crates would gum up the works even worse than they are now!
~New feature: A 4 second delay between all quartermasters' orders, and an incoming orders queue to keep track of how much stuff's down the pipeline at the moment.~
There needs to be some limit on that!
~I completely agree! Limit it to 5-15 crates per bulk order. Even 3 would be an improvement over the current way of things.~
A rogue AI could drain the station's budget with bulk novelty crate orders!
~ It already could if it really wanted to. Why does the A.I even have access to any financial stuff? It shouldn't, but that's another discussion for another day.~
A traitor could burn money with bulk Experimental Generator orders!
~He already can! So limit, disallow, or extend bulk order privilege depending on the item if this becomes a problem. Or just revert it if people act terribly. I think that this change would be a net positive, and it's certainly worth a shot.~
A jackass could order a bu-
~Go ahead and leave these comments below. I dare you.~
It would be too easy to make mad stacks of dough!
~It's already easy, just mind numbing and time consuming. This change would free up quatermasters to take and deliver on requests, distribute supplies, talk to traders, craft, and all that other great stuff they could be doing when they're spending half the round in front of a computer clicking on ]OK>Order Menu>Produce Crate>Comment"]OK>Order Menu. Market rebalancing in light of the change may be in order, though.~
Bulk orders wouldn't even make anything easier, they would just be less frustrating and eat less time.
You want the devs' time spent to rebalancing the entire market and changing a hot heavy heap of hokey just for 1 quality of life improvement to be put in?
~Yeah! There's no shortage of stuff that could be done to improve the game, but multiple item orders could revitalize an entire department. It wouldn't even be especially challenging.~
I have another valid question!
~Lay it on me, my position is far from indefensible.~
Why?
Try being a good QM for only a round or two under the current system and you'll come to the realization that something has to change. This probably isn't a perfect idea, but I would take it being too easy to order things over it being too hard.
How?
Easy implementation: If a player puts xAmount in the comments box, it orders that many. Example: >Order menu>Condiment Crate>Comment "x3]OK: You get sent three condiment crates labeled (1/3), (2/3), and (3/3). Have a piece of paper start in Cargo Bay explaining this.
Easy implementation: >Order Menu>Novelty Crate>Quantity selection or entry window>Comment>OK: The computer informs you that you do not have the budget to order 46,000 lasers.
Hard implementation: Rework the QM's console to be a well designed, responsive bastion of coding prowess in face of BYOND.
But!
Ordering multiple crates would gum up the works even worse than they are now!
~New feature: A 4 second delay between all quartermasters' orders, and an incoming orders queue to keep track of how much stuff's down the pipeline at the moment.~
There needs to be some limit on that!
~I completely agree! Limit it to 5-15 crates per bulk order. Even 3 would be an improvement over the current way of things.~
A rogue AI could drain the station's budget with bulk novelty crate orders!
~ It already could if it really wanted to. Why does the A.I even have access to any financial stuff? It shouldn't, but that's another discussion for another day.~
A traitor could burn money with bulk Experimental Generator orders!
~He already can! So limit, disallow, or extend bulk order privilege depending on the item if this becomes a problem. Or just revert it if people act terribly. I think that this change would be a net positive, and it's certainly worth a shot.~
A jackass could order a bu-
~Go ahead and leave these comments below. I dare you.~
It would be too easy to make mad stacks of dough!
~It's already easy, just mind numbing and time consuming. This change would free up quatermasters to take and deliver on requests, distribute supplies, talk to traders, craft, and all that other great stuff they could be doing when they're spending half the round in front of a computer clicking on ]OK>Order Menu>Produce Crate>Comment"]OK>Order Menu. Market rebalancing in light of the change may be in order, though.~
Bulk orders wouldn't even make anything easier, they would just be less frustrating and eat less time.
You want the devs' time spent to rebalancing the entire market and changing a hot heavy heap of hokey just for 1 quality of life improvement to be put in?
~Yeah! There's no shortage of stuff that could be done to improve the game, but multiple item orders could revitalize an entire department. It wouldn't even be especially challenging.~
I have another valid question!
~Lay it on me, my position is far from indefensible.~