make firesuits not be worthless

[Archenteron]

Is what you say true about being banned for hotwiring the power from the engine straight to the station true? If so, I don't think I've been in a round where this hasn't been suggested by someone on the station, normally when the engine isn't producing enough that fast.

Are you sure they were talking about the engine? The only reason to hotwire the engine, ever, is to make the APCs shoot lightning - it provides no other advantage, so there's no reason for a non-traitor to do it. It's a solely destructive action, so only traitors should be doing it.

Incorrect. Some of the low-effort/beginner engine setups, due to both their composition and because the engine likes to be fiddly at non-inferno levels of heat/pressure now that the pumps are gone, can output a constant but fluctuating 100-500 kw, which is sufficient to power the station, but due to dips, might not charge the SMES if they're set too high. Hotwiring that manner of engine into the grid won't dump enough juice to make APCs arc and explode and is faster/less effort than running around the station to hotwire all the solars..