PVE Gameplay overhaul for Research, Mining, Engineering V1

[Exadv1]

WARNING: Fucking huge post incoming. See a tl;dr at the bottom.

I really like all of the ideas you just gave out, but I don't imagine many others do (as seen above). I think this would best be done if Goonstation ran another server with this new PvE mode and G3 and G4 running the regular "secret/mixed" PvP rotation.

This would be a great way to bring a third server back if we have the hardware for it, because this is a pretty big and bold new step for SS13 as far as having actual modes. Let's face it: The modes in SS13 don't vary a whole lot or affect people a whole lot. You might have a changeling running around killing people, or a vampire, or a traitor; but in the end it's just another player killing people for one reason or another.
[snip]

This post was helpful. I do see what you mean about the adjusted mode not having player antagonist (or, at least, traitor-like ones) although it is so tempting (since such a mode type could really grant them the element of surprise).

You were correct that the events would expand beyond just meteor waves (and I like some of your suggestions for other events a lot). That example was merely included because I merged in an idea I had way back about making meteor mode more interesting and thus already had the idea prepared in my notes. My goal there mainly is to make events that are appropriately themed, well-tuned, and survivable. Currently the random event generator is kinda a mess and doesn't really seem to deliver on the gameplay it should. On a related note, I also have some planned/theorized adjustments to atmos that would make hull breaches, gas leaks, and fires more dangerous (see: http://forums.nanotrasen.com/viewtopic. ... 05#p177353 ).

I had planned to do this on a different server similar to how /dev was done. This would also grant the ability to strip out some extraneous stuff that could not be reliably ported or no longer 'fits.'

In broad strokes to address points in other posts, part of the point is to make it so that someone dying is actually a bad thing. Otherwise, medical is a waste and has no incentive to do their job. To better act upon this goal, I think I am designing around the mode being 20-30 players on a station since above that number BYOND starts to misbehave a bit and I start running out of reasonable roles for people.

I can also reflect the crazed lunatic example a bit. Why would engineering want to rush off unarmed to go get some crazed lunatic when a meteor strike is projected to wipe out the station's south side in 2 minutes? Also, the problem with relying on PVP in SS13 is that there is always a loser in the encounter and that loser is generally required to sit-out the rest of the round. In general, for every round you have a successful rampage, you have 4+ where you just sit there doing nothing or get wiped out by a random bomb. (This is simple math because if you define a good round as taking out 4 people then necessarily those 4 people had bad rounds.)

I can see some pushback on the rewards although a vast majority of them would be cosmetic anyway (or tied to your character sheet for other people to look up later). Thus, I am surprised people hated those the most.

PS: ISaidNo had an interesting idea in IRC chat of a corollary implementation where 2+ stations compete to get the highest score. This is actually a nifty idea but I am tempted to try the single-station idea first since SS13 combat has proved exceptionally hard to balance and the direct competition might push on that too hard.