Goonhub
09-04-2023, 11:39 PM
Personally I'm a big fan of this sort of thing - Both the upgrades (with some points that have already been iterated on, like the module contents) and (though this may be unpopular opinion) I really enjoy the idea of the drone shells taking brains or SICCs.
While I completely understand the concern with taking drones from AI exclusivity, and I'm trying to think of it outside the bias of "This is sick and I want to have it because I'd use it." I think properly nerfed it could be used as more of a good introductory to borg for people who want to take it on training wheels (I'm pretty sure someone said that somewhere here as well?) Or just as a very optional hardmode for seasoned borg players. And, should it be merged to also be playable as a non-AI, it would be adding more variety to borgs as a whole without needing to uproot the system and add completely new categories of borgs - Drones already exist!
+ I think when it comes to confusing AI shells with borg shells, I already do this constantly with the bigger AI shells, and I find that the confusion usually lasts me as long as it takes to read the chat log or alt+mouseover. I cannot recall a single instance where this confusion has ever caused me any genuine problems aside from a 4-5 second, "Whoopsies, that's the AI!"
This asides, I both play on lowpop/RP mostly and I can't attest to the experiences people might have on higherpop or classic about this sort of thing. I also enjoy having exclusivity to the AI for purposes of readability, but I feel it's equally sad to throw away a good idea because it conflicts too much. Maybe making a cosmetic variant of drone that's non-AI exclusive, and keeping the old drones as AI exclusive? This raises some concerns about possible future cosmetic variants of drones as a whole, but it would cut down on possible confusion while maintaining some exclusivity. You could even cut drone modules from the AI variant as a whole to really cut back and differentiate the two.. (Though mostly at this point I'm just trying to rattle off solutions to possible concerns, and I don't know anything about code, so I'm probably doubling back on my entire point of "Creating more variation without creating a new category of borg.")
As for modules themselves, I think that they could have good use, just much more watered down. I had a whole thought process on this in conversation somewhere but to simplify it, I think if I'd give drones modules I'd approach it with a "This will save you in a pinch, but it's not going to fix anything anytime soon." attitude. I'm a medical main at heart, so I'd say epi (possibly ephedrine, because I'd love to see it used more often and it falls in line with the downgraded variant idea), saline drip, atropine, and maybe mannitol or salbutamol. But not mannitol and salbutamol, either or, or neither... Remove mainstay burn/brute chems entirely - Saline heals some, and atropine is another chem I don't see used often, but it can be fairly useful so I also hesitate to list it. Most of that could be condensed to a single hypo and then a saline glucose bag, then your usual drone omnitool, analyzer, etc.
All in all, there's a lot of possible concerns that I'm seeing against, and while I don't entirely disagree with them all, I think it's worth considering implementing this, both the drone refresh itself and the possibility of non-AI drone. Most issues could be remedied with reworking, I think... plus I would adore getting to play a drone casually without the added role of AI, and I hope it's put to more deliberation.
While I completely understand the concern with taking drones from AI exclusivity, and I'm trying to think of it outside the bias of "This is sick and I want to have it because I'd use it." I think properly nerfed it could be used as more of a good introductory to borg for people who want to take it on training wheels (I'm pretty sure someone said that somewhere here as well?) Or just as a very optional hardmode for seasoned borg players. And, should it be merged to also be playable as a non-AI, it would be adding more variety to borgs as a whole without needing to uproot the system and add completely new categories of borgs - Drones already exist!
+ I think when it comes to confusing AI shells with borg shells, I already do this constantly with the bigger AI shells, and I find that the confusion usually lasts me as long as it takes to read the chat log or alt+mouseover. I cannot recall a single instance where this confusion has ever caused me any genuine problems aside from a 4-5 second, "Whoopsies, that's the AI!"
This asides, I both play on lowpop/RP mostly and I can't attest to the experiences people might have on higherpop or classic about this sort of thing. I also enjoy having exclusivity to the AI for purposes of readability, but I feel it's equally sad to throw away a good idea because it conflicts too much. Maybe making a cosmetic variant of drone that's non-AI exclusive, and keeping the old drones as AI exclusive? This raises some concerns about possible future cosmetic variants of drones as a whole, but it would cut down on possible confusion while maintaining some exclusivity. You could even cut drone modules from the AI variant as a whole to really cut back and differentiate the two.. (Though mostly at this point I'm just trying to rattle off solutions to possible concerns, and I don't know anything about code, so I'm probably doubling back on my entire point of "Creating more variation without creating a new category of borg.")
As for modules themselves, I think that they could have good use, just much more watered down. I had a whole thought process on this in conversation somewhere but to simplify it, I think if I'd give drones modules I'd approach it with a "This will save you in a pinch, but it's not going to fix anything anytime soon." attitude. I'm a medical main at heart, so I'd say epi (possibly ephedrine, because I'd love to see it used more often and it falls in line with the downgraded variant idea), saline drip, atropine, and maybe mannitol or salbutamol. But not mannitol and salbutamol, either or, or neither... Remove mainstay burn/brute chems entirely - Saline heals some, and atropine is another chem I don't see used often, but it can be fairly useful so I also hesitate to list it. Most of that could be condensed to a single hypo and then a saline glucose bag, then your usual drone omnitool, analyzer, etc.
All in all, there's a lot of possible concerns that I'm seeing against, and while I don't entirely disagree with them all, I think it's worth considering implementing this, both the drone refresh itself and the possibility of non-AI drone. Most issues could be remedied with reworking, I think... plus I would adore getting to play a drone casually without the added role of AI, and I hope it's put to more deliberation.