Goonhub
02-21-2017, 09:12 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-21-2017, 09:14 AM by Sundance. Edited 1 time in total.
Edit Reason: tl;dr
)
Problem: Guardbuddies are rarely used. This is a SUPER shame, as they're coded very well and quite fleshed out in general.
Reason: Literally other than the Captain, the HoP and (technically) the HoS, they are toys for the RD. The Research Director rarely uses them, as he's often participating in the other sciences.
The Solution: Give them to the Roboticists, put a computer with buddy access in/around robotics. They're housed right beside them for crying out loud.
Problem with The Solution #1: The Guardbuddies are robust
Reason: The PR-6 Guardbuddies are pretty damn strong, they can tank a few laser hits, before exploding violently. They will chase relentlessly their target, and are often armed with serious tools. So understandably giving them to the roboticists would be a bad idea if done outright.
Solution: Make Guardbuddies have two frames; light and heavy. Ol' Harner starts with heavy, but all the others start with light frames. Light frames are more easily destroyed, and make a much smaller boom. I'd be relatively easy to sprite a lighter frame, i'll give it a whirl. The box in the guardbuddy rooms starts with another light frame, the other ways of getting heavy frames are buying them.
Problem with The Solution #2: Purge mode
Reason: Allowing any old roboticist to be able to set buddies to purge is rather compromising, seen as roboticists occur more often than RD's do.
Solution: Lock purge mode behind an SU. This simple adjustment means only the RD can set them to purge. Yes there is a way around SU, but not many people are familar with it.
Addendum: Friendly Buddy modules:
Perhaps if implimented, there may be room to expand upon buddies. The current modules have all aggressive stances, the "guard" feature might allow for some interesting modules, which essentially makes them like more robust bots:
- Medical module: Guardbuddy is now essentially a more robust medibot, that can follow people. The guard feature means they will always actively follow the target, and only heal players 1-tile beside them. Super useful for doctors!
- Firefighting module: Guardbuddy is now a more robust firebot. Similar to the medical module, will always actively follow, and will only fight a fire that is beside them. Useful for engineers, but rather limited! Still, a fun module.
- Sanitation module: Guardbuddy is now essentially a more robust sanitation drone, will always actively follow and only clean dirty tiles beneath them.
- Construction module: Guardbuddy is now essentially a more robust floorbot, will always actively follow, and will only repair breaches beneath them.
Note on the above that this is referring to guard mode. Patrol mode means they will behave like their bot counter-parts (i.e: will actively fight a fire beside them). This means, essentially, you could build 10-15 medical buddies, set them on patrol and they will attempt to heal everything the see while patrolling.
Purge mode would have no effect them, as they're essentially non aggressive.
Thoughts?
TL;DR: Give buddies to roboticists, give weaker light shells, lock purge mode behind an SU, and possibly have non aggressive modules.
Reason: Literally other than the Captain, the HoP and (technically) the HoS, they are toys for the RD. The Research Director rarely uses them, as he's often participating in the other sciences.
The Solution: Give them to the Roboticists, put a computer with buddy access in/around robotics. They're housed right beside them for crying out loud.
Problem with The Solution #1: The Guardbuddies are robust
Reason: The PR-6 Guardbuddies are pretty damn strong, they can tank a few laser hits, before exploding violently. They will chase relentlessly their target, and are often armed with serious tools. So understandably giving them to the roboticists would be a bad idea if done outright.
Solution: Make Guardbuddies have two frames; light and heavy. Ol' Harner starts with heavy, but all the others start with light frames. Light frames are more easily destroyed, and make a much smaller boom. I'd be relatively easy to sprite a lighter frame, i'll give it a whirl. The box in the guardbuddy rooms starts with another light frame, the other ways of getting heavy frames are buying them.
Problem with The Solution #2: Purge mode
Reason: Allowing any old roboticist to be able to set buddies to purge is rather compromising, seen as roboticists occur more often than RD's do.
Solution: Lock purge mode behind an SU. This simple adjustment means only the RD can set them to purge. Yes there is a way around SU, but not many people are familar with it.
Addendum: Friendly Buddy modules:
Perhaps if implimented, there may be room to expand upon buddies. The current modules have all aggressive stances, the "guard" feature might allow for some interesting modules, which essentially makes them like more robust bots:
- Medical module: Guardbuddy is now essentially a more robust medibot, that can follow people. The guard feature means they will always actively follow the target, and only heal players 1-tile beside them. Super useful for doctors!
- Firefighting module: Guardbuddy is now a more robust firebot. Similar to the medical module, will always actively follow, and will only fight a fire that is beside them. Useful for engineers, but rather limited! Still, a fun module.
- Sanitation module: Guardbuddy is now essentially a more robust sanitation drone, will always actively follow and only clean dirty tiles beneath them.
- Construction module: Guardbuddy is now essentially a more robust floorbot, will always actively follow, and will only repair breaches beneath them.
Note on the above that this is referring to guard mode. Patrol mode means they will behave like their bot counter-parts (i.e: will actively fight a fire beside them). This means, essentially, you could build 10-15 medical buddies, set them on patrol and they will attempt to heal everything the see while patrolling.
Purge mode would have no effect them, as they're essentially non aggressive.
Thoughts?
TL;DR: Give buddies to roboticists, give weaker light shells, lock purge mode behind an SU, and possibly have non aggressive modules.