The Port-a-Sci RNG Malfunctions

[DyssalC]

make it so you can't operate the remote with the remote inside the portasci.

Okay, so as far as I know the remote is the only thing controlling the port-a-sci.

With that knowledge, here is why I see that being really bad: The ice moon's black hole of eternal darkness and the stranger wall pit.

These are some of the biggest reasons one would want the port-a-sci. Yes, it has many other useful applications, like quickly leaving a telesci area or transporting goodies back to the ship for someone to pickup, but the thing is those can both be solved without the port-a-sci.

However, if you end up in one of those places I mentioned or some asshat breaks the teleporter because he wanted to be an asshole or the engine is blown and power is out in telesci and nobody is responding to your pleas, that's when the port-a-sci is most useful, and doing that would remove those features.

[UrsulaMejor]

make it so you can't operate the remote with the remote inside the portasci.

However, if you end up in one of those places I mentioned or some asshat breaks the teleporter because he wanted to be an asshole or the engine is blown and power is out in telesci and nobody is responding to your pleas, that's when the port-a-sci is most useful, and doing that would remove those features.

This this the intended nerf I'm suggesting. Your issue with this nerf I've suggested is exactly why I suggested it: it means you can't solo run those areas. The goal is to get people to work together. This accomplishes that.

This will place the minimum number of people for a low pop no-engine no-portal at 2 and heavily encourage people to better manage manpower and resources AS WELL AS being a significant trust-fall test requiring people to learn to use the device as a team.

[UrsulaMejor]

make it so you can't operate the remote with the remote inside the portasci

Some people on irc are confused about how this works so let me explain:

Geoff and Yug want to go to biodome to get the silver key. Yug sends Geoff through the portal and then gets into the portasci. Geoff summons the portasci to bring Yug to the biodome. Together, they get the silver key. Geoff sends Yug back to the station inside the portasci, then Yug opens the portal for Geoff to come back through.

Mission accomplished.

[DyssalC]

make it so you can't operate the remote with the remote inside the portasci.

However, if you end up in one of those places I mentioned or some asshat breaks the teleporter because he wanted to be an asshole or the engine is blown and power is out in telesci and nobody is responding to your pleas, that's when the port-a-sci is most useful, and doing that would remove those features.

This this the intended nerf I'm suggesting. Your issue with this nerf I've suggested is exactly why I suggested it: it means you can't solo run those areas. The goal is to get people to work together. This accomplishes that.

Let me explain this in a way similar to how you just explained it.

Geoff and Yug want to investigate the stranger wall in the biodome. In order to do so they must fall down a deep pit that has no way back up it. Once they are there they decide the challenge is too much for them and decide to go home.

Geoff gets in the port-a-sci and Yug sends them home. Yug is stranded in the pit for all eternity because there is no alternate way out, he can't send the remote to Geoff and have him push the locker down to him, and he can't teleport himself out with the port-a-sci, so he commits suicide shortly after realizing this.

Similarly:

Geoff and Yug decide to hit-up Mars and see if there is anymore to The Vault than meets the eye, however upon entering the portal to Mars Ricky blows up telesci with a big ol' bomb. Yug gets in the port-a-sci and Geoff sends him off, and Geoff is stuck wandering the abandoned Mars base until the end of time, only to die after walking outside without his ME suit on.

[Winklabom]

make it so you can't operate the remote with the remote inside the portasci

Some people on irc are confused about how this works so let me explain:

Geoff and Yug want to go to biodome to get the silver key. Yug sends Geoff through the portal and then gets into the portasci. Geoff summons the portasci to bring Yug to the biodome. Together, they get the silver key. Geoff sends Yug back to the station inside the portasci, then Yug opens the portal for Geoff to come back through.

Mission accomplished.

True, but there are some areas where the only way to get out (unless I'm missing something) is to use the Port-a-Sci. You'd absolutely have to leave someone behind with no chance of being able to bring them back on the station if the remote only worked outside of the closet itself.

Specifically places like the spider/strange ghostmachine thing pit in the Biodome.

I believe that the recent addition of the massive power drain is more than enough of a punishment for abusive telescientists.

[UrsulaMejor]

Point taken. We can rethink of a different nerf, but I think the optimal solution would be for the nerf I suggested to be applied and for those areas to have a definite exit.

That said, I DO believe we should work to force cooperation rather than punishing players randomly for no reason

[UrsulaMejor]

Sorry for double post but what if the mob spawning only happened when you teleport yourself and never happened otherwise?

Encourages cooperation but in a pinch you can always choose to wrestle a bear

[Spy_Guy]

I'm getting a feeling none of you have actually used the port-a-sci post-change. Except ali0en who I can confirm has rotten luck.

The port-a-sci can do lots of things if it fails and critter spawning is one of the higher tier things that's actually quite unlikely to happen.

To me it looks like you're all talking as if the thing was removed, except it's still there and still does its job in case telesci gets blown up. If you don't want to use it because it feels like a dangerous alternative to the teleporter then that's my job done.

Now you have to weigh the risk of using the port-a-sci against the alternative (be stranded, etc) and decide if risking to become a human donk pocket is worth not bothering to ask a scientist / the ai to receive you.

[DyssalC]

I'm getting a feeling none of you have actually used the port-a-sci post-change. Except ali0en who I can confirm has rotten luck.

The port-a-sci can do lots of things if it fails and critter spawning is one of the higher tier things that's actually quite unlikely to happen.

To me it looks like you're all talking as if the thing was removed, except it's still there and still does its job in case telesci gets blown up. If you don't want to use it because it feels like a dangerous alternative to the teleporter then that's my job done.

Now you have to weigh the risk of using the port-a-sci against the alternative (be stranded, etc) and decide if risking to become a human donk pocket is worth not bothering to ask a scientist / the ai to receive you.

No, we're just speaking in reference to the change that Ursula proposed to replace the random critter spawn.

Unless I'm just speaking on my behalf.

[UrsulaMejor]

Some stats I took over a round for those interested:

TOTAL: 139
127 Null
3 Warm Tingle (5gy)
2 Critter (1 QueenNice Spider 1 space bear)
5 Oh god that was terrible (Puking, Disorientation)
1 Searing Heat (10gy)
1 Buzzes Oddly (1.5 gy)

Estimated Percentages w/ error bars:
Null: 91% +/- 8.1%
5gy: 2.2% +/- 1.2%
mob: 1.4% +/- 1.0%
ogt: 3.6% +/- 1.6%
heat: 0.7% +/- 0.7%
Buzz: 0.7% +/- 0.7%

Data is obviously not that accurate due to low sample size but it'll get there! I hope this demonstrates at least somewhat to people the level of risk involved, however you choose to define what level of risk is acceptable

[UrsulaMejor]

Some stats I took over a round for those interested:

TOTAL: 139
127 Null
3 Warm Tingle (5gy)
2 Critter (1 QueenNice Spider 1 space bear)
5 Oh god that was terrible (Puking, Disorientation)
1 Searing Heat (10gy)
1 Buzzes Oddly (1.5 gy)

Estimated Percentages w/ error bars:
Null: 91% +/- 8.1%
5gy: 2.2% +/- 1.2%
mob: 1.4% +/- 1.0%
ogt: 3.6% +/- 1.6%
heat: 0.7% +/- 0.7%
Buzz: 0.7% +/- 0.7%

Data is obviously not that accurate due to low sample size but it'll get there! I hope this demonstrates at least somewhat to people the level of risk involved, however you choose to define what level of risk is acceptable

[Spy_Guy]

The suggestions here have been accounted for.