Syndicate PDA carts

[Frank_Stein]

For the cost of 2 TC, get a randomized cart with a program installed on it. Programs are a mix of automated packet hacking, and specialized tools. Write programs to the PDA or swap carts for multiple purchases. Programs could include

• Detomatrix - The current PDA bomb tool
  
• Spectralingo - A chat application that can send anonymous encrypted messages and files to other Syndicate PDAs
  
• Conspirewall - Activates the fire alarm in your area
  
• IDestroid - Remotely targets a PDA and can copy and delete access levels in an inserted ID card
  
• Electropod - Activates a shock on the PDA's wielder if they take too long to enter a hidden sequence to deactivate it
  
• Mun3Y - Use the PDA to access to last used account on ATMs, and to spoof payment on vending machines and merchants
  
• Blakout - Toggles the lights or equipment in the area you're in. 
  
• EyeDblocker - Allows you to set the appearance of the PDA owner name, as well as the name and role of its inserted ID card, while it's inserted into the PDA
  
• Emu-ag - Emag function on the PDA at a discount
  

Feel free to comment suggest more or comment on the idea in general. Initially I was looking for ways to make the detomax more useful, while keeping its cost low.

[Spoodle]

The program idea themselves are really cool, but I'd despise the randomness.

[Frank_Stein]

The program idea themselves are really cool, but I'd despise the randomness.

I think it could be adjusted that you get a second traitor item list and it's just all these programs that you can purchase in place of and in combination with items

[Kovirii]

• Blakout - Toggles the lights or equipment in the area you're in. 
  

I really want to see this whether it's on a PDA, as an item, or say an emagged multitool?
For equipment unless it lists what's within the scanned radius it may be easier to hit the specific machine with the tool to toggle it.

[aft2001]

I think that this is a fantastic idea, minus the randomness part.

Perhaps there should be some guaranteed programs that you'd always get, particularly Spectralingo and EyeDblocker, as they'd be really handy for traitors, especially Spectralingo. You'd be able to coordinate with other traitors anonymously.

On that note, it would be interesting if you could only reply once if you got a Spectralingo message if you didn't have the cart, until a new message was received. That way, both traitors would need to buy the cart to actually anonymously and effectively communicate, but you could also just have one who had the cart and relayed information/instructions and such.

But regarding the very initial point I made, this level of randomness can make strategizing (an integral part of a traitor's round) near impossible, and as such a traitor may not be willing to purchase it unless they know that there would be some guaranteed, consistent use. However, having one additional, randomized program would be fantastic, such as the emag function (perhaps with a cooldown/limited number of uses?) or standard detomatrix program, alongside the guaranteed, consistent programs.

[NateTheSquid]

i like this, think randomness would prevent people just getting the good ones

[aft2001]

So, based on the ideas presented in the thread so far, there are two different possibilities in the actual mechanics of how the Syndicate Cartridge would give a PDA programs:

Firstly, a point system similar to TC with the Uplink, wherein you can spend a limited number of points to purchase programs that are permanently installed onto the cartridge.

Alternatively, having guaranteed programs that you always get and can be useful with some creativity, as well as randomly selected programs that have varying use (and possibly rarity).


Personally I like the former option more, as it allows for more customization options and flexibility, but if that is the case then the TC cost of the Syndicate Cartridge should definitely be higher if the programs listed in the OP would be available.

As another alternative, perhaps there shouldn't be a Syndicate Cartridge, but rather the programs are a part of the Uplink itself, costing TC to purchase and are installed directly onto your PDA.

Lastly, I like the Emu-ag program, and having a cheap alternative to an emag would be handy. Of course, as it's cheaper and harder to detect, it should have a cooldown associated with it, possibly dependent on what was actually emagged (e.g emagging a buttbot would have very low cooldown but emagging beepsky would have a high cooldown, so it'd be harder to double emag Beepsky)

[Frank_Stein]

Initially, I had poison bottles in mind, which have a low TC cost. As a tradeoff, they can be wildly different in usefulness.

Similarly, the carts would be individual items you could buy to use up your last TC, or you could get multiple and hope for a really good one, hence some being better. 

I figured you'd have to swap carts because of file size, but they'd be individually small enough that you could save them to the internal hard drive or send them to someone else if they had enough space to download.

[Zamujasa]

EyeDblocker - Allows you to set the appearance of the PDA owner name, as well as the name and role of its inserted ID card, while it's inserted into the PDA

This would render an agent card (with its access-copying ability) obsolete (outside of access to the listening post and AI tracking).

Mun3Y - Use the PDA to access to last used account on ATMs, and to spoof payment on vending machines and merchants

Tying into the ID cards, instead this should siphon money from the payroll budget (then research and shipping) and onto the inserted ID card while it's running. Not deposit it into your account, but on the card, like with slot machines.

Conspirewall - Activates the fire alarm in your area
Blakout - Toggles the lights or equipment in the area you're in.

I like these.

Electropod - Activates a shock on the PDA's wielder if they take too long to enter a hidden sequence to deactivate it

Maybe just fry the inserted cartridge and programs instead? So they'd lose whatever programs and notes were on their PDA. Shocking them seems like it'd be easy to avoid by just throwing the PDA away, which people already do when Detomatix bombs go off

IDestroid - Remotely targets a PDA and can copy and delete access levels in an inserted ID card

Maybe allow editing the name/job on the ID card but not the attached access levels? Could be good for causing chaos.

Emu-ag - Emag function on the PDA at a discount

Make it a short-range EMP function and turn it into a PDA module instead of an application, like the high-power flashlight/T-ray scanner. Takes a while to recharge between uses but EMPs anything in a 1 or 2 tile range.

Detomatrix - The current PDA bomb tool

The main problem I see with the Detomatix is that it's very obvious (or at least, was) -- it sends a specific message from one person and then blows up the PDA a second later. I'd allow changing the message it sends, the author, as well as a timer for when to detonate. Turn PDAs into a ticking timebomb that nobody will know about until it's too late, and you can make everyone else think someone else is doing it!

Might be fun to make it so that replying to the PDA that sent the bomb message adds it to a list in the Detomatix application for later, on-demand silent detonation. Could help prevent the current ability to infinitely Detomatix things by the target PDA including a special authentication code in the reply, so that you couldn't just do one and then spam it with mechanics.

[Frank_Stein]

EyeDBlocker isn't intended to copy access, just change the name of an inserted ID, and Electropod shocks the PDA the cart is inserted into. The intention is to stun someone removing it from you in a search