Tactical Nuclear Operative Map for Tactical Planning Of Nuclear Operation

[Skookus]

After playing some rounds as a Nuclear Operative recently, I've noticed how often at the planning stage of the mission a large portion of the time is spent, naturally, looking at the station map, planning out a route for entry, defenses, chokepoints etc. etc.

Communicating your plan to your fellow operatives thru the use of the goonhub maps, however, is often not so straight forward, especially if the person isn't already familiar with the map layout. Let's say the bomb target is EVA on Clarion. If someone doesn't know where EVA is, you could try to describe the general location on map (Next to HoP office, above Captain's quarters) and contents (Oxygen canister, spacesuits) In the hopes that they then can locate the correct room on the map. This takes valuable time.

If you then want to/need to plan out a very specific route of entry, even more time needs to be used. Enter through the second set of airlocks north from here, enter maintanence here, place a breaching charge on this wall x-amount of blocks from this point here etc.
Lots of room for miscommunication and error here.

Which is why I propose a solution: A tactical map of the station for planning your entry, located in the planning room of Cairngorn.

This would be a non-moveable tactical map of the station, with which are included some markers you can use to plan out and draw your plan for your fellow operatives.

Circles, arrows, other special signs and maybe even letters. You could highlight the entry-location, bomb target, the path through the station, chokepoints, areas to fortify etc. etc. Use another color to plan out a route for Team B that will launch an attack at the other side of the station, subvert the AI or whatever else you can come up with. Not only would this help coordinate the whole team better, it would also be cool as hell. I mean, come on. What kind of heavily weaponised deathsquad DOESN'T have a map w/ markers to go with their planning phase?

Maybe have the markers spawn on the Commander at roundstart, so that they can decide who is in charge of the planning.

[Gannets]

It's something I've considered and I'd like to see. But I have no idea how it'd be accomplished in byond.

[aft2001]

Perhaps it could be a Goonhub feature? Generate a new unique link to a Goonhub page each time a new nukie round starts (similar to password recovery pages and such, idk web design so I'm probably saying some dumb shit) and give it to the nukies. It would essentially just be the current map but with some features to draw and type on the map.

[KikiMofo]

Yeah being able to place down markers on an ingame map that shows for just the syndies on the actual station would be killer

[nefarious6th]

Perhaps it could be a Goonhub feature? Generate a new unique link to a Goonhub page each time a new nukie round starts (similar to password recovery pages and such, idk web design so I'm probably saying some dumb shit) and give it to the nukies. It would essentially just be the current map but with some features to draw and type on the map.

I think the problem is that the more options you offer not-in-game the higher the drop-off of usage of them will be, so ideally this would be in-game, but as an alternative fast-patch kind of solution or as a temporary one while people work on the in-game means, this might be something.

I imagine for an in-game map it would have to be markedly simplified, like maybe as much as just having labelled departments with colors on a map of the station not unlike what the fabs and things look like on mining or trench maps; would this communicate a meaningful enough amount of information in the little space it'd take up? Would people even use this over looking on Goonhub or just not even looking at all? On the other hand, I think there's maybe more potential for marking up something like that now that we're trending towards having stamps and stuff with the paperwork changes. Maybe there's a way to make a unique stamp set for the Cairn and use those on the map? I only wouldn't know how we might go about undoing or erasing marks.

Alternatively, maybe there's something like the QT computer that can be implemented? I'd be interested in poking around on the first option, maybe?

[Frank_Stein]

Personally, I'd love if instead of a whiteboard it was a physical map laid out across a table, with figurines and other toys and props you can move around and point at.

Though, I suppose you could do something with magnets to stick to the board

We have chess/checkerboards as something kinda like that?

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Maybe since you'd have problems reaching things from cross the table, the commander gets one of those stick thingies you see like this

[aft2001]

Modifying the gameboard UI for this purpose actually seems kinda fucking genius. It's horribly underused and I'm pretty sure it still works fine and may be the perfect method to implement this with minimal unnecessary effort.

[Drago156]

Is it bad that I'm the kinda person who has every map down in my head? Generally I just make sure I got the nuke in whatever pod I take and tell the others to follow on me since IME not many people know what beacons to choose and what direction to fly in and good places to breach.

[Superlagg]

A table might work fine, but I like the idea of something like a big room with a scaled-down map painted across the floor, with figurines and crayons and stickers to plot out your master plan on this preschool play mat.