The Port-a-Brig

[TheMaskedMan2]

Okay, you may consider this a slight salt suggestion, but I am still going to suggest this. First let's talk about the Port-a-Brig.

To put it simply, I think the port-a-brig is way too convenient and kind of cheesy and unfun. Let me give you an example. You can stun someone for two seconds, and have enough time to permanently lock them into the port-a-brig with two easy grabs.

You can summon the port-a-brig to you exactly with one pda-click, stick someone in it, and send them deep into Sec to never see the light of day again in an easy three seconds at most.

Applying handcuffs alone takes longer than that. I have even seen the port-a-brig used in combat lately where a slightly disoriented antag is grabbed and stuffed inside within a second, and EVERY sec officer has the ability to summon it instantly. I was just in a round where I was in the port-a-brig for 30 minutes, and the HoS kept summoning it back to him just to reset the timer on it.

I may have the personal opinion that Security is way too overtuned lately, but this is definitely one of them, so I have a few ideas of how to make it less cheesy without entirely removing it.

Option 1: Restrict the File-Program to the HoS, so at the very least not every Sec Officer has an instant Super-Handcuff Summoner. They can still drag it around and use it if they want, but no easy get out of jail free cards.

Option 2: Force people put inside to have to be handcuffed first. So you can't just stun someone for two seconds and slap them inside.

Option 3: The amount of time to put someone inside should be a lot longer. At LEAST as long as getting into a pod.

Option 4: Remove it.

Maybe someone else has better ideas, but I really just think the Port-a-Brig is unfun and too powerful in addition to all of the other tools Security has.

[Rilor]

any of the first three seem like reasonable solutions, maybe even combine one or two.

[DioChasek]

Not a huge deal to me but the counter argument becomes with some particularly robust players the options then become forced borging (which boy oh boy can that back fire), chemical coma (even more boring), or execution (at least dead chat is a thing), because lets face it there are way too many ways to get out of a perma brig-situation.

I will say that it is the least creative way to handle a situation, for a sec officer to stun, port a brig, then take you in and I would agree that maybe only the HOS gets access to it but removing it removes a solution to a problem, and people should always look to have as many options as possible when dealing with a situation. My two cents.

But who really cares what I think I usually roll clown.
HONKS Mopsy

[kyle2143]

The point of it is to be better than the handcuffs. So I'd want to avoid going too far in the direction of making it "worse" worse. But I agree that some tweaks to it are worth trying out. I'll respond to your points here:

1. Not sure what this means exactly, but it *sounds* alright. You mean remove the pda program from sec officers and only have it for the HoS? You'd have to make it require an HoS ID card to prevent the HOs from just mailing people the program. Also, where does the porta brig remote object come in here? I assume that'll stay, forcing officers to choose to bring that item if they want the porta brig.
I wouldn't really want the port a brig being sorta turned into an HoS exclusive, but if it's still usable by the regular officers with the remote object then it should be fine. Provided it works like that.

2. This is is kinda alright too, I'm not sure. I've basically always cuffed people before porta brigging them so that's how I'd play. Maybe not *requiring* to be cuffed, but if you throw an uncuffed person in, they could break out in like 45 seconds-ish (handcuff time).

3. I think this is tackling the same problem as 2. And I think it solves it better.

4. No.

I think I'd like to see a mixture of 1 and 3 to see how that effects things, provided the porta brig remote items don't get removed. I'm not really a fan of the "instantly get someone to aggressive grab and the click the porta brig to plop em in" that has always existed with it, it's kinda eh. At least with a progress bar, you get a bit more indication what's about to happen.

[Cal]

No to HoS having the program. They'd just send the file and also we don't need HoS to be a super cop. They're supposed to lead and stop shit officers

Shoving them in being longer would be fine

Remember: you can very very easily counter this by stealing a sec pda from their locker and just toggling the lock off using the file.

[Froggit_Dogget]

you can flip to break out of the port a brig. Port a brig is the ONLY option against certain antags, like vampires, who can batform away even while cuffed.

[TheMaskedMan2]

you can flip to break out of the port a brig. Port a brig is the ONLY option against certain antags, like vampires, who can batform away even while cuffed.

My problem isn't the port-a-brig existing, I suppose, and part of it may have been a slight salt immediate reaction, but I do think it is still far too easy to use, and it should only be able to be used when you properly have an antag contained, and subdued, not just momentarily disoriented for five seconds.

[Mouse]

IMO if the HoS is keeping you locked in the port-a-brig for half an hour that's absolutely worth an ahelp.

[mbc]

I like ideas 2 and 3. Maybe -- If someone's already cuffed, you can toss them inside instantly. But if they aren't cuffed, you get a short progress bar about pod-entry-length?

[phyvo]

I like that. Then there is still potential to porta-brig someone without cuffs but you have to knock them out first. I dunno why you would have access to one without the other but I like leaving options open.

[unfunnyperson]

you can flip to break out of the port a brig. Port a brig is the ONLY option against certain antags, like vampires, who can batform away even while cuffed.

It takes 150 seconds to escape the portabrig, that’s more than enough time  to get them where you want them.

3 seems like the best so you can’t grab someone and instantly subdue them within seconds.

[Ikea]

Really not a fan of 1 or 2 at all. 1 seems to increase the impact of HoS in the round by giving them relatively better stuff which seems bad. While I do think HoS is overall good for the game, they do make antags lives harder, this would increase the impact HoS has on a round. 2 Im especially against, port a brig presents a way to detain people who would otherwise be practically undetainable (see lings or people with normal cyborg arms who cant be cuffed, good luck spending 60 seconds dragging someone to security youve already wasted all your energy on while people constantly bump into you and get in your way.). I dont want to have to rush medical pda cartridges every sec round just so I can use port a medbay instead of port a brig so I can actually detain people instead of harmbatonning them on the spot. Feel like the best solution would be what mbc suggested, where unhandcuffed people just take longer to put in port a brig.

[unfunnyperson]

https://github.com/goonstation/goonstation/pull/6333

decided to pr option 3

[Frank_Stein]

 Option 2: Force people put inside to have to be handcuffed first. So you can't just stun someone for two seconds and slap them inside.

How about that they need to be set to arrest? Encourage updating records or interacting with AI or someone else who could change the record remotely while the officer was engaged with the situation?

[Nihisohel]

I am impartial with 1.

On one hand, I'd like to have it removed as a PDA app in general, people frequently fight over it and with how PDAs are coded, you dont even need it in your hand to activate any file so long as its on your person, which is cheesy.

On, the other hand, this would cause issues for securing and arresting an antagonist off station as you arent able to stuff them in pods as a passenger without stuffing them in a crate into the cargo hold.


Even if 2 and 3 was PR'd and merged, having every sec player be given access to it is still very plenty overpowered with the right players.
Would less access to the Port-a-brig ultimately solve anything, perhaps not, but its still food for thought. Besides, you could probably mech scan the remote and mass produce it or something.