New Security Equipment Idea: The SecBuddy

[BioFrequency]

Hey there!

Guy with no sprite or coding skills here! 

I had an idea for some new security equipment and wanted to share it here. 



The idea at its bare bones

Introduction of a new security officer loadout purchasable at a security weapons vendor. Much like the Just a Baton package - you picking this option will result in you forgoing a taser. 

What you get instead. Is a friendly little Securitron/Guardbuddy JUST for you!

This SecBuddy would be set automatically guard the Security Officer that its assigned to. Following you around and trying to keep you safe. 

SecBuddy should respond to the Security Whistle for commands. Or, if its easier for coding: some other remote or device. 

Ideally some of the behavior would be programmable. For example - by default I don't think the SecBuddy should attempt to arrest anyone with an arrest status. However, I do think the officer should be able to see it so that IS possible. 

I hope in its simplest form - with reusing code and sprites from existing assets - that it wouldn't be TOO hard to implement..... 

Compared to the existing counter parts...... 
I would recommend it if the SecBuddy was a little sturdier and faster. 

Sturdy enough that a Staff Assistant would be hard pressed to break it swinging a chair - but still fragile enough that a miscreant or a traitor with a real weapon could break it to bits if given the chance.

And it should be fast enough that it is able to keep up with its assigned Security Officer while they are running. But maybe not fast enough to keep up in a sprint.




Why I really like this idea

Cutting to  the chase a little. This security equipment is intended to be a 'fun' option. An officer taking this choice will be without a conventional ranged stun tool. 

But, I just LOVE the idea of a little buddy. One you can dote on, cheer on, and lament their loss if it comes to that. 

I'm a big Beepsky fan. And I really want a personal robot companion to help thru those hard times (and give some fun RP opportunities) 





Growth Potential

My bare bones description above is intended for bringing this idea to reality with the minimum amount of work. Hence the suggestions of using existing code and assets. 

However, that isn't to say that iterative improvements or changes can't be made to the idea. Here is a list of more..... Complicated improvements that could be made to it. To give the idea more Blorbo

• Robot dog sprite - cause you know he is a good boy. 
  
• Plays fetch with your Baton! Or maybe even use the Baton as a controller for the status of the buddy? (Baton on = arrest mode - off = on standby?) 
  
• Use a Securitron baton? Or a have a Guardbuddy tool module system? Both have interesting applications. 
  

Let me know what you think!

[laugoose]

This sounds really cool. Robotic K9 unit, absolutely awesome! would love to see it

[Frank_Stein]

This sounds really cool. Robotic K9 unit, absolutely awesome! would love to see it

It would be fun if it could do something like track people based on blood scent or some such.

[meaow589]

i feel like it just guardbuddy with guard script the only different is it can also controlable with some tool and combination from original securiton and guardbuddy without need to use many step in dwaine.

so natural with this since i think dwaine user who skill enough can control guadbuddy like exact you said already but with need script and hard step to do.

[BioFrequency]

This sounds really cool. Robotic K9 unit, absolutely awesome! would love to see it

It would be fun if it could do something like track people based on blood scent or some such.

I really like that idea as far as a 'pipe dream' kinda feature - not sure how difficult that would be to implement.

I'm smitten with the security companion idea just because of how susceptible it is for possible inclusions of features like that in the future.

But the start is how viable it is to even create the skeleton of the idea.

[crasscrab]

We already have this they're called Security Assistants and you can yell at and berate them all you want as a Security Officer and make them do all the stuff you don't want to like look up stuff on SecMate and write tickets. 

I'm joking I think op's idea is good.

[Drakios]

Honestly that sounds like a fun idea, you could do either that or make it a personal beepsky that follows only you and your command (until someone packet hacks it), but yeah in general I like the idea sounds fun

[LorrMaster]

A K9 for sec would be amazing. I'm thinking that initial coding would probably take a week or two, but should be feasible.

For tracking players, it could use the pug sleuthing system to identify people. That way you can use an item to find someone's location, but it won't be a complete giveaway that you actually tracked down the correct person. Would also fit nicely with pugs.

For controls, I think a combination of security whistles and the intent system could be great. Like there are a series of hand signals that you need to master to properly communicate. [whistle + help = stay / follow | whistle + follow + harm = attack | whistle + grab + recently dropped item = sleuth item]

[Lord_earthfire]

If you want something like that, the RD can program robuddies to follow you. We could expand on them to be more usefull.

This is a mix between a securitron and a robuddy, muddying the borders betwen both.

Lastly, holy fuck, don't invalidate other departments further by giving security roundstart stuff for free. Security has so much overpowered loot they are desincentivised to take stuff from ither departments that could help them fight antags. I'm talking about batteries that can't be outclassed by on-station creation, or donuts that require multiple departments to cooperate to come to close to in healing power.

[BioFrequency]

If you want something like that, the RD can program robuddies to follow you. We could expand on them to be more usefull.

This is a mix between a securitron and a robuddy, muddying the borders betwen both.

Lastly, holy fuck, don't invalidate other departments further by giving security roundstart stuff for free. Security has so much overpowered loot they are desincentivised to take stuff from ither departments that could help them fight antags. I'm talking about batteries that can't be outclassed by on-station creation, or donuts that require multiple departments to cooperate to come to close to in healing power.

I get your initial comment. However, at current rarely anybody tries this. Part of the problem might be that specifically getting in touch with just the RD to make that happen feels awkward. And GuardBuddies are kinda.... One dimensional? I would also bet my bottom dollar that any member of security that DID request a GuardBuddy detail from Research would be side eye'd - as I have encountered a lot of players that heavily frown upon that kinda of thing. 

I would argue that - if this idea DID get implemented AND got improved over time. It could be used to incorporate cross departmental cooperation between Security and other departments. Such as bringing the SecBuddy to Robotics for repairs/rebuilding if damaged in the field. Or if we followed the path of using modular tools - bringing SecBuddy to Research to have tools upgraded or replaced with new ones. 

As for your last comment. 

Part of this idea is that picking said 'SecBuddy' as a loadout is intended to make the Security Officer weaker. Remember, you're sacrificing getting a taser to get it. 

The loss of a proper taser is something that hampers catching antags by a fair bit. Both Antags that are fleeing, and those that are armed and attacking. I think if designed correctly it could both be a cool toy to play with, introduce some great RP opportunities, and reduce the 'power level' of Security Officers. 

Making Security Officers weaker has always been a discussion from time to time. And its understandably a hard thing to balance. So maybe a possible answer is to give Security equipment that is weaker, but more fun to use?

[Lord_earthfire]

I get your initial comment. However, at current rarely anybody tries this. Part of the problem might be that specifically getting in touch with just the RD to make that happen feels awkward. And GuardBuddies are kinda.... One dimensional? I would also bet my bottom dollar that any member of security that DID request a GuardBuddy detail from Research would be side eye'd - as I have encountered a lot of players that heavily frown upon that kinda of thing. 

I agree with the one-dimensionality. I think robuddies need a expansion. There were talks about moving them to robotics, and that would be something to implement. Have modules to make them more compatible with sec work.

To the second point, the side-eye thing. That is part of a problematic/toxic mindset that exists in security culture. And part of it is what i said: too imbalanced gear to the degree that it is frowned upon to take things from others. In this case robuddies. (Excluding classic, we talk RP here)

Moving robuddies to sec won't change that. Yeah, its a suboptimal choice, but the other choices are so strong it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

So in the end, what you achieved is that security lost further reason to get things from other departments. What you gain is a sec gimmick that is ok under this toxic part of sec culture.

[Mikeistaken]

I get your initial comment. However, at current rarely anybody tries this. Part of the problem might be that specifically getting in touch with just the RD to make that happen feels awkward. And GuardBuddies are kinda.... One dimensional? I would also bet my bottom dollar that any member of security that DID request a GuardBuddy detail from Research would be side eye'd - as I have encountered a lot of players that heavily frown upon that kinda of thing. 

I agree with the one-dimensionality. I think robuddies need a expansion. There were talks about moving them to robotics, and that would be something to implement. Have modules to make them more compatible with sec work.

To the second point, the side-eye thing. That is part of a problematic/toxic mindset that exists in security culture. And part of it is what i said: too imbalanced gear to the degree that it is frowned upon to take things from others. In this case robuddies. (Excluding classic, we talk RP here)

Moving robuddies to sec won't change that. Yeah, its a suboptimal choice, but the other choices are so strong it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

So in the end, what you achieved is that security lost further reason to get things from other departments. What you gain is a sec gimmick that is ok under this toxic part of sec culture.

I feel like you bring up some pretty valid points here, so I'll make a suggestion that will try and fix it. Firstly as you said it's toxic culture for security to request things from other departments, and while I do see this I also saw somthing else important with a new security addition recently. The addition of sechud cybereyes that requires robotics was very well received (to my knowledge) and made it okay for security to upgrade themselves in robotics despite the toxic culture. So my proposition is instead of just giving security it, give security parts for the other departments to built onto. for example make this an upgrade module for robuddies that can only be installed and programmed with robuddy access.

[BioFrequency]

I get your initial comment. However, at current rarely anybody tries this. Part of the problem might be that specifically getting in touch with just the RD to make that happen feels awkward. And GuardBuddies are kinda.... One dimensional? I would also bet my bottom dollar that any member of security that DID request a GuardBuddy detail from Research would be side eye'd - as I have encountered a lot of players that heavily frown upon that kinda of thing. 

I agree with the one-dimensionality. I think robuddies need a expansion. There were talks about moving them to robotics, and that would be something to implement. Have modules to make them more compatible with sec work.

To the second point, the side-eye thing. That is part of a problematic/toxic mindset that exists in security culture. And part of it is what i said: too imbalanced gear to the degree that it is frowned upon to take things from others. In this case robuddies. (Excluding classic, we talk RP here)

Moving robuddies to sec won't change that. Yeah, its a suboptimal choice, but the other choices are so strong it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

So in the end, what you achieved is that security lost further reason to get things from other departments. What you gain is a sec gimmick that is ok under this toxic part of sec culture.

I feel like you bring up some pretty valid points here, so I'll make a suggestion that will try and fix it. Firstly as you said it's toxic culture for security to request things from other departments, and while I do see this I also saw somthing else important with a new security addition recently. The addition of sechud cybereyes that requires robotics was very well received (to my knowledge) and made it okay for security to upgrade themselves in robotics despite the toxic culture. So my proposition is instead of just giving security it, give security parts for the other departments to built onto. for example make this an upgrade module for robuddies that can only be installed and programmed with robuddy access.

Having the SecBuddy show up unfinished? 

Hmmmm - thats certainly an idea! I could see that is being a cool option. Making assembly of the buddy part of the fun.

[Lord_earthfire]

So my proposition is instead of just giving security it, give security parts for the other departments to built onto. for example make this an upgrade module for robuddies that can only be installed and programmed with robuddy access.

Oh, i really like the idea of giving sec the module so they can bring the module to the department and request the construction of a rubuddy for them. This feels like this could promote a working together because it needs something from both departments.

[BioFrequency]

Maybe rebrand it to Build-a-buddy?