Give the Research Director Miracle Ore at the beginning of the round.

[Agent reburG]

What for, why would you do that? 

So players, new and especially on low pop servers still have access to one of SCI coolest mechanics. 

The Portable Chemical Dispenser, 
Or rather the setups you can construct with it. 

The requirement of Miracle Ore to produce them is perfectly fine and shouldn't be changed, but it is very limiting on shifts without miners. 

So I am proposing the same treatment and solution Toxin had for Molitz B. 
Give the RD 2 Miracle Ores in sweet box, fancy crate, another stylish suitcase or just dump it somewhere. 

(PS: A cargo crate with the equipment found in the Auxiliary Lab Tables would be sweet, considering SCI has only 3 crates currently to buy and Bunsen Burners also have a mineral requirement, although less significant due to alternatives.)

[LeahTheTech]

I'd say 1 miracle matter so they can't make an entire new chem dispenser.

[Lord_earthfire]

Lets stop giving department utilities at roundstart. Just ask mining if you want miracle matter.

[Agent reburG]

Lets stop giving department utilities at roundstart. Just ask mining if you want miracle matter.

??? 

Yes, let me ask the non existing mining department on shifts of 10-20.

The problem is, as in the headpost, that on low pop rounds, mining staff is very rare and thus unreliable for this.

[Kotlol]

Lets stop giving department utilities at roundstart. Just ask mining if you want miracle matter.

??? 

Yes, let me ask the non existing mining department on shifts of 10-20.

The problem is, as in the headpost, that on low pop rounds, mining staff is very rare and thus unreliable for this.

Go to your HoP or Captain and ask them for mining access and DO IT YOURSELF.
If those don't exist you do not have a functional station and that point.. just break open everything or have an AI assist you..

Like there are ways to do this without going through by giving things.

But you can also just make it orderable via Cargo? Or maybe a merchant that's expensive somewhere?

Eitherway... I just find it lame to hear: "Well I need it since LOWPOP"
The answer is simple on that: NO. If we adjust for Low Pop, you adjust for HIGH POP.

We can't just keep adding things since: "I can't do this on low pop since "CREW MISSING"
It sucks but at that point.. just get access and do it yourself.
Also why is this device NEEDED so badly? If anything.. this makes the RD have a very strong presence in cheming where they want wich in my opinion will always trickle down to: "I am a chem nerd who wants to chem funny everywhere." And trust me... Chem antags are already HARD to deal with.. imagine them being RD's with Portalbe Chem dispensers...

So I am technically against this as this is just "a cool device now people can make." but in the long run.. it doesnt add a benefit to lowpop (if anything it decreases it)
It doesn't add a benefit to Highpop (in anything it will just make RD's go around the place more and it doesn't give newbies access ot it since NEWBEES DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS ORE!)

So I reject this on those aspects.

TL;DR:
Don't want this cause:
- RD becomes too powerful.
- Initial reasoning doesnt apply since newbees don't know what the ore can do.
- Low Pop reasoning doesn't apply since you can just gain access.
- Overall doesn't QoL anything... It just makes the RD hassle people to make the device.

[Agent reburG]

TL;DR:
Don't want this cause:
- RD becomes too powerful.
- Initial reasoning doesnt apply since newbees don't know what the ore can do.
- Low Pop reasoning doesn't apply since you can just gain access.
- Overall doesn't QoL anything... It just makes the RD hassle people to make the device.

 - RD becomes too powerful. 
-> Because... 5-10 Portable Dispensers break the balance? (Should people just use it make another Standard Dispenser. Like Leah said, handing out only one makes sense.) 

 - Initial reasoning doesnt apply since newbees don't know what the ore can do.
-> Actually got inspired after talking with a Newbee, asking me how to get Dispensers and having to tell them that it will be difficult, because we had no miners on the shift. Still fair point, 90% of newbees don't know what the ore is for, but the RD and other Scientist do. 

 - Low Pop reasoning doesn't apply since you can just gain access.
-> Yeah low pop is a sticky situation, arguing that the influence on higher populated rounds could be bothersome is valid though, would need some feedback from a testmerge or so. 

 - Overall doesn't QoL anything... It just makes the RD hassle people to make the device.
-> Definitely, not having to mine 20-30 minutes. Don't really understand the rest. 

It isn't NEEDING, same as with the Molitz B, preventing locking out things due to the lack staff. 
I think, most of the time, it will sour with the Molitz B. 
But, it will be a nice back up, for when it is needed.

[Egregorious]

I agree with the sentiment that just giving things to departments at roundstart so that lowpop has easier access is a problem. It fails to incentivise the crew to work together during high-pop.

In my opinion anything beyond the minimum required to do the job should need working with other departments (or at least other people in the same department) in order to either get access to or maintain, because the game is built around crew interaction and any mechanics which don't promote such interaction are wasted potential.

However if more access to a resource is needed, maybe you could add less efficient ways to obtain it from other places. Maybe Gragg could sell one or two lumps of miraclium, which would get cargo involved. Maybe you can synthesise crystals via chemistry and grow them in tiny amounts in a plant tray, which could get botany involved etc.

[Kotlol]

I got a different idea but I think if "no crew in a department" is found after 5 mins in a round. The department will be unlocked and opened till someone spawns to close it.

That's a QoL for Low Pop I think would be better. Just like when an AI calls it quits, a new one can SPAWN in.
Much easier and better.