Artifact Lab Improvement thread

[ISaidNo]

The heater now has a Details readout, which gives a hint similar to Features on the X-ray machine. You'll have to figure out yourself what those hints mean though.

Here's some more information though, on stimulus strengths in particular. I also just put through an update that will allow reagent splashing to work on artifacts - however, I didn't make it so some artifacts absolutely require reagents to be activated. They're just another method of stimulating them in addition to the lab equipment.

So, here's the most common ways you can stimulate an artifact (this is purposefully not a complete list):

Force
Pitcher Machine/Object Throwing: Dependent on object used
Attacking with an object: Dependent on object used
Touching it: Very tiny amount (will never be enough to activate force artifacts)
Explosions: Strong to extremely strong (fairly likely to destroy the artifact in the latter case)
Meteor Impact: Very strong
Blob Attack: Fairly strong
Bullets: Depends on bullet used

Heat/Cold Note: "Base" temperature is 310 degrees. Above that is hot, below it is cold. All numbers here are degree values
Heater Pad: Runs from 200 to 400. Very easy to control the exact temperature.
Explosions: Between 380 and 500 depending on how powerful the explosion is
Applied Napalm: 310 + 5 for every unit of napalm
Applied Chlorine Triflouride: 310 + 10 for every unit of cfl3
Applied Cryostylane: 310 - 10 for every unit of cryostylane
Burn with Welder: 800
Burn with Lighter: 400
Certain kinds of energy projectile: Depends on bullet used

Electricity Note: All numbers here are supposed to be Ohms (amperes, ie wattage * voltage)
Electrobox: Runs from 1 to 5000. Remember, wattage * voltage = Ohms.
EMP Burst: 800
Hit with Stun Baton: 1500
Certain kinds of energy projectile: Depends on bullet used

Radiation
X-Ray Machine: Runs from 1 to 10.
EMP Burst: 3
Applied Radium: 1 for every 10 units used
Certain kinds of energy projectile: Depends on bullet used

Other reagents might do unusual stuff outside of stimuli: for instance, acid will straight up cause damage to artifacts. This is handy if you need to get rid of them fairly quickly for any reason! For instance, if you can destroy an artifact bomb before it detonates, there'll be no explosion.

[YJHGHTFH]

I'm loving all the changes to artifacts and I'm actually enjoying figuring out what each one does now

[Embolism]

A few thoughts.

1. Is a Borg the only way to cause "Silicon Touch"? If no Borgs are around, does this mean you can't activate artifacts that use this?

2. Can the Impact Pad show the strength of an impact? All the other equipment show how much stimulus is being applied, so that would be useful.

[Sundance]

2. Can the Impact Pad show the strength of an impact? All the other equipment show how much stimulus is being applied, so that would be useful.

Unless I'm not mistaken, it's the Pitcher that signifies the strength of impact, no?

[Sundance]

http://wiki.ss13.co/Artifact_Research
I refurbished artlab page as much as I could. There's alot of reading there, but I hope that it is more enlightening for newcomers (I hope it's correct too, I had to rephrase a few things to take out the personal/make it more readable)

[ClockworkCupcake]

1. Is a Borg the only way to cause "Silicon Touch"? If no Borgs are around, does this mean you can't activate artifacts that use this?

Do robotic arms apply the "silicon touch" effect and if not, would it be possible to make them do so?

[Embolism]

2. Can the Impact Pad show the strength of an impact? All the other equipment show how much stimulus is being applied, so that would be useful.

Unless I'm not mistaken, it's the Pitcher that signifies the strength of impact, no?

ISN just said the Pitcher's force depends on the item.

[Amuys]

Crazy crazy attractor artifacts.

[Berrik]

Can it be fixed so that artifacts that need lasers/tasers specifically to be activated don't appear? Because good fucking luck getting someone with access to come down and zap it for you.

[ClockworkCupcake]

Did the intensity on gravity well-type artifacts get turned way up or something? I used to see ones that moved unanchored items frequently with the odd one that would move everything, black hole-style, but since some of the changes they always seem to be the super-buff ones.

[Ali0en]

I see more and more bomb artifacts getting set off. Could these be made a bit more rare? It just sucks losing all of science or more in quite a few rounds 3 minutes in.

[Motherest Of Fuckers]

I see more and more bomb artifacts getting set off. Could these be made a bit more rare? It just sucks losing all of science or more in quite a few rounds 3 minutes in.

Maybe just have the two that spawn by default in the science department not able to be bombs...


That's not to say those aren't the only places around the station that artifacts can end up.

[Sundance]

Can it be fixed so that artifacts that need lasers/tasers specifically to be activated don't appear? Because good fucking luck getting someone with access to come down and zap it for you.

Artifacts can be interacted, and thus activated, through other ways than the devices in the laboratory. Various stimulus mentioned below can be used to substitute the various devices, however they do not give as much control, due to the fact that the amount of stimulus is taken into account, such as temperature. Note that ALL artifacts can be activated within artlab, and does not require any external devices, although they may help with inspection

Electricity box for taser, just get the setting right. For laser, try the different settings of the heater.

[Embolism]

1. Is a Borg the only way to cause "Silicon Touch"? If no Borgs are around, does this mean you can't activate artifacts that use this?

Do robotic arms apply the "silicon touch" effect and if not, would it be possible to make them do so?

Would really like this one. Encourages cross-department cooperation without having to pester people constantly.

[ISaidNo]

Hm. That's a good idea though I was more going for the fact the artifact is responding to some non-biological living thing touching it. I'll think about it.