Give the AI more camera views

[aft2001]

What I mean by this is having up to 3 seperate, moveable, closeable windows that you can make at any time as the AI, which will have whatever camera you want. Simply use a camera you want and click a "Make New Camera View" button or something in the command panel and bam, new window with that camera. So, you can constantly spy on up to three areas while you do your regular AI activities that don't involve spying, like opening doors and making the crew healthier with fire LAW 4 DEMANDS ME TO BURN YOU

[Superlagg]

I think I read something somewhere that it's impossible to have a separate window showing gameplay stuff BYOND. Might've been in a thread about popup camera windows. Dang shame too, that would be rad.

However, there was a suggestion to make the AI's camera work like the blob overmind, and block the vision in areas the cameras can't see. Now that would be boss as heck.

[aft2001]

That'd be cool, but I like the AI's "thermal" vision, allowing it to see a bunch of stuff. Real useful, especially in the tunnels. Though, it would also be nice to have a list of bookmarked cameras with customizeable names for the list so you can quickly switch to them!

[Musketman12]

This probably belongs in the ideas forum.

[aft2001]

This probably belongs in the ideas forum.

...whoops... I could've sworn I posted it there. Uhh... Can an admin move it there please?

[Frank_Stein]

I really think AI needs to borrow some blob code, not just in the viewing mode, but also some other things like abilities, hud, and hotkeys. Do the overmind view, move some of the AI tab stuff to HUD abilities for easier access, and add some new abilities to make the job easier and more involved without overpowering the AI

Couple ideas for new AI abilities in an overmind mode:

1. Summon bot: Click a tile, get a list of bot types that exist and how many, click one and have it travel to the tile you clicked. Respond to fires, send medical attention, aid security, all indirectly with your bot buds
   
2. Bookmarking: Place a waypoint on a tile or mob and assign it to a number key. Simply press that number to have your view travel to that spot
   
3. Waypoints: Someone need help finding something or someone? Set a waypoint for it by clicking it and making it, and let people use trackers or PDA apps to guide them to the location. No need to give them constant verbal updates. Tag messes, breaches, dead bodies and notify the appropriate human
   
4. Fast APC: Wanna mess with a rooms lights, equipment, or life support? Activate this to have the window for the nearest APC pop open so you don't have to hunt it down anymore
   
5. Change vision mode: Cycle through different visions to help filter out information. Different vision types could include:
   

•  Heat signatures - filters everything as a dark blue, while popping out humans and monkeys as a bright orange. Useful for finding people in dark areas
  
• Atmospheric - filters everything as dark green. Tiles that contain gasses are brightly colored various pinks, oranges, reds based on what type of gas is prominent. Useful for spotting breaches
  
• Electrical - filters everything dark red. Electrical currents are highlighted a bright white, with intensity in proportion to the amount of power flowing through. Useful for detecting power outages and sinks
  

That's a few right there that just makes the work the AI already does easier and faster. It's a job that for as important a role as it's considered really needs more love in terms of content and quality of life. It's the only job I have in unwanted, not because I disliked it, but got really sick of having to fight against the controls and mechanics of it while everything else is being made more accessible.

[NateTheSquid]

id prefer the being unable to see through walls but having thermal cameras. maybe change thermals to be unable to see what they look like through walls, just a shape and heat

[Musketman12]

id prefer the being unable to see through walls but having thermal cameras. maybe change thermals to be unable to see what they look like through walls, just a shape and heat

No please, AI really needs wall vision to function, they tested it not being able to see through walls before and it really sucked.

[Nnystyxx]

I really think AI needs to borrow some blob code, not just in the viewing mode, but also some other things like abilities, hud, and hotkeys. Do the overmind view, move some of the AI tab stuff to HUD abilities for easier access, and add some new abilities to make the job easier and more involved without overpowering the AI

Couple ideas for new AI abilities in an overmind mode:

1. Summon bot: Click a tile, get a list of bot types that exist and how many, click one and have it travel to the tile you clicked. Respond to fires, send medical attention, aid security, all indirectly with your bot buds
   
2. Bookmarking: Place a waypoint on a tile or mob and assign it to a number key. Simply press that number to have your view travel to that spot
   
3. Waypoints: Someone need help finding something or someone? Set a waypoint for it by clicking it and making it, and let people use trackers or PDA apps to guide them to the location. No need to give them constant verbal updates. Tag messes, breaches, dead bodies and notify the appropriate human
   
4. Fast APC: Wanna mess with a rooms lights, equipment, or life support? Activate this to have the window for the nearest APC pop open so you don't have to hunt it down anymore
   

That's a few right there that just makes the work the AI already does easier and faster. It's a job that for as important a role as it's considered really needs more love in terms of content and quality of life. It's the only job I have in unwanted, not because I disliked it, but got really sick of having to fight against the controls and mechanics of it while everything else is being made more accessible.

I strongly maintain the idea of the AI being like a blob overmind with controllable abilities. Heck, you could even take a note from the Blobe itself and give the AI some branching abilities so that it can actually meaningfully improve its situation-readiness. (This would also make us not have to deal as much with those fucking stupid areas where the cameras just don't cover at all/going one way does not map to the same camera as going another way and back)

This post basically sums up how I feel about AI. Silicons in general have seen some of the absolute least meaningful progression over the years, since they can't interact with a lot of the fun toys added to the station because they have no hands, and AI is just not allowed to have any meaningful input beyond being a glorified doorbell. (noah's borg patch will make borgs more fun at least)

I WANT to like playing AI, but it's just so fucking dull except for being an all-seeing, commenting eye, and if someone gives you a shitty language law (or god forbid just a 'shut up' law if some prick Captain feels clever), sorry bub, you can't even talk normally.

Besides, this would also make a subverted AI worth more than just 'lel i electrified the doors!!', it'd make them actually feel like a malignant and potent cybernetic entity-- an asset that the crew or antagonist would want on their side because its job can't be done by a crowbar & wirecutter or a packet program.

EDIT: As I maintained in another thread: please let the AI just dispense stuff from vending machines, even if it draws from the station budget paradoxically or sends the money into the void. I just want to be able to help people by dispensing medicine near them.

Even just these suggested changes would be huge QoL improvements. I especially want that Waypoint thing.

[NateTheSquid]

id prefer the being unable to see through walls but having thermal cameras. maybe change thermals to be unable to see what they look like through walls, just a shape and heat

No please, AI really needs wall vision to function, they tested it not being able to see through walls before and it really sucked.

ehh with the movable ai eye and not being able to see through walls/where cams cant see it'd be good i reckon. im just a sucker for thermal vision, its my favourite kind of vision

[Frank_Stein]

id prefer the being unable to see through walls but having thermal cameras. maybe change thermals to be unable to see what they look like through walls, just a shape and heat

No please, AI really needs wall vision to function, they tested it not being able to see through walls before and it really sucked.

ehh with the movable ai eye and not being able to see through walls/where cams cant see it'd be good i reckon. im just a sucker for thermal vision, its my favourite kind of vision

That could easily be an ability, different kinds of specialized visions that help filter things out except what you want to focus on.

A thermal vision for tracking people, maybe night vision for things in the dark. Maybe even a vision mode that let's you track how much electrical power is flowing through the power lines so you can see when areas aren't being supplied, or another vision mode that shows atmospherics so you can tell instantly if a room is depressurized

[NateTheSquid]

not thermal AND night vision, thermal is good for seeing people in dark through walls and shit, night vision is just seeing them anyway

edit: like the other ideas though

[robertGN]

1. Summon bot: Click a tile, get a list of bot types that exist and how many, click one and have it travel to the tile you clicked. Respond to fires, send medical attention, aid security, all indirectly with your bot buds
   

This is something i've always wanted, and would improve my AI playtime massively. AI can be fun but there really isn't much to do outside of open doors on your average round.

Yea to AI abilities

[Wire]

Thread moved to ideas.

[awfulworldkid]

I also say yes to giving the AI more to do. Deploying floorbots to breaches, firebots to giant infernos, and cleanbots to big messes might actually let the AI help the station in a way other than by opening doors. Or, if it's rogue, it can direct emagged bots to somewhere that they'll do the most harm.