Fun Mechanic solution

[Sundance]

So being an electrician/mechanic is boring. It's a cycle of scan --> ruckingenur --> replicate.
Most things when broken don't get replaced because of time and most of the time you end up building a fortress and toolboxing yourself at the end out of loneliness.
When I hear mechanic, I imagine guys thinkering with shit, taking it all apart and putting it back together, improved or modified. You work off a computer called a unit analyser (basically looks like a personal computer), then make stuff at the ruckingenur.
Here's two things that a mechanic should do.
Improve
-->A taser gun with an extra shot?
-->A genetics biomass that costs less flesh?
-->A smes unit that powers better?
-->A hydroponics pot that automatically replenishes itself?
-->A security camera that can be controlled with arrowkeys?
-->A medical dispenser that dispenses better medicine?
-->An armored Beepsky, an improved firebot..
The list goes on, and I'm only thinking off the top of my head. Basically, if you scan something, you look at the unit analyser for an upgrade, the upgrade can be separately installed without having to make a new unit altogether. This makes a mechanic a far more useful job on the station. You can sell your upgrades, make some sweet cashhhh.

Modify
Can computers be made with various motherboards? I know of heavy computers, but is it possible to build a Security computer with a Commaster and a power alert? It'd be cool if you could make personal computers and install similar as explained above with software, I can only think of a comm disk that be installed.
Have more disks at the vending machine near QM's (right at mechanics doorstep) that can dispense disks to be installed on PC's. That way, PC's become hella robust in terms of technology.
Creating new things from scans would be pretty cool.
-->Scanning a smes unit would allow you to create a mini power generator, like the opposite of a power sink, but nowhere near as strong
-->A lean mean grilling machine, essentially an oven that can be folded up.
-->Sunglasses that double as thermals or w/e.
-->Robotic arms that are reinforced. Smash that window down!
-->Makeshift guns.

Yeah, so mechanics need a change, and allowing them to do what's suggested would make it fun as shit imo.

[Marquesas]

Wow, this is the first Sundance suggestion I don't utterly hate, except for this part:

-->Sunglasses that double as thermals

Please apply the nearest heavy object to yourself repeatedly until you are physically incapable of moving a muscle.

[ThoseDernSquirrels]

Wow, this is the first Sundance suggestion I don't utterly hate, except for this part:

-->Sunglasses that double as thermals

Please apply the nearest heavy object to yourself repeatedly until you are physically incapable of moving a muscle.

sunglasses that protect from flashes... combined with thermals that are weak to flashes...

.....
jefhu vjlzskf,vn dj bhfweuk hfulHF

[Anticheese]

Modify
Can computers be made with various motherboards? I know of heavy computers, but is it possible to build a Security computer with a Commaster and a power alert? It'd be cool if you could make personal computers and install similar as explained above with software, I can only think of a comm disk that be installed.
Have more disks at the vending machine near QM's (right at mechanics doorstep) that can dispense disks to be installed on PC's. That way, PC's become hella robust in terms of technology.

-->Robotic arms that are reinforced. Smash that window down!

Guess what? Commaster and secmate are software-based and can be installed on any heavy computer so long as you futz about with a couple of disks! Reinforced robot arms exist, but are only useful for borgs and bots.

[Ronnyfire]

If you take a moment you can even stop using disks if you just download the file from the disk to the drive!

But yes, upgrades for normal items would be awesome, or even just hybrid items.

also yes, sunglasses with thermal vision make you a terrible person.

[Nautilus]

upgrading stuff with electronics would be hecka sweet especially if they look like really ghetto upgrades. Zip guns have the potential to be sweet too.

Thermals is already god tier so dont even bother with that.

[Cogwerks]

I've had a major revision of Mechanics/Electronics planned for quite awhile, MyBlueCorners (dotty spud) set up some prototype code for it, I just haven't really cracked into that project yet. Seems fairly similar to what you've described.

Pretty much where I want to go with that department is to make most machines have tinkering, upgrade, and downgrade/broken effects. Think The Sims. Oh no, someone broke the cloner, now instead of being either functional or totally broken, it's sparking and mangling the DNA of the clones! Mechanics would go scan it, find out it needs a couple of parts replaced, so they slap a resistor and relay into it and now everything is back to normal. There'd also be a system for upgrading some of the working variables of the machine by tinkering with it.

[Sundance]

Wow, this is the first Sundance suggestion I don't utterly hate

How inflammatory of you. Utterly and hate are two very serious words to be using on a 2d spacemen game, good thing I don't take you seriously one bit

lol at all the butthurt over thermals. I was only giving examples, but having a cool multi-use glasses that you can construct and switch between modes by right-clicking (similar to a chameleon suit) would be pretty awesome, mechanics walking around with "goggles". Have them take alot of time to research, and be costly on mechanic parts (A box of mechanical stuff to restock from QM would also be good..), or even make it run off batteries..
Awesome and awful seem to be a thin line around here anyway, a slight change could make a whole difference.

I've had a major revision of Mechanics/Electronics planned for quite awhile, MyBlueCorners (dotty spud) set up some prototype code for it, I just haven't really cracked into that project yet. Seems fairly similar to what you've described.

Pretty much where I want to go with that department is to make most machines have tinkering, upgrade, and downgrade/broken effects. Think The Sims. Oh no, someone broke the cloner, now instead of being either functional or totally broken, it's sparking and mangling the DNA of the clones! Mechanics would go scan it, find out it needs a couple of parts replaced, so they slap a resistor and relay into it and now everything is back to normal. There'd also be a system for upgrading some of the working variables of the machine by tinkering with it.

I was basing some of my ideas off MyBlue's concept, knowing that it was already in test code.
A repairing system would be rad, but where my idea strays off from the original concept is that upgrading would be worked through research, very similar to new genetics. For example, a retractable grill you could scan the foldable computer, and then the oven. Scanning some things would reveal new modifications when added to the research computer, such as scanning the oven would give you: Oven + X = Portable Grill.
You can research X to give you hint's, or if you don't have a scan at all you could research portable grill to see what's the first step.
An upgrade wouldn't require for the mechanic to be in the room (that can be annoying), he could scan it, research it, then give to a person (read give = sell) in which they could install it with a screwdriver.

[ThoseDernSquirrels]

-->An armored Beepsky, an improved firebot..

You cannot improve Beepsky, as he is already the perfect embodiment of THE LAW.

[atomic1fire]

Maybe upgrade him with a mounties hat.

Because beepsky always gets his man.

[UrsulaMejor]

You upgrade the beepsky... you get...

Beepskys Dad. Oh crap.

[david2222121]

That's MISTER Beepsky to you, criminal scum.

[Tteckk]

You upgrade the beepsky... you get...

Beepskys Dad. Oh crap.

I remember something about beepskys father being out in space somewhere.

[Marquesas]

lol at all the butthurt over thermals. I was only giving examples, but having a cool multi-use glasses that you can construct and switch between modes by right-clicking (similar to a chameleon suit) would be pretty awesome, mechanics walking around with "goggles". Have them take alot of time to research, and be costly on mechanic parts (A box of mechanical stuff to restock from QM would also be good..), or even make it run off batteries..

idk if you actually read any of the criticism but let me reiterate it for you
nobody except power-hos-es (god forbid i just made up that word and feel terrible for using it) would ever think it's fine to add in things which are more powerful than the already ridiculous thermals.

[Weavel]

can we not turn this into YET ANOTHER argument about thermals thanks
it was a random suggestion
it was a bad one

I'd be ok with shit like meson/shades, or maybe some sort of hightech super-helmet for the CE that does something like that combo. It doesnt need to be "ok well let's combine x with y" of course, it could be something alternative like built-in radios in helmets, a mini-reserve of oxygen in spacesuits, small things that would make life easier in general rather than in narrow areas.