Make utility belts printable?

[Dickles]

I don't know if I'm the only one but man I hate not having a belt. I don't think it's overpowered to be able to print them; they're not a super valuable item or anything, it just kinda sucks if you don't have one.

I know QM can order more, so maybe that would take away from cargo.

[aft2001]

Honestly not an awful idea. General fabricator, cloth, bam. Not like belts aren't super rare for a powergaming nerd, so that doesn't affect it much.

[UrsulaMejor]

They're one of the most valuable items on the station.

7 inventory slots. On your belt slot. They've been the crown jewel of the game for nearly a decade.

Honestly, I know I'm an old timer, and that the game has changed, but I wish they were less available, not more available. It's nice to have a cool perk to define engineers and mechanics and QMs by.

[DasBrain]

Mechanics? On Atlas we spawn without them.

And Belts are not even the best thing.
The Aurora belt has better protection, and the same function.
The security belts can hold weapons.
And then there is the Fanny Pack. Can hold medium sized items, like boxes.

In no way they are the most valuable items.

[aft2001]

They're restricted mostly to tools, and they definitely don't serve as general additional inventory.

[UrsulaMejor]

seven tools in your belt is seven tools you don't have to hold in your box or bag. if you're going to hold these things anyways, then it doesn't actually matter that it can only hold those things.

comparing the utility belt to unique items like the fanny pack and aurora belt isn't exactly a fair comparison.

edit:
I guess my main point is that utility belts are a valuable resource. There would be zero reason not to convert the crew quarters blankets into utility belts at round start for most jobs, and I think that should signal to you their value. I'm generally opposed to the idea of putting things in the game that would readily become "dominant strategies" like that

[Studenterhue]

Utility belt isn't restricted to tools at all. While there's gear that can hold more items/do something special, the utility belt still holds its own. Turn one inventory slot that accepts only a rather small and honestly arbitrary list of items into seven slots that accept anything of small-size class and below is pretty powerful--maybe not crazy powerful, but still powerful. Consider the utility of having 7 more full magazines/speedloaders/batteries for your guns or 7 more patches/auto-menders (and I think pill bottles and patch boxes too?) for instance. And those seven slots free up space in your backpack/satchel for things larger than small-size, like guns, building materials, medkits, etc. Plus, it's a whole lot more convenient than a box.

And all this at pretty much no cost or drawbacks. Like UrsulaMejor said, this thing is pretty much only balanced by scarcity. In fact, all the other inventory items mentioned are. Not necessarily bad, but in my personal opinion, it's always feels like a precarious balance.

There some brief discussion of this idea in general admin chat, with most people being against the idea. One of the proposals floating around was to add a delay for taking something out of a belt or backpack during combat.

[Dickles]

I mean, I know this goes against what I posted, but I wouldn't mind if they were rarer. I like rare items. I liked insulated gloves more before I knew you could just make more from synthrubber; I thought they were a rare valuable item. If you could make utility belts out of some cloth, they wouldn't be as valuable.

If you spawn as staffie on a cogmap, it's pretty much guaranteed you'll get a utility belt. I never feel guilty taking one even if I'm not going to use it. It's a nice thing to have; it doesn't feel super valuable until you don't have one. Which is why I made this post.

On some maps I see it and think ah, I'm not going to have a utility belt. Well, I could, but I'd have to break into somewhere and steal one. Then someone who has a job that uses it won't have one. I don't want it that bad. It's nice to have, but not necessary. Not having a toolbelt just makes everything a bit more difficult. It's more valuable on these maps, but it's also something I dislike about the map. Sometimes it's the only thing that sours my appreciation of it. I like a change of scenery, but man I like having a utility belt.

I wouldn't mind if it was rare on some maps if it was rare on all maps. I don't know if that makes sense.

[aft2001]

As an alternative:

Tool belts. What's the difference to utility belts? They can ONLY hold tools. No weapons, no nothing. Just the tools you find in a mechanical toolbox, multitool, and some specialized tools like soddering irons, device analyzers, T-Ray scanners, and atmos analyzers

Maybe printable by hacking a vendor?

[UrsulaMejor]

It's more valuable on these maps, but it's also something I dislike about the map. Sometimes it's the only thing that sours my appreciation of it. I like a change of scenery, but man I like having a utility belt.

I wouldn't mind if it was rare on some maps if it was rare on all maps. I don't know if that makes sense.

I never really grab a toolbelt if I'm not engineer or something. instead, I usually just put my tools in my internals box. if you get into the habit of this, you'll start missing that toolbelt less.

[Leeanei]

They are an inexpensive purchase from QM, just ask them. The station rarely spends the QM budget outside of blob and rev rounds.

[Drago156]

There some brief discussion of this idea in general admin chat, with most people being against the idea. One of the proposals floating around was to add a delay for taking something out of a belt or backpack during combat.

Please no. It's bad enough some weapons are one hit is certain doom (see C-saber and OHR/Derringer) and it can be seconds between you hacking a door open and dying, doing that would only make this worse, and make security's job a whole lot worse than the job of most any antags.

As for belts, they're in a good spot right now IMO, making them accessible to every greytider or antag is a bad idea. To put into perspective how bad it can be... You can hold all the tools you need to get in to any where and still hold a c-saber or EMAG or something. You could carry stims, c-saber, meds, and various other things in even a wrestling belt, which is very powerful.

[Frank_Stein]

How about some tool vests? Trade a slot for armor or exosuits for the extra storage

[UrsulaMejor]

I vaguely like the idea of 2 slot storage vests as a printable upgrade that just gives you two extra pockets for your eggs and knives, but I feel like it would be used with and not instead of utility belts.

if something is printable and worth printing and v worth more than the time it takes to print, you have to accept that basically everyone will have it. I'd rather just make "two extra pockets" a feature of all non armor providing coats that would reasonably have pockets and just accept the reality that storage slots are one of the most valuable things you can get more of, and that given the opportunity to have more, most players will take more

[KikiMofo]

If we are going to add storage slots to vests we might as well go FULL CM and add attachments to everything. Wheres my webbings?