Don & Doff Actionbars

[Frank_Stein]

Yeah I think this would definitely be a matter of taste for different players. Might be one of those "Let's try it on RP and see what effect it has" kinda things

[Azrun]

Wanted to make sure these voices were heard here as they contain solid criticism:

I've mentioned it before, I don't like this idea a tremendous amount; it seems like complexity of controls/strategy for no real purpose. Too "HRP-stylings", I guess. I don't like reductions of "on-the-fly" thinking because I think there's a wealth of unique gameplay made there specifically.

• Buffs changelings who can spacewalk with no problem pretty heftily; now no one can instantly follow and gear up along the way/immediately and jump out. You lose eyes on critical situations and potentially meaningful interactions.
  
• Makes it more difficult to survive unplanned EVA moments like spacewalking, getting spaced, or ventings/bombings.
  
• Makes retrieving bodies in space seem less likely; not worth the additional time input to gear up
  
• Extra unnecessary hassle between switching between armors/coats/suits for cosmetic reasons, extra unnecessary hassle between switching between backpacks/tanks. Sometimes I just toggle between them, sometimes I'll put the tank on my back if I think I'm in a spot where I might slip or crit and drop it if it's in my hand. This just clouds those interactions too much.
  
• Minimal, but makes honorary coat transfers and stuff no longer a quick thing.
  
• Minimal, but rolls back a bunch of cool outfit/cosmetic work people have recently done since I believe the new meta would instead be to target specific pieces of gear early in the round and equip them early and continue to wear them all round on the ///chance/// they're required in order to save time when it comes to spacing or confrontation. I expect a lot of people wearing orange EVA suits now.
  
• Minimal, but may be confusing for new players.
  

I think there's different and better ways to adjust gear balancing; disorient resist was a notable recent one. Movement speeds would be one I'd like to see applied to some items before even touching on adding a whole new system. I'd rather just see nukie exosuit gear become non-removalable like the cursed mask, or some of the trinket NTSO/TURDs stuff is to prevent crew from sniping it after downing a nukie and going to fight other nukies, if that was a primary concern for this PR.

My 2 cents
Space Suits are balanced by the fact it takes about 10 seconds or so to put on a suit and internals and it's not very useful as armour, and this is just artificially expanding the length to put it on and take it off while slowing down gameplay for anyone who isnt Engineering or Sec with no really fun thing to do other than stand still and wait for your suit to go on. Also puts any chase into sec favor, cause if your plan relies on drifting into the void on the next airlock against the sec officers who are faster than you, it means you get stunned and captured before you have a chance to finish putting on your suit. I think this just is needlessly making the game slower rather than the usual fast pace action and mostly equal playing field of goon. Too add on to what nef said as well, this is just going to make people wear spacesuits/gasmasks with a winter coat in their bag or Azone gear.

I feel like the issues this change addresses are definitely real balance issues that theoretically exist but the negative effect on quality of life this would impart on pretty much any part of the game where you gotta dawn or doff stuff makes it Not Worth It.
I also think that having it be instant lets players feel more connected to those 'oh shit gotta get my protective gear on' moments. With your change, that moment becomes 'Oh no I hope the bar fills up before I die' instead of 'Oh no, I gotta do something that will save myself'. I think the latter is much more satisfying in a game-feel sorta way and is a better mechanical representation of what's happening.
I also just don't see the point for regalia, or armor vests, or anything people wear all-round. Like, I don't think people put on armor vests right before a fight, they just wear them everywhere because they don't slow you down (not a bad thing at all). This would only really affect items that slow you down, and armor items (since I think combat is the most important thing hit by this change) that slow you down are actually quite weak now, or undesirable. It kinda makes the bad armor worse in that way.

Flaborized has succinctly summed up my thoughts better than I ever could have.

Draft PR - Development halted for now.