[PR] AI Eyebot rework

[github_bot]

PULL REQUEST DETAILS




[SILICONS] [REWORK]

About the PR
# **TO PUT IT ALL VERY QUICKLY:**
1. Updates the drone HUD to not be terrible
2. Gives drones watered-down babyproofed versions of modules
3. Added more in-depth functionality for drones to cyborg docking stations
4. Gives drones an access panel similar to cyborgs for replacing interface/module/cells
5. Resprites eyebots.

https://github.com/goonstation/goonstati...2584309b89

# **To put it all much, much less quickly:**
Replaces the janky old hivebot mob with a fancy new drone mob.
drones have the same base functionality as the old hivebots, however:

# 1. They have a HUD that isn’t old, clunky, or missing vital information, following in line with the existing cyborg HUD



This includes:
a) Actually displaying the health of the drone in some way so you aren’t shocked when it explodes into bits due to a terminal case of having a max HP of 25,

b) An indicator for if the drone is pulling an object, so that you don’t need to ctrlclick on the item again to stop pulling it,

c) A targeter so that drones can actually target head/limbs/whatnot,

d) A radio menu– you know, I could list all of these separately but I’ll just- O2 display, temp display, intent switch option, battery display that shows percentage– you get the point.



# 2. They have actual modules so they can do stuff that isn't just moving objects from point A to B for the AI.



**_PLEASE NOTE--_ AI drones at roundstart get a default module with only the tools existing eyebots get. This default module cannot be swapped at docking stations or manually. The drone modules are only usable with drones assembled during the round.**

These modules are SUBSTANTIALLY watered down versions of existing cyborg modules.
Here's a full list for you to scrutinize:

Code:

Civilian (pulls from civilian, brocop):
    - Extinguisher
    - Spray bottle
    - Sponge
    - Pitcher
    - Pen
    - Cardboard tube

Engineering (pulls from engineering, mining):
    - Extinguisher
    - Welding tool
    - Device analyzer
    - Soldering iron
    - Empty steel sheet stack
    - Cargo transporter

Medsci (pulls from medical, science):
    - Drone robospray (gets ephedrine, atropine, salbutamol, and saline)
    - Suture
    - Syringe
    - Beaker (small)
    - Hand labeler
    - GPS

It’s worth mentioning before someone gets clever about it that, no, you can’t put regular cyborg modules into the drones. It doesn’t accept them. Nor do cyborgs accept the drone modules.

The UI for the module rewriter has been updated to account for the new variant of module:



*(They also only get two module slots, as opposed to three. This is because they don't have arms, and as such them having the same amount of module slots as normal cyborgs without any way to lose those slots seems silly.)*


# 3. – Drones have an access panel for maintenance, similar to cyborgs.


*fig. 1 - An eyebot drone with its noggin opened and ripe for the picking.*

This panel can be opened by swiping an ID with robotics access, then prying it open with a crowbar. Similar to cyborgs, as I said.

This panel allows you to swap out the drones cell, module, and AI interface board.


# 5. – Docking stations actually work with drones. They didn’t with eyebots.



This includes:
a) The ability to repair damages in a docking station
b) The ability to swap power cells and modules in the docking station,
c) And most importantly, the ability to equip a stupid little cosmetic.


*Pictured above: Stupid little cosmetic.*

*(Just two for now, but functionality is in place for more to be trivial to add.)*



# 6. – Construction is slightly different than the old eyebots.


*Fig. 2 - A gpcs drone at various stages of assembly.*

To construct an eyebot it was:
1. add plating
2. add wires
3. add cell
4. add interface
5. add radio
7. wrench

To construct a drone:
1. add plating
2. add wires
3. add radio
4. add cell and interface (both of which are removable from frame with a wrench, and will inherit their type to the resultant drone)
5. wrench

So, basically, makes it work more like cyborg frames. Who would have guessed.


Why's this needed?
- Existing eyebots are kind of bad - and not in an intended way, like they’re meant to be bad, but bad as in they’re lacking essential QoL stuff (health indicator, essential UI elements, docker functionality)

- Adding lite versions of modules for drones will hopefully wean AI players off of cyborg shells enough for me to be able to pitch removing the AIs ability to have cyborg shells
`(Why do they have those. The fact that the AI can also at will take control of a fully-functional cyborg essentially makes the AI into cyborg++ with no literally downsides, and discourages cooperation between the AI and cyborg players because the AI can just. do anything a cyborg could and doesn’t need to talk to the cyborgs. It’s dumb. It’s also besides the point. so MOVING ON)`

- um

- it’s my birthday tomorrow and i think that legally means you have to merge it (/j)

- Oh yeah also more customization more good


Changelog

Code:

changelog
(u)Paaiii
(*)Overhauled how AI shells work! See the PR for more details.
(+)Drones now can be built to have lite versions of modules.
(+)Drones got a fancy resprite to go with the other changes.
(+)Drone UI updated.
(+)Drones have an access panel which allows the easy replacement of interface, cell, or module.

PULL REQUEST DETAILS

[AgrippaHera]

I'm not sure on the balance side of things (and others have much smarter ideas about it than me). However, I think AIs having more utility on their eyebots is a positive change. The AI is already provided a tool to interface with the station physically, yet most of the time I rarely see eyebots running/floating around (which is a shame because i love them!!).

I don't agree that it makes the roboticist obsolete, as making an AI shell is like.... thirty seconds of their shift.

While I wish I could add more specific feedback, i'll just stick to saying that I approve of the spirit behind this PR, and that in the least case, I think eyebots should be worked on. Here's hoping more feedback is posted here

[Mordent]

I'm fine with most of the features of this PR with two caveats:

• Drones cannot have non-AI interfaces inserted (i.e. no human brains, no other random brains, no late join people playing as one without being an AI that controls them).
  
• The intended direction is to remove AI-controlled cyborgs, i.e. cyborgs will in the near future not accept AI-interfaces.
  

Essentially my goal here is to give AIs a lesser cyborg rather than just the current state of "they're an omniscient being who can also do everything that a dedicated player playing a cyborg can do".

Tying them explicitly to an AI would allow people who see them doing nefarious things to investigate the AI rather than persecute cyborgs. While they may be tied to the same set of laws, it makes pointing the blame a lot easier.

I don't personally like the floating screen aesthetic. I could get behind it in time, but would separate out that part into a separate PR.

EDIT: Worth noting, I would expect the exact contents of the modules to be iterated upon, and that they are lesser than those offered by cyborgs seems like a step in the right direction, I don't necessarily think the currently PRed set are where I would have landed. I wouldn't be opposed to them being hard-wired in on construction rather than something that can be swapped out.

[Terms-On-Dragon]

The concept of allowing the Ai to have a screen drone, so the AI can stroll around the station showing faces to the crew, is a neat idea! Another possible cyborging alternative does sound nice; being a cheaper option to construct when resources are quite low. It does sound more like a ghost drone that lets you talk to other players and have more options than just engineering.

On the Modules, giving a distinct name for the three kinds of jobs to tell between cyborg and drone modules from a glance would be nice, possibly to refer names more related to helper/assistant terms. For the Med sci module, removing the automenders and replacing them with two sticker boxes for silver sulfadiazine and styptic powder patches, with a small amount of the chemical and a delay to apply. Giving the cybernetic hypospray to a drone does seem too much, as the syringe and small beaker would be enough to implement other necessary chemicals. Love the cardboard tube being part of the civilian module. Could say something more to the engineering module, though I do not mess with it all that much.

Who knows, may be the drone silicon could be a way for newer players to be more familiar with the silicon jobs, or if somebody just wants to be more lenient as silicon? Just a little guy who wants to help the station with the power of a staff assistant. This is the thoughts I would have for it so far, and I would love to see how this turns out!

[Munien]

Absolutely love this PR and the thought behind it. While I do agree somewhat about the ideas people have said about roboticists, I think that is a much larger issue that denying this PR will not have any effect on helping, but this isn't the place for that discussion. My only minor gripe, is that I'm not personally happy with the idea of the drones having automenders, as I think a hyper-mobile shell that can do a good 80% of medicals work is a bit of an intrusion, but this is my opinion and I don't have all that much stake in it. Anyway I think this looks very cool and hope it gets merged for your birthday

Edit: In the time I wrote this some comments were made, and I wanted to say I completely agree with Mordent's ideas, exactly the kind of direction I hope this PR takes things.

[Tarmunora]

My thoughts
Out of town so I'm only going off PR description here, but my thoughts rn:

UI makeover is cool

Not enthused about non-ai-shell eyebots being allowed to exist - especially if we were to make ais not able to use other cyborgs as shells

(Swappable and/or chooseable) modules for eyebots is a pass from me. I'm still grustled at them being allowed to pull <:sheltersmoke:834261715964919838>
- especially that medical module. Absolutely not ok with giving an eyebot all that healing juice.
I like the suggestion I saw of them being hard-wired in at construction though as a compromise

Screen face eyebot is eh, whatever. I'm not huge on the whole screenhead aesthetic but everyone else seems to be so I won't make a stink

[Paai]

Re: What Mordent said, I agree, I think drones functioning as a lesser cyborg for AIs is the main draw, and the first step to removing AI-controlled cyborgs-- but I don't see why that neccessitates drones not being able to be used with brains.
The hardwired SHELL/[AI] prefix to the name of the drone is a pretty clear indicator that it's an AI shell rather than a brain-- it works fine as a tell for who to blame with existing AI-controlled cyborgs.
So having drones as a sort of middle ground where both brains and interfaces work doesn't seem all that harmful to me..

With the modules... I wouldn't be opposed to the hardwiring either, but I don't really see what difference it makes mechanically.. having to run over to a docking station every time is probably slower than just having a different drone on each module anyways hdskg


AND in relation to the medical module- Yeah, the menders were a bit much- I've tried downgrading them to regular menders downgraded with a 50u cap that need to be manually refilled with actual reagent, and I could definitely remove the cybernetic hypo in exchange for either a normal hypospray or just entirely. The patch boxes might also be good if you all think that traditional menders are still a bit much.

[Mordent]

... but I don't see why that neccessitates drones not being able to be used with brains.
The hardwired SHELL/[AI] prefix to the name of the drone is a pretty clear indicator that it's an AI shell rather than a brain-- it works fine as a tell for who to blame with existing AI-controlled cyborgs.
So having drones as a sort of middle ground where both brains and interfaces work doesn't seem all that harmful to me..

By blurring the lines between what an AI controlled silicon bot thing can do compared to what a singly controlled silicon bot thing can do, it makes balancing significantly harder.

For example, if we split the two entirely we can make decisions about what an AI should be able to do when booping around in its bot by changing what its modules can do, altering health, changing speed, etc.

Those same decisions may not be as fun if we were looking at them from the point of a brain-inserted drone, so we limit what we can do there. For example, we may want the drones to be very physically vulnerable, but cheap to mass produce; a roboticist could churn out a bunch of them and maybe even keeping making them while the AI uses them to throw at some problem or another, each getting destroyed quickly. We would likely not want someone who would be taken out of the round unless their brain was recovered to have the same experience.

[Paai]

Ah- That's hard to argue with from a balance perspective-- see, I can't imagine any scenario in which a drone would be able to do anything a cyborg CAN'T-- at least, not anything that would be explicitly useful for a mainframeless drone that couldn't otherwise be achieved by a full cyborg- so, objectively, it's just Worse. It's objectively just a Bad Option.

Like in that scenario you outlined-- super fragile, easy to produce, expendable. None of that gives a leg up- unless, notably, you're an AI and your drone dying doesn't matter to you.

but also... i feel like that's kind of the appeal of it? to me, at least. i might sound deranged but I would personally LOVE to be able to play as a super fragile little drone shell.
it's a challenge- it's like hard mode
I can't imagine they'd see. prevelent use. at all, considering it's more intuitive and also more effective to stick the brain in a cyborg.
but I... PERSONALLY think keeping the option THERE would be really nice-- and then balancing the drones around being extensions of the AI anyways. If someone wants to put themselves through being a mainframeless drone that's on them. most people DNR on borging anyways hdsjksgd
And mechanically maybe not traditionally fun- but by god i'm rp-brained and the potential of it there. delightful

of course that's just my thoughts-- if it's a complete dealbreaker item I'll obviously change it, but I think it'd be nice to have as an OPTION-- just. not neccecarily a good one. you know?

[Mordent]

If we're saying that they're objectively worse than cyborgs, people are going to put brains into them because it's mean to do so, and in a way that is easily excusable as "officially sanctioned by virtue of the feature existing" rather than, like "oops, forgot to give the cyborg arms or legs, teehee", which is easily observable as a much more intentional choice.

[Paai]

hmm.. that feels more like a Player Problem than a mechanical one but i 100% see your point... theoretically though if that happens the person in the drone would. ask to be put in a cyborg-- and if the roboticist says no to that, that instantly kills any and all plausible deniability it being an "officially sanctioned feature by virtue of existing" would provide, and is back in the same etiquette situation as making a limbless borg, right?

Again, just say the word if it's nonnegotiable hdsjksdhg

[Frank_Stein]

Oughta just split the difference that just redesign the eyebot to incorporate a screen

[Retrino]

honestly i think being able to have an entirely different type of body available to play a silicon is pretty cool of a feature. roboticists already swap out parts for borgs that latejoin and want different specs, so i dont see why they couldnt swap one out if that occurred. really cute idea.

another very easy fix to the whole "latejoin accidentally into a lesser borg" thing is just to give it a different name, i suppose. having it named hivebot instead of cyborg in the menu or something. that may already be the case, but i didnt see it in the description. i feel like its also worth pointing out that we have a couple weird-ish latejoin roles that can already confuse players, namely the diplomat that spawns as an alien thing.. or roles with obscure sounding names (this is a callout post head surgeon replacements!!!!!) that confuse people as to what theyre meant to be. so having another weird latejoin thing isnt breaking any standards, from my perspective. anyway, big support for this pr. love it

[Paai]

another very easy fix to the whole "latejoin accidentally into a lesser borg" thing is just to give it a different name, i suppose. having it named hivebot instead of cyborg in the menu or something.

It already does that! Latejoin drones show as Name(Drone) in the spawnmenu, the same way as latejoin AIs show as Name(AI).

[Lord_earthfire]

Ai shells were aleady very powerfull and mobile for their price as is, i am not a fan of them getting modules on top of that.

Also, with current eyebots, you know they are connected to an AI. So other peoples brain gettin in these would be something i wouldn't like to see as well.

I really like the UI changes and the compability with access panel/docking station. But sone of the design changes i am not fond of.