Chemical requester update: Random Requests

[Dhaidburt]

Another thread speaking about the pharmacy (which I won't be discussing today) made me realize something about the current.. vibe of the chemical requester. 

If you request a chemical, you have a high chance of never getting it since people are focused elsewhere. But as a bored scientist, you'd love a request or two.. unfortunately none come in, so you don't pay attention to the console or notice the one notification buried in payroll.

A vicious cycle, you never get your chemicals so you never make requests, and since you get no requests you don't expect to get one. But, this cycle isn't something we can't fix! We can add in random chemical requests which guaranteed happen a few times a shift.


How I imagine this working:
1. A random, non-secret, non-food, mixable chemical that doesn't use secret chems is requested, up to 50 units. (you can't get water, cheese, ash or Mewtini, but you can get Carpet)

2. You make the chemical and bottle it up!

3a. You then deliver the chemical to cargo, who crate it up and send it out! Maybe replace the Contact CDC spot with outgoing chemical requests so you can print out a label.
OR
3b. Plug that sucker into the chemical request computer, and send! Completed request. Doesn't work for requests on station though.

4. Get cool rewards like rare chemicals and empty artbeakers, or other stuff!

[Chasu]

“Chem bounties“ sound like a fun way to motivate players to make chems, but it might lead to scientists ignoring normal requests since they don‘t offer an exciting reward. Seems like a good concept, though!

[Lord_earthfire]

“Chem bounties“ sound like a fun way to motivate players to make chems, but it might lead to scientists ignoring normal requests since they don‘t offer an exciting reward. Seems like a good concept, though!

Instead of removing the chems, you could add a vendor somewhere on station where people can buy these.

Huhm, the NT-Vendor selling bottles of termite? That sounds just like the amount of workplace negligence you would find on a typical space station!

[meaow589]

“Chem bounties“ sound like a fun way to motivate players to make chems, but it might lead to scientists ignoring normal requests since they don‘t offer an exciting reward. Seems like a good concept, though!

Instead of removing the chems, you could add a vendor somewhere on station where people can buy these.

Huhm, the NT-Vendor selling bottles of termite? That sounds just like the amount of workplace negligence you would find on a typical space station!

Hell yes to both of these idea these 2 idea make chemistry lab more likely very active department add some more idea that RD can control it to remove or adjust price (like MD do with gene booth) and put chem dispenser in front of their lab instead

[Spyritdragon]

I very much love this idea, and I think it's a wonderful way to solve a bit of the catch-22 we currently have with medical and chemistry. I'd also love seeing it expanded to chefs and bartenders maybe, so they can have fun fulfilling those requests too instead of having to bake 14 individual pizzas for a cargo request.

[Dhaidburt]

“Chem bounties“ sound like a fun way to motivate players to make chems, but it might lead to scientists ignoring normal requests since they don‘t offer an exciting reward. Seems like a good concept, though!

Fair point! But I feel like getting more scientists comfortable with checking the requester frequently, or just looking out for the alert, would be a good tradeoff for some selfish scientists.

Instead of removing the chems, you could add a vendor somewhere on station where people can buy these.

Huhm, the NT-Vendor selling bottles of termite? That sounds just like the amount of workplace negligence you would find on a typical space station!

So.. instead of the chemicals being removed from the round, they can instead be bought by other players? Interesting idea, though I can't imagine heads being okay with randos getting their hands on 50 units of black powder. Would probably need to limit the requests further to medicines and psychedelics, or limit who has access to the shop.

[babayetu83]

having npc chem bounties could be nice. if you make enough of xyz deathchem you could be awarded with some spacebux or something or maybe even a medal

[Lord_earthfire]

So.. instead of the chemicals being removed from the round, they can instead be bought by other players? Interesting idea, though I can't imagine heads being okay with randos getting their hands on 50 units of black powder. Would probably need to limit the requests further to medicines and psychedelics, or limit who has access to the shop.

Do i look if i care whatever the heads will enjoy?
Besides that, would be an idea to make single items lockable like the ruckit or the gebe booth. Gives the assistants a chance to get their dirty fingers on some nasty chems until security or command reacts. You also got some control via the price of the chems in question.

[Solwra]

“Chem bounties“ sound like a fun way to motivate players to make chems, but it might lead to scientists ignoring normal requests since they don‘t offer an exciting reward. Seems like a good concept, though!

Instead of removing the chems, you could add a vendor somewhere on station where people can buy these.

Huhm, the NT-Vendor selling bottles of termite? That sounds just like the amount of workplace negligence you would find on a typical space station!

Vendors are already something you can build as a scientist, if anything this should be integrated in the current chem request system.

[Kotlol]

A lot of departments want to make their own "Standard" vendor to put stuff in to sell.

Kitchen wants a food vendor so they can sell food while they keep cooking.
Science probably for drugs.
Botany for their crops (and drugs).
Engineering for their stuff they make.
Cargo wants it too cause then they can import things and sell em.
Mining already has it with Rockbox.

But overall incentives to play together is always better.

[Cal]

I don't dislike this, but I'm mildly concerned about the impact on people doing this -instead- of requests.

Thinking along the same lines however, people would *be in* the lab to actually do them when asked. Tough.

I think i'd be in favor.

[mintyphresh]

Worth a shot. I think this idea has potential!