RIG rework feedback

[Hoshi-chan]

Just some quick feedback that @MadmanMartian had requested.

Firstly, RIG upgrades. The upgrades themselves are lacking, and the whole flow of acquiring and installing them is fussy.

They remind me of borg upgrades, where it's something you have to not only acquire materials for (or wait for materials to be acquired), but then request it from science, explain to them where it's located on the console, et cetera, every single time that someone wants a RIG upgrade, since they're one-time use. For a minor speed boost, I can see it quickly becoming such a hassle that nobody will bother with it once the newness wears off.

Also, the readability of all the new features of the RIGs is pretty poor. There's no way to know what you have installed, what their power drain is, or even what your RIG's current power status is. It's also unclear how to charge it, and there's really no pressure to keep your suit charged in the first place, or even upgrade the cell, since a regular power cell will last you all round. The lack of meaningful upgrades plays into this, too.

My suggestion for making it flow better is as follows: Upgrade modules are no longer researched and constructed, are no longer one-time use, and the RIG modification station becomes something akin to a vending machine. Modules are instead purchased with credits and immediately installed upon purchase. Cells can still be swapped by inserting one into the modification station, or perhaps optionally upgraded for credits.

When you step into the machine, you're presented with a list of upgrades, like the PDA upgrade console. This could possibly even be expanded later on to allow you to purchase certain RIGs outright, or apply cosmetic modifications to existing RIGs (such as the yellow atmos suit). Purchasing something applies it, then refreshes the menu.

You could have them placed at roundstart in EVA, on the ops shuttle, and perhaps outside cargo near the PDA upgrade console. Cargo could still order more, but the stations should really be immediately accessible to everyone who might want to use them, once you've removed the requirement of research, materials, and access. As it is right now, the only people who are ever going to see one are cargonians and maybe R&D.

As for the upgrades themselves, the existing ones are incredibly lackluster. Both the health tracker and the tank refill should probably be baseline. If possible, the health tracker needs to be visible in a less obscure way, perhaps as a HUD overlay that displays for anyone not wearing any other HUD. The speed upgrade is the only one really worth pursuing, and it's still rather bland.

Idea guy rambling starts here

In terms of upgrades that I think would be cool to see, I'm sure people could pitch a zillion RIG upgrade ideas, but I know the one that stood out to me in the rework PR was an upgrade that allows you to slot a pAI (or carded AI) into your suit, where it can take control of your suit and pilot you to safety in the event that you go into crit. Obviously this has the fringe benefit of further paving the way for the return of Space Ninja.

I'll just spitball a few more RIG upgrade ideas of my own:

• Damage resistance upgrades which increase resistance to a certain damage type. These could either come with a tradeoff, such as reduced speed, or reduced resistance to another damage type, to prevent people from becoming invulnerable.
• Shielding, which provides resistance to (or total absorption of) damage until it is broken, at which point it slowly recharges using your RIG's power reserves.
• Ablative plating, which provides your RIG with the same properties as an ablative vest, giving it a chance to reflect energy projectiles. Maybe this decreases resistance to brute damage when applied, rendering you more susceptible to melee and ballistics.
• A psi-resistance upgrade that prevents you from being affected by abilities such as remote viewing and telepathy. Maybe the scrying orb, too??
• An ECM upgrade that prevents the AI from tracking you, similar to the effect of an Agent ID. Maybe it could also partially cloak you when viewed through cameras, too, though I dunno if that's even possible.
• A magic dampening upgrade that will provide a chance to shrug off or lessen the impact of magic effects (reduced petrify time, reduced magic missile knockdown time, reduced fireball damage, etc.)
• Built-in tools, available as upgrades, such as GPS, jetpack, hookshot, or magboot capabilities available without having the required items equipped
• A kinesis module that provides a limited range telekinesis ability. Drains power while active.
• A stasis module that fires an explosive energy projectile that deals no damage, but slows anyone caught within the blast for several seconds. Ablative armor should be able to reflect it. Significant power cost to fire a shot, so you need to use them wisely.

I could sit here coming up with this shit all night, so that's probably enough for now.

Certain upgrades could be made mutually exclusive, where installing one only allows you to install another by swapping it out, or perhaps upgrades could be by "slot," with damage resistance upgrades occupying the torso, while psi, ECM, or magic resistance occupy the helmet, and so on.

Upgrade availability could be locked by either station time, alert level, round threat level, access level, or by R&D's current research levels. Some basic form of upgrades should always be available, though.

Perhaps the RIG stations could eventually replace SSUs, with crew being requisitioned a RIG based on their access level or roundstart job that can be equipped to them directly from the RIG station. I only bring this up because it's sort of weird how all the SSUs are now missing their helmets.

[ghost]

All of this is excellent, but on the last note, I presume helmets are still seperable from the suit. If so, it could be done the way Bay does it — everything comes seperate, and you can jam them together if you feel like it.

[MadmanMartian]

The helmets start inside the suit. Gotta press a button to release them.

[ghost]

Oh, I know. I just remember it being mentioned while still in development that they could be seperated, and you could reattach them. Did that not pan out?

[MadmanMartian]

You can separate them and reattach them