Research Department - Reverse Engineering

[Aces]

Okay so here's the deal.

I want Gateway maps to be more interesting and valuable in some cases than just haphazardly killing mobs and finding loot and jamming it into the destructive deanalyzer when everyone gets home.

I want a few more exotic items to be possible to obtain in very limited quantities. In this way, we can use these items, put them in some kind of analyzer, and get upgraded versions of existing items here on station.

For example: I've begun working on a spider infested gateway level. I want the story of this to be some kind of underground facility where the scientists present were attempting to build new body armor out of giant spider silk. If we locate the prototype, or alternatively, its blueprints, we can then learn how to make improved versions of the existing body armor on the station, which can then be produced with the correct ingredients shoved into the hopper.

I need help and suggestions deciding several things, in order of urgency from most to least.

1. How should this new science machine decide what gear to produce? (I'm thinking a branch system. Like, "plug X item in, unlock X's list of items.")
2. What should this machine be called? (I'm thinking Xenotech Analyzer)
3. What other items could be included in this new branch of RnD? Maybe some machine that determines projectile damage when shot at or attacked with weapons. Maybe something that can determine the armor ratings of an item by subjecting it to a stress test until it breaks, while a scientist records the results.
4. What sort of alien tech should be possible to find in Gateway missions? Think of stuff that could affect items we use on station. Examples: A Mindflayer, which is a gun that kills by causing brain damage, could be reverse-engineered to a "pacification ray" that more effectively stuns people than tasers, and without causing pain. A prototype suit of armor could mean upgrades for security vests. An alien alloy could be used in some form of construction. Exotic medical items could mean more advanced tools for medical. You get the idea. Stuff that can be used to make other stuff. Note, the original item may be destroyed in the process in some cases.

Note, this will NOT be making a new job. This will be lumped in with regular science.

[ArgobargSoup]

Hmm...

1. A data analyzer of some sorts? Ya bring back like, a hard drive or some alien data cube or somethin', dependin' on the away mission. Analyzer manages ta pull out somethin' usable, cue list of stuff.
2. I think ya nailed it.
3. Somethin' ta test an object's reaction ta different pressure/temperature levels?
4. Mysterious colored orbs that when thrown, release catgirls strange looking aliens. *shot* But, no, seriously, maybe somethin' like one of the artifacts from the asteroid, some sort of device that can start producin' catgirls mobs. Maybe make it programmable. Suddenly, free beef!

Ooh, another idea fer 4; a supermatter stabilizer. Lets ya run a supermatter crystal at a higher temperature without causin' it ta go critical, or maybe neutralize one about ta explode.

[Wickedtemp]

1. How should this new science machine decide what gear to produce? (I'm thinking a branch system. Like, "plug X item in, unlock X's list of items.") - Sounds good to me, but I never play Science, so I'll probably go with whatever the main Sci players would want.

2. What should this machine be called? (I'm thinking Xenotech Analyzer) ---- Iunno. On one hand, it's just the name so it won't be TOO important, but on the other, calling it a 'xenotech analyzer' might be a little weird because that means it'd need to be able to somehow differentiate between unknown human tech and unknown non-human tech. I personally think a name better suited around an analyzer that works for 'unknown' tech, rather than 'xeno' tech, would be better, but that's just me.


3. What other items could be included in this new branch of RnD? Maybe some machine that determines projectile damage when shot at or attacked with weapons. Maybe something that can determine the armor ratings of an item by subjecting it to a stress test until it breaks, while a scientist records the results. ---- Yes. Please. A machine that's capable of weapons testing, so we don't have to have people shoot and stab each other. A 'damage assessment' machine that is capable of taking an 'input' (IE a gun, a reagent or a melee weapon), select the species that you would apply it to, and it calculates the result.

4. What sort of alien tech should be possible to find in Gateway missions? Think of stuff that could affect items we use on station. Examples: A Mindflayer, which is a gun that kills by causing brain damage, could be reverse-engineered to a "pacification ray" that more effectively stuns people than tasers, and without causing pain. A prototype suit of armor could mean upgrades for security vests. An alien alloy could be used in some form of construction. Exotic medical items could mean more advanced tools for medical. You get the idea. Stuff that can be used to make other stuff. Note, the original item may be destroyed in the process in some cases. ---- Various xeno hides and skins, for armor. Some would give additional resistance for temperatures, others might provide increased protection from burns, if made into armor. For Medical, one excellent advanced tool would be giving Science the ability to produce hyposprays, or a Medical HUD that, when you examine someone, it gives a health-analyzer vitals readout, without requiring an analyzer... Or an analyzer that automatically detects unknown substances, so instead of "Non-medical reagent located in stomach" you get "[Dose] [Unknown Reagent Name] located in subject's stomach". Basically, an advanced spectrometer and health analyzer, all in one.