Enable Escape Pods After Rasputin/Pod Crash Into Sulaco

[Steelpoint]

Summary: Shortly after the Rasputin or the Pod crash into the Sulaco, the escape pods would be unlocked. Anyone Human with a ID card can go inside a escape pod, interact with a launch console inside the pod, and set the pod to launch within ten seconds.

Two (or three if grief occurs) people need to authorise to launch the escape pod, with two exceptions. The Commander or Executive Officer can launch a pod using only their own ID. The Corporate Liaisons private escape pod only needs his ID to launch. Admins can also remotly launch a pod for a solo escape at their discretion.

Benefits: Despite the addition of crashing ships, the 'alien end game' still can drag on for half a hour or even longer. With the critical difference being the very likely atmo breach will slowly kill off the Marines before the Aliens do. This is boring and very anti-climatic most of the time as you slowly die of air loss, or slowly watch as your barricades melt apart because the escape pods don't work like real escape pods.

The benefit of this proposal allows the Marines to evacuate the Sulaco en mass, which not only is a logical move, but it can allow the round to end much faster since the majority of the Humans will evacuate to the pods. This has a two fold effect, it leaves less Humans around for the Aliens to mop up, and it means there is less resistance to the Aliens as the Human crew are rushing to evacuate, not rushing to turn the cafeteria into a fort.

Also, it will allow some Humans to survive the game, even if they lose.

Details: Any Human who is on a escape pod will count as being dead. This suggestion would pair well with also allowing the game to end with a Alien victory if there's less then X (5 or so) Humans left alive on the Sulaco.

[Nicboone]

tentative -1

I think the pods should be triggered at will anytime after the sulaco takes heavy damage. Marines should be expected to attempt to defend or repair- but if the ship is rendered inoperable it would make sense. However, the key here is that this would end rounds a bit quickly, and kind of remove a fun part of the game for players- the final space holdout. It would probably just encourage xenos to turtle or hide until round end for a guarenteed "win".

That said, I personally feel like that system could use a rework. Perhaps they have to be prepped to launch instead of automated- such as the XO or CO first authorizing the launch, which unlocks something engineers could use to prep a small engine that requires a warmup. That would allow for the choice between a fight to the end, or [giving a player] the choice to run.

I def think that you are onto something here- but right now it feels a little too amorphous. Do you have any ideas on how you would prevent the automatic xeno "win"?

[Steelpoint]

Define 'automatic xeno win'?

The shuttle crashing system seems to be set up to all but guarantee a Major Alien Victory, but the problem is that it still drags the round out AND it makes it almost literally impossible for the Marines to turn the attack around. Both because of the atmo breaches making assaults impossible, and that its impossible to send the ships back down to the planet if you repulse the attack.

If your talking about adding more 'substance' the the feature, then you could look to a slight alternative.

1. Sulaco reports a unknown ship is about to crash into the Sulaco's hull. This gives the Command staff the authority to authorise a evacuation.
2. A member of the command staff must activate a 'emergency evacuation' trigger in the bridge, this unlocks the escape pods for evacuation.
3. The escape pods must be manually launched from the bridge. This requires someone to remain on the bridge in order to manually launch the escape pods. Someone has to go down with the ship.
4. At any moment the crew member who has stayed behind can authorise a specific pod to launch, this initiates a 10 second countdown. If you want to go the extra mile, the console will display in a numeric value how many people are onboard a escape pod.

Again, the only exception to this system is the CL's private escape pod, he can launch his pod at any moment once the Rasputin has hit the Sulaco.

[Katsukai]

Lot of marine majors happen in sulaco, when Marines successfully evac most forces intact for an last stand in sulaco. Allowing manual escape pods, would lead to more xeno majors cause people would simply escape with the pods instead stay and fight.

[Steelpoint]

Which seems to be the developers intention with the ship crash update, people seem to say the devs want the Aliens to win if they get to the point where they launch the Rasputin to the Sulaco.

Also there's the scenario where if both shuttles are launched to the Rasputin, but the Queen or enough Aliens are still on the planet, then the game never ends since its impossible for the Humans to return to the planet.

[Katsukai]

Also there's the scenario where if both shuttles are launched to the Rasputin, but the Queen or enough Aliens are still on the planet, then the game never ends since its impossible for the Humans to return to the planet.

It is against the rules on doing that, offender would get banned.

[Steelpoint]

Its still a problem that shouldn't occur even by accident.

But that's beside the point, my suggestion is not tied to a possible exploit, its meant to help finish up a round and give Marines a way to survive a defeat.

[immaspaceninja]

its impossible to send the ships back down to the planet if you repulse the attack

All xenos left on the ground count as dead after the queen steals the rasp.

The atmos is a bitch tho. Rasp's breaching possibility should be removed.

[MrJJJ]

All xenos left on the ground count as dead after the queen steals the rasp.

The atmos is a bitch tho. Rasp's breaching possibility should be removed.

They are supposed to count as dead, but don't, we had this happen before and needed a admin to get on and explain to him for atleast 10 minutes before the issue was solved

[forwardslashN]

This suggestion is denied for now. We're working on a few things to replace our current round-end gameplay.