Vents have their own Z-levels

[Briankada]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary):
Vents have their own Z-level where aliens can move freely from vent to vent, rather than scrolling through a long list.

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole):
Makes moving around vents a bit more fun, and it would be interesting as it would take time, rather than an alien entering a vent in arrivals, and reaching the vent at escape in a second.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc):
Works the same was as the current vent system, but instead it would allow aliens to move around, adding more immersion. There could also be sounds, such as when someone goes down disposals and you can hear them going through the pipes.

Another idea would be to give the marines the ability to enter the vents by crowbarring the covers off. But once they're inside their movement speed is reduced by 10% - 20% giving the aliens a better advantage of travelling through the vents.

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it):
Just a simple Z-level that allows players to enter the vents and travel around freely, rather than the sort of fast-travel we have right now.

[TopHatPenguin]

Fairly sure Apop and the Team is already working on this for the alpha.. so yeah..

[speedybst]

Can't say anything concrete, but this idea and a similar has been floated and are being discussed.

[Davidchan]

-1, for a two reasons.

1) I posted this not to long ago, and while everyone seemed in favor of it, Apop wasn't sure if we could get permission to use it because of licensing or what not. If/when we go to alpha, I'd rather see vent crawling the /tg/ way since marines can interact with the pipes directly if they hear bouncing around in them.

2) All sorts of bugs foreseen with pipes being blown up on the station z level but aliens still able to crawl through them on their other z level. This would also add 2 more z levels (Sulaco and Nostromo) and a shit ton of atmos work.

[Briankada]

Another way to make it seem more immersive would be to add a timer on how long it takes to travel to other vents. If it's close it doesn't take long, but if it's a distance away it takes time. I just feel like it's sorta bull how they fast-travel.

[TopHatPenguin]

-1, for a two reasons.

1) I posted this not to long ago, and while everyone seemed in favor of it, Apop wasn't sure if we could get permission to use it because of licensing or what not. If/when we go to alpha, I'd rather see vent crawling the /tg/ way since marines can interact with the pipes directly if they hear bouncing around in them.

2) All sorts of bugs foreseen with pipes being blown up on the station z level but aliens still able to crawl through them on their other z level. This would also add 2 more z levels (Sulaco and Nostromo) and a shit ton of atmos work.

David the only reason i think apop said no to that was because you said " Import the code from paradise" or something like that.. which apop can't do because of the permission and licensing.

[Fickmacher]

I support this, but have no idea on how to implement this. +1 anyways.

[Briankada]

It would just be another Z-level you transport to when you interact with the vent. Sort of like the stairs and ladders on Unbound Travels, but with a vent instead. It's supposedly being worked on though, so looking forward to seeing what it's like!

[apophis775]

This has been discussed, and might make an appearance in the conversion.

[Evilkyle24]

I have something to add.

On /VG/ Station, we use a code a thousand times more advanced than our current Baycode on Colonial Marines. We're talking crazy shit like individual organ damage, blood types, a smooth lighting system with colored light, et cetera.

When doing a vent crawl as a mouse, haven't done it as alien because infestation gamemode is an adminbus only thing there due to it being kinda shitty on a standard station, you actually enter the pipes. You see a semitransparent blue distrobution pipe network, that being the actual network, and walk through it as normal. You can still see where you are on the surface as well.

Perhaps use that code, but tweak it so that you can only see the meson view of the station. Aliens may need their life sight turned when in a vent, as it could be a little broken if they can scout without ever leaving the vents. Until of course, the marines cut the pipes. Allow the alien to see with normal vision again once they are on the vent but haven't left it yet, unless it is welded shut. Then we have surprise aliens out of the vent waiting in ambush.

This gives not only more precise movement, but a reason to be afraid of vents. Welding vents is still an option that stops the aliens completely, though they can corrode from the inside, it should take time if done from the inside of the vent.

Thats just my suggestion. The separate Z-Level is a neat feature if the marines can also go into the vents at the cost of the vent never being weldable again, as they tore it open. However, you need to find a way to keep the aliens inside the vent and not just with an R-Wall. its easier to go with the pipe system because if someone detonates a bomb in the Z-Level, its too complicated to render that explosion on a multi-level scale. BYOND is 2-D. Trying to incorporate 3-D features ends badly.

[apophis775]

We are already working on code like that. It's called "PROJECT ALPHA".

[DesFrSpace]

+1 FULL SUPPORT, another good idea. DON"T take this too far, DON"T make this REAL as possible.
The vent should still act as an "Transporter", BUT with the exception that aliens DON'T walk/run (crawls) in the tunnels.
[further explanation] It'll be like riding on disposal system. but much slower.
[Optional 1.0] Also vent should serve to "hide" 1 ONE alien at a time per vent.
[Optional 1.1]Vent are where aliens can choose OPEN vent as the next destination.
In en route to next destination, Aliens should take calculated time to go to the targeted tunnels.
Only way to corroded vent is if done on the normal level. And broken pipes won't be usable, blocking destinations.

[apophis775]

There's a plan for something like this in the future.