Pilots and the Rasputin, a quick few suggestions

[ParadoxalObserver]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary):
As the name suggests, these are a few small ideas I feel would improve the role of pilot and make things much less annoying when using the Rasputin. What and how this would work is in the details!


Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole):
It's getting way too common that I see, as a pilot, SLs getting impatient and just launching it when I'm waiting for people or marines to load up. It currently feels like the pilot does nothing. With these features added, I feel like the pilot can be an organizer of sorts. He can force impatient SLs to wait and properly have people load up. And stop cowardice when some try to escape on the Rasputin, on their own.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc):

• Make it so that, when trying to move the Rasputin it takes a minute before it initiates launching procedures (on top of the refueling time);
  Make it so if the pilot launches from the cockpit it's as it is now, that being that it immediately begins launching;
  Add an "anchor" mode that can be triggered from the cockpit by the pilot that makes everyone unable to launch the Rasputin;
  Make it so if the pilot stays by his terminal through the entire trip the trip lasts less;
  Finally, allow the pilot to cancel any Rasputin launch not done by the CO during that 1 minute period.

Implementation:
More or less covered in details. The only one I'm unsure of his the anchor mode. I feel this is a core part that should exist but I'm unsure how it could be worked in so an inactive CO mixed with a dead/inactive pilot won't make the Rasputin an inmovable rock.

EDIT: In case anyone ever has the interest in supporting this but (like me) notices he value but issues with anchor mode. I did consider a manner of implementing it as of now. It could just be auto-enabled if the pilot is active and on board the Rasputin. Any attempts to launch by anyone except the Commander or the Pilot (while the pilot is on the Rasputin) would pop up on the Pilot's visor as a "departure request". Of course, the Queen using the terminal would also override this.

[McRipfist]

Co-pilot when?

[Deus Dactyl]

How about a Crew Chief? Someone who's a technical assistant to the PO for dropship repairs and maintenance, but also capable of basic first aid for passengers. Also keeps the PO company so they don't get jumped alone.

[ParadoxalObserver]

Another thing I forgot is allow the shutters to be closed from the terminal. It's so silly that, if there's an issue you have to run all the way back to close said issue out.

[Joe4444]

[quote=]"ParadoxalObserver"]Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary):

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc):

• Add an "anchor" mode that can be triggered from the cockpit by the pilot that makes everyone unable to launch the Rasputin;
  Finally, allow the pilot to cancel any Rasputin launch not done by the CO during that 1 minute period.

[/quote]
no...just no...that'll stop the queen from getting to the sulaco meaning the marines can take as much time as they want settin up defences.

[ParadoxalObserver]

Uh... there's a super simple solution to that. Have the queen have the ability override it like the Commander (as I suggested). ICly you could say the queen rips off the anchor, if there is one. Easy peezy. On the other hand, implementing it would mean the pilot would actually have power over the Rasputin and not a bunch of impatient SL.

Or even better, if there is an anchor, have the queen literally have to click any wall on the Rasputin (or even make the anchors a visible thing) for the Queen to rip them off. Again, a very simple solution to your problem.

And for the issue with the cancel feature, there is also a simple solution.

A. Have it only able to be done from the cockpit, that way if the Rasputin is on the planet all you have to do is take out the pilot and he can't cancel your flight attempts.
B. If the Rasputin is on the Sulaco, have the warning of alien tampering with the Rasputin not appear until it's been launched. So the only way the pilot could know the queen could (somehow) mess with the equipment to keep cancelling is by having meta knowledge. And hell, you could prevent him from cancelling the Queen's order due to the character supposedly not having the IC knowledge of an alien doing that and give a neat little message when you try.

Again, a lot of solutions to your issues and benefits for the pilot job, as well.

P.S. I forgot to ask... lets say that anchors were a thing without the Queen being able to remove it (which would be dumb, I know, but keep with me). Why would the marines be preparing anything? They don't know the Queen can tamper with the terminal and go up to the Sulaco. So they have zero reason to be preparing any defenses unless they're going on meta knowledge. So although I think the queen should be able to ruin the anchor system, your scenario doesn't even make sense, good sir! >:C

[Joe4444]

unless they anchor it on the sulaco...then the queen is fucked.What I meant was what if the pilot anouchers it on the sulaco? alert sounds and then the queen couldn't do anything,marines now have enough time to make anything while the rasp in anchored and when the marines are ready all the pilot has to do release the anchor.unless this would be done from the console the queen is thus fucked.

[ParadoxalObserver]

As I said, if the alarm only occurs after the ship travels then there is no way of the queen being screwed until the ship is travelling towards them. Secondly, the issue of how to make it so the anchor doesn't make the ship an inmovable object isn't just an issue for the queen. You could have situations where it's anchored and the pilot is dead. I'd say the best way to fix this is to allow for an emergency override button on the terminals that would disable the anchors but take a hefty amount of time so SLs can't just try to use it to get around anchoring, commonly. So like three to five minutes, along with maybe sending a warning to the pilot's helmet (it does have its visor and what not, after all!) so he knows someone is tampering with it. I'd love to hear suggestions on how to improve this main issue.

But with the Queen's situation you could again give them the same power in overriding as the Commander, that is that you don't need this emergency non sense but can just send it normally even if it's anchored. After all, the Queen can already somehow access a terminal that should only be giving access to specific people. Would it really be so hard to believe that it could also access the "admin" features?

But again, an important part to remember is without this the Pilot essentially is not a Pilot as an SL can just send it without a care in the world and he'll have no control over it which can prove heavily annoying. Without something somewhat similar to this Pilot loses a lot of its reason for being.

[Snypehunter007]

Old, lack of continued interest.

Locking.