# **Syndicate Space pod, a support hub for Traitors**

**Abstract**

This proposal introduces a new Syndicate hub that Traitors can teleport to, as well as a new ghost role tasked with providing support to field agents by acting as weaker human AI.

**Why It's Good For The Game**

A recurring situation with being a traitor (or most antagonist roles), is how easily you can end up backed in a corner.

No matter how powerful the uplink tools are, once you're revealed, you’re just one person against an entire department—or, depending on server policy, the entire station.

Lore-wise, Traitors are considered expendable by the Syndicate, but that’s not a good enough reason to leave them entirely without support. Giving them some form of backup increases their chances of accomplishing their mission before being killed.

From a gameplay perspective,this attemps to tackle a few issues which might not be immediately obvious.

**1): Antagonists are actively discouraged from interacting with our construction system.**

Maintenances bases are too easy to find—any bored assistant with a pair of mesons will stumble upon them sooner or later.

That leaves space as the only viable option, but that comes with its own set of problems. By the time you've transported structures, gathered materials, set up power, atmospherics, and communications, the shuttle will likely have already arrived.

**2): Traitors have limited options for dealing with the AI.**

Any traitor worth their salt will tell you should either subvert or deal with the AI, unless you purposefully want to challenge yourself, (this counts triple for non-humans) .

having an omni present, invisible force bolt you in and reveal your location to the horde of valid hunters and thirsty sec offs can be a bit overwhelming.

As it stands to prevent the previous scenario from occuring a traitor can currently (I'm generalizing for the sake of argument here).

1) subvert the AI themselves

2) Have some form of teleportation device.

Both options can get repetetive and tiring on both sides really quickly, teleportation specifically has become a bit too widespread in the last couple of years.

**3) The Syndicate Comms Agent role is not fun**

In my 3,000 hours of gameplay, I can recall maybe one shift where a support agent actually came in clutch in assisting a fellow syndie.

Most Traitors don’t even bother buying the Syndicate encryption key anymore. And even if they did, the comms agent provides no real advantage that a Traitor couldn’t just acquire themselves. The Syndeye disk costs only 1 TC and already allows you to track players or locations.

Hell being a comms agent is so incredibly tedious, You get to watch camms, send fake messages and......yeah that's it.

In fairness we are talking about a ghost role, and if the cybersun station taught us anything is that they shouldn't be too disruptive for the station, they are not antagonists even if syndicate aligned.

**The solution**

Give Traitors a small, pre-equipped space where they can build, complete with essential infrastructure like power, atmospherics, and communications.

Additionally, introduce a support unit that functions as a human AI. While more limited in scope than a real AI for balance reasons, this role is no longer just a ghost role—it’s an antagonist spawn. Meaning it can actively assist field agents in a more direct and meaningful way.

# **Syndicate support base bundle**

Costs 8 TC, the bundles comes with a syndicate pod capsule, a quantum keycard and an implanter, only 1 can be bought per shift.

**Syndicate Pod capsule**

* Syndicate version of the Mining shelter capsule, upon interaction deploys a 17x17 pod.

* The pod comes with

1) A bar

2) An inactive syndicate gateway

2) A building area with some mats,boards,tools and a few syndicate headsets.

3) A small medical wing with a surgery table and a few medikits

4) The support agent room, comes equipped with a special netpod.

* the pod has a few turrets guarding the angles along with meteor shields.

* the pod functions as a syndicate jammer(syndie comms still work)

* The bundle costs 8 TC.

* After the base bundle has been bought, other traitors may purchase a similar bundle that doesn't have the capsule in it.

* The implant prevents the turrets sentries from being hostile and grant to the user the location of the pod.

**Syndicate Quantum Keycard and Gateway**

- Upon deploying the pod, the gate will be inactive, the keycard can be used to activate it.

- right clicking on the gate will let you lock onto activate tracking beacons and teleport to them.

- teleportation back to the base is possible by interacting with either a beacon, quantum pad, teleporter hub

- teleportation back to the pod is not instant and requires calibration, the time differs depending on the interacted machine, with beacons taking the most time and hub taking the least.

- teleportation through beacons or pads leaves a gate behind for a few seconds, the crew can use it to reach the base

- teleporting to the base without the implant will cause dizzyness, confusion and blurry vision for a few seconds.

**Syndicate Netrunner**

* Picked from the ghost pool, when the traitor activates their stasis pod, the apperance is based on the player's character preset like nukies.

* Comes equipped with a diagnHuD, a syndie headset, a makarov, an E dagger, a slick netrunning suit and a special implant that blows them up should they leave the pod.

* They are not allowed to leave the base.

* Their antag datum makes it very clear they should prioritize assisting the traitor who bought the bundle, they may still assist other agents and shouldn't act openly hostile to them unless instructed by the traitor who spawned the base.

* their room contains a special netrunning pod.

* While inside they are pod they are given very limited AI abilities

1) They can open/lock/bolt/shock doors, but each action will consume a *charge*, charges are restored with time(also to avoid the agent just spacing the entire station, these actions will be automatically reversed after a while)

2) they can track players or check medical and security records (but not change them).

3) Maybe allow them to use the announcement system?

**Goals**

1) Giving traitors the option for paying a premium for space that they may not be able to get depending on the station.

2) Promote interaction between Syndicate agents.

3) Hopefully improve on the idea of the Syndie comms agent.

**Non Goals**

1) Create a "Safe heaven" for traitors, the base can still be found by regular means, teleporting to the base creates a small window for pursuers to chase the traitor in.

2) turning the support unit into a free respawn or another common antag: They are not allowed to leave the base, if they do they'll explode.

3) turning the base into a loot pinatà for Security: The base is very hard to reach for non implanted mobs, is severely guarded, and while it does contain some neat gear, actually raiding the base will be quite a challenge.

4)Turn the teleportation into a safe "Get out of jail card for tots", teleporting in and out of the base requires planning and cannot be done on the fly, security will be able to chase you through the portal if they spot you.)