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title: Robotics Features Plan

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# Robotics Features

## Overview

This is a living design document that is intended to assist with development of a new featureset primarily for Roboticists to interact with.

The document includes the initial design, and as the concrete implementation is fleshed out it may be included for the sake of clarifying thoughts and aiding in the development process.

This is *not* a standard design document that is intended to live standalone to the feature being developed; it is not a standard to measure the feature against, but a place to help organize it.

## Goals

1. Add a meaningful feature for Roboticists to work on in a round to enhance cyborgs.
2. Provide design-space for niche or bespoke tools that would otherwise bloat a (current implementation) cyborg module loadout if they were always included.
3. Provide design-space for balancing more powerful tools being part of a (current implementation) cyborg module.
4. Give Roboticists a feature space to explore, with trade-offs (cost, time to acquire, rarity) that reward knowledge of the system.

## Non-Goals

1. Make roundstart/early round cyborgs unable to assist with or complete fundamental parts of their specialized role.
2. Require interaction with the improvement system in order for cyborgs to meaningfully contribute to a round.
3. Require cyborgs be present/engaged for the Roboticist to make some use of the feature.
4. Allow cyborgs to do the task themselves.

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Broadly, the main feature of the enhancement is to provide more customizable sets of tools for cyborgs to make use of, both at roundstart and as the round progresses.

This enhancement is part of a larger initiative to add more depth to Roboticist and cyborg play, and is likely to be built upon, changed, or reworked as the initiative is more fleshed out.

## Phase 1: Module Enhancement

### Robotic Analytic Data (R.A.D.)

Robotic Analytic Data (R.A.D.) is a resource used by Roboticists, much like Genetic Material is used by Geneticists.

#### Storage

- R.A.D. exists as a file on a diskette, with a unique identifier associated with that file (to avoid copy/paste operations benefitting from the file more than once). TODO: consider how to best implement (could remove diskette idea and simply have it as a magic value that moves around).
- The file size is proportional to the amount of R.A.D. stored in it. If there is no more space then R.A.D cannot be added to the diskette. N.B. Higher-capacity diskettes is a possible enhancement.
- Cyborg Module Rewriters accept a single diskette, leaving managing an inventory of diskettes an exercise to the user.
- Cyborg Docking Stations accept multiple diskettes, but do not provide information about the R.A.D. stored on them other than its identifier (if any).
- Cyborgs can have a diskette inserted into them/removed from them if their chest cover is open, clicking them with the diskette in hand to insert or with an empty hand to eject.

#### Generation

- Cyborgs that are active (i.e. being controlled by a client, non-"braindead") generate R.A.D., and add it to the diskette that is stored in their chest compartment (if any).
- A console type that generates R.A.D. at increasingly inefficient power levels can be built from the appropriate circuit board in a console frame. Building multiple is possible, though the material/time/power/space requirements make excessive use of this suboptimal. No maps start with one built, though the circuit board is added somewhere in Robotics and to the pile of circuit boards that is normally in a room somewhere in maintenance.
- R.A.D. can be purchased directly from the Cyborg Module Rewriter at an exchange rate intended to compete with Geneticists, and uses the Research budget.

### Cyborg Module Rewriter

- Accepts a single diskette, and displays the identifier and how much R.A.D. is available on the file.
- Allows addition of various tools to a module. Cost is in R.A.D. and is based on the tool being added as well as how many tools have previously been added (e.g. first tool 10, second tool 20, third tool 30, etc.).
- Resetting a module to a different toolset does not erase tools added by R.A.D.
- Tools added by R.A.D. can be explicitly individually removed, though that they are added tools is called out in the UI. R.A.D. is not refunded, but it makes adding more tools to the module cheaper by virtue of there being one less added tool.
- Modules have a cap on how many tools can be added this way.

### Tools

- A wide variety of very niche tools can be included here, though this should be a whitelist of tools rather than something automatically generated. Players are encouraged to suggest adding tools to this list, or make new ones specifically for it.
- The tools should not be "signature" ones that are inherently powerful. Examples of tools that should not be able to be added include: RCD, stun baton, large beakers, hypospray, defib.
- "Gimmick" and "niche" tools that would be bloat if always included in modules are excellent options.

Examples of suitable tools are included below:

- Cardboard RCD: notably weaker than engineering module's signature tool, significantly less potential for grief.
- Single reagent dispenser: specifically intended for "bar on the go", allows filling of containers with a single reagent that cannot later be changed. Should be limited to those that are dispensable freely in the bar/chef's dispensers.
- Omnitool parts: i.e. specific tool from an omnitool, for the cyborg who wants a screwdriver ready at all times.
- Beaker: a small beaker this offers a good expansion for dedicated medical/chemistry cyborgs as well as those just trying to work the bar, but it is prohitibitively costly and difficult to manage a large number of them (i.e. human with a box of beakers is going to be better at this).
- Sound synthesizer (single sound): lack of flexibility here allows for a more expressive cyborg without competing with the broborg.

## Phase 2: Module Upgrading

Broadly, allow spending R.A.D. to replace a tool in a module with an upgraded version of that tool.

Examples:

- Higher-power flashlight
- More powerful laser drill
- Higher tier fishing rod
- Cybernetic hypospray that produces different reagents
- 125u beaker

Inclusion of this feature gives room for downgrading existing cyborg tools to a weaker version and allowing upgrade to the more powerful version.

Examples:

- Cyborg RCD initially cannot remove floors, upgraded RCD can.
- High-capacity fire extinguiser reduced to regular capacity, can be upgraded.
- Generation speed of hypospray reduced, can be upgraded to higher speed, higher capacity, or greater variety of reagents (but only one upgrade).

Broadly, the intent of this feature is to give cyborgs a reason to want to hold onto their module rather than swap it out too often, as their upgrades would go with it. The upgrades would also be lost on destruction.

## Phase 3: Specialization

Open up adding more powerful/better tools to cyborg modules by spending R.A.D., but limit them based on the type of module they are being added to.

The implementation of this will heavily depend on the details of the earlier phases, and may include rolling back some of the tool addition/upgrade methods to keep them only available to certain module types.

Consider what combinations of items if available at the same time could be dangerous and work around these. RCDs and beakers should probably not both be available at a given time, for example.

### Tool Modules

Separate out some more advanced tools, or those that are more upgraded, into individual tool modules. These modules are not able to be directly into cyborgs, but instead slotted into cybernetic tool limbs.

In order to avoid overpowered combinations, require that certain types of tools also require certain "firmware" in the form of a compatible cyborg module (e.g. an RCD tool arm should require an engineering cyborg module), but give some design space for unusual combinations.

Broadly, the arms are intended to be a capstone that can be worked on by roboticists without a cyborg present, then fitted to a cyborg once complete. The process of making them should be decently involved, requiring R.A.D. expenditure rather than simply pressing a few buttons on a rewriter.