---
# System prepended metadata

title: pAI UI/Program Rework
tags: [TGstation]

---

# pAI UI/Program Rework

Currently pAIs suffer a problem of having a terrible UI like AIs do, while getting none of the benefits. It also has a ton of old code that could generally be better.

### Goals
1. Simplify pAIs UI
2. Make pAIs able to better intergrate into the life of their owner and more helpful depending on the job
3. Move pAIs away from the old pAI code and integrated into the new Ntos system (that it already uses for PDA messenger), making it easier to maintain for the future.

### Non-goals
1. Make pAIs a more valuable ressource to have.
2. Make pAIs more abilities outside of programs, they shouldn't be able to affect the station itself.

## The Idea

pAIs get a Cyborg-like tablet that holds everything. It will hold their laws (like Cyborgs) and the default applications. Like Cyborgs, people will be able to give the pAIs programs using data disks, allowing them to get programs that pAIs would otherwise be unable to use (like SM monitoring for the CE's pAI). This will also hopefully help in making players realize this feature exists because it's incredibly underused.

## NTNet Downloader

pAIs would have access to the NTNet downloader, however this will not offer the default applications, it's instead the replacement for their pAI software center (so things like MedHUDs and Newscaster). These apps will need the space required to be balanced around a pre-determined tablet space limit, rather than 100 RAM that they previously had.

## Messenger

pAIs get their Messenger fully removed, instead they will get it when inserted into someone's PDA, and they will instead send/recieve through the PDA they're inserted in.

### Example

pAIs tablets will hold 48 GQ
- File manager costs 8, however they shouldn't be able to uninstall applications, this is solely so they can install apps from disks.
- Cyborg monitor costs 6
- Ntnet Downloader costs 4
- pAI will use 4 GQ to purchase Crew Manifest, 2 for Newscaster (these are taken directly from the main program, not a unique pAI-only one), 12 GQ for door jack, the 6 on Encryption Slot.
- Their owner Engineer gives them SM monitoring for 5 GQ
- The pAI has 1 GQ left, so has all their programs downloaded.

This is meant to be on a similar level to old pAIs, but now all in one place instead of having several buttons across the entire screen, with half being permanently blacked out.

## Potential future changes

- pAIs storage size can always be reworked depending on whether we believe pAIs can realistically get enough programs to be worthwhile for a round.
- pAIs become a PDA they are inserted into, becoming a talking PDA and temporarily losing your previous abilities, in the same vein as being inserted into a bot.

## Undecided things

- Their internal radios can stay like AI/Cyborgs, an on-screen "Radio" button.
- Where the PDA will be accessible from, maybe an action button?
- Whether holochassis will be intergrated into the PDA or stay as buttons, if integrated into PDA it could possibly be in Robotact (cyborg law app), replacing the lockdown/blow up/ect buttons.
- How taking photos will work. We could give them the maintenance camera app, however that would be lame because it has a reach of 1 tile and would require pAIs to be off their master to use. This seems like more of a problem for all Silicon, not only pAIs.

###### tags: `TGstation`