How to not burn down engineering five minutes into the shift

mrpain · Post by **mrpain** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:50 am #19772

I'm getting really fucking tired of seeing this easily preventable mistake from happening and I'm sick of the absolutely shit competence levels of engineering and potentially great rounds being literally forced down the shitter by fucking morons.

Literally every other round, EVERY OTHER ROUND, YES I'VE BEEN KEEPING TABS I SEE THIS:

SEE THIS SHIT RIGHT HERE:

If you're working in engineering with the plasma canister, YOU DONE FUCKED UP, SON.

HOW DID YOU FUCK UP? YOU TOOK THE TANK OUT OF THE CANISTER WITHOUT CLOSING THE VALVE!

How do you keep this from happening? EASY.

1. Put the plasma tank in the canister

2. Maximize the distribution pressure.

3. Open the release valve.

4. Wait for the tank pressure line number to match the distribution pressure line number.

Now this next step is very important so pay attention....

5. CLOSE THE GODDAMN VALVE

6. Repeat until all the collector arrays are full.

That is all.

Thank you for this episode of Learning With Mr. Pain.

In tomorrow's episode will be made when I'm able to make more screenshots. It will be called, "How to not set up the SMES's like a fucking idiot.".

Thanks for watching.

Kodeth101 · Post by **Kodeth101** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:02 am #19773

Since this is a shitty fucking thread, I am going to take the time to fix it for you.

I'm getting really fucking tired of seeing this easily preventable mistake from happening, and the same goes for the awful competence levels of engineering which ruin potentially great rounds.
Literally every other round, I see this:

So, how did this mistake happen?
Well that's simple. You forgot to close the valve on the tank before you took the plasma container out of it. How silly of you. Make sure you close the valve before you do so. It will prevent this simple mistake from happening, a simple mistake which causes everyone a lot of pain.

Tomorrow, I will be making a thread called, "How to set up the SMES correctly."

mrpain · Post by **mrpain** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:13 am #19775

I only worded it like that ironically so people might actually pay attention.

Seriously.

This stuff is on the wiki.

There's a button in game that connects to the wiki.

I dont see why getting this information is hard.

People either need to be trained by competent CE's and be brought up to speed....or they already know how and they're just "EBIC CANISTER/SINGULARITY TROLLING ;DDD" with everything the entire time and its annoying and someone needs to step in.

Post by **Vekter** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:24 am #19781

Or, y'know, stop overcharging the plasma tanks. I recall it not having that big an impact on the engine.

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:32 am #19782

what is that security officer doing to that poor mime

Rhisereld · Post by **Rhisereld** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:56 am #19785

Vekter wrote:Or, y'know, stop overcharging the plasma tanks. I recall it not having that big an impact on the engine.

Full tanks will allow you to maximise the input on all three SMES to 200 000. If you leave the tanks at 300kPa, there isn't enough power to charge the SMES like that.

If something goes wrong before the SMES are fully charged (eg. traitor releases the singularity), this faster charging rate can make a world of a difference regarding how long your power lasts before you can get the solars online.

cedarbridge · Post by **cedarbridge** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:53 am #19789

bandit wrote:what is that security officer doing to that poor mime

If I remember correctly, the officer arrested the mime, cuffed and detained him and then promptly went braindead in that exact spot and position. The mime couldn't move and the officer was braindead. The mime just cried as I crawled past.

Fun story about this specific round, all of the plasma canisters had already been filled before somebody ran in and turned the valve on the thing and flooded the SMES room. I know this because I filled them myself. What this did do was keep us so busy cleaning up plasma (with an AFK AI at the time) that the power drained from the SMESs and we didn't have enough to maintain the singularity enclosure. I had to pull out the pacman for that and we had another engineer off wiring solars. I think they also followed my advice to get power cells printed to cover most of the station vitals.

Long story short, one jerk opening the valve on a can that didn't even need to be touched at that point made an already tough round an even bigger headache. Also, fuck appendicitis.

Ikarrus · Post by **Ikarrus** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:29 pm #19804

I once had someone intentionally do that while I was CE. While I was in there scrubbing it he hacked the door shut and the sparks ignited the plasma, killing me.

Spoiler:

ThanatosRa · Post by **ThanatosRa** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:54 pm #19851

Ikarrus wrote:I once had someone intentionally do that while I was CE. While I was in there scrubbing it he hacked the door shut and the sparks ignited the plasma, killing me.

Spoiler:
He was a head revolutionary

It was an accident.

Mono · Post by **Mono** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:17 am #19874

Ikarrus wrote:I once had someone intentionally do that while I was CE. While I was in there scrubbing it he hacked the door shut and the sparks ignited the plasma, killing me.

Spoiler:
He was a head revolutionary

Clever and creative kill. He deserves a pat on the back

paprika · Post by **paprika** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:53 am #19905

I fucking love this mistake every new engineer makes it's hilarious every time.

Ikarrus · Post by **Ikarrus** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:49 am #19923

Spoiler:

Munchlax · Post by **Munchlax** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:50 am #19924

I used to do it all the time because of lag and anger.

RG4 · Post by **RG4** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:00 am #19928

Last time I managed to pull that off was because the release valve read closed when it opened.

kosmos · Post by **kosmos** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:54 am #19930

This is a very special kind of retardedness I've noticed I also have. I pop in the plasma tank nearly automatically, twiddle the things (add in a little bit of lag), and suddenly I just forget...

"Does 'Open' mean it's open right now? Or does it open when I click on it?"

The question boils down to "Is this a fucking future-prediction-button, or the present-moment-button? What the fuck does Open mean in this case?" So then I fucking have to take a guess and hope plasma doesn't spill out.

But I've manufactured a very special method of preventing this shit: Have the canisters simply say "THE FUCKING VALVE IS NOW OPEN" and "THE FUCKING VALVE IS NOW CLOSED". There. Fixed. Now if someone fucks up, at least it won't be me because of being confused as fuck by that 'Open'.

FJKrake · Post by **FJKrake** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:54 am #19938

Engineers an appealing job for rookies, accidents are prone to happen.

peoplearestrange · Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:25 am

kosmos wrote: "Does 'Open' mean it's open right now? Or does it open when I click on it?"

This. This after I take a break from engineering. Every. Fucking. Time.

I always think does it mean "Open Valve" or "Valve Open". 90% I have luck on my side and its safe, the other times its "OH GOD I LOOK LIKE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IM DOING!"

Miauw · Post by **Miauw** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:18 am #19951

paprika wrote:I fucking love this mistake every new engineer makes it's hilarious every time.

this pretty much. rookie engineers flooding that room with plasma will never stop being incredibly funny.

FJKrake · Post by **FJKrake** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 4:06 pm #19995

Miauw wrote:
paprika wrote:I fucking love this mistake every new engineer makes it's hilarious every time.
this pretty much. rookie engineers flooding that room with plasma will never stop being incredibly funny.

Theres something equally funny. Rookie Scientists flooding plamsa in Toxins because they wanna make bombs but are too retarded to do it

This is like one the standard engineering hotspots you needed to fix. Good old times.

ColonicAcid · Post by **ColonicAcid** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 4:49 pm #20001

CE_after_exiting_his_office_with_a_full_engineering_crew_of_newbies.jpg

>Engine set up wrong way around facing station
>Beacon inside the station
>Forcefield half set up
>Plasma everywhere
>That one engineer who thinks it's cool to smoke inside a no smoke area that's filled with PLASMA.

callanrockslol · Fri Jul 18, 2014 7:39 am

You know whats worse, atmos techs that release plasma into the distro by accident.

Its a special kind of stupid that.

OtherDalfite · Post by **OtherDalfite** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:03 pm #20166

>actually setting up SMES
>not just wiring the singularity directly into the grid.
It's like you WANT greyshits breaking into everywhere.

cedarbridge · Post by **cedarbridge** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:23 pm #20169

OtherDalfite wrote:>actually setting up SMES
>not just wiring the singularity directly into the grid.
It's like you WANT greyshits breaking into everywhere.

If doing so wouldn't get me banned I'd do it every round.

ColonicAcid · Post by **ColonicAcid** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:47 pm #20172

It won't get you banned.
Like there has never been a case that I can think of where someone was banned for wiring the singularity directly into the powergrid.
While I see what people are trying to do wiring it directly into the power grid is also completely depending on the singularity staying there and if it gets out you have to deal with having no power and massive black hole chomping everything up.

cedarbridge · Post by **cedarbridge** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 7:47 pm #20176

ColonicAcid wrote:It won't get you banned.
Like there has never been a case that I can think of where someone was banned for wiring the singularity directly into the powergrid.
While I see what people are trying to do wiring it directly into the power grid is also completely depending on the singularity staying there and if it gets out you have to deal with having no power and massive black hole chomping everything up.

You'd have to deal with that anyway SMES or no.

damiac · Post by **damiac** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:02 pm #20181

The even better dumb engineer move which I've done a few times is the whole process of:
Fill plasma tanks
start putting tanks in collectors
Another engineer is helping me, fills the other collectors
I go outside to turn on emitters
Turn on internals
Internals meaning in this case, the extra tank of plasma in my hand that I didn't have to put in the collectors
Realize my terrible mistake and turn off internals
Run toward medbay, yelling for a doctor to come pick up my soon to be unconscious body
Spend the rest of the round as a disgraced idiot engineer

mrpain · Post by **mrpain** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 3:35 am #20231

I think one time a few months ago I was in a round where engineering turned the PA on without turning containment on first.

That was hilarious.

Mastigos · Post by **Mastigos** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 5:13 am #20242

I was in a round where the CE tried to make both singularities at once at start of shift. One exploded, containment gone, remaining one ate everything less than 5 minutes in.

callanrockslol · Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:15 am

Mastigos wrote:I was in a round where the CE tried to make both singularities at once at start of shift. One exploded, containment gone, remaining one ate everything less than 5 minutes in.

We used to do that by wiring up another containment field behind the current one and stuffing the second generator in it, was a tad on the scrawny side though.

Isane · Post by **Isane** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:17 am #20260

Mastigos wrote:I was in a round where the CE tried to make both singularities at once at start of shift. One exploded, containment gone, remaining one ate everything less than 5 minutes in.

I've done that once before and it worked just fine. One singularity exploded and the other just kept on as normal, no problem with containment.

I tried it again later as a clown helping to set up the engine, and what you described occurred. Probably appropriate considering I was the clown, but I have no idea what went different.

Lo6a4evskiy · Post by **Lo6a4evskiy** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:27 am #20262

OtherDalfite wrote:>actually setting up SMES
>not just wiring the singularity directly into the grid.
It's like you WANT greyshits breaking into everywhere.

>AI goes rogue
>Engineering is retarded as always and does nothing
>Brave librarian is the only competent person on the station
>No insulated gloves
>All doors are shocked and crit instantly

Miauw · Post by **Miauw** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 10:43 am #20289

you cant be critted by shocked doors.

and i wouldnt wire the singulo into the grid instantly, a really pro enginere would first charge the three engineering smess to 100%, then let the singulo go back to stage one, order collector crates and set up six more collectors on both sides of the singulo so you can charge all the SMESs on the entire station.

Braincake · Post by **Braincake** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 11:35 am #20304

A 5x5/3x3 stable singularity wired into the grid with 6 topped-off collectors is more than enough to max-charge the 3 engineering SMESs, the 4 solar ones, the 2 in backup power storage, and even the telecomms and gravgen ones if you feel like wiring them; all at the same time.

Though speaking of ruining engineering, recently there's been a few rounds where the engine got set up too late, so the SMES's ran out of stored charge. In this case, you want to hook the PACMAN up to the knot infront of the Engineering APC, and definiately not the SMES input wire (especially not if you leave the SMESs input ON).

ABearInTheWoods · Sun Jul 20, 2014 12:19 pm

Miauw wrote:you cant be critted by shocked doors.

If the power is over 1 million, it deals a random amount from (if i remember right) 60 to 115

cedarbridge wrote: If doing so wouldn't get me banned I'd do it every round.

That is not something we ban for as far as I know. Hell I do every time I'm engineer.

Have you been told not to do that?

Kelenius · Post by **Kelenius** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 12:21 pm #20429

AFAIK, shock damage from doors can only damage limbs, and damage to one limb is capped at 75.

Lo6a4evskiy · Post by **Lo6a4evskiy** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 1:40 pm #20436

It was not the point. 75 damage will severely slow you down and crit if you are already injured.

ColonicAcid · Post by **ColonicAcid** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:48 pm #20443

Well, in Sibyl you're already severely slowed so not much change there.
And yo if you're hacking while you're injured you're just asking for trouble.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:11 pm #20486

damiac wrote:The even better dumb engineer move which I've done a few times is the whole process of:
Fill plasma tanks
start putting tanks in collectors
Another engineer is helping me, fills the other collectors
I go outside to turn on emitters
Turn on internals
Internals meaning in this case, the extra tank of plasma in my hand that I didn't have to put in the collectors
Realize my terrible mistake and turn off internals
Run toward medbay, yelling for a doctor to come pick up my soon to be unconscious body
Spend the rest of the round as a disgraced idiot engineer

It's always fun when that happens.

@OP, sometimes lag causes it.

cedarbridge · Post by **cedarbridge** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:30 am #20578

MrStonedOne wrote:
Miauw wrote:you cant be critted by shocked doors.
If the power is over 1 million, it deals a random amount from (if i remember right) 60 to 115

cedarbridge wrote: If doing so wouldn't get me banned I'd do it every round.
That is not something we ban for as far as I know. Hell I do every time I'm engineer.

Have you been told not to do that?

I assumed it fell under "antag-like behavior" which typically gets one boinked. Knowing this is apparently not the case though...

Lo6a4evskiy wrote:It was not the point. 75 damage will severely slow you down and crit if you are already injured.

I'm pretty sure anyone hacking a door without gloves will reconsider if they eat 75 damage. They likely won't have the chance to reconsider if they decide to try their luck again.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:12 pm #20613

Well, wiring the singulo to the grid does seem a bit antagonistic, but it's also a measure that can help the station, against power sinks for example.

Kelenius · Post by **Kelenius** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:00 pm #20640

Scott wrote:Well, wiring the singulo to the grid does seem a bit antagonistic, but it's also a measure that can help the station, against power sinks for example.

You do know that they explode when overcharged, do you?

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:49 pm #20658

But then they aren't keeping the station in the dark and holes can be fixed.

Jalleo · Post by **Jalleo** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 12:21 am #20786

Really guys you can easily setup solars to power the station the whole round and have the singularity set up as an emergency generator.....

The engine wastes plasma once the smes is fully charged you can pretty much turn off most of the collectors. And have them easily prepared for an emergency.

mrpain · Post by **mrpain** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:55 am #20826

Jalleo wrote:Really guys you can easily setup solars to power the station the whole round and have the singularity set up as an emergency generator.....

The engine wastes plasma once the smes is fully charged you can pretty much turn off most of the collectors. And have them easily prepared for an emergency.

Honestly I'd prefer to start the singularity first just to fill the SMES and keep the station from blacking out, then wire it directly to the grid, then turn the PA off then wire the solars, but most engineers are too lazy to do this and most of the time the station is blown to bits or slowly killed off due to HAPPENING.

Drone code when?

cedarbridge · Post by **cedarbridge** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:11 am #20828

mrpain wrote:
Jalleo wrote:Really guys you can easily setup solars to power the station the whole round and have the singularity set up as an emergency generator.....

The engine wastes plasma once the smes is fully charged you can pretty much turn off most of the collectors. And have them easily prepared for an emergency.
Honestly I'd prefer to start the singularity first just to fill the SMES and keep the station from blacking out, then wire it directly to the grid, then turn the PA off then wire the solars, but most engineers are too lazy to do this and most of the time the station is blown to bits or slowly killed off due to HAPPENING.

Drone code when?

Best arrangement I've had was one competent engie sets up the engine, the other starts around the solars. Engine still gets set up because its not that hard. Solars get wired in case of happenings and everything is handled.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:19 pm #20894

Start the engine, wire it to the grid, wire the solar SMES to the grid, wait for all SMES to charge to 100% and then isolate all the SMES from the grid and use the engine SMES to power the emitters, keep the grid powered by the engine.

Solars are shit for anything except when there's no way to set up a singularity engine.

cedarbridge · Post by **cedarbridge** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 12:13 am #20948

Scott wrote:Start the engine, wire it to the grid, wire the solar SMES to the grid, wait for all SMES to charge to 100% and then isolate all the SMES from the grid and use the engine SMES to power the emitters, keep the grid powered by the engine.

Solars are shit for anything except when there's no way to set up a singularity engine.

You know, except for the whole thing about being totally capable of powering the whole station.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 4:47 pm #21033

Easy to sabotage and does nothing against power sink.

cedarbridge · Post by **cedarbridge** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 6:01 pm #21039

Scott wrote:Easy to sabotage and does nothing against power sink.

You mean the PA isn't easy to sabotage?
also, are we talking about the same power sink that is countered by a pair of wirecutters and a power cell?

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 6:42 pm #21047

Good luck with both of those things.