Make Drones OK again. [Code Bounty?]

[Aeri]

I consulted Melbert on this and he said and I quote, "drones are weird cause they're like both policy and code" so I'm sticking this thread here.

OK, so, on paper, I like the idea of being a drone when I don't feel like playing the full extent of a round, you're just a little guy, you're helping out, slowly making fixes and stuff to the station. Drones are never subverted, they don't care about what the AI, or anyone else, wants. Cool right? Wrong.

Problem is, as of the changes to drones a wee bit ago (I forget how far back, it was a period best imagined in months I guess) I've tried being a drone several times and the consensus is that they are thoroughly fucking useless at what they're "made for" so why even have the motherfuckers. Drones being shitters is something that should be logged and the player behind it drone banned, if drones are going to be this bad they shouldn't exist.


- AI should be able to send drones one way requests for service, the AI should know that drones are there, one of the few communications drones can make is that they can "drone ping"
- Give them a "storage module" or something, maybe re-use the little box icon from the MODsuit storage module because hey, guess what, you need to store some materials in order to do anything resembling your function, no, I don't really want to spend 20 minutes lugging two lightbulbs at a time across the station. Also you can't open/close the crate/trash cart/etc you're probably dragging around as a drone if you happen to accidentally open it next to a mouse or some stupid bullshit
- Dial back the restrictions on what drones can do, I basically can't pick up anything that isn't a raw building material or a hat, replacing an emagged door? Oh damn, I can't pick up a multitool because using it could interfere with my laws , can't pick up a light replacer, that might interfere with my laws. Can't pick up this piece of garbage off the ground and put it on a table because hur durr laws
- This lumps in with point 3, but they don't have a multitool or cable coil synthesizer, nothing really, those items are critical to repair. The Multitool is more important than the cable coil in this instance since I _am_ allowed to carry a cable coil, mind.
- only sentient beings should inhibit my ability to interact, not a random medibot
- This last one is kind of a reach, but it'd be cool if there was some incentive to load the drone dispenser, drones being worth while would be a good one, or maybe there should be enough material for 1/2 shells in the damn thing at the start of a round


This would probably need to get past somebody in charge, but I'd pay 10-20$ for it or something if someone actually does this, gets it in front of the right people, whatever.

[TheFinalPotato]

talk to the headmins

[Vekter]

Drones are a goddamn nightmare to balance. The way they're implemented is pretty much the only way we can as the headmins won't even let them be enabled on the server if anything is changed about them.

We used to have a lot more freedom as drones and it was actual hell to moderate. How can you tell if a Drone did something specifically to hinder someone else when individual movements/actions aren't logged?

[cacogen]

The removal of the drone duffelbag and with it the ability to carry items has made them so tedious to play that I’ll probably never play them again unless it’s changed.

There should be a blacklist on what they can pick up or an easy way for the crew to access their inventories instead.

You could just add a drone console (assuming one doesn’t exist already) that could force them to drop what they’re carrying. To prevent them stashing items, you could give them a camera that the AI and security camera consoles could see so you knew where they were.