Idea: Turn Disposals into a job
Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 1:50 am
I had this idea during a round for how Disposals could be turned from an automated system into a slightly less automated system that is also a job. Rather than being a starting position, it would be a position availible to anyone with maint access (there could be a machine inside that turns assistant IDs into "Reclamation Technicians").
The idea would be that the Disposals room would now contain a few new machines and one big one - the Tractor Beam. Instead of going into a grinder, trash would flow into sorting bins by material, which can then be put into a machine to reclaim small amounts of resources. All those bottles that chemistry throws out? You can turn them into a little bit of glass. Old machine parts from R&D? Turn them into metal and/or glass. The reclaimed mats can then be shipped to departments via disposals mail.
The Tractor Beam is a large device that automatically pulls in random "space debris" - anything from destroyed ripleys to borg wreckage to dead xenos. Some of these can be pulled apart using traditional tools - welders, crowbars, screwdrivers, and wrenches. Others can be dissected (xeno corpses) and brought to Xenobio or R&D. There could even potentially be surprise items (crates full of random items, space artifacts, etc) that could be of actual use.
I think this would allow more people to do something productive, and allow for fewer bored people on large-pop rounds.
The idea would be that the Disposals room would now contain a few new machines and one big one - the Tractor Beam. Instead of going into a grinder, trash would flow into sorting bins by material, which can then be put into a machine to reclaim small amounts of resources. All those bottles that chemistry throws out? You can turn them into a little bit of glass. Old machine parts from R&D? Turn them into metal and/or glass. The reclaimed mats can then be shipped to departments via disposals mail.
The Tractor Beam is a large device that automatically pulls in random "space debris" - anything from destroyed ripleys to borg wreckage to dead xenos. Some of these can be pulled apart using traditional tools - welders, crowbars, screwdrivers, and wrenches. Others can be dissected (xeno corpses) and brought to Xenobio or R&D. There could even potentially be surprise items (crates full of random items, space artifacts, etc) that could be of actual use.
I think this would allow more people to do something productive, and allow for fewer bored people on large-pop rounds.