So, I’m thinking about starting to work on a lower population (target 0-25 pop) station for those lovely deadpop rounds where nobody is really on the server (see Acacia). What I want to know is this: What core elements of a station, design or otherwise, makes a station good? I want to hear about what types of departmental configuration work best, and I’m not opposed to throwing out standard conventions. Obviously this doesn’t mean that I’m going to throw out balance, but I want to hear suggestions.
What would be the best way to help concentrate people closer together?
How much work are you willing to do to do departmental specific things like nanites, xenobiology, or chemical factories?
What departments go best together?
Are there any departmental layouts that you think would work well? (please provide a diagram if you chose to go for this route).
A good station has lots of QoL stuff.
Intercoms in the halls at good intervals, a good and thorough use of decals, pAI devices, accessible showers, the small things like that. Just niche details that makes it so every part of the station feels lived-in, used, etc.
greytide protection should vary based on the what a place contains
examples include
something like the vault,armory,and the ai upload chamber should require planning if you are going to break into them since the vault contains the station self destruct and a machine that controls cargo’s budget and the armory contains useful gear
stuff like the bridge should be secure enough where not everyone can simply walk in by breaking a window and grab the spare id but have some kind of weakness that can be exploited
stuff like the kitchen,bar,and theater backstage should not have a lot of protection since they do not contain something extremely useful on the other hand cold storage and the bartender’s room should be hard to access since they contain a auto gibber and a shotgun
ai sat should always have security but not enough where command cannot get in when they need to
Hybridization of Departments on a Map Level(IE: Robotics and Medbay have OR overlap, Chapel+Medbay Overlap Morgue, etc.)
No, the lack of inbuilt nanites lab is a huge turnoff for the other lowpop map, Pubby.
That said, things like Chem Factories(IE: optional side projects of a job) can be forgone.
Well service could be compacted by a more generic equipment room(IE: Janitor Locker, Bartender Locker, etc.
As I highlighted previously, having departments share a space with a function in common makes it smaller, and more pop friendly.
Don’t make standard setups(SM, for example) too different. Also don’t forget room details, and where possible, organize them roughly(Don’t Be Like Corg Robotics Labs, for example).
Make Decals far clearer(COLOR CODING MATTERS). I’ve been confused for so long by corg station’s weird red and black hallway thing. I for a long time thought it was the way straight to the brig.
Color Combinations to Avoid Using Unecessarily:
Red+Black(9/10 times this will get mistaken for sec/brig)
Yellow+Orange(Is it Cargo? Is it Engineering?)
Blue+Different Blue(Medical? Command?)
Additionally avoid breaking the Geneva Conventions.
Small thing I think would be nice. For a low pop server.
I absolutely think that the bar/kitchen/cafeteria should be more centralized. Help keeping the population together.
I personally enjoy pubbystation’s design where all departments are centered around the bar which helps with RP. Only because people don’t know how to set up PubbySM (I WROTE A GUIDE TO THIS) as well as addiction to metastation is why people don’t like pubby.
For robotics, I prefer the two exofabs have one tile space between it so I can stuff an autolathe for producing bots. Nanite machines should be all within one tile distance which minimizes walking time. Xenobio being Multi-Z is nice and helps with quarantining in case of a breach. Also make lavaland science lab working at roundstart.
Science is the best department: players that normally do science have a minimal knowledge on all other departments and can fufill those in hours of needs. Cargo goes well with science because the sci budget can fufill the needs of cargo and the minerals provide whatever sci needs.
Cargo should be next to science (such as on pubbystation) since a lot of bounties are science based. And a lot of miners need equipment from science as well.
less tools should be available at the start of the rounds to reduce unwarranted break-ins.
The bridge on metastation is too easy to break into. Please bring kilostation and ministation on acacia or lowpop sage.
Also as a personal idea: general construction area that everyone can access.
Also another idea: station builder, I think Autisme had some idea on this but I’m unsure.
Also another idea: port Eclipse into a station. Great way to teach newcomers on what departments they might like to go into.
or make a map where there’s reflectors and emitters positioned so that you are likely to get hit by an emitter shot, but the emitters will reach the supermatter
All maps have a supermatter engine? Use a different one; something less intimidating to set up perhaps, so the station isn’t without power when nobody knows how to SM. Have a large, but incomplete solar array, for instance - one that when completed is enough to reasonably power the station.
All maps have three cells, perma and gulag?
A low population map probably doesn’t need holding cells at all - make gulag the exclusive option for punishing criminals since the station is likely going to be frequently in need of ores.
Have lavaland access publicly accessable instead of miner exclusive on that note - not only as an avenue for escaped prisoners who manage to cross the lava to get back, but to simplify people volunteering (or being conscripted into) mining for supplies.
Give medbay a different array of supplies in its storage perhaps? Maybe not a lot of room to work with on this one.
Even if the map is going to be small, make sure it still has plenty of maints access and space both for antagonists to use and/or bored players that want to build for passing the time.
While our maps all have unique layouts, they somehow all manage to feel nearly identical because nothing actually sets apart most stations from every other station.
