Add IPC Redesign Doc

[SigmaTheDragon]

Added a redesign doc intended to make IPCs more unique, more fun to play with and against and to solve many of the issues that plague them.

[funkycmm]

I think this is a series of great ideas to hopefully save a beloved species. I personally don't play IPC, but I know many people love IPCs, so any attempt to keep them is great. I only have a one note on this:

I think the healing system involving topicals should be closer to organics, so not just materials like plasma glass but processed or ordered things. For the plasma glass/eye repair example, create Lens Replacement instead, a one-use topical item that allows you to repair the eyes of an IPC, crafted in the robofab (or a new IPC fab?). This solves the issue of an IPC just being able to take any random item and fix them selves, which isn't really a thing for organics (gauze only).

I also think it would be neat if IPCs had more surgery required for repair, as they are mostly mechanical and opening up electronics for repair in normally a big part of it (but this is likely not possible due to shitmed).

All in all though, great doc.

[SigmaTheDragon]

I think the healing system involving topicals should be closer to organics, so not just materials like plasma glass but processed or ordered things. For the plasma glass/eye repair example, create Lens Replacement instead, a one-use topical item that allows you to repair the eyes of an IPC, crafted in the robofab (or a new IPC fab?). This solves the issue of an IPC just being able to take any random item and fix them selves, which isn't really a thing for organics (gauze only).

This can be done fairly easily! I'll see about making this the case in the proposal.

I also think it would be neat if IPCs had more surgery required for repair, as they are mostly mechanical and opening up electronics for repair in normally a big part of it (but this is likely not possible due to shitmed).

Unfortunately i'm unsure how possible that is with how terrible shitmed code is.

[Gigawatsup]

I am in great support of this, Something i thought should be mentioned is IPC oil leakage before it was annoying if anything like mice bit you because you would have to drop everything to deal with it. If I were to offer a suggestion regarding that is to give IPCs the ability to regenerate bleed stacks to a point, IRL there are self-sealing oil tanks going back to the 50s amd we capableof sealing bullet holes but excessive damage was still an issue . Im certain in a futuristic setting such as ss14 this would be expanded on in allowing IPCs to regenerate minor bleeding.

[corresp0nd]

the problem with ipcs is not that they are just unbalanced--it's the direction and design of ipcs themselves. trying to maintain a status quo here with tweaks is not the way to try and solve the issues that we have with ipcs, instead, you should come at this problem from an entirely different angle. the main idea that i would consider is building a unique species from the ground up in the context of a space station world, not trying to salvage this.

so like, consider it from this perspective: why would both borgs and ipcs exist?
i do not mean from the perspective nt, lore, or player. i am saying that if ipcs need all of this to exist in a balanced manner (an entirely unique chem system, an entirely different medical system, an entirely different interaction with most antagonists, etc), then why are they a species instead of a role. species are meant to put players on a relatively similar playing field, their unique aspects being something that impacts the player more than the game. in comparison, a role does not have to keep this in mind. it should have an entirely different gameplay style, like borgs. your proposed changes would be leagues better if they were for silicons as a whole, which in general is a pretty undervalued aspect of the game. "robotics clicks the borg with a welder" is boring, so yes, things like engines would be interesting! nanites are also interesting! but these are not ideas that can be implemented with the goal of having a unique species