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Security K9 unit ghost role #374

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Security K9 unit ghost role #374

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JustinWinningham Dec 28, 2024
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78 changes: 78 additions & 0 deletions src/en/space-station-14/departments/security/proposals/K9Unit.md
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# K9 Unit Job

## Design Goal

The Goal of adding the K9 unit to add core gameplay loop variety to the security department. Currently, 3 of the roles are nearly identical (Cadet, Secoff, Det)
with only Det having a minor variation in loadout and some added utility for forensics. All three focus on patroling, detaining, and generally dealing with antagonists with Warden and HOS being the exceptions. A K9 unit would add great variety for sec players while also opening many roleplay opprotunities with a low MVP cost (as corgi/cerb and their behaviors already exist in code at least in part). The Main goal for the person playing the K9 is to give a security role where they are not expected to verbally interact with crew, which can be draining, irritating, demoralizing, etc. This gives security a way for players who need a break from the negative human interaction side of the department a way to continue playing there, while also giving new tools to combat the most destructive tools available to antags which currently have very few counters, and allow for a ghost to occasionally help security if they want, as current ghost roles are neutral to the station at the best in most cases. Further itreators or refinement could see K9 role given more abilities or more scents to detect and filter through (drugs? food? etc.)

## K9 Officer Role
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The K9 units are something most people are familiar with in real life, and their role will mirror that public perception. This includes sniffing for explosives (bombs, c4, etc) No more than one (1) K9 officer slot should be made available as an early game ghost role with a long reoccurance time (ideally there should only be one active at a time per station). K9 Unit will spawn at the normal security officer spawn location and be equipped with a few canine specific items (detailed later). K9 Officers will be mechanically incentivized to accompany security officer, as they will cover gaps in each others abilities to keep the station safe.

#### Pros / Abilities

* Speed: Faster base speed to chase down fleeing suspects / criminals.
* Scent: Ability to smell explosives or illicit chemicals on people within a range - useful for creating engaging difficulty for antags who risk being detected if they pass by an inquisitive player
* Bite: Medium damage bite that applies some stun on hit.
* Signal: Whistle-like callout / bark to notify handler of contraband.
* Drag: Dogs can drag bodies and other objects like other humanoids

#### Cons

* Unable to talk or use radio(dog speech)
* Unable to detain or arrest (only bite)
* Slightly lower health / armor than humans
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Lower health is not strictly necessary, particularly when they will be wearing armor anyway. Keep them at standard health and then we can tune their survivability by their armor

* Limited resource (Ghost role not garunteed, and hard to replace if killed)
* No suit sensors


### Ability breakdown

#### Speed

The primary enabler of the K9 during normal operations is increased speed. Operating at somewhere between 110% and 130% normal character movement speed with similar boosts to acceleration allows for easier pursuits than secoffs and for talented players to kite during melee or jink during firefights. This number is a rough first guess at an appropriate speed value, they should be able to catch any undrugged human but still struggle to keep up with those under the influence of hyerzine or similar super stimulants.
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@Errant-4 Errant-4 Jan 15, 2025 •
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Speed was the most contentius part, there is high concern about the utility of their speed in combat, and how annoying it would be. Some ways for them to gain temporary speed boosts were considered but we would rather just go with standard speed, first. however, to aid with them still being effective at chases, they can be noslip, and see the ability proposed at the combat section

An additional counter to them, which will make them markedly distinct from the slipping meta, but without a speed boost would not be mandatory to prepare for, when one is likely to be chased by them, is that secdogs are gluttonous: if they step on food, they cannot resist starting to eat it, and being made immobile for 2 seconds (probably the same check should apply as to slippables, this should not trigger if the food was still in flight)


#### Scent

The main unique mechanic that K9 officers will have. This takes the form of a overlay 'cloud' or hue on characters who are carrying explosives. This can manifest in two ways, depending on maintainer feedback:

1) Denoted using an new security hud icon that is only visible to K9 units to match existing styles. This modifier will only be visible on characters in a short range of the K9 to prevent cross-screen snipes on players who are out of scent range and as a balancing mechanic.
2) The K9 unit must use a short 1 second 'sniff' action on a player and get a text message popup similar to that recieved when somebody is placing an entity into a players hands that tells the K9 if they picked up any foreign scent, including chemicals, reagents, or foods. "You smell explosives on this person!" / "you smell <chemical scent> on this person" / "you smell <food taste or scent>.
3) Scent mechanic is too powerful all together and is not implemented.
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There was no clear consensus here, but as you noted, the ability to either track footprints or detect bombs could be extremely powerful and perhaps more punishing to traitors than reasonable.
A less disruptive but still useful ability could be to detect corpses and (large concentrations of?) blood within range, with a mechanism similar to anomaly locators - the dog sniffing faster and faster.
This would also mean that blood can be used as a diversion/chaff (since both return the same "sensor reading"), and keeping the station clean becomes more important to sec


#### Bite

Unlike most bites from other creatures, this would inflict a small (0.25 - 0.5) second slow on targets, this would combo with their speed to give them more versatility in aiding security staff, further aiding their support toolkit.
Additionally, this bite would be stronger when wearing a k9 hardsuit (detailed in equipment section below) in exchange for lower speed and higher armor.
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No stun, tackle or stamina damage. These have very significant combat applications, and historically they have been very disruptive.
However, we would be interested in something like this: a short-range pounce ability primarily designed for chases. The ability can be used to execute a ~2 tile pounce. If it connects with a mob, the dog "bites onto" the mob, essentially being dragged from then-on. This slows down the target as if they were dragging, but does not occupy their hand. The pounce should have a long cooldown or failing to hit a target should be punished with some sort of movement penalty such as slowdown/stun so it can't just be used to dash around all the time

Thus, this ability could be used to close the distance to a fleeing target if you are already close, and cause slowdown on them, allowing everyone else to catch up. In this state, the dog would be unable to bite, so the target has the option of starting to punch the dog until it lets go, but... is that wise, when this will probably cause the dog to let go and start biting back? Likewise, the dog has to choose how long to hold on and when to start attacking/disengage. Being dragged after the target would also, ironically, serve to shield them from shots coming from pursuers

(This ability would be a not insignificant thing to code, but probably worth investigating even without the pounce part)

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What if being effected by it also did some damage on successful connection, and more importantly, while under the effect of the ability, taking certain actions (Moving/running, etc.) causes the mob to take damage and/or increase bleed stacks? Given that if a dog has you in its teeth, attempts to pull away, swing the limb, kick back, etc., would probably result in further injuries due to causing severe movement of the very sharp teeth currently clamped into your skin. (Would also be cool if this reduced gun accuracy and/or increased the length of certain do-after bars, perhaps with certain stimulants or sedatives reducing/removing this effect, but thats probably overdoing it.)

Would also be a cool balance concept since theyll have to either do major damage to the pupper to force it to stand down (I feel like if they get stamcritted or regular critted the effect would end), cooperate and stop moving, or continue to flee and face the very painful consequences.

(The same concept why if somebody has a bladed weapon currently stuck in them, an EMTs best bet is typically to secure it in place. Removing it unplugs the hole resulting in blood gushing out, but having it move around causes massive internal injuries, I feel like the simular risk of injury would apply with resisting/moving against a dog bite.)


#### Signal

Functions identically to the security whistle, but with a barking sound effect, for alerting handler. This will use an action instead of an item, with a bark sfx instead of the standard whitsle sfx.


### K9 Inventory

Current dogs can be updated to be given support for all new appropriate items (Ian, Cerb, etc.), but doesnt need to be required for MVP.

* SecK9 will have an suit slot. The K9 unit default loadout will come with an K9 armored vest that provides similar bonuses to the standard armored vest that security gets. Suit
* SecK9 will have standard mask and tank slots for breathing like ian and cerb currently (see corgi prototype)

#### K9 Items

New entities to be implimented for SecK9 use

* SecK9 Hardsuit - spawns with the SecK9, occupies suit slot, only equipable by SecK9 in MVP, other dogs in future. Provides similar bonuses as security hardsuit
* SecK9 Armored Jacket - spawns equipped to SecK9, occupies suit slot, only equipable by SecK9 in MVP, other dogs in future. Provides similar bonuses as security armored vest.

### Other Notes

This proposal will require some new sprite and sfx assets:

Sprites:
* SecK9 Hardsuit: icon + equipped overlay for SecK9
* SecK9 Armored Vest: icon + equipped overlay for SecK9
* SecK9 entity: Up/Left/Down and Dead

Sfx:
* SecK9 alert whistle
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I did not find mention of this elswhere in the doc, is this a dog whistle that no one else can hear?

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was referred to as alert bark in other areas.

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But you have that in the next line

* SecK9 bark (if desired to be unique from other dogs)
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