From be5a9d55fd3f528f2b58ab5215df729d23a3ccfe Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: corresp0nd <46357632+corresp0nd@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2026 23:58:53 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] meow! --- src/design-proposals/nanotrasen-rebrand.md | 68 ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 68 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/design-proposals/nanotrasen-rebrand.md diff --git a/src/design-proposals/nanotrasen-rebrand.md b/src/design-proposals/nanotrasen-rebrand.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d607ce0 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/design-proposals/nanotrasen-rebrand.md @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ +# NanoTrasen: Defense Contractor and Industrial Corporation + +| Designers | Implemented | GitHub Links | +| ---------- | ----------- | ------------ | +| correspond | :x: No | TBD | +## Overview + +So, what the hell is NanoTrasen doing out there anyways? + +Generally, the acceptable answer is a vague *research.* Depending on who you ask it's research about plasma. The station isn't there to do much of anything except kind of exist, meaning that players and developers can just do whatever they want. There's no reason for characters to be out there, except to do their job (whatever that means). + +For the most part, this is just fine. It's not bad, many corporations do just push papers around to fulfill some imaginary quota. It works out that a lot of the bad things that happen to the station can be explained as a vague type of insurance fraud. NanoTrasen doesn't give a fuck about the station, so being able to get rid of it "accidentally" and an insurance payout is great for them. + +However, it leaves a lot to be desired. As a player, you don't know what that "research" is even supposed to be about because none of it matters. The stuff science researches doesn't even have anything to do with plasma. You have to ask around, outside of the game, to have an idea about what it's all about. The insurance fraud tidbit is like this, too. + +Even if we did try to integrate the reasoning into the game more, it would still kind of suck. What does research mean? What's the point of the research? We can keep explaining this all as a form of corporate fraud, but that's kind of just lame. Nothing *has* to change if this is all just a vague form of fraud. + +Instead, we should consider reframing what NanoTrasen is doing there in the first place. NanoTrasen is an intergalactic defense contractor and industrial corporation, the station being one of the satellite research and development plants. They primarily focus on plasma-based weaponry (this should personally lean more sci-fi, but it doesn't entirely matter what kind of weapons they manufacture). This all being a really wordy way to say that NanoTrasen is Lockheed Martin or Raytheon. They're glorified arms dealers who also love to do fraud. + +The primary goal of redesigning NanoTrasen like this is to reframe the entire game. Characters have a reason why they decided to work *here* specifically. It is non-negotiable that players have to interact with aspects of the world that make them uncomfortable. By forcing people to consider why their character would choose to work in the military industrial complex, we're setting the tone for the game entirely. This should, hopefully, help alleviate some of the issues we have with players not interacting with certain tones we want to encourage. + +The primary issue with this suggestion comes from how to implement it. This is not something that we can just say we want to do and be done with it in a couple of PRs. A lot of the departments should be reexamined and redesigned so that NanoTrasen's goals aren't just an afterthought. Characters and players should have to consciously ignore any aspects of NT's dealings as an arms dealer, rather than having to actively seek out the lore of NT. I'm including some sample departments and how we could redesign them, but ideally, we would rethink the entire game. + +### "Station Goals" + +This is going to be as brief as it can be because literal station goals need their own design document. Or I'll elaborate on this more later, as I believe it's one of the better ways to give NT an actual personality as a company, rather than just being an ignorable aspect of the lore. + +Since NT's primary goal is to manufacture defense equipment, then the station needs to be productive and help make weapons. There should be overarching goals that help solidify this. + +For example, Central Command has requested a shipment of plasma rifles. Except the rifles only exist theoretically, so first science needs to research micro plasma reactors and assemble a schematic to manufacture the rifles. Atmospherics needs to produce and refine the plasma for each rifle. Cargo needs to make sure there's enough stock for each rifle to be produced, then engineering can begin assembling the rifles. After they're assembled, cargo needs to make sure they're properly accounted for and shipped out to where they need to go. + +Basically, each job should be rethought to show what job the station and crew are actually doing. There should be more interactions between each department that show what the station is actually doing. + +### Science + +The tech tree should be completely ripped out (which, it needs it anyways) and rethemed to be focused on Arsenal. The research objectives that are specifically to help the crew (or for fun) should all be optional sidegrades. + +Lathes should be nearly entirely gutted. They can be used for basic parts or refining items (for example, making cables or tools), but making actual *things* should be a more involved process. It can still be some sort of machine (though hopefully more specialized versions rather than just a proto or auto lathe), but there should still be some sort of extra step in between "putting materials in the machine" and "the thing being done." One of the ways we can do this is forcing people to do QA work: making sure the battery holds a charge or the gun actually fires. This is kind of just spitballing, and it really needs its own doc or something. The goal is to make it feel like people are doing an actual job rather than just upgrading their skill tree or whatever. + +### Engineering + +Engineering should be the one manufacturing shit. Fuck lathes fuck science. Make engineering sit in front of a conveyer belt and assemble guns or something. I don't know. They can still repair the station, but that should be delegated to "emergencies only." Or just like. Anything. Engineering barely does anything as it is, please god just give them something to do. + +### Atmospherics + +Plasma can stay as the main reason why NT is doing all of this. Let atmos be the supplier of plasma and the one who refines it down into something usable, whether that be through their already existing fun gasses or by refining it into something physical for science. I don't know they can keep playing toys. + +### Security + +I really want security to be rethemed into some minor division of NanoTrasen's own militia. If NT is out in the middle of nowhere making their own nukes, then yeah, they need their own army to make sure those stay safe. Maybe some shit like they get an exemption from any anti-military laws because it's in the name of self defense? I don't know. Also, they should only get lasers. And laser guns should be reflavored into whatever weaponry NT is producing, maybe laser... plasma.... guns. + +### Cargo + +I think there should be a greater emphasis on where the bounties are coming from. I also really don't like that it's implied that cargo is just an on-the-side type of thing for other stations that might be in the area. Exports of whatever the station is doing should mean something more. Maybe retool the ATS into something of a pick up station for NanoTrasen's own logistics team? Whatever I don't know + +### Antagonists + +fuuuuuuuck. i think most of them can work as-is but they probably need to be rethought. ill come back to this swearsies + +## Game Design Rationale + +FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! + +## Technical Considerations + +FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! + +i wannawrite more but im getting rambly. ill come back to this later and rethink my thoughts