Cardboard Box Solid 5: The Phantom Poll

Incoming · Post by **Incoming** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 3:20 am #121720

So there's been a pretty funny string of pull requests on balancing, defending, and removing the cardboard box item (here is the latest pull if you want to see where we're at).

We have reached the point in this boxing match where I'm curious how people think this should work (if they even are aware if it works to begin with). Please let me know how you feel about it if you are as passionate about the state of boxes on box as some of our coders are.

Remember that the only way this happens is if someone other than the person in the box is the one to open it, so it doesn't just happen every time someone opens a box.

onleavedontatme · Mon Sep 28, 2015 4:25 am

Please keep the ! as is. The alert springing up over the captain and sec officer as a nuke op burst from the box was a priceless.

Steelpoint · Post by **Steelpoint** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:15 am #121730

Its amusing but ultimately its just a gimmick, one that will be forgotten and left unused.

Gun Hog · Post by **Gun Hog** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:22 am #121732

I love this feature. All I suggest is that you change the sound to something not so happy sounding (chime).

Not-Dorsidarf · Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:54 am

Steelpoint wrote:Its amusing but ultimately its just a gimmick, one that will be forgotten and left unused.

That's not a reason to remove it.
Do you know how many things in this game are forgotten and left unused?

Steelpoint · Post by **Steelpoint** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:16 am #121752

Point to where I said we should remove it, else don't make assumptions of my intent.

I simply stated the most likely outcome of this box feature.

Again, amusing but unlikely to hold any weight after a few weeks.

Incomptinence · Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:21 am

I think simple mobs ignore the box.

Tornadium · Post by **Tornadium** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:29 am #121755

These are fucking amazing.

Best addition in years.

Saegrimr · Post by **Saegrimr** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:59 am #121758

Five minutes seems like a long time to wait in between triggers, and this is the current setting?

I thought people were complaining because it was like a 10 second cooldown or something.

Mon Sep 28, 2015 12:42 pm

Threads dedicated to cardboard boxes: 1

Post by **Cobby** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 1:58 pm #121780

Make the obvious Reference more obvious.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 2:58 pm #121785

Next big game that comes out, we add another useless meme&reference.

Space Station 13 no longer, this is TF2 in space.

If we're gonna do this shit, at least try to keep it in the theme.

onleavedontatme · Mon Sep 28, 2015 4:37 pm

Scott wrote:Next big game that comes out, we add another useless meme&reference.

Space Station 13 no longer, this is TF2 in space.

If we're gonna do this shit, at least try to keep it in the theme.

Yeah SS13 used to be so original. Like our xenomorphs, our AI with asimovs laws and a system shock sprite, our lightsabers, the fish from dwarf fortress that swim around in space for no reason, the wizard turning into the hulk by shouting BRUCE BANNER, changelings, etc.

And that's only big established ancient shit, not all the small references we have (lamarr, silly item descriptions) or used to have (detective spawning with candycorn, engineer borg).

onleavedontatme · Mon Sep 28, 2015 4:55 pm

And if SS13 ever had a consistent theme/feel, it was long ago buried under the ridiculous array of costumes and character creation options. You have lizards running around in dumb hats and dresses, that kinda dress up is more TF2 than anything else.

Also we replaced the retrofuture stuff with generic tacticool.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:38 pm #121828

Kor wrote:
Scott wrote:Next big game that comes out, we add another useless meme&reference.

Space Station 13 no longer, this is TF2 in space.

If we're gonna do this shit, at least try to keep it in the theme.
Yeah SS13 used to be so original. Like our xenomorphs, our AI with asimovs laws and a system shock sprite, our lightsabers, the fish from dwarf fortress that swim around in space for no reason, the wizard turning into the hulk by shouting BRUCE BANNER, changelings, etc.

And that's only big established ancient shit, not all the small references we have (lamarr, silly item descriptions) or used to have (detective spawning with candycorn, engineer borg).

Yeah, sorry, you're right. The Metal Gear Solid box and outfit will fit right in.

Steelpoint · Post by **Steelpoint** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:42 pm #121830

To be fair Kor most of what you reference come from other science-fiction media.

A card board box from MGS stands out because its not from a sci-fi media.

Lumbermancer · Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:53 pm

I clicked on "remove boxes altogether".

Put one as an unique hidden spawn if you really must.

onleavedontatme · Mon Sep 28, 2015 7:35 pm

Steelpoint wrote: because its not from a sci-fi media.

The title of the series literally refers to a giant bipedal mech.

Not to mention it features nanomachines, cyborgs, clones, AIs, robots, etc.

Shit is nearly 30 years old as well, it's not some random flavour of the month.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:51 pm #121859

Except it is flavor of the month due to MGSV being released recently.

Incomptinence · Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:55 pm

Emphasis on the word exactly yeah there is a recent release but the reference is much older than that.

callanrockslol · Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:19 pm

Steelpoint wrote:To be fair Kor most of what you reference come from other science-fiction media.

A card board box from MGS stands out because its not from a sci-fi media.

> Metal Gear isn't sci-fi

Chemistry needs a way to make wolbachia.

male to female etc

Steelpoint · Post by **Steelpoint** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:20 pm #122824

I should elaborate.

It is Sci-Fi but its not in the far future. Your still on Earth in familiar locations using (mostly) real world firearms.

callanrockslol · Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:30 pm

How is any of that a reason to not put in a reference to it. Especially when the reference is none of those things.

Remie Richards · Sat Oct 03, 2015 4:29 pm

MGS has Mecha, AI, Augments all things that occur in SS13, it's fine to draw links+references between the two.

Grazyn · Post by **Grazyn** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 10:39 pm #122913

To be fair the box gimmick may have been added thanks to MGS5 but it's still a staple videogame reference. Even someone who has never played MGS knows about the box/alert chime thing, it's on par with Mario's fist and Gordon Freeman's crowbar. It's not an obscure, vidya-of-the-week reference ready to be forgotten in the near future, like the red phone from Portal for example, or the Adam Jensen memorabilia the HoS used to have.

Not-Dorsidarf · Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:37 am

Kor wrote:
Also we replaced the retrofuture stuff with generic tacticool.

This is literally the reason I don't like steelpoint anymore.

Post by **Jacquerel** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 12:48 pm #123302

it's news to me that Dwarf Fortress is an acceptable reference by virtue of being set in the far future

Ezel · Post by **Ezel** » Fri Oct 09, 2015 8:22 am #124600

Funny parts are
Borgs cant exit the cardboxes
Handcuffed poeple cant exit the cardboxes
Cardboxes go under plastic flaps

I feel a cardbox brig upcoming

Steelpoint · Post by **Steelpoint** » Fri Oct 09, 2015 9:03 am #124602

Not-Dorsidarf wrote:
Kor wrote:
Also we replaced the retrofuture stuff with generic tacticool.
This is literally the reason I don't like steelpoint anymore.

Last time I checked the most I was responsible for aesthetic changes was the security armour (which was returned to a more sensible non-fishbowl design) and a gun sprite.

Every other change, such as Lizards and Lizard customisation as well as those player clothing and person customisation were the work of other people.

Your essentially saying "Steelpoint added a non-retro looking sprite, well he just utterly ruined the entire game's aesthetic" without pausing to see the dozens of other people who make far more sweeping changes.

Post by **Jacquerel** » Fri Oct 09, 2015 10:17 am #124610

Aliens that just look like people wearing latex masks are totally retrofuture though, why did you bring that up

Takeguru · Post by **Takeguru** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:35 pm #130664

Cardboard boxes no longer fit through plastic flaps

This also wasn't changelogged.

Poor fucking show.

iamgoofball · Post by **iamgoofball** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:15 pm #130679

Takeguru wrote:Cardboard boxes no longer fit through plastic flaps

This also wasn't changelogged.

Poor fucking show.

bugfixes don't need changelog entries

Incoming · Post by **Incoming** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:59 pm #130689

I'd love to have kept it but some of the maps are pretty reliant on the fact that there's not a simple way past the flaps.

You can still defeat flaps in a box if you get someone to push it in though.

Wyzack · Post by **Wyzack** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 4:01 pm #130690

Why are plastic flaps these impassable barriers anyway? Is it just tg tradition or something?

Incoming · Post by **Incoming** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 4:04 pm #130693

Yes, it's a terrible terrible tradition that exists only to fix a really silly problem in that MULEs needed a secure way to enter a department without leaving a door wide open for people to walk in.

DemonFiren · Post by **DemonFiren** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 4:34 pm #130697

All this shit about cardboard boxes, really?

Wyzack · Post by **Wyzack** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 5:30 pm #130711

This is nothing compared to #occupydirtstreet

John_Oxford · Post by **John_Oxford** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 2:06 am #130784

Incoming wrote:Yes, it's a terrible terrible tradition that exists only to fix a really silly problem in that MULEs needed a secure way to enter a department without leaving a door wide open for people to walk in.

Hardly anyone uses MULEs for anything than "muh nostalgia" or "muh memes" or "muh murder erry1".

Perhaps making it where there are alarms on the glass that surrounds the plastic flaps, if you break the glass, the alarm goes off [if you deconstruct it, it won't, however]

100 dollars someone says "LOL NO UR IDEA R STOOPID MULES R BEST MOD OF TRANSPURTATIUNS FUR CURGO, FOOK IOFF"

Wyzack · Post by **Wyzack** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 2:07 am #130785

Mules suck except for drivebys or for starting a taxi service

callanrockslol · Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:34 am

FREE RIDES

Davidchan · Post by **Davidchan** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:10 pm #130833

Back to topic of threat, I feel that once a minute would be fine, or once every 30 ish seconds or so. I do like the box, and flap crawling is just hilarous and clever, since most flaps have windoors opposite of them anyways its probably not the stealthiest way inside of an area and certainly won't be the queitiest if you have to smash a glass door. Probably a better escape plans.

Mules don't get used that often because of how unsecure they are, I've gotten chewed out for using MULEs to send virology crates (which should not be considered 'standard' policy to order, its a back up if you fuck up) where people remove the crate enroute and hide it. Mules could probably use an update and repass, I generally never use them since they are so gimmicky and lack a useful function unless someone really fucked with disposals.

As for the argument that these meme/gimmick is too new... seriously? It's funny, people enjoy it and the box itself goes back to MGS1, it might have even been on the NES games, I never played through those. It's used more extenstively in MGSV, true, but damn near every MGS had a box to my knowledge except for IV.

What do you think the rules should be for the cardboard box easter egg