Atmospheric Technician: Difference between revisions

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The enormous city-state of pipes, it is used as a jet pack recharge station for Syndicate Agents, a hideout for [[Wizard|Wizards]], a breeding ground of [[Xenos]], and has a general alert computer that will tell if any place is messed up.
The enormous city-state of pipes, it is used as a jet pack recharge station for Syndicate Agents, a hideout for [[Wizard|Wizards]], a breeding ground of [[Xenos]], and has a general alert computer that will tell if any place is messed up.


People rarely come here, but it is possible to do a lot of harm to the station if you know-how.
People rarely come here, but it is possible to do a lot of harm to the station if you know how.


==What you Can do to Pass the Time==
==What you Can do to Pass the Time==
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Each vent has a pressure check value on it, and is by default set to pressure check '''externally''' - this means that the vent attempts to bring the tile it's on to the listed pressure.
Each vent has a pressure check value on it, and is by default set to pressure check '''externally''' - this means that the vent attempts to bring the tile it's on to the listed pressure.
A rapid manner of refilling an area is to remove the external pressure check, switch it over to the internal check - this attempts to regulate the pressure in the pipes of and running to the vent below, which is directly fed by the distribution loop pump in the north end of Atmosia.  
A rapid manner of refilling an area is to remove the external pressure check, switch it over to the internal check - this attempts to regulate the pressure in the pipes of and running to the vent below, which is directly fed by the distribution loop pump in the north end of Atmosia.  
Setting the "pressure bound" variable to zero with internal pressure checks attempts to void all air in the pipes, effectively reducing their pressure to zero and, in the process, flooding air at an alarming rate into the area. Given the impractically slow pace at which the air alarms usually fill the area, this can be a very expeditious way to work. The pressure is dangerous, so don't simply leave the vent alone for extended periods of time, as you can, eventually, turn smaller areas into death-traps if there is enough pressure in the distribution loop.
Setting the "pressure bound" variable to zero with internal pressure checks attempts to void all air in the pipes, effectively reducing their pressure to zero and, in the process, flooding air at an alarming rate into the area. Given the impractically slow pace at which the air alarms usually fill the area, this can be a very expeditious way to work. Pressure is dangerous, so don't simply leave the vent alone for extended periods of time, as you can, eventually, turn smaller areas into death-traps if there is enough pressure in the distribution loop.


The alarms can be set to a number of modes:
The alarms can be set to a number of modes:
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* '''Filtering''' - The default setting. Note that most scrubbers won't filter out plasma or other gases unless you set them to, so do that!
* '''Filtering''' - The default setting. Note that most scrubbers won't filter out plasma or other gases unless you set them to, so do that!
* '''Draught''' - This filters out air slowly, creating a draught. Useful if you need to drain a small amount of air due to overpressurization.
* '''Draught''' - This filters out air slowly, creating a draught. Useful if you need to drain a small amount of air due to overpressurization.
* '''Panic''' - This drains all the air quickly. Most of the time used to remove all plasma very promptly, or by a malfunctioning AI.
* '''Panic''' - This drains all the air quickly. Most of the time used to remove all plasma very quickly, or by a malfunctioning AI.
* '''Replace Air''' - Drains all the air, then replaces it. Try not to use it if there's nothing toxic in the air.
* '''Replace Air''' - Drains all the air, then replaces it. Try not to use it if there's nothing toxic in the air.


Usually the vents will fill the room slowly by default, though using some filled Portable Air Pumps or Air Canisters, you can refill the area much more quickly.
Normally the vents will fill the room slowly by default, though using some filled Portable Air Pumps or Air Canisters, you can refill the area much more quickly.


==='''BE THE FIRE FIGHTER THE STATION DESERVES'''===
==='''BE THE FIRE FIGHTER THE STATION DESERVES'''===
A fire is easily the most fun thing that can happen in a round (for you anyway); successful firefighting requires a real understanding of the atmospheric system. At all times, wear necessary tools in a toolbelt and carry your firefighting gear in your backpack. When the call goes out, don your fire suit and gas mask, get yourself running on internals, put your oxygen tank ''on your back'', and carry your fire first aid kit, extinguisher and reinforced glass in your backpack (taken in a hand slot).  
A fire is easily the most fun thing that can happen in a round (for you anyway); successful firefighting requires a real understanding of the atmospheric system. At all times, wear necessary tools in a toolbelt and carry your firefighting gear in your backpack. When the call goes out, don your fire suit and gas mask, get yourself running on internals, put your oxygen tank ''on your back'', and carry your fire first aid kit, extinguisher and reinforced glass in your backpack (carried in a hand slot).  


Drag a water tank behind you and get to the fire. With AI cooperation, have the burning area bolted or welded off, save one access point the AI can monitor. This keeps the fire from spreading and [[Station Engineer|chucklefucks]] from wandering into a fiery doom. Once inside, you must quickly determine the sort of fire you are dealing with. Pressure tanks of plasma can release massive amounts of fuel (or even burst!) and must be shut off or isolated immediately, while the best way to isolate broken pipes is to box them in with reinforced glass until a proper repair can be done. With fuel shutoff, find the atmospheric alarm and set it to Panic Syphon.  
Drag a water tank behind you and get to the fire. With AI cooperation, have the burning area bolted or welded off, save one access point the AI can monitor. This keeps the fire from spreading and [[Station Engineer|chucklefucks]] from wandering into a fiery doom. Once inside, you must quickly determine the sort of fire you are dealing with. Pressure tanks of plasma can release massive amounts of fuel (or even burst!) and must be shut off or isolated immediately, while the best way to isolate broken pipes is to box them in with reinforced glass until a proper repair can be done. With fuel shut off, find the atmospheric alarm and set it to Panic Syphon.  


This drains air out of the room completely. With this process started, check for survivors or bodies and either apply burn patches and epinephrine or simply remove them from the compartment via your access point. Next, seek out any ignition sources such as lit Zippo lighters and disable them, reporting them to Security for their forensic investigation. Then proceed with extinguishing any remaining pockets of flame. Once the fire is out, focus on clearing any remaining plasma from the atmosphere by dragging in a scrubber.  
This drains air out of the room completely. With this process started, check for survivors or bodies and either apply burn patches and epinephrine or simply remove them from the compartment via your access point. Next, seek out any ignition sources such as lit Zippo lighters and disable them, reporting them to Security for their forensic investigation. Then proceed with extinguishing any remaining pockets of flame. Once the fire is out, focus on clearing any remaining plasma from the atmosphere by dragging in a scrubber.  


Finally, set the atmosphere alarm to pump in the fresh air. It may take several cycles of filling and draining the room to clear all plasma and make larger areas inhabitable again, but once you are done, head to the bar and score some babes while Engineers clean up the mess.
Finally, set the atmosphere alarm to pump in fresh air. It may take several cycles of filling and draining the room to clear all plasma and make larger areas inhabitable again, but once you are done, head to the bar and score some babes while Engineers clean up the mess.


(Note this lengthy guide is only handy for those significant "Research done herped-a-derp" fires that engulf Med/Sci or are caused by very skillful arsonists. Smaller fires, such as the sort chemists who just learned the napalm recipe cause, really only require some fire-extinguisher blasts and setting up a room's scrubber to remove plasma and CO2. Never presume, however, that you won't need your full toolkit. This author spent well-nigh an hour in the fiery bowels of med-sci on one occasion, but not only did I never have to leave after I stepped in and sealed it off, but I had the situation so well under control that after five minutes healthy shipboard life resumed and admins eventually had to spawn facehuggers to return a sense of danger to the crew.)
(Note this lengthy guide is only handy for those significant "Research done herped-a-derp" fires that engulf Med/Sci or are caused by very skillful arsonists. Smaller fires, such as the sort chemists who just learned the napalm recipe cause, really only require some fire-extinguisher blasts and setting up a room's scrubber to remove plasma and CO2. Never presume, however, that you won't need your full toolkit. This author spent well-nigh an hour in the fiery bowels of med-sci on one occasion, but not only did I never have to leave after I stepped in and sealed it off, but I had the situation so well under control that after five minutes healthy shipboard life resumed and admins eventually had to spawn facehuggers to return a sense of danger to the crew.)


===Total Emergency: The Fire Axe and you===
===Total Emergency: The Fire Axe and you===
The Fire Axe is your tool during emergencies (because you can use it as a crowbar to open the door when the power is off) and your weapon (traitors, revolutionaries, and cultists usually try to steal the axe because you can kill a person in seconds). The fire axe is protected with a Fire Axe Cabinet. To open it, just take a welding tool, turn it on and hit the fire axe cabinet a lot of times, and take the axe. You can also use a multitool to hack it open, but who does that?
The Fire Axe is your tool during emergencies (because you can use it like a crowbar to open the door when the power is off) and your weapon (traitors, revolutionaries, and cultists usually try to steal the axe because you can kill a person in seconds). The fire axe is protected with a Fire Axe Cabinet. To open it, just take a welding tool, turn it on and hit the fire axe cabinet a lot of times, and take the axe. You can also use a multitool to hack it open, but who does that?


===Window Repair===
===Window Repair===
An excellent way to be proactive within your job is fixing the broken windows that occur every round. Gird your loins with a toolbelt if you can, grab some metal and glass, and patrol the outer passageways. Almost always, the task requires a low-pressure or no-pressure exposure to the great beyond. By creatively rotating and moving surviving windows, you can lock in your precious atmosphere, then replace the broken glass and grill. The genuinely hardcore technicians do minor spacewalks with only the flame of their welding torch for heat, sipping sweet oxygen through their breath masks behind a welding helmet. Are you hardcore? No, you're not. Go back to being a hard suited engineer who can't find a hull breach without a pair of mesons and never bothers to fix them anyway.
An excellent way to be proactive within your job is fixing the broken windows that occur every round. Gird your loins with a toolbelt if you can, grab some metal and glass, and patrol the outer passageways. Almost always, the task requires a low-pressure or no-pressure exposure to the great beyond. By creatively rotating and moving surviving windows, you can lock in your precious atmosphere, then replace the broken glass and grill. The genuinely hardcore technicians do minor spacewalks with only the flame of their welding torch for heat, sipping sweet oxygen through their breath masks behind a welding helmet. Are you hardcore? No, you're not. Go back to being a hardsuited engineer who can't find a hull breach without a pair of mesons and never bothers to fix them anyway.


===Life Sucks and Blows===
===Life Sucks and Blows===
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==Tips==
==Tips==
* Firesuits protect between 60 to 30,000 kelvin.
* Firesuits protect between 60 to 30,000 kelvin.
* Setting air vents to 0 kPa internal check (or just turning off the check) will make them pump out air like crazy, which makes it excellent to restore air to an area quickly. But be careful with the pressure on the vent tile itself; if the pressure in the outgoing distro loop is very high, it might be dangerous. ADDED: Don't max the vents. Set the vents to internal and desired pressure 0 instead. Maxed vents at 5000 KPA in a 100 KPA room will output 2450 KPA in the first tick, then 1225 KPA, 612.5 KPA, 306.25 KPA, 153.125 KPA,  etc. (assuming vents are always provided with max air). Zero'd will output 5000 KPA, then 5000 KPA, then 5000 KPA, etc.
* Setting air vents to 0 kPa internal check (or just turning off the check) will make them pump out air like crazy, which makes it excellent to restore air to an area quickly. But be careful with the pressure on the vent tile itself; if the pressure in the outgoing distro loop is very high, it might be dangerous. ADDED: Don't max the vents. Set the vents to internal and desired pressure 0 instead. Maxed vents at 5000 KPA in a 100 KPA room will output 2450 KPA in the first tick, then 1225 KPA, 612.5 KPA, 306.25 KPA, 153.125 KPA,  etc. (assuming vents are always provided with max air). Zero'd vents will output 5000 KPA, then 5000 KPA, then 5000 KPA, etc.
* N2O knocks out in low amounts, suffocates in high amounts.
* N2O knocks out in low amounts, suffocates in high amounts.
* If you're an atmos tech trying to repair a hull breach without a fire/space suit: Turn off the vents. No more air will be vented into the room, which means there won't be any space wind to fight against if you accidentally fall out the window.
* If you're an atmos tech trying to repair a hull breach without a fire/space suit: Turn off the vents. No more air will be vented into the room, which means there won't be any space wind to fight against if you accidentally fall out the window.
* Atmos tech is actually an interesting job; disposal tubes give such wonderful opportunities for killing people, however it takes shitton of time to build everything you need.
* Atmos tech is actually an interesting job; disposal tubes give such wonderful opportunities for killing people, however it takes shitton of time to build everything you need.
* Any sort of air mix is survivable as long as it has at least 16 kPa of oxygen on the output. This means you can efficiently compute the release pressure you'd need for a given air mix by dividing 16 by the percentage of oxygen in the mix, i.e., for 20/80 O2/N2 air mix you'd need a release pressure of 16/0.2 = 80 to be okay.
* Any sort of air mix is survivable as long as it has at least 16 kPa of oxygen on the output. This means you can efficiently compute the release pressure you'd need for a given air mix by dividing 16 by the percentage of oxygen in the mix, i.e., for 20/80 O2/N2 air mix you'd need a release pressure of 16/0.2 = 80 to be okay.
* '''Steps To Set Up Atmospherics So You Never Need To Worry And It Fucking Helps You Out. '''
'''Steps to set up Atmospherics so you never need to worry and it helps you out'''
# Turn off and unwrench Air to Distro and Waste In, two pumps in the northern area of Atmos where the distro loop and mixing are done and all that. They are labeled and easy to find. Keep them in place on the floor.
# Turn off and unwrench Air to Distro and Waste In, two pumps in the northern area of Atmos where the distro loop and mixing are done and all that. They are labeled and easy to find. Keep them in place on the floor.
# Go to the atmos pipe dispenser a few meters away and vend two volumetric pumps. These are like regular pumps but almost literally better in every way whatsoever. They pump faster.
# Go to the atmos pipe dispenser a few meters away and vend two volumetric pumps. These are like regular pumps but almost literally better in every way whatsoever. They pump faster.
# Fit your volumetric pumps in place of Waste In and Air to Distro, making sure the red stripe lines up with how the pumps were fitted by default, so the flow goes the right way.
# Fit your volumetric pumps in place of Waste In and Air to Distro, making sure the red stripe lines up with how the pumps were fitted by default, so the flow goes the right way.
# Volumetric pumps are automatically set to full fucking power, so just turn on both of them.
# Volumetric pumps are automatically set to full fucking power, so just turn on both of them.
# Set every scrubber in the loop around the room to 4500 kPa. This is a full blast.
# Set every scrubber in the loop around the room to 4500 kPa. This is full blast.
* You have now completely set up Atmospherics to be a beast in, like, three minutes. You can also do other stuff, like fit manual valves to the harmful gasses to hamper solo-AI floods, and replace other pumps in the bowels of Atmospherics with volume pumps, but really, that five-point checklist will do it. Ninety-plus percent of people don't know jack shit about Atmospherics, and it's so easy to set it up so that it actually does shit. It's so rare to see it happen that the CE actually sought me out for praise for doing it this way.
* You have now completely set up Atmospherics to be a beast in, like, three minutes. You can also do other stuff, like fit manual valves to the harmful gasses to hamper solo-AI floods, and replace other pumps in the bowels of Atmospherics with volume pumps, but really, that five-point checklist will do it. Ninety-plus percent of people don't know jack shit about Atmospherics, and it's so easy to set it up so that it actually does shit. It's so rare to see it happen that the CE actually sought me out for praise for doing it this way.
* For AIs, if no organics are around competent/willing to do this manually and your Engiborgs (if you have any) are busy, which is like a guarantee, you can do a simpler version of this; just turn Air to Distro and Waste In up to 4500 kPa and set each scrubber station to 4500 kPa too. It won't be as effective, but it's so much better than nothing. Cranking up the air available in the distro loop poses no threat to safety, and in fact, makes it harder to start up destructive floods since there's so much good air in the way in there. And since you're the AI, you can now use air vents (and scrubbers) as they were fucking designed to be used; to scrub, drain, and replace the air in rooms as necessary, and it fucking works. It is astonishing how little is required to turn a system so often seen as worthless into a valuable part of the station.
* For AIs, if no organics are around competent/willing to do this manually and your Engiborgs (if you have any) are busy, which is like a guarantee, you can do a simpler version of this; just turn Air to Distro and Waste In up to 4500 kPa and set each scrubber station to 4500 kPa too. It won't be as effective, but it's so much better than nothing. Cranking up the air available in the distro loop poses no threat to safety, and in fact, makes it harder to start up destructive floods since there's so much good air in the way in there. And since you're the AI, you can now use air vents (and scrubbers) as they were fucking designed to be used; to scrub, drain, and replace the air in rooms as necessary, and it fucking works. It is astonishing how little is required to turn a system so often seen as worthless into a valuable part of the station.
* Minor addendum: A maxed volume pump and a maxed regular pump at the same rate given ideal circumstances. The difference is the volume pump won't stop pumping once its output end is at 4500 kpa or more. This makes it excellent for waste in, where no matter how much gas the previous fire/atmos experiment clogged the filtering loop with, Waste In is still pumping waste out of the scrubbers pipes, and by extension, helping keep the scrubbers from getting clogged to the point of uselessness.
* Minor addendum: A maxed volume pump and a maxed regular pump at the same rate given ideal circumstances. The difference is the volume pump won't stop pumping once its output end is at 4500 kpa or more. This makes it excellent for waste in, where no matter how much gas the previous fire/atmos experiment clogged the filtering loop with, Waste In is still pumping waste out of the scrubbers pipes, and by extension, helping keep the scrubbers from getting clogged to the point of uselessness.
* For the record, the advice of adding manual valves to the plasma loop will result in you getting yelled at by an admin if there's no evidence that the AI is rogue. It's "Spacing objectives tier," and for a good reason.
* For the record, the advice of adding manual valves to the plasma loop will result in you getting yelled at by an admin if there's no evidence that the AI is rogue. It's "spacing objectives tier", and for a good reason.
* Setting up atmos doesn't really matter that much anyway as long as you give the distro loop some pressure. The entire supply and equipment are designed for a space station that's supposed to last month. There are about two instances in which a proper setup is useful: massive hull breaches which will drain a lot of air (most of which will then uselessly disappear in space anyway) and station-wide plasma fires which might fill the waste loop (in which case you're at fault as an atmos tech for not keeping an eye on the system in the first place).
* Setting up atmos doesn't really matter that much anyway as long as you give the distro loop some pressure. The entire supply and equipment are designed for a space station that's supposed to last month. There are about two instances in which a proper setup is useful: massive hull breaches which will drain a lot of air (most of which will then uselessly disappear in space anyway) and station-wide plasma fires which might fill the waste loop (in which case you're at fault as an atmos tech for not keeping an eye on the system in the first place).
* If you are an atmos tech and want to reduce significantly the possibility of harmful atmos manipulations... or if you are an AI and you spotted a guy just turning valves to release plasma to distro:
* If you are an atmos tech and want to reduce significantly the possibility of harmful atmos manipulations... or if you are an AI and you spotted a guy just turning valves to release plasma to distro:
** Open atmospherics console for specific chamber and toggle power on the output. 90% of players don't check this console. As AI, I laughed many times as sabotage was running back and forth, checking every pump 3 times, and still, no plasma appeared. In this way, you can also shut down harmful gases pumping when one is smart and changed pipes under grilles.
** Open atmospherics console for specific chamber and toggle power on the output. 90% of players don't check this console. As AI, I laughed many times as sabotage was running back and forth, checking every pump 3 times, and still, no plasma appeared. In this way, you can also shut down harmful gases pumping when one is smart and changed pipes under grilles.
** Or put manual valves in front of every harmful gas, switch out some gas pumps for volumetric pumps, and repipe the mixing pipes to disallow the mix tank to provide into the distro. (Setting up Atmos in such a way it can't be sabotaged by the AI before there's a reason to think the AI might sabotage Atmos is not the only metagaming, it is also bannable. If you see this happen, admin help it!)
** Or put manual valves in front of every harmful gas, switch out some gas pumps for volumetric pumps, and repipe the mixing pipes to disallow the mix tank to provide into the distro. (Setting up Atmos in such a way it can't be sabotaged by the AI before there's a reason to think the AI might sabotage Atmos is not only metagaming, it is also bannable. If you see this happen, adminhelp it!)
* You can rotate a pipe in your hand by click on it.
* You can rotate a pipe in your hand by click on it.
* Fire extinguishers fit in firesuit suit storage.
* Fire extinguishers fit in firesuit suit storage.
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