Novo Lobster

[CawsForConcern]

Short description

A remake of Lobster from the ground up.

Requires:

• (Novo Lobster) More station beacons #5282
• (Novo Lobster) Weather markers #5283
• (Novo Lobster) Adds warm light tubes #5284
• (Novo Lobster) Adds two new signs #5285
• Increases AI core linking range for AI Upload #5286
• (Novo Lobster) Enables weather on snowed plating #5287
• (Novo Lobster) Advanced APC #5345

Map is intentionally not added to the map pool with this PR - it will be in the future, but I'd like to run a few admin-supervised play tests of the map to make sure the heating system isn't a complete disaster.

Features

It's now very cold outside (-65C), so you better bundle up with your winter clothing.
There's roundstart weather now! A perpetual snowstorm batters the new Lobster station at all hours of the night.

• A new parallax ft. sprite art by @wayiscool (see Media!)
• Departments are actually warmed by heaters! Heating rooms are marked by brand new signs (ft. sprites by @SevenShadesofStarlight ) and are dual-access, letting both Engineering and the relevant department adjust their thermostats.
• New signs for Robotics Surgery by @Conflee!

Why we need to add this

I could write a lot about why Lobster is a problem.

I'll keep it short:

1. Lobster has no atmospheric challenges. "Space" is too safe, which makes this one of the most played maps on both Alpha and Beta.

2. Players generally don't like how the floor of the station looks (too chaotic, too noisy). This is the only station where I've seen people group up to replace the entire floor of the station because they just don't like it that much.

3. Atmospherics and Engineering get bored on this map. There's just not much to do.

4. Lobster has some weird layout issues. The RD has to get access through Engineering to card the AI. On Novo Lobster, there's a big pathway that the RD can take to get there instead.

5. Lack of Maints. You can't access the west side of Science except by flying around the outside of the map. There's no back-door to Kitchen, Botany, or Atmospherics. There's just a bunch of places where maints should be, but aren't.

Making it dangerously cold outside is my way of making the map more interesting. It's way less deadly than space and it encourages people to interact with the winter clothing we have.

Media (Video/Screenshots)

fig. 1 - Novo Lobster.

fig. 2 - Bespoke cargo shuttle with no directional fans under the docking doors.

Checks

• I do not require assistance to complete the PR.
• Before posting/requesting review of a PR, I have verified that the changes work.
• I have added screenshots/videos of the changes, or this PR does not change in-game mechanics.
• I affirm that my changes are licensed under the MIT License and grant permission for use in this repository under its conditions.

Changelog

🆑 Caws, Conf, Way, SevenShades

• add: Novo Lobster, a full rework of Lobster Station. Better bundle up, 'cuz it's reeeal cold. Available for playtesting, but not yet in the regular map rotation.

[CawsForConcern]

@redmushie alright it's ready