NT radio channel now uses a telecoms server

[CawsForConcern]

Short description

This PR does two things:

• This PR adds a telecoms server for NanoTrasen comms and removes the 'long range' property from NT comms.
• This PR adds telecom server icons for Law and for NT comms. Law was missing a telecom server icon so it'd just look like the generic icon.

Implementation Note:

• Temporarily, TelecomServerFilledCommand has been given a EncryptionKeyNanoTrasen
• This key will be removed from TelecomServerFilledCommand once TelecomServerFilledNanoTrasen has been mapped to all maps.
• This just helps smooth over integration of this PR. I'll have a mapping chore up for mappers to add this server to Telecoms.

Why we need to add this

Part of a popular suggestion: https://discord.com/channels/1272545509562777621/1528415689856122890

In short:

• longRange: true should be reserved for antagonist or admeme comms.
• Having a comms channel that cannot be sabotaged / doesn't react to comms-jamming events like comms blackouts doesn't adhere to the simulation of similar kinds of comms.

Media (Video/Screenshots)

fig. 1 - Icons for telecom servers. The Law telecoms didn't have an icon previously, so I added one. I know that Law was resprited to be brown on signs, but the channel is still pink so I made the icon here pink.

telecoms.test.mp4

fig. 2 - Video demo to show that NT comms works off local telecom servers works.

fig. 3 - Sprite for the Law comms key, which was using the 'NT' key sprite previously.

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

• add: NT telecoms servers. Temporarily, the NT radio key will be present in the Command telecoms server until all stations are equipped with NT telecom servers.
• remove: The NT radio channel is no longer "long range" and now requires a telecoms server like most radio channels.

[coderabbitai]

No actionable comments were generated in the recent review. 🎉

ℹ️ Recent review info

⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: Repository UI (base), Organization UI (inherited)

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

Run ID: f9a219b4-63ef-4d4a-96cd-3cb5b88faf50

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between b80d2b5 and 0154ec7.

📒 Files selected for processing (1)

• Resources/Textures/_Starlight/Objects/Devices/encryption_keys.rsi/meta.json

🚧 Files skipped from review as they are similar to previous changes (1)

• Resources/Textures/_Starlight/Objects/Devices/encryption_keys.rsi/meta.json

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📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

Adds law and NanoTrasen encryption-key tags, telecom server sprite and shader variants, NanoTrasen-filled server prototypes, related asset metadata, and a NanoTrasen radio-channel configuration adjustment.

Changes

Telecom encryption variants

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Encryption key contracts and assets Resources/Prototypes/_Starlight/tags.yml, Resources/Prototypes/_Starlight/Entities/Objects/Devices/encryption_keys.yml, Resources/Textures/_Starlight/Objects/Devices/encryption_keys.rsi/meta.json	Adds encryption-key tags, assigns them to law and NanoTrasen keys, updates law key sprite states, and revises encryption-key asset metadata.
Telecom server variants Resources/Textures/Structures/Machines/telecomms.rsi/meta.json, Resources/Prototypes/Entities/Structures/Machines/telecomms.yml, Resources/Prototypes/_Starlight/Entities/Structures/Machines/telecomms.yml	Adds law and NanoTrasen sprite states, item mappings, powered shader visibility, and NanoTrasen key-filled telecom server definitions.

Radio channel configuration

Layer / File(s)	Summary
NanoTrasen radio channel setting Resources/Prototypes/_Starlight/radio_channels.yml	Removes the explicit longRange: true setting from the NanoTrasen channel.

Estimated code review effort: 3 (Moderate) | ~20 minutes

Sequence Diagram(s)

sequenceDiagram
  participant EncryptionKey
  participant ItemMapper
  participant TelecomServer
  participant GenericVisualizer
  EncryptionKey->>ItemMapper: Provides EncryptionLaw or EncryptionNanoTrasen tag
  ItemMapper->>TelecomServer: Selects matching sprite variant
  TelecomServer->>GenericVisualizer: Applies powered or unpowered shader state

Loading

Possibly related PRs

• ss14Starlight/space-station-14#4519: Also updates NanoTrasen encryption-key entity usage and container filling.

Suggested labels: T: Rework

Suggested reviewers: rinary1

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 8

✅ Passed checks (8 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Title check	✅ Passed	The title correctly highlights the new NT telecoms server and radio channel change, which are the main changes in the PR.
Description check	✅ Passed	The description matches the changeset: it covers the NT telecoms server, long-range removal, icons, and the temporary command-server key fill.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
No Magic Numbers	✅ Passed	PASS: The commit only changes a texture meta.json; no system code was touched, so the no-magic-numbers check is not applicable.
No Hardcoded Ecs Parameters	✅ Passed	PASS — Nice data-driven wiring: the new telecom variants, tags, and longRange live in prototypes/components, and the systems consume them generically with no new hardcoded variant logic.
Avoid Service Locator	✅ Passed	Content-only YAML/texture changes; no new C# code or IoCManager.Resolve/Log service-locator usage was introduced in the touched files.

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[CawsForConcern]

copyright's fixed, not sure if it was seen

[github-actions]

This pull request has conflicts, please resolve those before we can evaluate the pull request.

[CawsForConcern]

@Rinary1 could I get some details on why this is DONOTMERGE?

[Rinary1]

@Rinary1 could I get some details on why this is DONOTMERGE?

It's get DONOTMERGE tag because I launched discussion about this in maintainers chat.

We have come to the conclusion that NT should not be provided with a server at the station; instead, everyone at the station who uses the NT radio should use a new channel, like 'internal NT channel', which means that, unlike the internal channel, the standard channel will not require a server or electricity.

[CawsForConcern]

@Rinary1 could I get some details on why this is DONOTMERGE?

It's get DONOTMERGE tag because I launched discussion about this in maintainers chat.

We have come to the conclusion that NT should not be provided with a server at the station; instead, everyone at the station who uses the NT radio should use a new channel, like 'internal NT channel', which means that, unlike the internal channel, the standard channel will not require a server or electricity.

What's the mechanism for NT comms being sabotagable? Players overwhelmingly want to see the comms changed: https://discord.com/channels/1272545509562777621/1528415689856122890

[Rinary1]

What's the mechanism for NT comms being sabotagable? Players overwhelmingly want to see the comms changed

wdym?

[Conflee]

What's the mechanism for NT comms being sabotagable? Players overwhelmingly want to see the comms changed

wdym?

Suggestion thread. 50 in favor of making NT comms have a server, 15 against.

[Rinary1]

What's the mechanism for NT comms being sabotagable? Players overwhelmingly want to see the comms changed

wdym?

Suggestion thread. 50 in favor of making NT comms have a server, 15 against.

re-read my message, the idea in adding comms server but only for "internal" NT comms, not for general(which is used by ERT, NTNC and another groups)

[Conflee]

Suggestion thread. 50 in favor of making NT comms have a server, 15 against.

re-read my message, the idea in adding comms server but only for "internal" NT comms, not for general(which is used by ERT, NTNC and another groups)

Basically this PR but then also add a global channel for the event NT factions then, thats fair. Wording was a little confusing before.

Maybe just leaving the current NT comms as NT, giving them a server, limiting range. And then the global NT comms can be NTNC since the only NT factions are all navy.

[CawsForConcern]

What's the mechanism for NT comms being sabotagable? Players overwhelmingly want to see the comms changed

wdym?

Part of the suggestion thread was addressing that certain station roles, like the NTR, BSO, IAA, Magistrate, etc. get access to the NT Radio channel.

• This radio channel can't be disrupted by GameRules like the ion storm / solar flare
• The comms key is unremovable from their headsets,
• The radio channel functions without electricity or a telecoms server. This kind of "no server needed, not sabotageable" is generally reserved for antagonist radio channels like Syndicate, Soviet, or antagonist Hiveminds like Changeling (or admin channels like CentComm)

If station roles like NTR / BSO / IAA / Magistrate / etc are going to retain use of an NT radio channel, the feedback from that linked suggestion channel is that:

1. it should be able to be disabled (e.g. by destroying / disabling / cutting power to telecoms)
2. it should be affected by GameRules like solar flares, ion storms
3. the comms key should be able to be stolen

When you say an 'internal' NT comms channel, do you mean that this new 'internal NT channel' will only be used for ERT / NTNC / etc. and will be removed from station-side NT roles like NTR / BSO / etc?

[Rinary1]

What's the mechanism for NT comms being sabotagable? Players overwhelmingly want to see the comms changed

wdym?

Part of the suggestion thread was addressing that certain station roles, like the NTR, BSO, IAA, Magistrate, etc. get access to the NT Radio channel.

* This radio channel can't be disrupted by GameRules like the ion storm / solar flare

* The comms key is unremovable from their headsets,

* The radio channel functions without electricity or a telecoms server. This kind of "no server needed, not sabotageable" is generally reserved for antagonist radio channels like Syndicate, Soviet, or antagonist Hiveminds like Changeling (or admin channels like CentComm)

If station roles like NTR / BSO / IAA / Magistrate / etc are going to retain use of an NT radio channel, the feedback from that linked suggestion channel is that:

1. it should be able to be disabled (e.g. by destroying / disabling / cutting power to telecoms)

2. it should be affected by GameRules like solar flares, ion storms

3. the comms key should be able to be stolen

When you say an 'internal' NT comms channel, do you mean that this new 'internal NT channel' will only be used for ERT / NTNC / etc. and will be removed from station-side NT roles like NTR / BSO / etc?

I mean, there's 2 comms:

1 it's global NT comms channel which will be used by NTNC/ERT
2 it's internal NT comms channel which will be used by Station jobs

so, just like Conflee explained:

Maybe just leaving the current NT comms as NT, giving them a server, limiting range. And then the global NT comms can be NTNC since the only NT factions are all navy.

[Rinary1]

closed as stale