Vending machines for more than snacks

[CosmicKobal]

We already have irl, vending machines for movies, food, drink, snacks, and in some countries(japan for example), stuff as off the wall as porn and clothes.

 I'm thinking that in the nebulous future that Cata takes place in, it wouldn't be out of place to see vending machines all over the place for things like OTC meds outside pharmacies( maybe you need cold meds at 3 AM), ammo vendors outside gun stores, Office towers and various other buildings like fire stations or public works could have machines that sell sandwiches and TV dinners instead of just junkfood(for those with the intolerance trait)

The logic behind adding more vending machines is partly to offer more access to needed supplies( say you have a need for Thorazine), and partly to reflect the corporate need for higher profits.

The vending machines would of course be alarmed and police bots/eyebots WOULD still respond to them.

the vending machines inventory could even be restocked every 7 days automatically(explained in game as being refilled via automated drones). I don’t know about other people, but I’ve never EVER used a cash card in game to buy something from a vending machine, I just take a pipe to it and TAKE what I need. The incentive to not simply smash apart vending machines that get restocked is that you lose access to that resource. The restocking feature might be something to wait on until distribution centers of some sort are added.

this last bit isn’t quite a vending machine, But I feel like the machine at the front of grocery stores that lets you swap empty 5gallon jugs of water for full ones should be included as a source of fresh water(until the jugs are all gone of course), and a source of containers.

[Xfin]

Wasn’t there a vending machine for ammo in one of the rarer gunshop

[Iosyn]

Ah, Panty vendors. Surely, the crowning achievement of mankind.

Seriously though, you’ve made some nice suggestions here-- the idea of the govcorps putting those expensive GPs out of work and letting the lower and middle-classes self-medicate from a vending machine is so, so very Dystopian–
I’d love to see more vending machines in the game too, but restocking them is very unlikely. I can see you’re talking about more longer-term stuff, but–

National power grid failure. An automated warehouse likely wouldn’t be capable of servicing an entire fleet of drones on internal power for more than a few days at best. Add in that they’d probably be using out of date equipment-- come on, how many service sector industries do you know that use brand new equipment-- an automated warehouse would probably end up running out of maintenance parts pretty quick-- that’s if the drones themselves aren’t damaged by the new aggressive fauna or shot up by the military bots trying to enforce martial law.

Hm. A warehouse/ drone hanger might be a fun addition.

Never seen one of the 5 gal water dispensers before, but it’s interesting. Just switch it to 1 Gallon and it would probably be pretty simple to implement although it might make survival a little too easy in the early game. Think I did some work on a water dispenser in the boxing gym but I can’t remember if it works properly or not, I’ll have to check later when I’m not exhausted-- although that’s the kind of water cooler you see in Gyms and offices-- probably have to create a new type to dispense gal jugs.

[CosmicKobal]

[quote=“Iosyn, post:3, topic:10625”]Ah, Panty vendors. Surely, the crowning achievement of mankind.

National power grid failure. An automated warehouse likely wouldn’t be capable of servicing an entire fleet of drones on internal power for more than a few days at best. Add in that they’d probably be using out of date equipment-- come on, how many service sector industries do you know that use brand new equipment-- an automated warehouse would probably end up running out of maintenance parts pretty quick-- that’s if the drones themselves aren’t damaged by the new aggressive fauna or shot up by the military bots trying to enforce martial law.

Aight, what about using miniture portal tech to restock then? solves the problem of drones being shot down. you could maybe salvage plutonium cells from vending machines 0.o

[saltmummy626]

Wasn’t there a vending machine for ammo in one of the rarer gunshop

Yes. I’m not certain, but I think they were removed.

[Random_dragon]

Seems to be removed, yeah. I’m assuming it was due to this being seen as too absurd even by the in-game lore’s standards. Either that, or there was a specific mapgen that used it and was removed/altered for whatever reason.

[Xfin]

explains why i haven’t seen it in like forever… was like a gunshop with 4 reinforced vending machines containing ammo, overall evil really, more ‘use’ for cash cards would be good however…

[Random_dragon]

Ah, I see. That explains it.

Maybe we should add another take on the gun store or gun range that uses them? However, I have an idea.

Best place to put them would be in the range itself. The assumption is that they’ve likely already checked your ID before buying some range time, so the dystopian implications of vending-machine-ammo would be sidestepped neatly.

That reminds me, we still need an “airlock” system for the gun range entry. Even if it’s just a flavor detail, since soundproofing isn’t yet an in-game thing.

[Xfin]

Adding earplugs/ear defenders to the gunranges would also be logically (possible tweek it so the ammo ain’t all on the same shelf…)

[Random_dragon]

Oh right. Damn, that isn’t in the store already?

Adding a few behind the counter, plus ballistic glasses, would be smart. The gun ranges I’ve been to always had ear and eye protection for those that didn’t bring their own. <.<

[Arek_PL]

[quote=“CosmicKobal, post:4, topic:10625”][quote=“Iosyn, post:3, topic:10625”]Ah, Panty vendors. Surely, the crowning achievement of mankind.

National power grid failure. An automated warehouse likely wouldn’t be capable of servicing an entire fleet of drones on internal power for more than a few days at best. Add in that they’d probably be using out of date equipment-- come on, how many service sector industries do you know that use brand new equipment-- an automated warehouse would probably end up running out of maintenance parts pretty quick-- that’s if the drones themselves aren’t damaged by the new aggressive fauna or shot up by the military bots trying to enforce martial law.

Aight, what about using miniture portal tech to restock then? solves the problem of drones being shot down. you could maybe salvage plutonium cells from vending machines 0.o[/quote]

portal tech was reserached just before cataclysm happened (and portals are why this happened anyway…)

[Random_dragon]

Basically…yeah. Portals could see useful applications if there are any assumed groups to survive the initial clusterfuck, but likely not for commercial purposes.

As it stands, the pinnacle of post-Cataclysm portal tech is basically ye olde roguelike standard, the random teleport effect. In bionic form and…actually, the teleporter item might be alien tech, either as-is or repurposed, based on the description and it not being reloadable or craftable.

[Arek_PL]

portal technology in human hands is just on drawing board and everything what you find in labs and banks is just prototypes what are proof of concept to show how much progress they made to get more funds for research

[Random_dragon]

Basically, yeah. There are likely other methods of automated supply, but the question is if that capacity would be intact for any length of time, despite the grid being out, towers being out, etc.

Then again, the bending machines themselves are still functional, implying backup power on-site at least.

[CosmicKobal]

on the topic of simply needing more ways to ‘use’ cash cards, what about being able to ‘buy’ access to buildings that might otherwise set off an alarm? like using a console outside museums to purchase tours. once you buy it, it opens the museum door without setting an alarm for example

[Random_dragon]

Though if the museum is closed…which is the whole point of why you’re breaking in and setting off the alarm. >.>

[John_Candlebury]

Seems to be removed, yeah. I’m assuming it was due to this being seen as too absurd even by the in-game lore’s standards. Either that, or there was a specific mapgen that used it and was removed/altered for whatever reason.

It actually looks like someone accidentally overwrote it while adding an electronics store and nobody noticed. If that was the case it should be back soonish

[vache]

Most things that would use cash cards would also use power so that kind of renders it a moot point, but a few other uses might be access to parking garages, an autodoc where you pay for the equivalent of having the blood analysis cbm run or a blood filter or other CBMs, an auto surgeon where you pay an exorbitant amount to have a cbm installed, a wide variety of money-for-morale type schemes, like arcades or drug dens, and a car rental place.

[Random_dragon]

Making the arcade DO stuff would be beautiful.

[Grandpuh_Ty]

Just a thought a thought but, what are peoples opinions on barred/grated vending machines? I seen a picture somewhere of a machine that had been secured like that(Can’t find it now) and it was spurred to mind when I saw the topic. It kind of makes cash cards “useful” in a way if you couldn’t just smash your way into one, though I guess you could still cut it open with a torch if you needed, and it doesn’t make every vending machine a loot pinata fiesta.