Contraband
All the manner of especially illegal and/or restricted things--how to detect them!
Contraband Levels
The following is a mostly-comprehensive list of things the security scanners, SecHUDs, forensic scanners, the Guardbuddies, and Beepsky and his securitron brothers all consider illegal. By no means should you use contraband rating as the sole factor in deciding what confiscate to/who to arrest. Contraband is strictly a legal term; all contraband is dangerous, but not everything that's dangerous is contraband. Use your common sense! Sure, a man carrying a butcher's knife isn't technically carrying contraband, but that doesn't mean he hasn't done anything illegal.
Contraband levels generally do not change, but there is a Illegal Trinkets random event that gives trinkets/heirlooms with certain names a contraband rating.
Another good thing to note: scanning something with a forensic scanner will give you an item's contraband rating/level. By no means will it help you find contraband, but it will let you know if something is considered contraband in the first place.
The Security Scanners
Space TSA! Stationary machines found at the entrances into Medbay, the Bridge, and Security, and sometimes a few other weird places depending on the map. They scan anyone walking through them (people in Vehicles, lockers, crates, and the like are not scanned at all) for contraband and compiles a threat level for them based on simple algorithm:
- Scan the contents of the person's hands, pockets, belt, (exo)suit and back slots.
- For each contraband item detected, add that item's contraband rating to a total threat level, going from 1 to 10.
- If the item was in a pocket, backpack, or belt item, add only 1/2 of its actual contraband rating.
- If the item was in a box in said backpack or belt item, its rating is not added and is essentially undetected. Same deal with items implanted into their chest.
- Consider multiple instances of the same contraband item; two stun batons have a higher threat level than just one.
- Check the person's ID card. Perhaps they have permits.
- If their ID card shows that they have a Firearms Carry Permit, it ignores contraband rating of any guns (and only guns).
- If their ID has a Handling of Contraband Permit, it ignores ratings for the contraband items that aren't guns (and remember, per above point, guns are covered by a different permit).
- If they are wearing an agent card, decrease their total threat level by 2.
- Factor in dangerous mutants or non-human monsters.
- If they're a transformed Werewolf, a vampire's thrall, or Hunter, increase it by 4.
- For Zombies, add 6.
- If it's a Shambling Abomination, add 8. (Harsh!)
- If that person's threat level is over 4, activate an alarm and send everyone in Security a PDA message with the name of the person who failed the scanner, their threat level, and the location of the scanner that sent the message.
- This specifically uses visible name, so if for example someone is wearing another person's ID but isn't wearing something that conceals their face, they show up in the alert as "PersonName (as OtherName)", just as they would in-person. If they are hiding their face though, the name shows up as "OtherName", again similar to what you'd see if you saw them in-person.
Items thrown or pulled through the scanner are scanned as well, though pulled items might not be scanned if the person pulling them goes through the scanner quickly enough. Their algorithm is essentially the same, but the one difference is that the PDA alerts will have an item name rather than a person's name.
This scanner is also precise enough to detect changeling limb critters. All set off the scanner, since they're all threat level 6.
It also looks into the person's Security Record and checks if they are set to Arrest. If so, they fail the scanner and their threat level is reported as 4, though it is possible for it to be higher if that person is carrying higher level contraband.
SecHUDs
Super-slick special sunglasses that, among many other things, can detect if someone in your sight is carrying contraband. If they're carrying an item with a contraband rating of one or above in their belt slot or in their hands, and they don't have either a Firearms Carry Permit for the gun(s) or Handling of Contraband Permit for the non-gun contraband (if either are applicable), they'll a little C over their character sprite. Simple as that.
Beepsky and The Securitrons
Tiny lil' Security Officers that roam about the station looking for those set to arrest and those carrying contraband. They use a much similar contraband search algorithm to the scanners:
- Scan someone within their sight (i.e. seven tiles) and look into the person's hands, belt, and (exo)suit slots.
- As you could probably tell, the pockets or backpack slots are left unscanned, unlike the scanners.
- Compile a threat level based on what contraband they see, adding each item's contraband rating to a total threat level.
- If the contraband item in the belt slot/item, only 1/2 of its actual contraband rating is added to the total.
- If the securitron is emagged, everyone's threat level is 10.
- Check their ID. Maybe the person has a permit and is actually supposed to be carrying that!
- For guns specifically, it checks for a Firearms Carry Permit. If they have that permit, it will not count the contraband ratings for any guns. However, they might still pursue them for other contraband. That's where...
- For other contraband (think a stun baton, wizard robes, emags, etc.), it looks for a Handling of Contraband Permit. If so, it'll let that contraband slide, even if it's something crazy dangerous like a cyalume saber. These bots are by the book!
- Wearing an agent card will also reduce the overall threat level by two.
- Attempt to arrest and pursue anyone whose threat level is 4 or above, communicating that arrest by pointing their weapon at them and shouting "Level [threat level] infraction alert!"
As previously mentioned, the Securitrons will chase after those set to arrest in the Security Records. They rely on facial recognition, so a perp cannot elude detection just by putting away their ID. However, if they put on some sort of mask or helmet that conceals their face or identity and puts away their ID or wears someone else's, then they can evade the secbots. That's because if the bot can't use facial recognition because the perp's face is obscured, it falls back on name on ID, and if that name isn't someone on the arrest list, then this must not be the criminal scum it's looking for.
Interestingly, despite their reputation as ruthless and rather foul-mouthed enforcers, they are perhaps the most lenient when it comes to handling blatant non-humans. Being a Hunter, a playable Zombie, a thrall of a vampire, a transformed Werewolf, a Shambling Abomination, or a Monkey increases threat level by 2, so it's not illegal in of itself, but it is an aggravating factor.
The GuardBuddies
Adorable little companions under the control of the Research Director and Head of Security. They use the exact same algorithm the Securitrons use to assess for perps; they scan belt, suit, and hand slots, they compile an additive threat level based on what they find, they check for firearm and contraband permits, rely on facial recognition and name on ID to identify suspects, and arrest a perp if their threat level is 4 or above. They even announce their arrests attempt in nearly the exact same way.
The main difference between them and the Securitrons is their policy towards the more monstrous non-humans. GuardBuddies can detect if the thing they're looking at is blatantly not a human; however, they will only arrest those that are especially ugly and/or dangerous to the Scientists and other humans. This includes Hunters, transformed Werewolves, Zombies, Shambling Abominations, and vampire thralls, which are all considered threat level 5.
Also, because these GuardBuddies do not connect with them (since they're considered property of Research, not Security), they do not pursue people who are set to Arrest in the Security Records.
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