[Suggestion] 'How did he die/escape' snapshot

[DonRiver]

I'm kind of spamming the forum with suggestions today. I'll stop with this one, OK? I've been playing PA a lot this week and it's inspired me

Borrowing from the 'Losing Is Fun' byline of Dwarf Fortress, the biggest failures for me in PA is when a prisoner escapes or when someone dies.

This is the idea: when someone escapes or dies, the game creates an image of the prison map at the time of the event, showing the final movements of the lucky/unlucky person, and the events which led to the outcome.

For example, a prisoner digs a tunnel and escapes. There'd be a line going from the cell's toilet to the other side of the wall, then off the map edge. Not many events to show though, the prisoner simply dug a tunnel and escaped, no great mystery.

Other example: you left the doors open too long and the prisoner slips out. The line would show the last normal thing the prisoner was doing (walking from canteen to workshop to Put Metal In Saw) and then the reason why any intervening doors were open (ie door 1 is locked open by player, door 2 was opened by Guard 14 to allow Cook 5 to Store Ingredients In Freezer. Door 3 was unable to close due to debris blocking the doorway (butterfly remains). )

For murders it would show the last steps of the victim and who attacked them where.

Thinking about it it sounds really hard to make an annotated screenshot-style diagram automatically. Still it's a nice idea isn't it

[_alphaBeta_]

I like it. Right now it's kind of depressing to see that you have an escape listed, but have no idea how it happened.

[McLumberjack]

I really like it, obvious reference would be the bit in Shawshank where they discover the escape and go through the various stages. So after it happens, you can have staff investigate it and then see the stages in black and white flashback, stealing a spoon, digging this way, kicking that flimsy storage door open... etc.

End on a newspaper front page of someone holding up tiny a worn out rock hammer.

[Xoligy]

Personally dont think there is any need for a snapshot, just a list of whats happened as i said in this post: viewtopic.php?f=43&t=44474&p=542041#p542041 snap shots take up more space and im not too fussed about seeing a picture of them waving at me saying tehy escaped just want to know "how" (tunnel, gap in fence, climbed over fence etc).

[Yanmarka]

Should be added. Should be allowed to be turned off in settings.

[McLumberjack]

Perhaps a security tab like the contraband one, unlockable from the security office. It keeps records of incidents that get mapped out in the same way as contraband.

[_alphaBeta_]

Perhaps a security tab like the contraband one, unlockable from the security office. It keeps records of incidents that get mapped out in the same way as contraband.

Very nice. Plus it probably already makes use of existing game mechanics to a certain degree. Developer win.

[bamapookie]

I like the idea, but you want to be careful to avoid tipping off the player to an event in progress like a still functional tunnel.

[_alphaBeta_]

Yes, I'm thinking the incident would become available for review once it's "completed." In the case of a successful escape, it's when they're off the map. A failed attempt could become available once the prisoners are recaptured. It could work just like the contraband traces do. You don't know about the contraband until it's found.

I think this overall idea will become more important when larger prisons come online and can expand to all incidents including fights, destruction etc. Right now, I'm usually very aware of what's happening in the few cell blocks I have. Someday with 100s of prisoners, it will be necessary to evaluate what's been happening while you were busy on the other side of the map. Like the contraband traces, these would provide the means for an investigation to show trending weak spots in security.

[DonRiver]

Hmm - perhaps a new regime is needed - 'roll call' - where the guards personally check that every prisoner who's meant to be inside, is actually inside. And it's only when a prisoner fails to be found that they're recorded as 'escaped' in the UI. And only when the guards have investigated that you get the 'how did this happen' screen.

Perhaps a security tab like the contraband one, unlockable from the security office. It keeps records of incidents that get mapped out in the same way as contraband.

Exactly! I was thinking 'it should be a blue line on a dimmed map' but didn't realise I was thinking of the contraband screen... well it was late at night.

[111none]

Why not instead of a lawyer, change it to a detective with a cigar? Then he could try and determine what happened?

[M4RC]

I like the investigator-idea!

[konso]

Perhaps a security tab like the contraband one, unlockable from the security office. It keeps records of incidents that get mapped out in the same way as contraband.

This. So much win!