[Suggestion] High Tech

[praguepride]

Right now it seems like we are saddled with technology from the 60's in terms of controlling our prison. It'd be nice as a DLC (or possibly even a mod?) to add some high tech options to bring Prison Architecting into the modern age:

Some miscellaneous ideas I had:

[b]RFID Tags & Sensors:[/b] (Research/Equipment) RFIDs to tag your prisoners would allow you to ALWAYS see their position if they're within range of a sensor. The sensors would be installed in the ceilings like lights and would have a range of [TBD] that would not be blocked by walls (or maybe they do? /shrug). Whenever a prisoner is in range, you can see them which would provide a leg up on things like Riots where you lose visibility ordinarily but with RFIDs, as long as the sensors are in place (and the inmates don't strip down) they can be tracked by you and by security.

In addition as an upgrade to this, you can RFID tag your workers as well and upgrade doors to auto-open for authorized users. This would be an option by door as an alternative to servos. The upside is you don't need a monitor but the downside is that the sensors are "blind" so if a guard's tag is stolen all the doors open to him.

This might also eventually unlock the ability to decide what to equip your guards with: keycards or key chains. A high end system might use both where the front gate area is all lock & key while the cell blocks use RFIDs so even if a guard is disabled, that only gets the prisoners access to the cell block and not the entire prison due to different systems.

[b]Video Conferencing[/b] (Room): As a high-tech alternative to visitors, you can have small 2x1 desk & chair combos to allow video chatting for your prisoners. The upside to this is that it eliminates contraband smuggling from the outside and allows prisoners more reliable access to their family, however it is more expensive, requires electricity and doesn't satisfy quite as well as visitations.

[b]Computer Education[/b] (Program): As an educational plan you can set up a computer lab to help teach your inmates IT skills. I'm thinking this would require the advanced education requirement so this would be a very end-game kind of system, as well as expensive to set up and maintain and would be the hardest class but the reward is that it would be a huge boost against their relapse chance due to the job skills it unlocks.

[b]Computer Workshop[/b] (Room): Those inmates that pass can be put to work doing freelance web and graphic design. Would have to pass the computer course and take up the computer lab but would provide "instant" profits without worrying about imports/exports.

[b]Hacker [/b] (Trait): Along with this high tech equipment comes high tech criminals. The hacker trait can allow a prisoner who is allowed access to a computer (via computer lab or video chatting) to subvert your automated security. As part of an escape attempt they can slowly gain access to doors and cameras so if they're part of a riot or dedicated escape attempt suddenly doors start to "misfire" and open up. They are also more likely to build wireless trap (see below).

[b]Wireless Trap[/b] (Contraband): I'm sure there is a better name for this but it's an improvised device that can spoof wireless signals. These are like homemade keys that will open RFID or remote access doors like a hacked together garage opener. This would be possible contraband coming out of the workshop. If possible it would be built from a cell phone.

[b]Automatic Doors[/b] (Research): High-tech doors can be set up to follow a regime like your prisoners. So when it's "yard time" the doors part of this system would open to allow pathing from point A to B. The ultimate goal would be for a low-security system to be mostly guardless as the doors just automatically adjust to allow inmates to shuffle around where they need to go. Obviously this is a very end-game solution requiring expensive research options and introduces security risks from hackers and inmates going out of bounds but would be a powerful system to free up guards on the end game from high traffic areas of just constantly opening/closing doors.

This would be similar to the user pausing and 'locking open' doors along a given path for each regime. I'm thinking this would be a new tab that would open up an interface allowing you to tie "routes" to time periods (i.e. 8am-9am: Open these 3 doors. 9am-10am: close those doors, open these doors).

The interface could be as simple as: Click the time slot, mark the doors to open or close as just a binary toggle on each door (or even trinary as you could go: normal, open, always closed).


[b]Virus Stick[/b] (Contraband): A tool smuggled in from the outside, a virus stick would allow the user to corrupt electronic systems like doors and cameras. It would basically just be a USB custom created on the outside to break prison security. It could just be directed at a single thing or could be viewed as like the ultimate DOOOOOOM contraband in that suddenly all your doors start opening and closing and you, the user, are locked out of the controls for electronic items to really spice things up for end game stuff. It shouldn't be an instant lose device but should most likely be accompanied by a riot and a tense situation to regain control of your system after a period of time.

[b]Digital Records[/b] (Research): A simple upgrade to new prisoner intel, would give you a slightly better chance of detecting hidden traits and make security assignments more in line with reality. Not perfect, just a bit better.

[b]IT Guy[/b] (Staff): To go along with the new research, the IT guy would teach the computer course and do the high-tech research, as well as being the guy to fight hackers and virii that are in the computer system.

[james122004]

i like the idea of this, and wouldn't even mind if it came out as an DLC, where its a SUPER SUPER max prison, where guards aren't actually incontact with prisoners, and everything is controlled