Make only empowered smes blocks arcfiend powers

[Angel]

Currently, you can get stabilized or even reinforced smes, and it will heavily counter an arcfiend, making you resistant or even immune to some of it's abilities. I am aware the gene was made rarer exactly because of this interaction, but I still believe it's silly that a gene can just hardcounter an antagonist this easily, with reinforced not even being able to be countered with mutadone.
By making it so only empowered smes can make you immune to arcfiends, it forces you to chose to sacrifice some stability to be able to get such immunity, and also makes it always able to be countered by mutadone, which makes it more fair as it's strange that a gene can so easily disable most of an antagonist abilities.

[Snowy :D]

Agree, its an uncommon interaction but no gene should have the ability to invalidate an antagonist’s entire move set.

[RSOD]

if removing non-empowered's effectiveness is off the table i want it to just be a temporary resistance - after a few strikes you lose your SMES gene, reinforced or not
but yes, i think empowering it should be neccessary at the very least to be on par against an arcfiend

[GARGATHUGANOKSREVENG]

Agree, its an uncommon interaction but no gene should have the ability to invalidate an antagonist’s entire move set.

to be fair it's easy enough to just take someone down with a toolbox. should they really have to rely on the crutch of their own abilities when regularly killing is that easy?

[Asterion0]

Agree, its an uncommon interaction but no gene should have the ability to invalidate an antagonist’s entire move set.

to be fair it's easy enough to just take someone down with a toolbox. should they really have to rely on the crutch of their own abilities when regularly killing is that easy?

Relying on the 'crutch' of your abilities is the main point of nonhuman antags in the same way traitors, nukies, and spiefs have to rely on the 'crutch' of their exclusive items. It would be equally as silly if there was a super rare QM req called 'C-saber armor' that was normal armor and completely prevented all C-saber damage!
Especially if you consider that distributing stabilized SMES human is VERY easy as geneticist, and at least some crew are going to grab it, even if it's not a lot. And as you've said, that one staffie is now on equal grounds with the Arcfiend, with the backfup of both security and a medbay not hostile to them to fallback to (which the Arcfiend especially is unlikely to have, as their 'optimal' gameplan is punching Genetics APC, and hacking medbay's vendors for mutadone)

[glowbold]

I dislike flat blanket immunities in general. What if the SMES gene "shorted out" after you would have otherwise been shocked, and then recharges for a short period of time. It'd still be good to get in general and against arcfiends, but it won't brick-wall them the same way it does now.

[Emimiyu]

Been said on discord. SMES feels like if you can copy chaplain training to everyone in regards to arcfiend. It should be at least empowered rather than 100% nulifying arc powers on regular smes. Regular smes should decrease the damage just not 100%

[GARGATHUGANOKSREVENG]

It would be equally as silly if there was a super rare QM req called 'C-saber armor' that was normal armor and completely prevented all C-saber damage!

well, now they HAVE to add the 0.01% chance for c-saber armor to appear as a req reward

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What if the SMES gene "shorted out" after you would have otherwise been shocked, and then recharges for a short period of time

Regular smes should decrease the damage just not 100%

I like these suggestions better than flat-out nerfing SMES human against arcfiends though

[Taylorstar]

If standard SMES gave you the defibrilated status after taking a large enough shock (not like a small jolt from a machine or door) I think that would be a good tie in and would allow medical staff to potentially defibrillate SMES users with enough spam.

[Asterion0]

A 'shorted out' status effect would be cool, and having the main appeal of empowered SMES human being that you can't get shorted would be nice. Also maybe apply it to Arcfiend's inherent SMES human gene just so you don't have them suddenly vulnerable to other Arcfiends after a single hit (Although I think it's already empowered maybe?).
Also kinda gives a buff to the baton special if it counts as enough of a shock to temporarily short out the gene