Handheld GeneTek?

[JulyJade]

I’ve seen quite a few threads discussing the shortcomings of geneticist’s workflow and general gameplay loop - issues with mutantraces, monkeys, having nothing to do, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I am not well-versed in genetics by any means, but I think the addition of a mobile GeneTek device may help geneticists get out of the lab and onto their feet.
With the use of loads of research points, credits spent in the Gene Booth, or some other arbitrary price tag, the GeneTek console could spit out a nifty little handheld device with all the same functions - scanning crew members and accomplishing all the things the regular GeneTek does. This would hopefully spice up geneticist gameplay by allowing them to wander around the station and go to crew members who want wacky mutations - instead of waiting for crew members to come to them.

[Kotlol]

There is a MOBILE GENETEK device.
You have to get it from the debris field.
It's a rare item. Sure you still have to teleport it around with a remote, but you can work remotely with it.

It's similiar to the Necro module for cloners.
If you want to have it... go get it in space or have someone else fetch it.

[Cal]

geneticists used to have this, it was removed because they'd move from genetics into a corner of the station and continue to just do genes

[Glamurio]

I'm against this because right now geneticists are really boring to play and are in need of more things to do or reworking their gameplay cycle. A handheld device just lets them do the same stuff, but somewhere else, while it's an improvement of being cooped up, it also makes it harder to actually find geneticists when you need them.

[Kotlol]

I'm against this because right now geneticists are really boring to play and are in need of more things to do or reworking their gameplay cycle. A handheld device just lets them do the same stuff, but somewhere else, while it's an improvement of being cooped up, it also makes it harder to actually find geneticists when you need them.

My problem with certain jobs is you have to "WAIT" for results, then when it ramps up later you can do alot more in shorter periods.

Botany, Ranching, Genecist suffer from this problem. 
Botanist already have a start to medigate it with chemicals and splicing seeds to make the best seed possible at the start.
Ranchers... they just gotta wait and people dislike that + RNG (Not a bad RNG, but RNG non the less) They got nothing to do in the meantime, but to grow botany as well.. wich is more waiting. (Wich is why we suggested a fishing portal from the start or a place to fish)

Genetics is REAAAAAAAAALLY slow at the start, tediously so. And you are looking for the right mutations... so it's RNG if you get what you are after.
Just like the Rancher, but UNLIKE THE RANCHER. You don't have to constantly watch your station in case it goes out of hand (chicken overpopulation)

They also have the monkey cage they barely use since they only need 1 or 2 monkeys to do their splicing and storage.... Most monkeys are just fodder to the reclaimer or other stuff. So I am giving some suggestions to spice up the gameplay and make it less waiting early on.
So I am going to compare it to mining for these suggestions. Since mining you have alot of ways of ALWAYS WORKING, but it only gets FASTER the more effective you are. There is barely any waiting in mining.

Suggestions:

Gene harvester:
A device to harvest genetic material from anyone, however this damages their genetic stability and they need mutadone to recover it.
Monkeys give 5 per harvest, Players give 15 per harvest (changelings have a qurik of giving 30 even) . Damage is around 5%-15% per harvest (random). 
It takes 4-5 seconds to do one harvest on someone. They of course cannot move during this procedure.
Genetic material will be sent immidently to the genetic storage.

Genetic Reclaimer:
Yay! Genetics gets their own reclaimer so they can get extra genetics from dead monkeys or players.
The only difference? It spits out a corpse that is like it's been drained like a changeling would kill his victims.
Now genetics and changelings have something in common!! They drain corpses.
This means we can have genetics fight over a corpse to drain it, then toss it into the cloner reclaimer. Of course drained corpses will now give less reclaim.

Sample research:
While genetics is fun and all...we still have a dead section in medical, pathology... so while not retool some of it to genetics?
NO NO NO! I don't mean return it. I mean genetics can use that lab to research "Samples" they obtain.
Not make diseases.. more like check virus's, bacteria's and parasites for additional samples.
See it like artifact research but for genetics.
They get a sample sent in, they can research it to see it's mutation effects or activate it... but if they do it wrong the "infect themselves" with a mutation they can't get rid off till the virus, parasite, bacteria has been treated.

Can they infect others? Well it depends on the settings the devs/admins will allow for this idea.
But yea.. bringing back Pathology in a different way for genetics to research mutations in virus, bacteria and parasites for genetic materials and mutations makes the most sense. But no making on Pathogens... only researching samples found with random ones like artifacts.
When they run out... they gotta find more somehow... (might have to order some via cargo)

Anyhow thats my 3 ideas to make genetics abit more engaging early on.
When they got the upgrades they need.. it goes much faster and won't rely on these tricks anymore and Sample research would probably mean that section gets expanded by including Pathology...

Are these suggestions better? If so I might make it a seperate topic.

[Glamurio]

I'm against this because right now geneticists are really boring to play and are in need of more things to do or reworking their gameplay cycle. A handheld device just lets them do the same stuff, but somewhere else, while it's an improvement of being cooped up, it also makes it harder to actually find geneticists when you need them.

My problem with certain jobs is you have to "WAIT" for results, then when it ramps up later you can do alot more in shorter periods.

Botany, Ranching, Genecist suffer from this problem. 
Botanist already have a start to medigate it with chemicals and splicing seeds to make the best seed possible at the start.
Ranchers... they just gotta wait and people dislike that + RNG (Not a bad RNG, but RNG non the less) They got nothing to do in the meantime, but to grow botany as well.. wich is more waiting. (Wich is why we suggested a fishing portal from the start or a place to fish)

Genetics is REAAAAAAAAALLY slow at the start, tediously so. And you are looking for the right mutations... so it's RNG if you get what you are after.
Just like the Rancher, but UNLIKE THE RANCHER. You don't have to constantly watch your station in case it goes out of hand (chicken overpopulation)

They also have the monkey cage they barely use since they only need 1 or 2 monkeys to do their splicing and storage.... Most monkeys are just fodder to the reclaimer or other stuff. So I am giving some suggestions to spice up the gameplay and make it less waiting early on.
So I am going to compare it to mining for these suggestions. Since mining you have alot of ways of ALWAYS WORKING, but it only gets FASTER the more effective you are. There is barely any waiting in mining.

Suggestions:

Gene harvester:
A device to harvest genetic material from anyone, however this damages their genetic stability and they need mutadone to recover it.
Monkeys give 5 per harvest, Players give 15 per harvest (changelings have a qurik of giving 30 even) . Damage is around 5%-15% per harvest (random). 
It takes 4-5 seconds to do one harvest on someone. They of course cannot move during this procedure.
Genetic material will be sent immidently to the genetic storage.

Genetic Reclaimer:
Yay! Genetics gets their own reclaimer so they can get extra genetics from dead monkeys or players.
The only difference? It spits out a corpse that is like it's been drained like a changeling would kill his victims.
Now genetics and changelings have something in common!! They drain corpses.
This means we can have genetics fight over a corpse to drain it, then toss it into the cloner reclaimer. Of course drained corpses will now give less reclaim.

Sample research:
While genetics is fun and all...we still have a dead section in medical, pathology... so while not retool some of it to genetics?
NO NO NO! I don't mean return it. I mean genetics can use that lab to research "Samples" they obtain.
Not make diseases.. more like check virus's, bacteria's and parasites for additional samples.
See it like artifact research but for genetics.
They get a sample sent in, they can research it to see it's mutation effects or activate it... but if they do it wrong the "infect themselves" with a mutation they can't get rid off till the virus, parasite, bacteria has been treated.

Can they infect others? Well it depends on the settings the devs/admins will allow for this idea.
But yea.. bringing back Pathology in a different way for genetics to research mutations in virus, bacteria and parasites for genetic materials and mutations makes the most sense. But no making on Pathogens... only researching samples found with random ones like artifacts.
When they run out... they gotta find more somehow... (might have to order some via cargo)

Anyhow thats my 3 ideas to make genetics abit more engaging early on.
When they got the upgrades they need.. it goes much faster and won't rely on these tricks anymore and Sample research would probably mean that section gets expanded by including Pathology...

Are these suggestions better? If so I might make it a seperate topic.

Hi, yes, please make a separate topic, I've some good opinions on the subject as well, particular relating to the gene harvester (not how I'd do it but I agree with the concept). I'm a big advocate that genetics can learn a thing or two from artifact research, which is a fun mechanic to try out different stuff and see what works and is a much healthier gameplay loop rather than sit and wait around.

Anyhow, I want to go into more detail but it's gonna derail this thread, please make a separate one and I'll gladly weigh in there.

[Kotlol]

It is done: https://forum.ss13.co/showthread.php?tid=19936