Dwarf and Aquatic Genetics included as Traits for Character Creation

[Obengrad]

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The actual gene mutation for squidpeople is half of the recipe for anaerobic metabolism, which completely nullifies the need to breath air.

Making anaerobic twice as easy to obtain isn't a good idea; it'd remove half the danger from space, and the majority of danger from depressurised environments, toxic gases, smoke, and heart failures. This removes depth in gameplay created by these multiple dangers, and also limits the options of antagonists.

I don't think there's a need for dwarf to be its own mutantrace, it could surely work as a background trait or something, but a seperate race as you suggest would stop all the other mutantraces from becoming dwarves.

I could see squids getting their own trait, but there would have to be work put around reconfiguring how anaerobic is made. Then because anaerobic's recipe would change, whatever component gene takes the place of aquatic genetics would also have to have its stuff changed to be less common. Then possibly others. It is a big tunnel of changes, all for squids.

Maybe I am on a slippery slope here, and these changes would only be beneficial, but the potential for issues seems like something that hasn't been fully considered.

I think it's doable, but right now there isn't much need to do it, and changing it would cause problems.

I didn't actually think about Aquatic being half of Respiration there, that's a good catch. Putting drawbacks aside and whatnot that's probably the hugest glaring problem with the idea as a whole. Maybe make natural squidpeople an offshoot mutation? Probably more of a bandaid rather than something that actually works. If anybody's got more ideas on a less invasive way to get around this issue, who knows. Once again I'm reiterating that the upsides are basically just for in-universe sense, even if it's a blank species with just a sprite, I'd still go for it.

PLEASE just let geneticists have things to do and work towards that aren't Hardcore Powergaming

If two cosmetic mutations are all the "fun not tryhard" things that geneticists can do, which they're most definitely not, then that's an issue with the role and how Genetics works, not with the traits. Just saying.

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Most geneticists are playing the RNG slot machine anyway everytime they have to work.
1 time you get the best mutations from the start.
Another time you are taking 20+ mins before even the 1st good one appears.

But... I do agree Aquatic should not be sub-race or only allow breathing in water.

Dwarfism should just be a trait you can have and not a race.

I think I did say that the "Dwarf Trait" would be "uncategorized", I figured saying "basically add dwarf as-is to the traits" implied this. I wouldn't be gunning for it as hard if it was only available to non-mutants.

P.S: Wow multi-quoting is such a janky thing to do on here.