Goonhub
10-09-2014, 01:46 AM
I would love to see some new mutation although you run the risk of obscuring the ones that are already there. An experienced geneticist can tell most beneficial mutations from the non-beneficial ones without having them researched, more mutations could mean that it's even harder to get some beneficial mutations to the crew early on. Although as long as they follow the same patterns I guess it would be just more cases where you can't tell what you'll give them only that it's good.
Anways, In my opinion new mutations should not repeat what others already do for you or what can be achieved easily through other means. Also, I don't think mutations should have limited durations, make them either active instant abilities or permanent. Finally not everything should be positive, there need to be plenty of neutral and negative mutations.
Sadly most of the proposed already fail my first criteria:
Nitro/Boost - rocket boots/meth
electric touch - stun gloves
lizard - I think this was a mutation once?
mind bolt - laser eyes
charge - again rocket boots
pain - ok this one is kind of new but if it's still just another way of knockdown/stunning it's kinda lame. I could see something that gives the target scary messages, maybe some minor damage, and only has a certain chance of knockdown.
Forcefield - this one might be good even if it's just copying the wizard spell. However since it has a duration it's also kind of iffy.
Micro - Should be a permanent mutation but that's basically what the monkey mutation does. You basically trade the problem of not being able to speak with being able to be squished. There is also dwarfism which has no benefits or drawbacks, just the sprite change.
Giant - Again, should be permanent, but it might be neat to have an opposite to dwarfism. I don't think there is a way to stop a person from being a 1 tile entity though I have no idea. Anyways, if it stops people from even getting out of genetics, who would want that?
Fire Manipulation - Incendiary Mitochondria/laser eyes
The ones by NatsumeHack seem fine although not sure how extra-long arm an be done. I'm guessing it would be one arm scaled up instead of the entire sprite if that is possible.
These are just my opinions on mutations and how they work/should work. Please don't take it too hard that I shoot down most of your ideas. But here's some ideas of my own for you to destroy
:
Tongue whip - Your tongue extends like a whip (looking like the one from biodome). Not sure how it would be controlled, I'm guessing similar to TK but only if your hand is empty and with limited range. Does very minor brute damage, food items hit this way are eaten immediately. Maybe other items smack into your face? It could also pull you in if you hit certain things? smack you into walls?
Rainbow eyes/skin - similar to rainbow hair, your eyes/skin start to change colors randomly. Have all three to make everyone who looks at you nauseous.
Oxygen-retaining lungs - You either just take longer to loose your breath in oxygenless rooms/space or if it's possible you kind of have an internal oxygen tank similar to the emergency oxygen tank that refills automatically when it's not needed.
Toxin resistance - less damage from all sorts of poisons although other effects should still apply (shaking, knockout, etc.)
Thick skin (Brute resistance) - basically just round out the resistances.
Ethereal sense - you can see ghosts
Radio-sensitive organ - you can hear radio messages without a headset. Not sure if you should be able to speak that way? Also which frequencies would you hear? If you would her all of them at once that could be fun, maybe with a limited range?
Radio-emitting organ - This would be the way to speak, it could also allow you to send wifi signals like pda messages. Basically this would work similar to telepathy but instead of a target you set the frequency on which you send the message. Someone experienced enough could use it like a remote signaling device or send stuff to mechanics components.
Mucus-glands - you leave a trail of mucus behind. This could come in two variants, slippery and sticky. Slippery means you leave behind a trail of wet/lubed spaces that people will slip on. Sticky would work like magnetic boots for you and maybe slow people running over it?
Glitter farts - like poison farts but you fart clouds of glitter
Vulnerabilities - the opposite mutations to the Resistances. If you want to be mean, give them the same sprite effect as the positive ones.
Chem Dependence - You body can't function without a certain chemical in it, similar to a bad addiction. Negative/positive effects of having that chem in your body should still apply. I'm not sure what chems would be good for this, any sort of drug would mean you are basically doubly addicted. Stuff you get from food might be good, healing chems could work. Fliptonium would be fun but how would you get it reliably? Black Powder Dependence, oh dear god!
Chem Allergies - The same thing in reverse, you react badly to certain chems. This with common healing chems and you would be basically murdered by well-meaning passerbys.
Radio jammer - you block all radio communication in an area around you similar to the traitor device. Great if you're a traitor but annoying otherwise. A monkey with this mutation could be the poor man's signal jammer. Usefulness depends on how obvious the sprite effect is.
Anways, In my opinion new mutations should not repeat what others already do for you or what can be achieved easily through other means. Also, I don't think mutations should have limited durations, make them either active instant abilities or permanent. Finally not everything should be positive, there need to be plenty of neutral and negative mutations.
Sadly most of the proposed already fail my first criteria:
Nitro/Boost - rocket boots/meth
electric touch - stun gloves
lizard - I think this was a mutation once?
mind bolt - laser eyes
charge - again rocket boots
pain - ok this one is kind of new but if it's still just another way of knockdown/stunning it's kinda lame. I could see something that gives the target scary messages, maybe some minor damage, and only has a certain chance of knockdown.
Forcefield - this one might be good even if it's just copying the wizard spell. However since it has a duration it's also kind of iffy.
Micro - Should be a permanent mutation but that's basically what the monkey mutation does. You basically trade the problem of not being able to speak with being able to be squished. There is also dwarfism which has no benefits or drawbacks, just the sprite change.
Giant - Again, should be permanent, but it might be neat to have an opposite to dwarfism. I don't think there is a way to stop a person from being a 1 tile entity though I have no idea. Anyways, if it stops people from even getting out of genetics, who would want that?
Fire Manipulation - Incendiary Mitochondria/laser eyes
The ones by NatsumeHack seem fine although not sure how extra-long arm an be done. I'm guessing it would be one arm scaled up instead of the entire sprite if that is possible.
These are just my opinions on mutations and how they work/should work. Please don't take it too hard that I shoot down most of your ideas. But here's some ideas of my own for you to destroy
:Tongue whip - Your tongue extends like a whip (looking like the one from biodome). Not sure how it would be controlled, I'm guessing similar to TK but only if your hand is empty and with limited range. Does very minor brute damage, food items hit this way are eaten immediately. Maybe other items smack into your face? It could also pull you in if you hit certain things? smack you into walls?
Rainbow eyes/skin - similar to rainbow hair, your eyes/skin start to change colors randomly. Have all three to make everyone who looks at you nauseous.
Oxygen-retaining lungs - You either just take longer to loose your breath in oxygenless rooms/space or if it's possible you kind of have an internal oxygen tank similar to the emergency oxygen tank that refills automatically when it's not needed.
Toxin resistance - less damage from all sorts of poisons although other effects should still apply (shaking, knockout, etc.)
Thick skin (Brute resistance) - basically just round out the resistances.
Ethereal sense - you can see ghosts
Radio-sensitive organ - you can hear radio messages without a headset. Not sure if you should be able to speak that way? Also which frequencies would you hear? If you would her all of them at once that could be fun, maybe with a limited range?
Radio-emitting organ - This would be the way to speak, it could also allow you to send wifi signals like pda messages. Basically this would work similar to telepathy but instead of a target you set the frequency on which you send the message. Someone experienced enough could use it like a remote signaling device or send stuff to mechanics components.
Mucus-glands - you leave a trail of mucus behind. This could come in two variants, slippery and sticky. Slippery means you leave behind a trail of wet/lubed spaces that people will slip on. Sticky would work like magnetic boots for you and maybe slow people running over it?
Glitter farts - like poison farts but you fart clouds of glitter
Vulnerabilities - the opposite mutations to the Resistances. If you want to be mean, give them the same sprite effect as the positive ones.
Chem Dependence - You body can't function without a certain chemical in it, similar to a bad addiction. Negative/positive effects of having that chem in your body should still apply. I'm not sure what chems would be good for this, any sort of drug would mean you are basically doubly addicted. Stuff you get from food might be good, healing chems could work. Fliptonium would be fun but how would you get it reliably? Black Powder Dependence, oh dear god!
Chem Allergies - The same thing in reverse, you react badly to certain chems. This with common healing chems and you would be basically murdered by well-meaning passerbys.
Radio jammer - you block all radio communication in an area around you similar to the traitor device. Great if you're a traitor but annoying otherwise. A monkey with this mutation could be the poor man's signal jammer. Usefulness depends on how obvious the sprite effect is.