Lets fix pathology

[Azungar]

Pathology needs to be fixed before it gets "fixed". I once got infected through a window, in space.

There should be countermeasures for pathology that a single person can do. Active internals, especially with a gas mask, should largely prevent diseases that spread through coughing and sneezing unless there's an open wound. At current, as I've been told, a full bio suit with active internals, gasmask, gloves and all -- does pretty much jack shit at a certain point, even through glass! That's a bit ridiculous if true.

Aye, this was the case with the older version of pathology. I can confirm that this used to be the case but nowdays gasmask, gloves, biosuit and boots and you are 100 % protected against diseases, only exception being that if you get injected directly. For example coughing and sneezing is completely nullified by any "mask", even the clown wig. The window thing is still a bit funky at times, but thats how it is.

As a fellow pathologist I do agree with almost all of this (especially the addition of more/better beneficial and flavor symptoms) and also wanted to make some notes:

If you are missing one of the base symptoms (ex DDD) you have options already. The first is to buy samples for Doc who will engage in only modest extortion. The other is an abandoned patbology lab. With 7 samples on Destiny and 10 on Cog2 missing a base symptom is quite rare now.

The 'Disease Outbreak' event uses the old disease system which currently makes a pathllogist useless. Pathology curing is only useful vs another Pathologist right now or an admin created version. I posted a thread with ideas to move to the new system not long ago. I'd link but I'm currently on my phone looking for my drinking buddy.

Pathology isn't all that complex - it just has a certain amount of required tedium and focus required. It has gotten much better now that much of the notetaking is automated now.

I agree that microbodies need more to differentiate themselves from one another.

I also think that we need a better way to culture additional pathogen. Perhaps an incubator that can only grow one strain at a time so that you need to grow others the old fashioned way if you want to run more at once.

The 'infected through glass' issue has been fixed. Also an airtight suit can and will save you from infection. The trouble is that people forget that this includes gloves. Pathogens can and will infect you through exposed hands - despite the fact that spacewalking without gloves is no big deal.

May be more to come later. Drinking buddy approaches. ((I now desire a drunked guard buddy named drinking buddy....))

Edit: Also regarding the big red 'fail' thing on the right? That's the splicing predictor. As I understand it from Marq it is made such that it is connected to the 'Prediction Effectiveness' stat which is upped by running stuff through the analyzer. The more you analyse, the more accurate it gets. That said I don't really ever consult it. Instead I consult the built in - and accurate - notes.

Edit Edit: Also you can tell apart which symptoms are which almost always - even the ones with duplicate descriptions. Keep in mind not only the description for that symptom but also remember which levels have symptoms that exist but are not listed with text (things like brain damage IIRC). You should almost always be able to puzzle it out.

The thing in question here is more like.. Should we be forced to actually fly to space and spend (usually really small wage which MDs get on space samples which you have no way to analyze on the spot. Heck, you can buy 20 of those and still not get DDD. The abandoned pathology lab is awesome and as I previously stated, it will become worth actually going to if they add a pathology vendomat to it. 

Sad to hear that the breakout event is still using the old code, pretty much makes it useless for pathologists then. And I agree, pathology is really not that complex after you get into it, honestly its the exactly right amount of "hard" for it to be interesting and not too "mainstream", like genetics where someone can run in and just snatch whatever superpowers he has on himself. And as such I don't think the pathology process should be simplified, just fix the annoying "dropper" examination, remove duplicate symptoms completely and make sure the pathology lab always starts off with all tier one symptoms and I should be pretty satisfied for the time being. When and if a coder has more time, they should definetely add more symptoms as the list is quite lacking, especially on the beneficial part.

And yes, thats exactly what I am talking about the "Prediction Effectivenes" is usually lying to me and that would certainly explain it. Its not really helpful if you have to FIRST splice it and then it actually is able to tell you if it will fail or not. Yes, I don't trust it either. 

Let's stop poking around the ice and I'll just reveal a couple symptoms for example. The fire based one which raises your bodyheat is a tier 1 symptom. The next one which gives EXACTLY the same message is a tier 3 one, except that it randomly sets you on fire. And the final one which yet again gives the same symptom message, is  tier 5 and can firegib you outright. Yes, you are able to see which is which if you have only a couple symptons in your pathogen, but if you have spliced three of them in a row, you'll have to fumble around it. I would much rather just have the pathogen machine tell me what it does, or heck give those pathogens a slightly different examination text from each other. The fact that you "properly" test them out by dropping salisylic acid into the petri dish and then looking into microscope. (Which FYI, does not work. Only if you are trying to figure out what "cures" the said pathogen.

And finally, yes. Curing is quite bad. I mean if you are a smart virologist, you just remove the modules from the synth-o-matic and the crew is completely screwed. Not too many know that you can order replacement parts from QM. The thing is that when you get infected, you are on a timer. You'll probably end up getting gibbed faster then you are able to synthesize a proper cure and even then, you will only save a handful of lives at best. I really wish there was a proper way to make ton of cures without the need to go into space and buy that module.

EDIT: Also apparently the starting pathogen samples cant have higher then tier 3 at round start in them. Or atleast thats what I got from a sample of 100 vials which I bought.