Synthbrain ideas

[Dhaidburt]

Right now, all of the synthetic body parts have at least one purpose: to replace what was lost. But if you do that with the brain... you get a brain-dead person. I feel like there should be a purpose to the brain beyond completing a set like the synth-pancreus. Here's some ideas:


1. Skull regrowth. Did someone lose at russian roulette? Botany can encourage the carnage by plopping a brain onto the beheaded corpse like you would a synthlimb, and over a few minutes a new skull is formed and the brain returns to its normal pink fleshy self! No need to bother medbay with a stream of corpses during the festivities. Can be removed prematurely with the harm intent targeting the head.


2. Create Synthfriend. Similar to how the SICC works, you're able to have a latejoiner or even a ghost host the brain and cause it to bloom and buzz. Then, by applying Synthflesh, you can shape a critter for them to speak through and control! (aka a green tinted critter like a bee, a roach or spider, maybe a dog). Their only objective (or law if you will) is to see their friends safe and happy. A traitor could add something during the process to make them able to fight.


3. Botanized. A botanist, after getting a synthbrain up to enough potency, is able to consume the synthbrain. After a few minutes and some text popups talking about their mind growing or sprouting leaves, the botanist is able to see all the information about a plant and its products just by examining them. (Like the pro-doc glasses upgrade but for botany) This comes at a terrible cost however: you cannot eat plant matter without taking BRAIN damage as your brain revolts against your body.

[Frolicsome Flufficorn]

Ooo, I like the ideas. Especially the 2nd one. Yeah I have to agree with you here. The Synth brain does lack utility and by adding a reason for it through the use of Late joins who can use them to become a person sounds extremely cool. Im a big fan of this idea and even if it isnt to be one of the proposed ideas I would love to see something done with synth brain, especially along the lines of a late join becoming something Synthy!

[Kotlol]

1st one I disagree with... sounds to complex and weird.

2nd one is a neat one.. giving synth brains a use. Traitors could spawn zombies with it.
Would be funny to see "Vegetarian Zombie players"

3rd one This one makes too much sense!

[RelentlessGarbage]

Given that you can use synthflesh, blood, and strange reagent to create "LIFE" as is, I think adding an "active" synthbrain might allow for the resulting critter or creature to be player-controlled by offering a dead/ghost player an option to control whatever creature is being made. Seems like a natural place to implement the feature. Besides, even though it's tricky, Botanists can make LIFE reactions mostly with things they can grow or acquire in-house (Lifeweed extract + mutagenic plant formula + garlic extract = strange reagent, you can scoop up the blood from the person that gibbed themselves with a chainsaw on accident, synthflesh is self-explanatory). Player controlled aggressive critters might lead to all manner of wacky hi-jinks.

As for the third feature, I'd be down for something like that. You'd have to make sure the resulting "super synthbrain" doesn't have Kuru in it, else you'd die a swift prion-y death, but since botany has means of producing Mannitol and Synaptizine, I think it'd be easy enough to manage the brain damage. Rolling the Plant Analyzer and Reagent Scanner into a power up is pretty neat, even if you can only use it on plants.

Not so sure about the skull one, though. Perhaps skulls are a resource best left to be renewable only through genetics and cloning.

(Also, I'd like to say that synthbrain is actually really helpful for cooking? Antags giving people kuru aside, brain bread and brain bread hotdogs are actually pretty strong in terms of buffs - try making some with synthbrain, you won't regret it.)

[Cal]

Not really down with botany making revival bodies since I would rather have them having fun and making pretty flowers instead of being screamed at to grow bodies

I WOULD be down for more harmful plants. Like a big pitcher plant you can use as a tub and dissolve bodies in

[Lord_earthfire]

I feel like there should be a purpose to the brain beyond completing a set like the synth-pancreus.

The Synthbrain is one of the most powerfull mutation of the synthflesh plant. For a single reason: brainburgers.

Now for the suggestions:

I'm not a fan of #1. I think it shouldn't be easy to revive people or come with massive repercussions (I highly appreciate the cloning defects that were introduced some time ago.).

#2 honestly, i would not like them to be player controlled. Just make the critters be AI controlled and, if hostile critters are made, make them hostile to any non-botanist.

I think synthorgans should, if used for people, be mostly for enhancing people. That's why i think #3 would be a reeeeealy nice effect.