Let's change Ethereal Critters

[Scientifically]

Like the title says, let's change them. Why? Well, there are a number of oddities I've noticed about Ethereal Critters that no doubt others have noticed as well. Whether these things be bugs or intentional, I do not know, but they're strange nonetheless. I'm not too great at segues, so I'll just get to the list.

• Ethereal Critters cannot open boxes, crates, or lockers by hand. But they CAN open trash carts/engineering carts. I specify by hand, because if you go to the local tab when near a box/crate/locker and use the open command, Critters can still open these things.
  
• Ethereal Critters cannot take paper out of trays. I assume it's because the game thinks you're trying to pick up the ENTIRE tray, but I'm not too sure.
  
• Continuing with paper, Ethereal Critters can pick up paper and fold it into airplanes, swans, and crush it into a ball. They can also make the paper hat. Once the paper has been turned into a hat, they can no longer pick it up despite it still being made of paper. 
  
• Continuing even more with paper, Ethereal Critters cannot swallow paper wads, which makes sense because they can't eat, but at the same time they're also capable of taking pills, so.... 
  
• Ethereal Critters can use the seed fabricator for... some reason. You can actually just play rancher this way if you want, since Critters can also place eggs inside incubators. 
  
• Ethereal Critters cannot read, but they also can. Inspecting paper as one says "You don't know how to read", yet at the same time Critters can read wanted signs, writing on the floor (specifically in pen/pencil/marker, of course you can read crayon it's huge), and wooden signs.
  
  

  My suggestions:

• Let Ethereal Critters eat paper, as well as take it out of trays. Om nom nom.
  
• Change the size of a paper hat to be tiny instead of small. 
  
• I can understand why boxes can't be opened, having tiders come back as creatures and going to rob cargo isn't exactly ideal. I wouldn't mind if the command to open them as an Ethereal Critter just got patched.
  
• The seed fabricator thing is fine, actually. The fact that a mouse can't operate a vending machine but can operate one of those completely fine is kind of funny.
  
• Let them read! I don't understand why they're not able to. Ghosts can read, Ghost Drones can read, why not them?
  

  And finally- this is more a request than a suggestion- it would be nice to be able to pick what kind of creature you become. Of course, you can pay spacebux to become a robot, or a bird, or a little action figure, but the main three you can turn into, the roach, the butterfly, and the mouse, are completely randomized. Personally, I don't really like the idea of this. If someone wants to run around as mouse and eat cheese while the Chef isn't looking, the only thing stopping them is the fact that it's a 1/3 chance that they'll even get the mouse. And if they don't? It's a 10 minute respawn timer.

  Of course, all of this post sounds a bit silly when you think about the fact that being an Ethereal Critter is not how you're supposed to play the game, it's just a way to observe in a way that's fun. I don't think that should exempt the feature from quality of life treatment. Sometimes it's fun to take a round off and run around as just a little guy, hoarding all the mugs on station. Anyways, that's my 2 cents on this. Let me know what you guys think!

[WyrdDoe]

I agree with all of the above, I think it's a whole nested cluster of edge cases that could be improved on but are (perhaps rightly) low priority but that I'd still like to see addressed. I like to goof around and experiment with what I can do as a critter from time to time and it does bug me when I bump into a restriction that doesn't feel consistent or intentional.

Is this me being butthurt that the game wouldn't let me smoke weed as a mouse? Maybe?

[Lord_earthfire]

I would say most of the things you mention are bugs. Critters should not interact with seeds or paper at all.

[Kotlol]

My favorite bug that has yet to be fixed is the critters can drive the Cargo tug.
It doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things since the Cargo Tug only gets used for "FUNNIES" anyway and most critters just become uber drivers and it's funny.

I know it has been reported but I am fine with it being a feature.

As for changes all of these are fine CEPT the reading part.
It has one simple reason.... "Critters are suppose to be animals who CANNOT READ"
By not being able to read it keeps that spirit alive.

It doesn't mean much in the long scene.. but overall these suggestions are fine.
Though eating paper should result into death if overconsuming....
I know enough people that will eat a lot of paper.
Also critters are used to grief sometimes.. and thats probably why they are disallowed the paper tray. So they don't make paper planes to annoy certain departments.

[Confuseddp]

Best part is when they grab the automender and heal people.

They can also slide into people.

[freedo5]

My favorite bug that has yet to be fixed is the critters can drive the Cargo tug.
It doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things since the Cargo Tug only gets used for "FUNNIES" anyway and most critters just become uber drivers and it's funny.

I know it has been reported but I am fine with it being a feature.

Ethereal space mouse 218 studied hard to get a license taking it away would make it very sad.

[BadShot]

I personally don't mind the random critter roll

What I don't like is the butterfly sprite.

The mouse got a recent-ish animated sprite update that looks amazing and gives a lot of character
The roach has had an animated sprite for some time and looks really good still
Now you're probably thinking "But the butterfly is animated too" and yes it is... but that's like the only thing it has
It doesn't have any perspective sprites, the butterfly is literally incapable of turning and its sprite takes up the entire tile

Now where am I going with this? Simple, I hate rolling butterfly, sometimes I roll it 5 times in a row and hate it, I hate its sprite so much I immediately suicide if I roll it to try again in 10mins.

I know it's petty, but since we're talking about critters, butterfly is long overdo for a sprite upgrade to bring it up to par with the other critters