Changelings don't copy traits

[Roomba]

When a changeling shifts into someone else's identity, they keep their original traits. Someone used this last round to catch the ling out on sight whenever they entered viewing range. Clever, but should probably be fixed - on low-population rounds, it's rare for someone to have the exact same trait list as you.

[UrsulaMejor]

the problem is that there are a lot of traits you really don't want to copy.

I think the best fix is to make the copying of traits superficial, just making it impossible to observe the correct traits rather than actually changing them

[Zadeon]

What if lings were able to pick and choose which traits to have "active?" The traits of whoever they are disguised as will still show up when examined but they may not be the actual traits that are active.

[BaneOfGiygas]

What if lings were able to pick and choose which traits to have "active?" The traits of whoever they are disguised as will still show up when examined but they may not be the actual traits that are active.

On the one hand, the idea of changelings being able to adapt the individual strengths (and weaknesses if they feel like it) of the people they absorb is an interesting concept. On the other hand, I feel like there should be some form of counterbalance so you don't have changelings with every single positive trait in the book at every possible opportunity. Perhaps force them to keep the same balance of points as one would require when choosing your traits normally? Then again that sounds like absolute hell to code in, so possibly not.

[Frank_Stein]

I dunno. You could just make it look like the changeling has those traits when observed. Really though, while this trick exists, it's very conditional.

You gotta have a changeling, combined with someone that has the trait that lets then know traits at a glance, and either memorize other players traits or dig through medical records to compare them. Which really, if they're dedicated enough to actually use the medical records to oust a ling, I think they've earned it.

[Roomba]

The trait that allows you to see other people's traits costs very little and can be picked up practically for free. I don't think it's as conditional as you make it out to be - all you need to do is to have seen the ling once, and from then on you can call them out whenever they enter viewing distance. Memorizing the traits of one guy isn't the monumental feat of memory it's made out to be.

I dunno, I'm partial to having the ling flat out copy the traits of whoever they're taking the form of, like mutations. If you want to take on another person's identity, that means committing yourself to both their strengths and their weaknesses.

[UrsulaMejor]

I dunno. You could just make it look like the changeling has those traits when observed. Really though, while this trick exists, it's very conditional.

You gotta have a changeling, combined with someone that has the trait that lets then know traits at a glance, and either memorize other players traits or dig through medical records to compare them. Which really, if they're dedicated enough to actually use the medical records to oust a ling, I think they've earned it.

as someone who recently stumbled on the ability to do this, it really isn't that hard. I noticed a guy wasn't wearing the same clothes as the guy he ate and inspected him. when I questioned him about it, he stung me and I eventually got away. since I had examined him to look at his clothes, I knew his traits.

then when he made the same clothes mistake on a different dude, I noticed they had the same traits and realized they were the same person