Professions with mutations

Parzival · 2014-03-02T23:40:31.000Z

What are your thoughts on including mutant professions? We already have some bionic starts, what about starting with some mutations? Make it start with fixed sets of mutations and no mutagen lest the game become full of scumming. It would be a limited way to start moving towards a specific mutation tree and I think it would add to the game. Only problems I can think of would be lore-related, but it could work.

KA101 · 2014-03-03T00:35:38.000Z

“Escaped Lab Subject” is theoretically possible.

Biggest hurdles I’m expecting are a) getting agreement on what mutations to start with, b) granting mutations as part of chargen but NOT as starting traits (which don’t count toward categories or Thresholds).

Have at it, folks. Whatcha want to see?

Parzival · 2014-03-03T00:41:02.000Z

I think they should definitely count towards thresholds as one of the biggest perks of starting with mutations (at least in my mind) is getting to begin moving towards a particular category early in the game.

i2amroy · 2014-03-03T02:54:54.000Z

Lab subject would work… and that’s about it. Mutations were highly experimental things that were just starting to be introduced for testing in labs, without any widespread acceptance yet when the cataclysm hit. As such the only people who would even had contact with them prior to the cataclysm would be the small amount of people working in labs or with related governmental positions.

Zireael · 2014-03-03T09:15:04.000Z

I love this idea.
I could drop some mutation set ideas in, but I’d need to know how many mutations would such a profession give. 4? 5?

HunterAlpha1 · 2014-03-03T11:15:34.000Z

How about the Chuck Norris profession? Zombies and other enemies would try to flee when they saw you, and once it becomes clear that running is futile they’d kill themselves.

infectedmochi · 2014-03-03T11:26:41.000Z

I like the idea, not sure if the mutations should be random with fixed number of goods and bads (may invite scumming) or have a profession (Test Subject?) with some predetermined mutations though.

Sanarr · 2014-03-03T11:31:52.000Z

Thinking of flavor - escaped lab subject might be possible having some psychic disorders (imagine some human being morfed into something different, locked in lab room, experimented on, etc. ). Inventory is blank (or some torn lab vestments).

There also might be some variant of escaped lab subject - home pet . While some influental and moderately crazy scientist took subject to his basement, brainwashed, turn him/her in private pet and… did ‘something’ to him. According to number of bondage/furry/etc. costumes in labs it seems to be quite possible scenario. Could have some traits as escaped test subject (+ possibility of “illitirate” via drugging or drug addictions) but starts in some mansion or something. Collars and other stuff instead of clothing.

Concerning list of mutations, to my mind, there might be professions like “flawed test subject” (random mutations) and some professions like “stable mutation 1/2/3” with predetermined list of mutations.

Zireael · 2014-03-03T11:42:31.000Z

Concerning list of mutations, to my mind, there might be professions like "flawed test subject" (random mutations) and some professions like "stable mutation 1/2/3" with predetermined list of mutations.

That’s my thinking too, that’s why I asked about the number of mutations needed.

Parzival · 2014-03-03T21:40:12.000Z

There should not be random mutations at start because it will inevitably lead to scumming. The point of these mutation professions is to let one choose to move towards a specific branch at the beginning of the game. All should be predetermined sets limited to 1 category per profession, perhaps named “Subject 00X” with X being a number corresponding to a class of mutation.

KA101 · 2014-03-04T01:56:32.000Z

A Lab subject would have probably taken a shot or two of serum, so if you wanted to go by category, 2-5 mutations. Random ones, could get to 12 (two shots of mutagenic serum) but I’d imagine they’d stop/purify earlier than that.

Or if you want to have the scientists be really Out There, four or five shots of related serums with a Purifier as well. You’d have 6-10 mutations from a few trees, and likely a level or two of mutagen addiction.

In any event, these would be fixed sets. We got rid of the random-augs “Cyborg” starting trait to eliminate startup re-rolling, as that’s no fun.

Clothing would be the subject suit, a mutation-compatible jumpsuit with minimal storage. You might have scrounged a fork or maybe a lighter on your way out but that’s about it; the suits deliberately don’t have much pocket-space so the subjects can’t equip themselves.

Since we don’t yet have variable starting locations, “Someone’s Pet Project” wouldn’t work. The Lab culture wouldn’t let stuff out of the Labs anyway, and I suspect there are games that address that sort of thing already.