[BOUNTY] The Quirkening
Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2023 6:53 pm
I've always been a big fan of the quirks system. Small things that can change how you play or inform others of your character in a mechanical way. I want to change some of the quirks that we have and introduce some new ones, but I lack the coding expertise and the time/energy to learn. This is a bounty that can be fulfilled by multiple people, and the payment will vary depending on what you take on and how demanding it is. Some of this feels to me (a novice at best) like it wouldn't be difficult to implement. Some of it is oversight fixes and QoL. Some of it would be considered balance. We can work out a cost that works for both of us if you're willing to work on any part of this long list of things I'd like to change and/or add. If you take on a task, I'll strikethrough it here and we can DM about it either here or in discord. I am willing to do writing work for these if you don't want to (flavor texts).
Here is the list of changes and additions I'd like to see.
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BALANCE:
Smoker, Alcoholism, and Junkie can choose their Vice using a character pref. This means preferred smokes, drinks, and drugs. You can finally have a favorite cigarette brand between rounds. Expands favorite cigarette to include cigars and syndiesmokes. By default it is old behavior (random, excluding syndiesmokes and cigars).
Extreme Medicine Allergy and Food Allergy dogtags can now be worn around the neck or in the glove slot in addition to being attached as an accessory to any jumpsuit. They visually show up around the neck or around the wrist (if adjusted in-hand to become 'allergy bracelet' before attaching to suit or wearing in glove slot).
Prosthetic organs can be chosen in prefs. By default it is old behavior (random). Finally, the canon has been aligned.
Hemiplegics can now choose which half of their body is numb in prefs. By default it is now random.
Spiritual spacemen no longer start with candles, but instead their pref religion's bible. (This bible cannot convert other bibles, and cannot be used to bless water, except by the chaplain, as per usual).
Any quirk users that have genes that do the same thing (such as near-sightedness) have those genes activated but unable to be disabled, for parity with brain traumas.
Junkie rebalance - Junkies metabolize drugs of their chosen type slower, meaning they last a bit longer.
Gamer rebalance - Split into Hardcore (negative) and Casual (positive). Hardcore gamers have the addiction and suffer mood penalties for losing. Also only eat junkfood. Casual gamers simply get a winning mood boost and can eat junkfood if their species typically hates it. Both get gaming XP at an increased rate.
Signer rebalance - Instead of behaving like a whisper, signing with one hand instead omits certain whole words. The signer doesn't know what words get dropped anymore. (This is a muh realism change as someone who knows ASL. Since signs are typically 1-to-1 with words, you wouldn't miss parts of a sign, you'd miss the whole thing.)
Foreigner rebalance - It's a negative quirk, slightly less quirk points than being deaf. Why was this ever not a negative quirk? Now maybe we will see more of it.
Extrovert rebalance - Extroverts now gain the mood bonus for having three or more people they can see within three tiles of them, instead of just being in the bar.
Introvert rebalance - Introverts now gain the mood bonus for having no people they can see within three tiles of them, instead of just being in the library.
NEGATIVE QUIRKS:
Bum Leg - One leg is nonfunctional and you start with a cane. Balance: People with a nonfunctional or missing leg can move at normal running speed by holding a cane or other long implement in a hand (iron rod, chaplain staff-based null rods, one-handed spears, other long items i am probably forgetting). Otherwise are forced to walk. Medical now has canes by where they store headphones, blindfolds, and wheelchairs.
Big Boned - You are fat. No amount of salads can ever fix this.
Corporate Enemy - You have a "loyalty implant" in your skull that can be detonated by a remote that spawns in a secure locker in security. Best find a way to get it removed if you plan on working against the company. "Loyalty Implant Defusal" surgery all-but-requires wirecutters, as scalpels have a fail chance, and failing any step of the surgery detonates the implant. (Implant does not delete brain, only gibs head).
Germaphobe - You get a mood malus if you are covered in blood, get sneezed or coughed on, touch a corpse or five-second-rule item, or pick up something recently touched by someone else without wearing gloves. You get a ten-pack of 'sanitation wipes' that are one-use rags (and can be grinded for 10u each of space cleaner or 5u after use), and cleaning items before you pick them up removes this malus. More sanitation wipes can be ordered as a goodie from cargo, and are placed near areas where syringes spawn (and in bathrooms, about 25% of the time).
Bipolar - Your mood swings rapidly. You constantly have a mood event that can range from manic to depressive (a random point between worse than depressed to slightly less than jolly).
Anti-Acrobat - You have a natural talent for tripping over things. Climbing over objects like tables and railings knocks you over.
POSITIVE QUIRKS:
Corpo - Your get a minor mood boost by seeing NT Paraphernalia. Syndicate propaganda impacts your mood twice as hard. You also get a small paycheck bonus for your brown-nosing.
Strapped - You start with a three-shot "Nanotrasen self-defense implement" on your belt that shoots weaker lasers and recharges slowly, as well as a weapon permit. You can spin any gun.
Vaccinated - You have a small innate virus resistance, comparable to wearing latex gloves.
Skilled - You've picked up a skillchip during your space travels. You start the round with a skillchip chosen via prefs (any of the non-job/problematic ones).
Iron Gut - You cannot throw up, whether by food poisoning or actual poisoning.
NEUTRAL QUIRKS:
Troubled Past - You have double the weight to be an antagonist objective.
Hoarder - You get a minor mood boost by holding maintenance items and garbage in your storage. You get a mood malus from dropping or throwing these kinds of items. You never know when it might be useful...
Bank Paranoid - You don't have a bank account. Your paychecks arrive in the mail instead. You get a special, sleek black wallet that doesn't hold IDs.
Technophobe - You have 1% chance to speak over the wrong radio channel or send a PDA to the wrong person, and a 1% chance to press the wrong button when using a machine.
Silverhand Syndrome - You have an Imaginary Friend. Ghosts will be polled every ten minutes to be your imaginary friend, and it will show up on the ghostroles menu.
Paroled Convict - You start with a permanent tracking implant, prisoner's jumpsuit, and an orange ID. Pref for having a tattoo or not. You are barred from command and security roles.
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I am also open to adding things to this list if people have fun ideas and I think they're worth paying for implementation. This may also need to be a project that is staggered over time as to not bankrupt me. In any case, thank you all for your time, and the work you coders do to make this game interesting and lively!
Here is the list of changes and additions I'd like to see.
-----
BALANCE:
Smoker, Alcoholism, and Junkie can choose their Vice using a character pref. This means preferred smokes, drinks, and drugs. You can finally have a favorite cigarette brand between rounds. Expands favorite cigarette to include cigars and syndiesmokes. By default it is old behavior (random, excluding syndiesmokes and cigars).
Extreme Medicine Allergy and Food Allergy dogtags can now be worn around the neck or in the glove slot in addition to being attached as an accessory to any jumpsuit. They visually show up around the neck or around the wrist (if adjusted in-hand to become 'allergy bracelet' before attaching to suit or wearing in glove slot).
Prosthetic organs can be chosen in prefs. By default it is old behavior (random). Finally, the canon has been aligned.
Hemiplegics can now choose which half of their body is numb in prefs. By default it is now random.
Spiritual spacemen no longer start with candles, but instead their pref religion's bible. (This bible cannot convert other bibles, and cannot be used to bless water, except by the chaplain, as per usual).
Any quirk users that have genes that do the same thing (such as near-sightedness) have those genes activated but unable to be disabled, for parity with brain traumas.
Junkie rebalance - Junkies metabolize drugs of their chosen type slower, meaning they last a bit longer.
Gamer rebalance - Split into Hardcore (negative) and Casual (positive). Hardcore gamers have the addiction and suffer mood penalties for losing. Also only eat junkfood. Casual gamers simply get a winning mood boost and can eat junkfood if their species typically hates it. Both get gaming XP at an increased rate.
Signer rebalance - Instead of behaving like a whisper, signing with one hand instead omits certain whole words. The signer doesn't know what words get dropped anymore. (This is a muh realism change as someone who knows ASL. Since signs are typically 1-to-1 with words, you wouldn't miss parts of a sign, you'd miss the whole thing.)
Foreigner rebalance - It's a negative quirk, slightly less quirk points than being deaf. Why was this ever not a negative quirk? Now maybe we will see more of it.
Extrovert rebalance - Extroverts now gain the mood bonus for having three or more people they can see within three tiles of them, instead of just being in the bar.
Introvert rebalance - Introverts now gain the mood bonus for having no people they can see within three tiles of them, instead of just being in the library.
NEGATIVE QUIRKS:
Bum Leg - One leg is nonfunctional and you start with a cane. Balance: People with a nonfunctional or missing leg can move at normal running speed by holding a cane or other long implement in a hand (iron rod, chaplain staff-based null rods, one-handed spears, other long items i am probably forgetting). Otherwise are forced to walk. Medical now has canes by where they store headphones, blindfolds, and wheelchairs.
Big Boned - You are fat. No amount of salads can ever fix this.
Corporate Enemy - You have a "loyalty implant" in your skull that can be detonated by a remote that spawns in a secure locker in security. Best find a way to get it removed if you plan on working against the company. "Loyalty Implant Defusal" surgery all-but-requires wirecutters, as scalpels have a fail chance, and failing any step of the surgery detonates the implant. (Implant does not delete brain, only gibs head).
Germaphobe - You get a mood malus if you are covered in blood, get sneezed or coughed on, touch a corpse or five-second-rule item, or pick up something recently touched by someone else without wearing gloves. You get a ten-pack of 'sanitation wipes' that are one-use rags (and can be grinded for 10u each of space cleaner or 5u after use), and cleaning items before you pick them up removes this malus. More sanitation wipes can be ordered as a goodie from cargo, and are placed near areas where syringes spawn (and in bathrooms, about 25% of the time).
Bipolar - Your mood swings rapidly. You constantly have a mood event that can range from manic to depressive (a random point between worse than depressed to slightly less than jolly).
Anti-Acrobat - You have a natural talent for tripping over things. Climbing over objects like tables and railings knocks you over.
POSITIVE QUIRKS:
Corpo - Your get a minor mood boost by seeing NT Paraphernalia. Syndicate propaganda impacts your mood twice as hard. You also get a small paycheck bonus for your brown-nosing.
Strapped - You start with a three-shot "Nanotrasen self-defense implement" on your belt that shoots weaker lasers and recharges slowly, as well as a weapon permit. You can spin any gun.
Vaccinated - You have a small innate virus resistance, comparable to wearing latex gloves.
Skilled - You've picked up a skillchip during your space travels. You start the round with a skillchip chosen via prefs (any of the non-job/problematic ones).
Iron Gut - You cannot throw up, whether by food poisoning or actual poisoning.
NEUTRAL QUIRKS:
Troubled Past - You have double the weight to be an antagonist objective.
Hoarder - You get a minor mood boost by holding maintenance items and garbage in your storage. You get a mood malus from dropping or throwing these kinds of items. You never know when it might be useful...
Bank Paranoid - You don't have a bank account. Your paychecks arrive in the mail instead. You get a special, sleek black wallet that doesn't hold IDs.
Technophobe - You have 1% chance to speak over the wrong radio channel or send a PDA to the wrong person, and a 1% chance to press the wrong button when using a machine.
Silverhand Syndrome - You have an Imaginary Friend. Ghosts will be polled every ten minutes to be your imaginary friend, and it will show up on the ghostroles menu.
Paroled Convict - You start with a permanent tracking implant, prisoner's jumpsuit, and an orange ID. Pref for having a tattoo or not. You are barred from command and security roles.
-----
I am also open to adding things to this list if people have fun ideas and I think they're worth paying for implementation. This may also need to be a project that is staggered over time as to not bankrupt me. In any case, thank you all for your time, and the work you coders do to make this game interesting and lively!