The Synth Rework Discussion

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Kingtrin
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2018 12:29 am
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The Synth Rework Discussion

Post by Kingtrin » #434142

I am eager to play as a synth, but beyond promises of de-whitelisting I have not seen any specifics mentioned for how they will function. I would like some clarity on this issue, and so excuse me while this relative newcomer takes a plunge into discussing a topic they have zero first-hand experience in. The foremost question I would like to ask is what exactly do we want out of synths? Lets break this down into several specfics:

Should synths remain unable to use guns? If no, what guns would be allowed? If yes, how (un)robust should synths be in melee combat? (in comparison to each tier of xenos)

Should synths be usable regularily as combat units? For context on CM they are generally not allowed onto frontlines and function as support units.

Building off the first two questions we should also look at how healing works for synths. Compared to healing a marine its dumb easy (almost identical to repairing androids in TG). They can also survive decapitation. With regards to balance the possibility of sword wielding robo-highlanders may not be a good idea without further tweaking some values and testing.

How many slots do we want for synths?

Do we envision any ROLEPLAYING mechanics unique to synths?

What access level should synths have? (The CM wiki doesn't specify any level of access) and are synths assumed to need permission to go planetside?

Is there any role a synth should NOT be able to step into as a replacement?

There are many more but these are the most revelant questions I could think of. I'm not asking people to respond in detail to each and every point, but rather for us to hammer out issues as needed. I have my own opinions on each point but I want other people to share their thoughts first.
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Rohesie
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2018 9:07 pm
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Re: The Synth Rework Discussion

Post by Rohesie » #434189

This is a very important topic.

Code-wise let me list the major difference between synths and humans in no particular order. The former can still talk if they've been decapitated and the head can be reattached to the body for defibrillation; they don't have a death timer; they don't get husked no matter how much burn damage they get; they can't repair their own robotic limbs; they can't get devoured by xenos; their dead bodies can't be pulled by xenos (on our version humans can be pulled because they are plebs); have 100% chance of success in surgery even in poor conditions; they can't be facehugged; have a positronic brain and a mechanical heart that uses nanopaste for fixing; medically they have too many differences to list, such as being immune to radiation, diseases and the likes, as it's to be expected; can't use guns; their punch and melee is 3.3 times stronger than a human's; have +50% health, take -25% brute and +10% burn damage than humans; have a huge stun resistance; and have all-access and all skills maxed.

I'd like to see synths as support units, and I don't think we can actually code roleplay mechanics. That is up to policy and admin enforcement.

Regarding changes, I'd remove their strong punch/melee (plus CQC damage bonus) and their stun resistance (knowckdown/stun reduction, keep their debilitate immunity due to it being associated with chemical and biological stuns mostly - will need a little rework).

That way they'd be incredibly good support units without serious combat abilities, but with enough in them to effectively flee from danger.
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Stickymayhem
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2014 6:13 pm
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Re: The Synth Rework Discussion

Post by Stickymayhem » #434222

I think it makes the most sense to use a code solution and make them ineffective in combat to force them into the support role they're designed for.

Although whitelists in general are unpopular, it would be nice if they could adhere to some basic roleplay guidelines and avoid griefing entirely since they have all access and are particularly durable compared to humans.
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Kingtrin
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2018 12:29 am
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Re: The Synth Rework Discussion

Post by Kingtrin » #434688

I'll share some of my own thoughts now. In general I, and it seems a majority of others so far, agree that synths should not be as effective as a marine in combat. With that being said, there is some range of views that people have in regards to that. Some suggest near zero combat capability, while others argue they should be a little stronger than that. It really depends on how many slots we want and how far you can take the concept. Today a synth was given a medal of commendation for hauling absolute ass on CM by darting in and out of the frontline dragging wounded back for me and other medics to heal. Their effort was immensely important despite never engaging in combat. If he was able to put the hurt on harassing xenos it would have been simply unfair.

Personally I would like for synths to have a role near the frontline. I agree their damage bonuses should be reduced, and their main ticket to survival should be a larger health pool combined with stun resistance. This allows them to get away from combat without causing issues where they can attack offensively (at least not easily). It also means that they will naturally need to gravitate toward marines as going solo wouldn't be viable. Since stuns are being changed up to be less obnoxious it might also be good to tone down stun resistance as well.

As far as roleplaying I brought it up because theres nothing right now in place dictating how synths should behave. All access is no joke and there probably should be some guidelines on what they can do with it. I can forsee issues where a synth barges into req and starts fiddling with objects, aggravating the req officers. Nothing to do with coding of course but we don't have the same rules as CM and it deserves some forethought since this is a rework.

With all that out of the way I'm interested to hear how many slots we think is appropriate for these new low-damage synths. On CM I have never seen more than 1 in a round. I think we can do better than 1?
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