remove genetics powers

[witchbells]

Just get rid of them.

Since they're typically only used for chucklefucking and griefing, I doubt anyone will miss them.

[enkas]

I totally agree with this

[Rusty Shackleford]

Make cloning a super hard indepth process so people who play dedicated geneticists (cough*me*cough) have something to do if they don't feel like chucklefucking and self-experimenting.

[Frances]

I have not seen a legitimate geneticist in a long time. Genetics has no sense being on a heavy-rp server as it currently stands - all of the mechanics are about discovering "superpowers" that let you do ridiculous things, and nobody seems to do as much as bat an eyelid ICly when it happens.

[Skull132]

So, this might be a decision I may be making after all, huh?

The issue of genetic powers has been raised a number of times, but the actual decision has been to maintain status quo. But I'm just about ready to sign this and run with it, provided the question below is answered.

What of the geneticist? Their already barely existant role will be diminished even more. If executed, it might be wise to rebrand them as something along the lines of, "Genetic Resusicitation Specialist". Buuut how do we actually give them something more tangible to do, other than being a doctor who pops into the cloning bay every so often (god knows we already have doctors who do that)?

[Guest]

Invent genetic diseases, perhaps?

[Skull132]

By the way, I am looking for slightly more than, "Let's do X!"

Mainly because I am terribly uncreative and boring.

Also, on the note of, "Make cloning harder!" Again, I need further elaboration. Just adding damage or some shit wouldn't be a good idea.

[witchbells]

Genetics is medical research. It could be less about genetics and more about growing organic somethings out of nothing.

We call it medical research, but it's just one tiny, little department. There's so much more people can do with medical research.

[Susan]

Skull:

Wait for Baystation is all I can suggest. Baystation has already done away with the genetics lab and is currently in the process (as far as I know) of overhauling the system entirely. However, if we want to go down this route, there is one thing we must be aware of.

Changelings.

Instead of removing genetics machines, entirely, perhaps leave one to fix people who are genetically altered either through outside means or transform sting. Instead, just disable powers, axe geneticist for now, and give medical doctors access to the cloning lab. That's really all I can think of; a small price to pay to be rid of hulk chucklefucks, really.

[Valkrae]

I feel as if there should be a way for Geneticist's to help concoct cures for the Virologist's diseases. That way, the Geneticist still has work, but doesn't have the chucklefuckery of hulk smashing down every single wall between Medbay and Cargo Bay.

[Frances]

Valkrae's suggestion is interesting - virology isn't much of a job at the moment, which is why it was grouped with doctors, but if you take it apart and merge it with cloning, you get... biologists?

Maybe. I don't feel the full association there, thematically. The easiest way /would/ be to give doctors access to the cloning lab - since there's few legitimate geneticists, doctors end up doing most of the cloning already anyway.

[Valkrae]

I was thinking it'd be more of a Genetic Virologist, looking inside the genetic codes of RNA, and the varying types of DNA to find out what makes a disease or illness tick.

Although, I nearly failed biology in High School, so don't mind me.

[Jakers457]

I always wanted to see gene-splicing myself. You know, play god and create new organisms. But eh, that also might be questionable.

[Gollee]

I always wanted to see gene-splicing myself. You know, play god and create new organisms. But eh, that also might be questionable.

Quote I heard somewhere... "If God didn't want us to do his job, he shouldn't have left his tools lying around."

Being able to create life as a geneticist would be awesome.

[TishinaStalker]

If we're on the topic of being able to create life as one of these jobs, then why not make them be able to create grey slimes? This would create a sort of cooperation between Geneticist/Virologist and Xenobiologist; all of which are generally isolated jobs that keep to themselves.

[Erik Tiber]

You could be able to create a variety of creatures. Perhaps one could be some sort of non-sentient meat-sack you can periodically harvest for meat. Basically a really creepy meat plant.

[BlueScope]

I think Genetics is an untapped source of good RP rather that's not being utilized rather than a source for chucklefuckery. It's the same thing with Science, both departments are fantastically capable of making the jobs of others on the station easier, but are seldom utilized. There is the odd mech that's the exception, I guess, but I think the lack of engineers who don't need to breath oxygen and detectives who can remotely view suspects is due to a lack of player initiative rather than a flaw with the department or genetics itself.

Having more interaction with science would be a good place to start, as suggested above, and maybe a reworking of the system. Perhaps different organisms contain different genes for various traits, in addition to the untapped ones like telekinesis and such. There's two unique creatures (three?) in the genetics lab, splicing over new blocks from them to organisms in the DNA chamber could have interesting applications.

[Tenenza]

Everyone gets the Gene-power priorities wrong. It's the small things that are the most powerful, not the Hulking (Which is worthless) or even Telekensis (Situational at best). Heat-Resistance, No-Breathing, the speedy boost thing for hardsuits. Those are the most useful and powerful abilites, and are much harder for chucklefucks to abuse. May we could take out the Hulk power, Telekensis, and maybe some other stuff that gets abused. Force people to think a bit more instead of going for the mindless chucklefuck powers.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Since I'm probably one of the few people who doesn't play a chucklefuck geneticist regularly, I'll give some input. In terms of making cloning harder, it should require the creation of blank templates a la The Sixth Day, and require someone to back up their memory separately when they get their genes backed up, to address CMD once and for all. And give it a much higher chance to fail. Bring in minor powers, get rid of the major ones (except maybe xray vision). Give genetics the ability to splice together the genes of animals and plants, to create new strains of organisms. And give them a role in fighting changelings. If you can give the chaplain the ability to fight vampires and cults, then you can certainly find a way to give the geneticist a way to counter the powers of changelings, maybe by injecting them with an engineered retrovirus to keep them from transforming or something. And speaking of viruses, it would make sense to somewhat merge Virology and Genetics to the point that they regularly cooperate instead of hole up in their little cubby holes and never speak face-to-face.

Also, I want to make creepy meat plants.

[Erik Tiber]

Since I'm probably one of the few people who doesn't play a chucklefuck geneticist regularly, I'll give some input. In terms of making cloning harder, it should require the creation of blank templates a la The Sixth Day, and require someone to back up their memory separately when they get their genes backed up, to address CMD once and for all. And give it a much higher chance to fail. Bring in minor powers, get rid of the major ones (except maybe xray vision). Give genetics the ability to splice together the genes of animals and plants, to create new strains of organisms. And give them a role in fighting changelings. If you can give the chaplain the ability to fight vampires and cults, then you can certainly find a way to give the geneticist a way to counter the powers of changelings, maybe by injecting them with an engineered retrovirus to keep them from transforming or something. And speaking of viruses, it would make sense to somewhat merge Virology and Genetics to the point that they regularly cooperate instead of hole up in their little cubby holes and never speak face-to-face.

Also, I want to make creepy meat plants.

I'm seconding this. Very much.

[EvilBrage]

Another idea to throw in there to run parallel to the idea of morally objectionable genetics: protohuman thralls. In essence, a monkey turned into a human (a process which should be a bit more difficult than it currently is) would open up another window of neural programming commands after being injected with a 'thrall' implant. This would allow the geneticist to program the protohuman with different tasks; if you tell him to clean and give him a bar of soap, he'll go around the station mindlessly scrubbing the dirt he finds. Or maybe a particular area needs slightly more protection? Tell them to guard a particular area. Low on materials? Set him to mine things. Traitor? Use an emagged genetics console to send all of your protohumans on a murderous rampage.

[duck]

I really don't want this because genetics is one of my favorite things.

But I also hate every single geneticist. So I want to argue against removing genetics, buuuuut.

but.

I got nothin'. With classes getting to me, I don't really have as much time to ghost as I used to, so. Question. Does genetics actually cause problems like. a reasonable percentage of the time. If not, I don't think we should remove it. Maaaybe remove hulks. Hulks aren't even good (Cannot use guns means you instantly lose to anyone with a syringegun or laser) and they don't shout all the time anymore, so they can actually talk now. Outright removal I don't like. Para is stealing goon genetics and I've got my eye on that though. And bay is doing their own rework. Advise waiting on it until we have something to steal to replace it with.

Regarding suggestions: That's a lot of sprite and codework. Some of which will have to be original. Like the idea. Uncertain about implementation.

[Frances]

I really don't want this because genetics is one of my favorite things.

But I also hate every single geneticist. So I want to argue against removing genetics, buuuuut.

but.

I got nothin'. With classes getting to me, I don't really have as much time to ghost as I used to, so. Question. Does genetics actually cause problems like. a reasonable percentage of the time. If not, I don't think we should remove it. Maaaybe remove hulks. Hulks aren't even good (Cannot use guns means you instantly lose to anyone with a syringegun or laser) and they don't shout all the time anymore, so they can actually talk now. Outright removal I don't like. Para is stealing goon genetics and I've got my eye on that though. And bay is doing their own rework. Advise waiting on it until we have something to steal to replace it with.

Regarding suggestions: That's a lot of sprite and codework. Some of which will have to be original. Like the idea. Uncertain about implementation.

From my experience, I'd say we end up banning/jobbanning/talking to a geneticist every 2-3 days. It's not a lot compared to some offenses (random grief), but the fact remains these are mechanics that are really not conductive to heavy-rp at all (discovering superpowers nobody supposedly knows about every round?) and don't see much legitimate use.

[Tenenza]

Maybe we could remove all overt and greiefy powers (Hulk definitely, the rest can be debated.), merge genetics with virology, and adding more creature changing stuffs. I've no idea how the code works, but maybe modifying the species block to have more outcomes other than Human or Monkey could be interesting. There a great deal of mobs that are almost never seen on station but are coded in, such as the space rakk. It would give Xenobio something else do other than farm slimes.

[witchbells]

Here's a thing about medical research, and what I think we could implement.

We can grow organic tissue in labs. We can grow organs in labs with a bit of protein, a scaffold of the actual organ, and stem cells from anyone who needs it. This is something we can do today. What I suggest is making this a part of medical research, grow meat and whatever sort of organic, fleshy bits that someone's missing out of a blood sample and a petri dish.