Alchemy for Botany

[BurgerBB]

Let's be honest, botany is something that is rarely picked during rounds. It is a job where you do all the work, and someone else gets the all fun (See: Chef). Botany on other servers is usually fun because you can mess around with plant's genetics and do crazy shit with it, but alas that is xenobotany, and even then xenobotany is pretty lame.

I think a good way to cure this is to introduce semi-realistic alchemy. The idea is that alchemist can order/vend special, exotic variants of mushrooms and herbs that can be messed around with to create special, mostly cosmetic reagents and very mild medicine. If possible, a botanist could sell products to the crew, such as:

• Lipstick
  
• Hair/Fur Dyes
  
• Skin Dyes
  
• Paint
  
• Specific healing chemicals that only works when digested/breathed in/applied to skin.
  
• Specific damaging toxins that only works when digested/breathed in/applied to skin.
  
• Mild stimulants/painkillers
  
• Smoke/Flash bombs
  

 

Now, the way this will work is that the recipes and reagents itself will be randomly generated each round. The reagents itself will have non-descriptive names like "Purple Paste" or "Red Powder" when two or more plants are processed through the alchemy workbench. In order to find out what these chemicals do, one must perform experiments such as drinking it, inhaling it, appling it to the skin, and/or throwing it on the floor/objects. Names/descriptions themselves will be randomly generated as well, purple powder from a previous round won't likely have the same properties as purple powder from this round.

From a roleplay/logic perspective, this is entirely possible given the vast array of plants and mushrooms in the galaxy. In reality, Scientists estimate that there are over 1 million species of mushroom on Earth alone, imagine the potential with strange mushrooms from other worlds.

[LordFowl]

So... chemistry?

I don't see how any of these suggestions have to do with alchemy.

[Zundy]

I'm all for botanicals and minor chemistry in botany tbh. Sounds fun.

Don't call it alchemy though or by the power of the moon I shall punish you.

[Azande]

Alchemy is a dead science. Please research what it was, and how it's not related to this.

I would support removing the botanist title (botanists are highly educated plant scientists, and would not work for civilian wages) with 'Herbalist) which is actually what you're proposing (as opposed to alchemy) and giving them a morter and pestle to make things with.

[Pacmandevil]

I still think that Xenobotany and Botany could me merged without much loss. fuck you could probably put the Xenobotany lab directly underneath the Hydroponics lab.

Botany is easily automated by robotics five minutes in, and is frankly boring to play even disregarding that little tidbit.

While Xenobotany is for the big brain boyes who actually have fun.

[Faris]

I'd support the ability of Botany to produce certain things that doesn't just rely on "biomass", maybe more things to grow. Granted they aren't stronger than like say proper medication or scientific stuff.

[BurgerBB]

Alchemy will never be stronger than actual medication. The intent is that alchemy acts as a secondary merchant to the crew, if desirable, selling basic cures and cosmetic items.

[Faris]

Alchemy will never be stronger than actual medication. The intent is that alchemy acts as a secondary merchant to the crew, if desirable, selling basic cures and cosmetic items.

 

Is this something you plan to do yourself or request the development team to do?

If the former, I suggest a more detailed example as a proposal would be nice.

[BurgerBB]

Alchemy will never be stronger than actual medication. The intent is that alchemy acts as a secondary merchant to the crew, if desirable, selling basic cures and cosmetic items.

 

Is this something you plan to do yourself or request the development team to do?

If the former, I suggest a more detailed example as a proposal would be nice.

 

It is something I plan to do myself. I will write up a more detailed plan tomorrow.