Hello forum crawlers, I’m working on a project to update some of the survivor synth presets.
(mostly in terms of roleplay and aesthetics, there should be almost no balance changes here.)
While I’m doing that I wanna add some new ones as well, since most maps all use the same presets and they tend to be a little basic.
In service of that goal, I’m making this post for suggestions and brainstorming for new presets to add.
Suggestions should;
Not be straight mechanical “upgrades” over other presets in terms of equipment etc.
not require a ton of bespoke spriting, I’m capable of little edits but I am not skilled or versed in CM’s spriting standards to make big sprites from scratch.
Create new, unique contexts for roleplay.
Fit well into the lore, and setting of CM and of a map. (Map specific presets are possible.)
Not put the survivor in a faction that would be naturally hostile to other survivors or the USCM. The main exception here is that the human CLF survivor would naturally be hostile to a lot of factions and doesn’t really count here.
Some examples I already have to work with are a photojournalist civilian survivor, and a firefighter engineering survivor, that kind of thing.
Keep in mind that with the new council’s Vision:tm: being released soon(ish) there may be changes to the role or the constraints of presets, in which case I’ll update things to reflect that. Get creative!
As an addendum for my non-surv players, here are the different variants a preset can fit under, the ‘hostile’ preset does not apply to synthvivors.
I think we are missing any form of NSPA synthetics, it would be nice to have an additional policing force added as a synthetic option ingame other than UA rarely and CMB more commonly.
Hybrisa - NSPA Detective Synth or some 3WE synth, we have no 3WE synth preset currently.
Shivas - Researcher type synthetic, it’s an Argentinian research base.
Trijent - Same as Hybrisa but deserty, alternatively a Synth truck driver as synths are used for driving around by the USCM.
Sorokyne - Something to do with the UA Peruvians that the map is meant to be set around, it was originally a Peruvian UA-UPP DMZ.
Kutjevo - Dam Engineer.
New Varadero - USASF synth, I did update the map to have an LACN CO but that’s purely because the USASF don’t use Navy ranks, the overall map is still USASF, you can dress this one as a pilot because Synths are used for piloting, altenativly use them for research because pred ship.
LV-624 - Archaeologist synth because pred temple.
Fiornia - Medical synth because it’s a prison colony so there should be doctors onboard as well.
All or Most maps - ICC Rep because a synth can’t catch a disease, ICC deals with quarantine AND commerce, not just commerce.
Bonus for Chance’s - there’s two crashed Dropships and Two Crashed FORECON APC’s i believe, so you can have a FORECON Driver synth and a FORECON Pilot synth as altenatives to the current ones.
Just a little plug for myself, on maps with a chapel it would be cool to have a medical missionary subset of the medical survivor, who spawns in like slacks and has a tie on and a little medical kit and a bible or few, and some clerical stuff like a clipboard and pen.
Also personally I always ditch the fire axe, I don’t think like every preset needs one since every preset comes with a full set of engineering tools
@Nomoresolvalou Where would you place it? I assume you would not remove it. Also I think the archeologist should look more like Indiana Jones. But I am not a spriter and not likely to be any time soon.
Use some of the Hybrisa clothing and such, and please God replace the older Miner gear on maps, the Miners should all be KMCC miners, they’re just a lot more interesting and not ugly legacy sprites, and actually have lore behind them.
Yeah there’s the Firefighter suit on Hybrisa as well, you rarely see since it’s a fairly rare survivor variant. I don’t mind seeing some of the Hybrisa survivors or clothing used on other presets.
Engineer preset has a new uniform courtesy of hybrisa, actually has insulated gloves(not technically needed but it looks wrong without 'em), and some safety goggles-- reflavored kutjevo glasses. Was tempted to go with mesons but the yellow overlay is a kind of masochism I can’t push on other people.
Top presets are unchanged, bottom are new/edited. Might tweak the jani/bartender but otherwise I’m reasonably happy with this.
EMT synth now has a red and green preset, medical has been separated to doctor and surgeon for a little more variety,
Engineering synth got a new look, firefighter was added with a backpack sprayer and a G8 belt.
Research synth was separated into scientist and biohazard research, archaeologist got changed to resemble references photos I could find of archeologists-- they look less like a ss13 miner now.
Chef synth had some of it’s insanely outdated sprites swapped out for slightly less janky ones.
Trucker synth spawns with van wheels now-- some maps spawn with a van but no wheels unless you get a normal trucker surv, spawning as a trucker synth with an irreparable truck sucks.
videojournalist was added with a camera, tape recorder, and broadcast camera. broadcast camera technically allows marines to find out about the xenomorphs earlier than they otherwise would, however I think this is fine with chances claim’s phone and the LZ detectors being able to see them as precedent. (+ most maps have a fax machine that could be used to signal this anyway.) Given journo surv should be rather rare due to being just one out of the large civ pool, I don’t believe this will be an issue.
Gonna post my PR for it now, will chip away at more as I have motivation&inspiration.