Job Re balancing Ideas

[KnightE4]

So after playing the game for so long, more than 300+ hours, I have found a couple of things about Jobs that feel like they need some TLC to bring them up to date in the game. Very few jobs make the player promote a duplicant to a higher level to obtain a new skill that is necessary to advance in the game or to overcome a challenge in their colony. Some "seasoned" or end promotions just give raw skill increases. In the new Expressive Upgrade you must balance the new mechanic, Morale, to keep your duplicant happy but why would you promote a duplicant when he/she can do everything at a lower level for a lower Morale requirement and they will passively level up the skill anyway. For example there is no reason to promote a duplicant to a seasoned miner because you are only getting +2 mining for a much higher morale requirement which isn't worth it in the early game (Late game I don't think matters too much because by then you can easily deal with the extra morale). So the duplicant can mine everything they want to as a Miner but have a much lower morale requirement which is good for the player. Other jobs that I think have this same kind of pitfalls are: Architect (every level), Seasoned Farmer/Seasoned Rancher, Cook and Artist. All of these jobs don't really add any new skills for the duplicant that the player can benefit from, meaning they just add raw stats which in the early to mid game don't matter too much.

So why am I ranting about this now? Because I love where this game is going and I just want to see some balance in the game to have players make decisions like should I promote my Miner to a Seasoned Miner yet? Right now you don't have to, you can mine anything as just a "Miner" why would you take on the added morale requirements for so little gain? This thought process should be more involved and be able to give the player a sense of accomplishment when they balance it correctly throughout the game. That being said, I have loved every upgrade that the developers have put out and I think they have done a great job developing this game. I look forward to how this game further develops.

So here are my suggestions for the traits for each job tree, let me know what you all think!

• Apprentice Miner: +2 to Mining, Ability to Dig Hard Material (Granite, Igneous Rock, these kinds of material)

• Miner: +3 to Mining, Ability to Dig Very Hard Material (Abyssalite, Diamond)

• Seasoned Miner: +4 to Mining, Ability to not lose material upon digging it (Right now you only get half of the mass of material you dig up, this would give you 100% of the material)

• Apprentice Architect: + 2 to Building, Ability to build things out of hard materials (Abyssalite/Diamond)

• Architect: +3 to Building, Ability to build intermediate building (Buildings like Smelter or Advanced Power systems like Nat-Gas generators maybe?)

• Senior Architect: Ability to build advanced buildings (Buildings made out of refined metal or plastic maybe?)

• Gofer: Good as is

• Courier: Good as is

• Exosuit Engineer: Good as is

• General Engineer: + 2 to Tinkering, ability to law Heavi-Watt wires

• Electrical Engineer: +3 to Tinkering, ability to build automation wires/gates

• Mechatronics Engineer: +4 to Tinkering, Rest good as is

• Farmhand: +2 to Farming

• Farmer: +2 to Farming, Ability to make Micro-nutrient Fertilizer, Tend to crops

• Seasoned Farmer: +2 to Farming, Ability to harvest plants one more time(For example you can only harvest 1 Mealwood plant 3 times, this would allow you to harvest the plant 4 times)

• Rancher: + 2 to Ranching, Ability critters no longer attack this duplicant

• Seasoned Rancher: + 4 to Ranching, Ability to get higher yields from critters tended too (Hatches would poop more coal for example)

• Research Assistant: +2 to Learning, Ability to run Super Computer

• Scientist: +2 to Learning

• Tenured Scientist: +2 to Learning, Ability to Analyze Geysers

• Groundskeeper: Good as is

• Plumper: Good as is

• Sous Chef: +2 to Cooking, Ability to run Musher/Electric Grill, Ability to make basic recipes (Things with one ingredient)

• Chef: +3 to Cooking, Ability to run Musher/Electric Grill, Ability to make basic recipes (Things with two ingredient)

• Art Student: + 2 to Creativity, Can only make Mediocre Art

• Artist: + 3 to Creativity, Can make Masterpiece Art if creative is high enough

Now this isn't perfect but I think this would cause the player to make some decisions about the jobs he or she gives to the duplicants. Do you promote right away or do you wait until you can accommodate a higher morale. If you don't promote right away will this cause your progress to halt and maybe destroy your colony? Idk but it would be fun to find out! 

I also think that the game needs a couple more jobs added to it, here are a couple of ideas:

• Nurse: +2 to Kindness, Ability to tend to duplicants with physical injuries

• Doctor: +3 to Kindness, Ability to tend to duplicant who is sick with slimelung, food poisoning, etc

• A/C Technician: Ability, similar to plumber but can empty ventilation pipes instead

Any more ideas you all have? Let me know!

 

[Sasza22]

I think that most the jobs are a work in progress. I`m pretty sure they will add more perks to the seasoned miner, architects, seasoned farmers and seasoned ranchers (ranching skill seems to do nothing currently so that`s soemthing to do too). Generally good ideas, maybe that`s what they`ll go for.

[heckubis]

face palm ac tech to do what a plumber can already do(ever notice in real life plumbers and heating and air conditioning  are the same companies?) this list makes me feel like you havent actually played the game.

[KnightE4]

heckubis, could you elaborate? I have played the game quite a bit. The idea with the technician was to add a little more specialization to the groundskeeper job tree. The rest of the suggestions were to make jobs feel relevant or powerful because some of them don't add very much right now. I am sad to see you give such criticism with little to no feedback other then to shoot down my idea especially since you are a senior member of this forum. I hope you are more open minded to other peoples ideas.

[heckubis]

well have you ever encountered a plumber that couldn't do ac.? its part of the job. the doctor would be nice the nurse would be pointless unless its just part of the doctor tree. we do need one but for the most part most of these are a work in progress and a fairly large section of them change almost nothing as implemented currently.

if the miners increased yield you may be on to something id understand but other then that its not realy changes or improvements

i will admit i dont have much of a positive personality and am very stern with my ideas and understanding i only see things objectively and can only respond with how i feel honestly and that usually means its not holding back for sake of being friendly .. i don't intend it that way im just wired that way so i am sorry if i was too critical in the way i represented it

[Shaymes]

i think for mechatronics engeneer it makes more sence to branch it from engeneer and architect instead goofer

and i think rancher can be branshed from farmer and goofer becouse he have to carry heavy animals and food around so he get the str he needs

[Deshiba]

15 hours ago, KnightE4 said:

• Gofer: Good as is

• Courier: Good as is

 

15 hours ago, KnightE4 said:

• Groundskeeper: Good as is

• Plumper: Good as is

I disagree with this. Currently these 2 jobs give strength bonuses and scale with the strength attribute. There is currently no early game job that scales of athletics. I'd change these up to their actual use.

Gofer

• +2 Athletics
• +10% running speed

Courier

• +2 Athletics
• +25% running speed

Groundskeeper

• +2 Strength
• +600kg to carrying capacity

These would fit better with their actual job description imo

[Shaymes]

i like the idea of more side effects from jobs like sous chef increase food quality by 1