[DEVBLOG#235] Vanilla Races Expanded - Highmates

Stop!

Before you proceed, please note that the following development blog contains information about mechanics that may or may not be of sexual nature. If you're offended by the design of this mod, take it somewhere else - as you are about to read, it was never our intention to offend anyone.

Vanilla Races Expanded - Highmates is one of those mods that's difficult to tackle without looking like a 'memster'. It took me quite some time to come up with a design that still plays on the strengths of highmates and fills out their niche even more, while at the same time being game fitting, unique and mature.

The idea of highmates is that they are genetically engineered concubines (male and female) greatly enhance whoever they bond with. They are not soldiers - as they cannot fight. They are not researchers - as Genies fill that slot. They are mediocre psycasters, but incapability of violence means they can't really unleash psychic wrath on their enemies.

They are, what I would define as, a support class. They enhance whoever they bond with. They do a lot of lovin'. They raise the mood of whoever they are with. This is what we had to work with.

There is a new xenotype being added by this mod, on top of the changes to Highmates.

Highmate

Designed companions and concubines with a unique ability to psychically bond with a mate, highmates are empathic, beautiful, cheerful, and talented in social matters. They are also inept at manual tasks, physically weak, and mentally incapable of violence.

On a few wealthy worlds, highmate xenogerms are commercially available and some people become highmates as a sort of career. However, many societies find them abhorrent, either because they distract people from forming natural families, or because they are humans shaped to serve the pleasures of another. On such worlds they are either reserved as playthings of the powerful, or banned entirely. This particular line of highmate fits the fashions of classical Novaroma, but many other variants exist.

Highmates have following genes guaranteed:

• Assorted:
  • Psy-sensitive
  • Psychic bonding (with new changes)
  • Very happy
  • Heat weakness
  • Violence disabled
  • Harmless (new gene)
  • Kind instinct
  • Distressed (new gene)
  • Delicate
  • High libido
  • Very attractive
  • Recessive genome (new gene)
• Cosmetic:
  • Blue skin
  • Purple skin
  • Sheer white skin
  • Thin body
  • Standard body
  • Snow-white hair
  • Beautiful-haired (new gene, replaces: Long-haired)
  • Grayless hair
  • Perfect bodies (new gene)
  • Feline ears (new gene)
  • Feline tail (new gene)
• Skills:
  • Great social
  • Strong cooking (new gene)
  • Awful mining
  • Awful plants
• TBD Complexity, 0 Metabolic efficiency

Lowmate

Derived from popular highmates with a greater focus on physical aspects of lovin’, lowmates are attractive companions for those looking for no-risk thrills without the risk of pregnancy. They also lack any violence inhibitors, both to defend themselves against people who won’t take “no” as an answer and for the client with more eclectic tastes.

Developed for the lower classes of urbworlds, lowmate xenogerms are tied with employment contracts for those willing to sell their bodies regularly. Numerous controversies surround its development, as the workers become physically dependent on their work and are almost always on the hunt for their next “meal”, however it’s also recognized that taking any legislative action would remove any protections they are legally guaranteed with their contracts. Lowmates typically are on the lookout for regulars, but some are actively deployed as social weapons in politics.

Lowmates have following genes guaranteed:

• Assorted:
  • Very happy
  • Heat weakness
  • Delicate
  • Very high libido (new gene)
  • Attractive
  • Sterile
  • Lovin’ Dependency (new gene)
  • Flirty (new gene)
• Cosmetic:
  • Thin body
  • Standard body
  • Long-haired
  • Grayless hair
  • Sheer white skin
  • Light gray skin
  • Blue hair
  • Teal hair
  • Purple hair
• Skills:
  • Great social
  • Great cooking
  • Awful mining
  • Awful plants
• TBD Complexity, 0 Metabolic efficiency

CHANGE TO PSYCHIC BOND

This mod introduces new mechanics related to Psychic Bond gene in vanilla game.

CHANGE DESCRIPTION

Old description:

Carriers of this gene have a special neural organ that makes them psychically bond with a lover for life. As long as the lovers are together, they will be happy. If they are physically separated, they will be disturbed by the distance. If one dies, the other's mind will be badly disrupted.

New description:

Carriers of this gene have a special neural organ that makes them psychically bond with a lover for life. Depending on the characteristics of the bonded individuals, they will receive unique effects as long as they are together. If they are physically separated, they will be disturbed by the distance. If one dies, the other's mind will be badly disrupted.

NEW PREGNANCY APPROACH

Psychic bond should allow for a new pregnancy approach. This is a unique pregnancy approach that only appears on pawns with Psychic bond gene.

Label: Psychic conception (pregnancy guaranteed)

Selecting this option guarantees pregnancy when lovin’. This works even if the partner is infertile. This guarantees that after lovin’, pregnancy occurs.

NEW PSYCHIC BOND CHANGES

This mod introduces a significant change to how psychic bond works, making it more impactful and appealing. It also has unique behaviors that depend on traits of the individuals.

PSYCHIC BOND

Bond description: This person has a psychic bond with another person based on the psychic bonding gene. The bond itself grants some limited psychic awareness, allowing it to connect even with the psychically deaf.

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• ×50% pain multiplier
• +15% consciousness
• +12 mood and
• +10% psychic sensitivity

When on the same map, bonded colonists can use new social interactions between each other:

• Calming words
• Consoling words

When on different maps, bonded colonists receive:

• −10 mood
• +5% psychic sensitivity
• −25% consciousness

When one bonded character dies:

• The other enters extreme mental break

If any of the pawns in a bond has some sort of trait listed below, unique effects are applied in a form of a new hediff just like Psychic bond. There is no limit to these unique effects, however if both pawns have the same trait, the effect is only applied once.

Both pawns get the same effect.

Bloodlust or Psychopath

If either pawn in the relationship has Bloodlust or Psychopath trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• Melee damage factor ×150%
• Chance mental break is violent ×200%

Fast Learner or Too Smart

If either pawn in the relationship has Fast Learner or Too Smart trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• +25% Global Learning Factor

Industrious or Hard Worker

If either pawn in the relationship has Industrious or Hard Worker trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• Global Work Speed +10%

Sanguine or Optimist

If either pawn in the relationship has Sanguine or Optimist trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• +3 mood

Iron Willed or Steadfast

If either pawn in the relationship has Iron Willed or Steadfast trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• Mental Break Threshold −9%

Careful Shooter

If either pawn in the relationship has Careful Shooter trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• Shooting Accuracy +2

Psychically Sensitive or Psychically Hypersensitive

If either pawn in the relationship has Psychically Sensitive or Psychically Hypersensitive trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• +40% Psychic Sensitivity

Great Memory

If either pawn in the relationship has Great Memory trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• x75% Skill loss rate

Abrasive

If either pawn in the relationship has Abrasive trait, the following effect is further applied:

When on the same map, bonded colonists receive:

• They will not slight or insult anyone.

This system allows us to make bonded pawns much stronger depending on what traits they have. I like to think of it as the bonded partner magnifying our positive traits.

NEW GENES

A few new genes are available in this mod.

VERY HIGH LIBIDO

Carriers of this gene are very keen to engage in lovin’ with their partner, or with anyone else for that matter. They can initiate lovin’ anywhere and anytime.

ExcludeTag: Libido

Complexity: 1
Metabolism: -2

Pawns with this gene have MTB Lovin' Factor: 4.

Furthermore, they have a new gizmo:

Gizmo label: Initiate lovin’

Description: Approach the target and initiate lovin’ with them. If in relationship with anyone else, this will be considered cheating and will result in a break up.

Cooldown: 12 ingame hours.

It will of course trigger break ups if in a relationship with someone else. It will of course respect the age of the target. It won't appear on underage lowmates. It cannot be triggered on pawns with negative opinion of the caster - meaning you can't do lovin' to your rival to make them like you. It won't result in pregnancy, unless it's done to your partner, with whom you have a romance setting that allows pregnancy.

New lovin’ type: Lovin’ for pleasure

This type of lovin’ is available for pawns in relationship with a pawn with very high libido.

Label: Lovin’ for pleasure (pregnancy chance x0%)

Enabling lovin’ for pleasure completely removes the chance of becoming pregnant. Lovin’ for pleasure however takes 25% longer than normal lovin’.

FLIRTY

Carriers of this gene get emotional stimulation from playful flirting. They will offer kind, flirty words to brighten the moods of those around them. This helps in developing stronger bonds in the community, but may lead to romances and even break ups.

Complexity: 1
Metabolism: -1

Forces a ‘Flirty’ trait.

LOVIN’ DEPENDENCY

Carriers of this gene need to partake in lovin’ on a regular basis to survive. After 5 days without lovin’, carriers will suffer from lovin’ deficiency. After 30 days without lovin’, they may abandon the colony.

Complexity: 1
Metabolism: +3

• Pawns with Lovin’ Dependency need to take part in lovin’ in order to avoid huge mood debuffs.
• Lovin’ dependency severity increases by 0.2 per day. Reduced to 0% upon taking part in lovin’.
  • Severity 1 (5 days): New mood thought: Needs lovin’ - “I crave lovin’. Give me some of it!” - -10 mood
  • Severity 3 (15 days): New mood thought: Demands lovin’ - “If I don’t get any lovin’ right here, right now…” - -25 mood
  • Severity 6 (30 days): Colonist stays on the previous mood thought, but the colonist instantly triggers Given up and leaving mental break with the final reason being Demands lovin’. The severity gets reduced to 3.

Becomes active at the age of 16. Children under the age of 16 do not have any effects of lovin’ dependency.

DISTRESSED

Carriers of this gene take much longer to process hard, distressing memories. Negative thoughts related to human and animal suffering will last twice as long.

ExcludeTag:

Complexity: 1
Metabolism: +2

Forces the following trait: Distressed

BEAUTIFUL-HAIRED

Carriers of this gene have beautifully styled, long hair.

Carriers of this gene are guaranteed to use our new hairstyles added in this mod.

ExcludeTag: HairStyle

Complexity: 0
Metabolism: 0

PERFECT BODY

Carriers of this gene have perfect bodies with no flaws what-so-ever. Their bodies are symmetrical, with soft skin that feels like silk to the touch. People who get intimate with carriers of this gene will not be satisfied when lovin’ anyone without perfect body.

ExcludeTag:

Complexity: 1
Metabolism: -1

Changes the body texture to use one of our new perfect bodies textures.

If a pawn with perfect body does Lovin’ to another pawn, that another pawn will get a +5 opinion memory of the pawn with perfect body. That opinion is labelled ‘What a perfect body’. This lasts for two weeks.

If a pawn every made Lovin’ to a pawn with Perfect body, their Got some lovin’ mood thought will be nullified UNLESS they are making Lovin’ to a pawn with Perfect body gene.

HARMLESS

Carriers of this gene are not considered a threat by others, and will not be attacked unless they are holding a weapon or have been recently drafted. Carriers of this gene can still be hit by friendly fire and stray bullets, and will still be attacked by manhunting animals.

Prerequisite: Violence disabled

Complexity: 0
Metabolism: -1

Carriers of this gene do not always have to participate in combat. If they are unarmed and have not been drafted in 24 hours, they are very low priority targets for enemies. If harmless pawns aren't in the line of sight of enemy fighters, they won't be hunted down during an attack.

However, harmless pawns are still able to be targeted. This is in contrast to pen animals, who enemies will never attack intentionally. If a raider has no other targets available, a "noncombatant" harmless pawn will be attacked. Hungry predators have no regard for this mechanic, and will target harmless pawns if they are nearby.

DOMINANT GENOME

Carriers of this gene inherently pass on all their traits to offspring, as this gene overpowers the genetic contributions of the other parent during reproduction. If both partners have dominant genome gene, the genes passed down will be randomized.

ExclusionTag: GenomeDominance

Complexity: 0
Metabolism: -2

This gene makes it so a child born from the parent with dominant genome inherits all the genes (including Dominant genome) from the partner with dominant genome. This means both endogenes and xenogenes, and even archite genes.

If both pawns have dominant genome gene, the child will just be born normally with a mixture of both parents.

RECESSIVE GENOME

Carriers of this gene have a unique genetic makeup that recedes during reproduction, resulting in none of their traits being passed on to their offspring. If both partners have recessive genome gene, the genes passed down will be randomized.

ExclusionTag: GenomeDominance

Complexity: 0
Metabolism: +1

This gene makes it so a child born from a pawn with recessive gene and another pawn will inherit ALL the genes from the other partner. No genes will be passed down from a pawn with Recessive genome gene. If both pawns have recessive genome genes, the child will just be born normally with a mixture of both parents.

FELINE EARS

Carriers of this gene will have soft, furry, feline ears.

ExclusionTag: Ears

Complexity: 0
Metabolism: 0

Visual-only cat ears with a slight increase to market value. This graphic uses a mask to mask out the soft flesh from the actual furry bit. We might need to devise technology for it.

+5% of the market value

FELINE TAIL

Carriers of this gene grow a furry tail that does not have any purpose other than decorative.

ExclusionTag: Tail

Complexity: 0
Metabolism: 0

Adds a visual-only cat tail.

NEW TRAIT

This mod introduces 2 new traits.

FLIRTY

{PAWN_nameDef} is always ready with a flirtatious comment or a playful compliment, lifting the spirits of those around {PAWN_objective}. {PAWN_pronoun} has a knack for making others feel special and desired, however this may sometimes lead to complicated situations when {PAWN_pronoun}'s playful intentions are misinterpreted.

• Commonality: 1
• ConflictingTraits: Abrasive, Psychopath

Characters with this trait often use a brand new interaction type called Flirty words. This interaction can either be Accepted or Rejected. The chance to accept is based on the opinion that the target has of the initiator. The chance to Accept is 0 if the opinion is negative.

If it’s accepted, the target gets +5 opinion about the initiator, and the initiator gets +5 opinion with the target. Opinion is labelled ‘Flirted with’.

DISTRESSED

{PAWN_nameDef} is exceptionally empathetic and sensitive to the suffering of others. Whenever {PAWN_pronoun} witnesses pain or hardship, it deeply affects {PAWN_objective}, resulting in memories of these events haunting {PAWN_nameDef} for a much longer time.

• Commonality: 1
• ConflictingTraits: Psychopath, Bloodlust

Following thoughts have their duration doubled:

• KnowGuestExecuted
• KnowColonistExecuted
• KnowPrisonerDiedInnocent
• KnowColonistDied
• BondedAnimalDied
• PawnWithGoodOpinionDied
• ... there's more but I'm not going to paste such a huge list.

So that's about it for this mod. I still have to design a few new social interactions between bonded mates, but the work on coding is already ongoing. I'm pretty happy with giving highmates some new niche.

Lowmates will very rarely appear in Pirate raids. Highmates still won't spawn in the world naturally, as we want to keep them extremely rare. I do however have plans for getting a highmate of your own upon reaching a certain Royal rank. Will see how it goes.

Let me know what you think about this mod. And if you don't like cat ears - keep it to yourself. You can patch it out or use Cherry Picker. No need to force your anti-cat ear ideology onto me :)

Excited?