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Thread: Synthetics and You - A brief primer

  1. #1
    Whitelisted Captain 50RemAndCounting's Avatar
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    Synthetics and You - A brief primer

    Synthetic is arguably, by far, the least played role on the server, both when compared against other whitelists and USCM roles in general. As a result, many players can play many dozen, maybe even hundreds of rounds, without ever encountering a synthetic, or managing to recognize one. This short guide aims to give players both new and old some insight on what synths even are and what things they can and cannot do. I would gladly like to be proven wrong but I can imagine that due to synths being such a rare sights many players aren't even aware of their full capabilities and limitations.

    This guide is about shipside synthetics only. Synthetic survivors, easily recognizable by being pale white and having black hair, are not covered by this guide as they operate somewhat differently from Almayer synthetics.

    How do you recognize a synthetic?
    • Only has a first name
    • Wears USCM support crew or civillian clothing
    • Does not wear body armor
    • If you have a medical HUD, you will notice it has a -_- face instead of the usual + found on other humans.


    What is a synthetic and what can it even do?
    • It is a WHITELISTED role. To be able to play it yourself, you must properly fill out the appropriate whitelist application on the forums to an acceptable standard and meet all of the required criteria for begin granted the whitelist.
    • As the name implies, an artificial human. It has more health than a human, it feels no pain, it does not bleed.
    • Has a maximum/master level in EVERY existing skill.
    • This means it can perform surgeries as fast as a CMO, work powerloaders as fast as a CE, shout orders like an officer, to name a few.
    • Has an all-access ID card, exactly the same type that a CO has.
    • Other benefits of having every skill at maximum include recovering from stuns incredibly quickly and having the maximum possible melee damage bonus.


    How can a synthetic help you?
    • It has a radio headset with access to every channel - useful for relaying information between squads, especially squad members who only have general and squad comms access.
    • Heal you like a Doctor - Doctors and synthetics heal more damage per defib attempt as opposed to squad medics using them. Very useful if you happen to have suffered huge amounts of damage. Remember, no amount of damage is a "lost cause". The only constraints here are equipment, proper CPRing and time.
    • Man/operate the Requisitions if Req staff is absent for whatever reason and/or the synthetic has been ordered to do so.
    • Man the Medbay - again, just like a doctor, it can make custom meds, perform surgery etc.
    • Help outfit/refit the dropships - Don't be afraid to ask a synthetic for help if you plan on moving a lot of dropship parts as PO - the synth is much faster than you in a powerloader, and this will cut down the preparation time by a significant margin. Pilot Officers are - as the name implies - officers as well. A synthetic should not be ignoring a legal order from an officer without a valid reason.
    • Load the OB cannon - as above.
    • Do everything your squad's Squad Engineer can - build and modify barricades and furniture, maintain and repair APCs, assemble and disassemble weapon emplacements, and of course repair all of these.
    • Reach people or places an average marine cannot - remember, a synth is faster, stronger and feels no pain, unlike you.
    • Use laser designators/rangefinders to call in supply drops and fire support.
    • Get stunned for a fraction of the time amount you get stunned from a queen's screech, then proceeding to shake you and your buddies back on your feet way before you would be normally able to get back up on your own.
    • And much more!


    How can you help a synthetic?
    • Synthetics aren't omniscient demigods with otherworldly powers - a Synthetic can benefit greatly from an on-the-fly sitrep and tacitcal appraisal exactly as much as your fellow squad marine - a synth knowing what's happening and what lies ahead of it is a synth that can perform much more effectively.
    • Help repair it when it gets damaged - a Synthetic doesn't need and doesn't use medicine like you do. Ask it where is it damaged, target said body part, use a welder to fix brute damage and a cable coil to fix burn damage. Unlike a synthetic repairing themselves, there is no click/action delay, so make sure to spam click the synth's sprite until you get "Nothing to fix!" messages. Voila! Repeat on every damaged bodypart until done.
    • As a medic/doctor, keep in mind synthetics have an infinite defib timer. Due to game limitations, there is no indicator to tell you if the Synthetic has gone DNR or not. To spare you (or your squad engineer's) time and resources in case you have scarce welder fuel and cable coil available, make sure to attempt to defib paddle a synthetic BEFORE attempting to repair it. If it went DNR, you will get the standard DNR message. If not, the defibbing will commence as normal. Be wary though, while synthetics cannot be gibbed like a human can, if they're caught in an explosion powerful enough to gib a human, all of synthetic's limbs will be completely destroyed, head included. In this case, you will again get the DNR message. Feel free to check the remains of a synth's inventory - they normally should be loaded with various useful medical and engineering supplies!


    What you SHOULDN'T do when interacting with a synthetic:
    • Constantly pester them with philosophical questions, ask them to state their laws or ask them out on a date etc. Nothing is stopping you from doing this of course, but expect the synth player to become annoyed.
    • Attempt to lynch/kill them for being an abomination - a synthetic has exactly the same rights and priviledges as any other marine has. Appropriate crimes in the marine law (Assault, Attempted Murder etc.) and server rules (Improper Escalation etc.) apply here exactly as they would as if you were dealing with another marine.
    • Ask them where is their gun, ask them to fire their gun, ask them to man an HMG, kill a xeno/marine, fire an OB, do a CAS firemission, fire the mortar, charge headfirst into the queen with a machete - all of this is combat synthing and a violation of Synthetic Programming and Guidelines. Synthetics are a strictly non-combat role and may only defend themselves with melee weapons in case they're attacked first. You're just wasting your breath by asking them to fight.
    • Giving them an illegal order or asking them to do something that is a crime under the Marine Law - all synthetics are programmed with complete knowledge of Marine Law and may never break it.
    • Arresting them - just like a Commanding Officer, a Synthetic has arrest immunity. Should an officer order an arrest of a Synthetic, it is your duty as an MP to inform them that they must first fax the high command with a request for an arrest and state the exact crimes commited. Failure to do so is a violation of the Standard Operating Procedure.
    • Assign them to do nothing but mop the floors/bring you coffee/play a musical instrument for you/tell jokes and do tricks - this is not the purpose of the whitelist, it serves no real purpose and is detrimental to the synth's gameplay and the round in general. Synthetics are at liberty to ignore these kinds of orders.
    • Expecting a Synthetic to obey every present human's whim unconditionally - even though technically the entirety of Almayer's human crew is responsible for overseeing a Synthetic's operation and actions in a round, a Synthetic is only truly obliged to carry out orders given by an OFFICER. As an Enlisted ranking, a Synthetic is at liberty to ignore you completely, but unless you are requesting or demanding something illegal or unreasonable, they should normally still listen - Synthetic players abusing this may be subject to punishment from their council.
    Last edited by 50RemAndCounting; 08-02-2020 at 08:05 AM.

  2. #2
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    State laws or I'll tell cmp to get the ion rifle and card ares you malf piece of junk

  3. #3
    Retired Manager
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    synths are stinky haha
    Former staff, also former Synthetic senator.

    Now just a shitposter and lurker.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Axyinious's Avatar
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    yes very good guide but where's the ERP synth button?!?!?!

    Just kidding. Very good guide. Synthetics should be remembered by Command staff and given appropriate orders every round they participate in.
    I play as Viktor 'Beer' Kleiner, Matthaus and as Var'dqi Bo'ytill




    LT COL. VIKTOR KLEINER, USS LOWË'S COMMANDING OFFICER

    PROVISIONAL COMMAND OVER THE USS ALMAYER


    Ex-CO Councillor. If you have any questions regarding the whitelist, feel free to DM me.
    Discord is Axyinious#3635

  5. #5
    Whitelisted Captain 50RemAndCounting's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Victor Kleiner View Post
    yes very good guide but where's the ERP synth button?!?!?!

    Just kidding. Very good guide. Synthetics should be remembered by Command staff and given appropriate orders every round they participate in.
    You, Finnian Cottier (and recently Cha, after putting in an inhuman effort to get recognized) are pretty much the only COs that are aware synthetics even exist.

  6. #6
    Whitelisted Captain TyroneDadWhisperer's Avatar
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    haha funny robit go brrrrrrt
    Synthetic Unit Adrian

    Former CO Councillor 21/03/21 - 7/11/21








  7. #7
    Senior Member Me_Bigsnail's Avatar
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    okay time to bug synths with philosophical questions now.

    'Johnson, sing the American national anthem'
    Vibing as: Dismas Hind.

    THE BOIS (And gals)
    https://pastebin.com/DHCmg4nM

    Shoutouts to Manezinho for the pixelart

  8. #8
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    I remember when I was the colony synth and got lynched on the Almayer by Delta for being too white

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Viperious View Post
    I remember when I was the colony synth and got lynched on the Almayer by Delta for being too white
    based delta


    Also I'm thrilled to see I'm not the only one who gets sexually harassed and/or the I-Hate-Synths shtick line at least once every round. Great job, Rem!50.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Spetr's Avatar
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    Go make me a sandwich you over-glorified bag of plastic

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