---
# System prepended metadata

title: Species Changes (Cobby)
tags: [' Species', Appended]

---

---
tags: Appended, Species
title: Species Changes (Cobby)
---
## Species Changes (Cobby)
Species changes are highly volatile so in this document I hope to generalize some expectations for race changes moving forward.

:::danger
Changes that fit the criteria here are ++not++ implicitly approved. Even if your change aligns with the document, ++you are still required to get explicit maintainer approval.++
:::

### Existing Races/Mechanics

Any currently existing features of a race should generally not be removed, even if they do not necessarily align with the document (grandfathered in).

*[currently]: at the time this document was initially authored

Do not bother PRing a removal of an existing race.

### New Races

New races are ++required++ to have a design document which, at minimum, describes the following:

* General Lore (Better ascertains theme of the race and is a good guide for how to flesh out features)
* Central mechanics, both upsides and down. You should include statements that detail how you believe the race is properly balanced against a species without any mechanics (With providing X and Y benefits, race also comes with downsides which include A, B, and C.)

Any new race must extend thematically further than "animal-human", see plasmamen/ethereal for good examples and felinids/lizards for less ideal.

Any mechanics associated with the new race should align with the "New Mechanics" section.

### Large-Scale Reworks to Races

Large Scale Reworks are ++required++ to have a design document detailing the changes and new central mechanics similar to the document listed in "New Races".

Any mechanics associated with the new race should align with the "New Mechanics" section.

### New Mechanics to Roundstart Species

:::warning
It is important to remember that there are times we will provide exceptions to these guidelines if we think it provides enough of an improvement to the gameflow to warrant the change. If you are banking on an exception being made, it is in your interest to acknowledge that in your design document and PR explaining why the exception should be made.
:::

#### General

All mechanics should be relative to a mechanic-less species like human. For every new mechanic the species has that provides utility, there should be an equal or more practical downside to temper that change. A species without mechanics should be comparable in terms of overall power to the species you're wishing to add mechanics to. If there is so much utility that the species is being picked solely on the basis that it's the most optimal decision of all species, it suggests the species is not inline with what is deemed as proper balance.

:::info
A good example is plasmamen's rad immunity. While it has immunity to radiation, it is much more susceptible to more practical forms of damage such as brute/burn.
:::

Mechanics added should make sense to the overall theme of your species and there should be some level of lore justification in addition to the standard justifications you would provide when adding content to the game.

##### Volume of changes

It is important to note that the ability to fairly calculate the overall differences between the species with mechanics to those without decreases significantly the more changes you apply to the race. 

:::info
An example of this issue manifesting is say you have a species with a ice crystal theme, and one of the pivotal mechanical tradeoffs is that they heal naturally in colder temperatures. 

Later, someone PRs a balanced tradeoff that they take less pressure damage since theyre born from high pressure like diamonds. 

Despite the tradeoffs being perfectly fine in the vacuum, you've now accidentally created a species who can basically heal themselves whenever they go to space.
:::

Generally you want changes to the species to be vastly different in a few targeted areas versus many small changes to a wide variety of areas compared to a species without any mechanics.

:::info
A good example of this is ethereal voltage/charge mechanics. Most unique features of ethereals revolve around this pivotal aspect and build on it.

Compare this to lizards who have fire breath, temperature issues, and previously claws. None of these changes really build on each other and aren't really giving room to be fleshed out.
:::


#### Species-Only Content
Mechanics that are exclusively geared towards the new species should be minimalized, meaning add what you deem is the bare minimum and stick to that limitation. This can include language, species-specific food, etc.

The intent here is that we have to balance the fun of having these exclusive features with the fact that we are to some degree displacing people who do not pick the race. Administratively, species-wars are uncreative and disruptive to the desired flow of the round. By extension then, we should not be encouraging that type of behavior by providing a plethora of avenues to exclude other species.

#### Combat / Healing

Any mechanic that can propose a direct combat/healing advantage should be balanced with a more practical/debilitating boon not necessarily directly related to the upside (see plasmamen rad immunity versus brute/burn). Balancing for intent on a net zero for combat begs for arguments related to the practical difference between the buff and boon (you don't see arguments about the overall buff of being a plasmamen because they have radiation immunity compared to the extra brute/burn damage taken).

#### Utility

Mechanics that tradeoff utility to be net-zero are generally acceptable so long as the beneficial utility does not have a forseeable direct combat/healing effect.

:::info
An example of a utility change would be moth's ability to eat clothes compared to their susceptibility to light, which can take on a combat effect if they were flashed.
:::

#### Flavor

Flavor mechanics are fine and generally need not require changes to offset their use because they didnt have much utility initially.

:::info
An example of a flavor change could be the color of their blood. In a hypothetical, this could have some utility benefit, but the chances of that being an commonplace benefit is very low and therefore needs not a downside to compensate for the change.
:::

### Non-Roundstart Species

Changes and additions of non-roundstart species, such as slimepeople, should follow similar nature of roundstart species with the understanding that some of the upsides can be balanced by the lower accessibility of transforming into the race.

The important nuance here is that accessing the race is a one-time thing, whereas the benefits of being said race endure for the rest of the shift.