Guide to Telekinesis

[Display Name]

Disclaimer: This is not a guide on the role of Geneticist or using the Genetics Lab. This is strictly a guide on the ways that one particular genetic power can be utilized, and may not be complete at that.

Overview:

The geneticist is chief among the ranks of underestimated roles on the server, and with the right stroke of luck, along with a little bit of skill, can become a real force to be reckoned with. This guide hopes to explain all the uses of one particular genetic power that a geneticist may find, may you be fortunate to find yourself in the possession of one.

Functions:

Passive Ability: None

Active Ability: Move shit. Open shit. Use shit. Press buttons. Steal people's ID cards.

Description: Telekinesis is, by a long shot, the most versatile, and simultaneously the most overlooked major ability in the metaphorical toolbox that is Genetics. Telekinesis is also, objectively, the most complex power, and many of its uses require thinking outside the box. The specific functions of telekinesis, in no particular order, are as follows:

1. Basic Throw: This is the most common usage of telekinesis, and, as such, will likely be what you default to in a crisis. In essence, the way that the "basic throw" works is the player clicks on the object that they wish to telekinetically grab, and then click somewhere else, where they wish to "throw" the object. Keep in mind that after being "thrown", an object remains in the telekinetic grab, and can be thrown again, as well as the fact that pretty much any movable object can be "thrown". Mechanically, the basic throw is exactly the same as a regular throw, except for the fact that multiple throws can be chained together, making weapons such as spears and floor tiles, that deal more damage when thrown, and weapons like baseball bats, with knock back, especially potent in combat, and for just fooling around. You can "throw" as fast as you can click, which makes ranged combat easier, and allows one to break windows, grilles and even doors by continuously throwing common objects such as oxygen tanks and fire extinguishers at them.
2. Basic Attack: Incredibly basic, as the name states, telekinetically grabbing an object allows the player to attack machines and doors with the held object. Grilles can be attacked even without grabbing an object, but electrocution still applies.
3. Basic Use: A little more complex than the basic throw, and very specific, the "basic use" can be applied to closets, crates, doors that do not require an ID and buttons. With unlocked doors and buttons, a player merely needs to click on the door or button they wish to use, such as shutters, and that object will be activated. Closets and crates are a little more complicated, requiring the player to first telekinetically grab the object via a basic throw, and then press their respective use hotkey. This will open or close the closet or crate being held, and can be used obnoxiously to much success. Another function of this ability, is that a telekinetically grabbed object adjacent to a machine, such as a beaker to a chem station, can be inserted in, or food, if adjacent to a player, eaten.
4. Machine and Console Use: This is where the telekinetic grab shines the most. Any machine or console in viewing range, given you have the proper ID access to use it, can be opened, but this comes with a roadblock. Machines and consoles require the player to be standing within three tiles to them for usage, and generally have their functions grayed out until the player enters this range, making the telekinesis somewhat limited. However, even this limited function is incredibly useful. One of the most gimmicky things to do is to find a computer console that requires an ID, like at the Security line. When accessing the console telekinetically, the player has the ability to eject the ID from the console directly into their hand, disregarding walls, windows, people and distance between the player and the console. Obviously, this is incredible exploitable. Unfortunately, this is not true for modular consoles, such as fax machines and the HoP's ID console, which will simply eject the ID on the same tile.

The usage of Telekinesis can be employed in numerous obscure, little functions, simply because of the admirable attention to detail given to it by the coders. Even more specific ways to utilize the above functions are as follows:

• Telekinetically grabbing a rolling chair, vehicle or wheelchair, buckling yourself to said item and rapidly "throwing" yourself forward allows a player to obtain speeds rivaled only by cultists wearing a zealot's robe and heated slimes. Keep in mind, you do not open doors automatically when doing this, so having a free hand to swap to is useful, and, as chairs work in the game, you will block other players upon contact and get pushed around when stationary.
• Within three tiles of a computer console that requires an ID to be inputted, such as Medical or Security Records Consoles, a player can eject any ID that has been inputted directly into their hand. This is particularly useful with Security Officers, who often change Security records in areas accessible to the three-tile limit, and require their ID to remain in the console for as long as they are changing records.
• Closets are your friends. Quickly moving and closing a closet or crate in your wake when being chased will stall your pursuers for long enough to get out of their vision, and block any incoming projectiles. The ability to close a closet from range is also effective in hiding evidence.
• All basic functions(basic attack, basic throw and basic use), can be utilized anywhere within your viewing range. This allows you to multitask to a great degree, a player being able to force any number of firelocks at the same time, for example.
• Basic use is your friend when it comes to simple labour tasks. A telekinetically grabbed crowbar, for example, can be used to pry up floor tiles adjacent to it. Keep in mind, this is mostly limited to non-intent related uses. To my knowledge, butchering, and other intent-specific game mechanics cannot be used telekinetically.
• Many buttons, like the doors in Medbay, or the shutters in the OR and Detective's Office, do not require an ID to press, and can be used to again, hide evidence. Keep in mind, shutters will block your line of sight if you wish to press the button again.
• Basic attack will deal the same amount of damage as a regular attack with the held object, but with objects that have a high, or even medium throwing damage output, it may be more useful to throw, as enemies do not have to be directly clicked on, only be in the line of fire, and, while basic attack has the regular attack cooldown, basic throw does not.
• Properly utilizing disposal bins is key in theft and item denial. If you can throw the item you want to have, or want to deny someone else from having, into a disposal bin, you will have placed that object in a situation where you have a significant advantage in later obtaining the item in question, the Cargo Office Disposals line being visible from the hallway.
• Beware of scary people with scary syringe guns. Who knows what could be fired out of that monstrosity, perhaps even the dreaded mutadone. Getting hit with a single mutadone syringe will reset your genetic sequence, and you'll have to give an unhappy farewell to telekinesis.

Above all, telekinesis is best employed as a distraction. It's something that is extremely difficult to use effectively unless you are dedicating your full attention to it, and over-reliance on it is equally unhelpful. The difficulty of employing all your skills when roleplaying, working or fighting is compounded, simply because telekinesis's relative scarcity affords it little familiarity among even the experienced playerbase, and the idea that anyone will be able to casually utilize all of its functions, ever, is unrealistic. If you are lucky enough to come into the possession of a telekinesis mutation, may it be through the efforts of a geneticist or just a really, really lucky rad storm(don't stand in rad storms. please)you become a powerhouse, not by virtue of possessing an admittedly unbalanced and overpowered game feature, but through your knowledge of advanced gameplay mechanics and when to use them. 

Damn, I just keep adding to this, don't I? Been having so much fun just meming around with telekinesis that I've found some more easter-egg functions, if you will.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Display Name

[Shina]

A solid guide. The console trick was new to me - makes me wonder what other shenanigans you can get up to with certain consoles... certain consoles that people forget logging out of?

[procdrone]

Throwing death nettles will apply the deadly toxins they have upon impact. which makes it a very DEADLY telekinesis weapon. Of course injection protection can hamper your way. But its still a very deadly option!