Virology needs an overhaul

[maurleur]

 

After the recent update to genetics, I can't help but wonder about Medical's other neglected field; Virology. If you think about it, there are only two uses for Virology right now: Curing a Disease and Spreading a Disease. One happens pretty rarely and the other one is limited to antag roles, which leaves an average Virologist to die of boredom during most of the round. You might think that you could create a positive viral specimen for the benefit of the station, but there is one big problem stopping you from that. You cannot make a viral culture that doesn't at least have one negative effect.

 

Let's look at all the 4 stages of a virus and the effects that it can have

 

Stage 4

Gibbingtons Syndrome: Gibs the infected person. Obviously fatal.

Radian's syndrome: Build up of Radiation damage.

Dead Ear Syndrome: Causes deafness.

Monkism syndrome: Turns infected into monkey.

Suicidal syndrome: Makes the infected person suicide.

Toxification syndrome: Causes severe Toxin damage.

Reverse Pattern Syndrome: Causes severe clone damage.

Shutdown Syndrome: Causes the death of limbs and toxin damage.

Longevity Syndrome: Causes the "You suddenly feel hurt and old..." message and organ damage when cured. Needs testing.

Fragile Bones Syndrome: Causes bone damage.

Stage 3

Hyperacid Syndrome: Causes lesser Toxin damage.

World Shaking syndrome: Vision shakes.

Telepathy Syndrome: Gives telepathy.

Lazy mind syndrome: Causes brain damage.

Hallucinational Syndrome: Causes Hallucinations.

Hard of hearing syndrome: Causes deafness.

Uncontrolled Laughter Effect: Causes giggling.

Topographical Cretinism: Causes confusion.

DNA Degradation: Causes lesser clone damage.

Groaning Syndrome: Causes groaning.

Stage 2

Loudness Syndrome: Causes screaming.

Automated sleeping syndrome: Causes drowsiness and sleeping.

Resting syndrome: Causes collapsing.

Blackout Syndrome: Makes you blind.

Anima Syndrome: Causes coughing and mucus spreading. Also makes disease airborne.

Appetiser Effect: Causes increased hunger.

Refridgerator Syndrome: Causes shivering.

Hair Loss: Causes hair loss and the "Your hair starts to fall out in clumps..." message.

Adrenaline Extra: Causes the "You feel a rush of energy inside you!" message. Also gives you hyperzine.

Stage 1

Coldingtons Effect: Causes sneezing and mucus spreading. Also makes disease airborne.

Flemmingtons: Causes the 'Mucous runs down the back of your throat.' message. No other effects.

Saliva Effect: Causes drooling.

Twitcher: Causes twitching.

Headache: Causes the "Your head hurts a bit" message.

Waiting Syndrome: Harmless, though prevents early detection.

 

As you can see, stage 4 has to harm the host in some sort of way, which is a shame. Not to mention the other negatives effects. My suggestion would be adding more positive or neutral effects to the roster of symptoms. To balance it out, make the great effects manifest with more difficulty than the harmful ones, perhaps you would need a strong mutagen source for it to work(Like Unstable mutagen or Radium). That way you'd need to ask chemistry to make more efficient diseases.

 

I'm not too sure what kind of effects you could add. But I made this thread specifically so people could contribute their own ideas towards it. But a few examples could be: Photosynthesis Syndrome(Skin becomes green and person no longer has to eat if he remains in the light, much like a diona), Bone Augmentation Syndrome(People become tougher and shattered bones heal over time), Cold/Heat resistance effects, Pierrot's Throat(Makes you Hon-)

 

You get the gist. What do you guys think?

 

[Regen]

I like the idea, but at the moment I dont think it is what ponies want to focus on, definitely would love more positive effects for Virology and more stuff

[Psyentific]

 

The main problem with virology is that, for so long, it's been entirely negative. Any given virus shows up on med-huds, regardless of if it's GBS or Eternal Youth. Furthermore, if the Virologist is hanging out in Medbay lobby asking people if they want to be immortal demigods, people are going to take one look at him and nope the fuck out, because that's -totally- airborne xenovirus nanomachines GBS whatever.

 

Virology needs an overhaul, both in image and reputation, as well as content.

 

[Roland410]

 

Also a LITTLE hint, Longevity, stage 4, doesn't do anything bad, just makes the virus exist longer.

The virus you usually want to do is Waiting, adrenaline extra, telepathy (still broken I think), and longevity.

 

[Regen]

 

Also a LITTLE hint, Longevity, stage 4, doesn't do anything bad, just makes the virus exist longer.

The virus you usually want to do is Waiting, adrenaline extra, telepathy (still broken I think), and longevity.

Telepathy works