Weekly update #20

Weekly update #20

by Bod9001

Weekly Update
Greetings, crew! Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly update blog post. This time, we are excited to focus on a recent addition to the game: Xenobiology. We want to provide you with an overview of this new feature.

Xenobiology is just one of the many things we have been working on, and we will explore the rest of the changes in future blog posts. As always, if you want to dive into the details, you can find the complete list of changes in our Changelog Page. Let's now delve into the fascinating world of Xenobiology and discover what it has to offer!

Introducing Xenobiology

We are thrilled to announce the implementation of Xenobiology v1 into the game! With this new feature, players can now engage in the exciting world of breeding slimes, generating materials, and even creating new creatures and food sources.

While the concept of Xenobiology may be familiar to those who have played other SS13 flavors, we have also incorporated some key differences and unique elements that we will explore in detail.

Stay tuned as we delve into the intricacies of Xenobiology, discussing its mechanics, possibilities, and the exciting future developments planned for this feature. Get ready to embark on an extraordinary journey through the realms of Xenobiology in Unitystation!

Starting Setup

Let's take a look at the starting setup for Xenobiology in Unitystation. Your work area should resemble something like this:

1. Vacpack: This tool is used for picking up slimes and monkeys. Simply equip it into your backpack slot, take the gun out, and use it's function to suck up slimes and monkeys.
2. Monkey Cubes: Inject water or pour water onto the monkey cubes using a beaker. This will produce a monkey for you to work with.
3. Plasma: Make sure to have some plasma ores around as they are useful for your research!
4. All-in-One Grinder: Use this machine to grind plasma. You can use the product to cause some reactions with the slime core.
5. Slime Processor: Put the dead monkeys and slimes into the slime processor. It will extract the cores and recycle the monkeys.

Loading Monkeys into the Setup

Now that you have the monkey cubes prepared, it's time to load the monkeys into the setup. Follow these steps:

1. Apply Water: Using a beaker or syringe, apply water to the monkey cube. This will initiate the process of creating a monkey.
2. Vacpack or Disposals: Depending on the map and available options, you can use either your vacpack or the disposals system to load the monkeys into the slime containment area.

Splitting Your Slimes

Once your slimes have multiplied and it's time to split them, follow these steps:

1. Set up the Freezer Unit: Use any ID to unlock the Air Control Unit (ACU) and set it to draught. Then, turn on the freezer and set it to the minimum temperature.
2. Grab the Slime: Take the slime you want to remove from your feeding chamber.
3. Use the Vacpack: Use the Vacpack: Use the Vacpack to deposit the slime into the freezer. This will eventually kill the slime and be ready to be processed. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt, they feel no pain..

Processing Perished Slimes

When your slimes have perished, you can still make use of their remains by following these steps:

1. Vacuum the Slimes: Use the Vacpack to pick up the perished slimes, as well as any monkeys that may be present.
2. Bring them to the Slime Processor: Transfer the collected slimes and monkeys to the slime processor. Simply drag them into the processor and turn it on. The processor will split up the slime cores and extract any monkey cubes that were present.
3. Utilizing the Slime Cores: Now that you have the slime cores, you can inject them with 5u of blood, plasma, or water to initiate a reaction. This reaction can lead to various outcomes, such as spawning food or producing specific reagents based on the slime core's color. Take the opportunity to explore the different capabilities of the various slimes.

It's important to note that once a slime core has been used, it becomes depleted and no longer serves any purpose. Have fun experimenting with the possibilities and uncovering the secrets hidden within the slime cores.

Dealing with Aggressive Slimes

1. Hit the Slime: Use physical force to hit the slime and knock it off you. This will interrupt its feeding behavior and force it to stop attacking.
2. Avoid Damaging the Slime: It's important not to cause excessive damage to the slime during the encounter. If you manage to avoid damaging it, the slime will eventually cease its attack and run away.

And there you have it, a quick introduction to Xenobiology 101! We hope you enjoy experimenting with this exciting new feature and uncovering all the fascinating outcomes that await you. From reagents and food to new creatures and powerful potions, there are endless possibilities to explore.

During our playtest session, we had a blast with some wild monkey business. We hope to see you again in our next playtest session. With this guide, we hope you can conduct your xenobiology research with fewer slimes causing havoc throughout the station.

As always, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in this project, including our patrons, contributors, and players. Your support is what makes all of this possible. Until next week, happy experimenting and see you soon!