How Does Trait Mutation Work?

[Rhons]

I've been testing a little here and there, and one of the biggest interests in the RNG of ST:F is the Traits Systems. I've read a bit on the Wiki about the Trait-types and how it influences other Traits to appear. Additionally, given many actions from paying salaries to completing Missions to even saying "hi" to your local Merchant can cause Trait Mutations, good or bad (never forget Elizabeth Folk who got Flashbacks from chatting with a Merchant of my own Faction at +4 Hostility).

Well, I got a cue from a person from the Discord about messing around with the Pox Era and I followed suit after them. Although they must have much more time observing things than I have and surely they must have done different methods than what I was doing, there were some patterns I found interesting but unable to know it happen to others. While RNG is always a factor, when one update made an "improved Trait mutation system", I wanted to learn more.

Before the long and short of it is asked, I have some observations:

• When Trait Mutation is forced from Plague Missions Steps or recovery, a precursor to having the coveted "Device Freak" is "Mechsync" and apparently that. Other Gearhead Traits did not necessarily lead to Device Freak but to other Traits. I came to this conclusion after noticing only most of my Mechanics/Engineers/Crew Dogs, being Javat and scouted with Mechsync, were getting Device Freak. Additionally, when Elsa Nariman got Mechsync from Pox Mutation, following mutations would result in a fair chance for her to receive Device Freak.
• There seem to be some dead ends with Trait Mutation. If the Pox didn't give any Pox Traits, it normally would give a trait to follow up on a character's pre-existing Traits (Addiction Traits to Addictive Tick or Grav Traits to my Javat Crew with Diggermind). However, for a select few Crew, it would default to giving them "Hypochondriac" and then no new Traits.
• Combat Traits, surprise, have a slight chance from occurring after Crew Combat.
• Even small actions can give potentially negative Traits, regardless if it is something completely normal or even beneficial (see the first stanza of this post with Elizabeth Folk).
• Repeatedly reloading saves and seeing what Traits outside of Pox Traits the Crimson Pox can give to a Crew Member is limited to a few options and it is enforced. If a Crew Member is destined to receive Storyteller or Greedy, they will very often only receive that Trait or two other Traits. No other Trait will be available to them after mutation.

The underlying, burning question that I have is how exactly does this Trait Mutation system work?

[resistor]

From what I recall from one of Cory's livestreams years ago, every trait has 3 possible mutation paths. Events that cause trait mutation will normally select a mutation path from one of the traits they already have. Some events (have a chance to) add specific traits to a random crew member, ignoring mutation paths, such as drawing a positive card in Exploration having a chance to give a random crew member an exploration-related trait.

As for Pox mutations, I'm not entirely certain, but I think it works something like this: there is a special list of Pox mutation traits that are checked against the mutation path of the character's current traits, and a trait that is both on the list and in that character's trait mutation paths is preferred for selection.

[fallen]

Most events in the game have a very small % chance of prompting a Trait mutation in the crew. Example event -- paying crew, spicing crew, travel test, getting hit by a meteor, winning a combat, blowing up an indie ship, exploring.

Over time, this causes a behavior that, your Trait mutations are caused by things you repeat very often. If you explore 100 rounds but only fight 3 ship combats in the void, your Trait mutations are going to be far more driven by Explorer.

Every event is rated as negative or positive -- there are negative and positive Explorer events.

Every event + negative OR positive drives a set of possible mutations. Then, the character's existing Traits are consulted to add extra possible mutations. Then some are removed to avoid conflicts. Then, from the set of possible mutations, one is picked randomly.