The mercs should be randomly generated.

[Outta_Luck_Panda]

In this game, most likely you are going to find a merc you like and endlessly reuse them for their stats or skill. If the game had endlessly randomly generated mercs that could die with special or legendary ones that you would have to find a their chip again if they died, then it would encourage other play styles and add to the experience. It would also fight against repetitive experiences adding to the user's enjoyment.

[Red Bat]

I can see some sense in this. Right now the optimal strategy is to pretty much always pick Percy unless you are doing something specific.

[Saul_Myers]

I think random generated merc should be optional.
Leave the current system as is, and add the "bioprinter" setting to just "make whatever"

[zverozvero]

Saw cannon has range 8 and aggroed AI will use it from that range. I never feel content fielding range 7 merc cause i wont be able to run away even if my turn wont end moment i see big yellow slab. Each time rng would grace me with 50% gun acc + range 7 mercs it will be just sad instead of different experience.

5 armor helps alot off course but other passives are very nice too.
+2 range, double durability, run for price of walk, fast reload, extra weapon slot so you dont need to reload, 40% acc to pistols. Others are quite situational but still workable like +1 poket - with free crouch inventory every poket past 1 are just inventory slots but still inventory slot that is and its attached to 9 range + 70% gun accuracy body.

[pgames-food]

random mercs is an interesting concept for sure :)

i like using different ones for different tasks, like here:
edit:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/2059170/discussions/0/4034725235926277625/?tscn=1702196797#c4039229229056343888

[PsychoTheWeasel]

This it not so good idea as it seems.
Random mercs stats will lead to merc rerolls (got bad merc stats? go kill them and roll a new one) and more frustated post from players who died by "oneshot" and lost their precious 1-in-100-rolled merc

[Outta_Luck_Panda]

Originally posted by PsychoTheWeasel:

This it not so good idea as it seems.
Random mercs stats will lead to merc rerolls (got bad merc stats? go kill them and roll a new one) and more frustated post from players who died by "oneshot" and lost their precious 1-in-100-rolled merc

Yeah, way better then what we got now. How are you gonna be mad at difficulty and loss in a difficult game? As it stands now death has no real weight besides losing ur items you can just farm back.

[zverozvero]

Loosing skill progress is penalty. Gear loss is a nuisance too but gear can be hoarded before luck runs dry. When you need to use few dozens of turrets or grenades, or take dozens of infected wounds (no, eating raw meat dont work), or have many a successfull dodge, or just run for half thousand tiles starting fresh is quite a setback.

Crafting random mercs in addition to existing templates would be good sink for piles of skill and mind chips though.

[pgames-food]

Originally posted by PsychoTheWeasel:

This it not so good idea as it seems.
Random mercs stats will lead to merc rerolls (got bad merc stats? go kill them and roll a new one) and more frustated post from players who died by "oneshot" and lost their precious 1-in-100-rolled merc

hi a quick fix for that would be to randomly pick a merc, but then you cant change mercs until you successfully win a mission :) (but might need an option like if you lose 3 times in a row you can change it - that way anyone wanting to try random merc, but is struggling, can still change, but anyone with enough experience and bit of luck will be more likely to carry on and do their best, rather than waste time killing their character 3 times just to get a reroll) :)

if it was made optional, then it would be like an optional Challenge Mode :)
can you find the right gear in your stash, and in the mission, to best fit the character you have randomly started with :)

[PsychoTheWeasel]

Originally posted by Outta_Luck_Panda:

Yeah, way better then what we got now. How are you gonna be mad at difficulty and loss in a difficult game? As it stands now death has no real weight besides losing ur items you can just farm back.

Yeah, it's better when you into some gacha-style ♥♥♥♥.
I prefer to compile my task specific builds from pre-known stats/skills/gear.
We do not have random stats for gear in this game. Why the hell we need random stats for characters? I don't get it. Do you want to have less control over your gameplay or something?

Originally posted by zverozvero:

Crafting random mercs in addition to existing templates would be good sink for piles of skill and mind chips though.

Devs said there will be class editor and gene editor (for characters) of some sort in future, iirc. I belive this features even mentioned in development roadmap.

Originally posted by pgames-food:

hi a quick fix for that would be to randomly pick a merc, but then you cant change mercs until you successfully win a mission :) (but might need an option like if you lose 3 times in a row you can change it - that way anyone wanting to try random merc, but is struggling, can still change, but anyone with enough experience and bit of luck will be more likely to carry on and do their best, rather than waste time killing their character 3 times just to get a reroll) :)

So it even worse. Like, if i had a worst roll of stats, and i know that it's the worst possible stats, so what i supposed to do with it? Do intentionally fail three times in a row or go struggle to win with worst starting hand?

I like challenges in games, but THAT is some kind of masochistic shenanigans.

[pgames-food]

ah thats why i said optional :)