Gene extractor
This article relates to content added by Biotech (DLC). Please note that it will not be present without the DLC enabled. |
Gene extractor
An automated surgery machine that can extract a person's genes and create a genepack from them. The extracted genes will be randomly selected from the person's xenogenes and germline genes. You can force someone into the machine, but they won't like it.
Extracting a person's genes while their genes are currently regrowing will kill them. Otherwise, gene extraction causes no lasting harm.
Genes that require archite capsules are too complex to be extracted.
Base Stats
- Type
- Building
- Beauty
- 0
- HP
- 350
- Flammability
- 50%
Building
- Size
- 2 × 2
- Minifiable
- False
- Placeable
- True
- Passability
- Impassable
- Cover Effectiveness
- 0%
- Terrain Affordance
- Light
- Power
- -200 W
Creation
- Required Research
- Xenogenetics
- Skill Required
- Construction 4
- Work To Make
- 9,000 ticks (2.5 mins)
The Gene extractor is used to extract genepacks from humans.
Acquisition
Gene extractors can be constructed once the Xenogenetics research project has been completed. They require 200 Steel, 8 Components, 9,000 ticks (2.5 mins) of work, and a Construction skill of 4.
Summary
The extractor consumes 50W of power when idle, and 200W when active. When active, a gene extractor will collect genes from humans to be stored into a genepack. Colonists can be ordered to enter the gene extractor either by right-clicking it with a colonist selected, or by using the on-screen gizmo. Prisoners can be loaded into the gene extractor using the on-screen gizmo. Once a prisoner has been selected, a colonist will haul them to the extractor. This job is considered "Hauling" instead of "Wardening". Quest lodgers cannot have their genes extracted.
In order for a pawn to enter the extractor, they must have one or more genes aside from their melanin (natural skin color) and hair color genes, meaning that baseline humans are exempt. The extractor can still extract an occupant's hair color or non-natural skin gene, if present.
It takes 12 hours for gene extraction to complete. The occupant is not suspended during extraction, and will still have their needs decay. This means that a pawn may be starving or exhausted by the time they leave. Once extraction is complete, the occupant will be ejected, and a new genepack with 1 to 4 collected xenogenes will be dropped nearby. If it is not powered for 24 hours, then extraction will be canceled.
Once extracted, the occupant will suffer from multiple conditions:
- Gene Shock for 2 days (+5% pain, −5% Consciousness, −15% blood filtration)
- Genes Regrowing for 12 to 20 days. It does not have any direct effects, but will cause instant death if the pawn has their genes extracted before it wears off. This death is caused by destruction of the brain, so the Deathless gene does not stop this.
Prisoners and slaves who have their genes extracted will have a −8 Genes Extracted moodlet, for being an unwilling extraction. Colonist moods are not affected by anyone's genes being harvested, including their own.
Gene selection
Attempted number of genes to extract is weighted as such:
- 1 gene -> 0.7 weight
- 2 genes -> 0.2 weight
- 3 genes -> 0.08 weight
- 4 genes -> 0.02 weight
After a number of genes to extract is selected, the following rules must be adhered to for selecting genes:
- Sum of all genes' metabolism score is required to be within -5 to 5 range.
- Archite genes cannot be extracted.
- Melanin skin color genes cannot be extracted.
- No duplicates.
If a gene has > 0 complexity, it has a selection weight of 3, otherwise its weight is 1.
Xenotype Extraction Table
The following table serves as a reference for which xenotypes have which specific genes. Bear in mind that many genes are not used by any xenotype, and must be acquired through trade or quests. Archite genes cannot be extracted, despite appearing in the table.
Analysis
Overall, gene editing is suprisingly inexpensive. A gene extractor, bank, and assembler only costs 450 steel and 13 components. You don't need to build the assembler right away, lowering the cost to 250 steel and 9 components. This is often affordable for colonies that have the time to research Xenogenetics. You may want to build more gene banks as your gene collection grows, but you can toss out unwanted genepacks in the meantime.
Rather, the main cost of the extractor is time. Each extraction takes 12 hours and has a cooldown of 12-20 days per person. And you'll get an entirely random set of genes; there's no protection against duplicate gene packs, for instance. Players that desire to use xenogenetics should plan ahead. Both colonists and prisoners can have their genes extracted. If you want a specific xenotype's gene, then try and capture as many prisoners of that xenotype as possible, even if you don't want to recruit them. Don't shy away from extracting colonist genes, either - the extraction process is a very minor penalty, unless a colonist is currently suffering through a disease.
In return, even simple xenogerms can provide major benefit. For example, neanderthals have Robust gene, reducing all damage by ×75%. With a Great <skill> gene, it becomes very easy to reach (and maintain) a level 20 skill. Virtually every xenotype has at least one gene worth extracting and using. Don't be afraid with installing "incomplete" xenogerms; each xenogerm completely overwrites the last, and only costs 4 herbal medicine to implant.
Version history
- Biotech DLC Release - Added
- 1.4.3530 -
- "Genes regrowing" hediff from gene extraction lasts 12-20 days. (Down from 25)
- Gene extractor takes 12 hours to extract genes. (Down from 24)
- 1.4.3534 - Gene extractor can no longer extract melanin (skin or hair) genes.
- 1.4.3541 -
- Pawns can no longer use the gene extractor if they only have a melanin gene.
- Fix: Empty genepacks can be extracted
- 1.4.3548 - Fix: Pawns in gene extractors are suspended.
- 1.4.3555 -
- Gene shock effects reduced (from?), and lasts for 2 days (down from 4).
- Gene extractor now ejects pawns after 24 hours of not being powered.