Brain Dump: “The Fixer”
Grid Online
This is the first post in the series “Brain Dump”, where we simply take the time to offload some of the ideas we have and make room for other things. They contain ideas, questions, technical concepts or other nonsense. Nothing written here is a promise of making it to the actual game.
Today I want to talk about professions and The Fixer in particular. Professions are similar to “classes” in other RPG style games. We use the term profession because each of the playable roles will also have a trade skill unique to them. We want to emphasise the player’s role in the universe by giving them a unique trade skill that fits their profession’s style. As someone on Twitter pointed out, there are too many games in which you play a hero or a champion. In GO you’re a citizen. You’re trying to get by the day using the skills at your disposal. Whether they are out of sheer necessity or joy, it shouldn’t matter; your trade skill will help you make ends meet.
Each of the sides in a GO will contain a unique profession. The Neutrals will have the Fixer as their unique playable profession. The fixer is also my favorite profession in the game and in this post I will dump some ideas on this shady character, their meta and abilities.
Introduction
The Fixer is based on the Fixer from the game Anarchy Online. I’ve always “mained” a Fixer called Phrostsystem5000 (I know, stupid silly name) and always thought this criminal profession was super awesome; there’s something dark, sinister and mysterious about them.
Anyway, the Fixer in GO is a profession that has the ability to fix things for others, but usually himself; they make arrangement for others usually of illicit kind. The Fixer’s deep understanding of The Grid and its underlaying quantum properties allows them to hack directly in to it, yielding the Fixer digital power and cunning abilities. The Grid being a Highly advanced Quantum Network, allowing for digitalisation of any organic or non-organic material. By manipulating the grid it allows the Fixer to bend it to their benefit. Ranging from digitalising and warping matter in and out of The Grid and reappear where ever they see fit. Be it complete humans for transportation to high explosive bullets inside human tissue or hacking in to official government trade channels to steal and sell goods on the blackmarket. The Blackmarket is an off-channel trade route hidden from most other profession (The Trader has access as well), allowing them to sell off goods at various high prices and allowing them to trade between the different factions and shadowy organisations.
Unique Tools
The Fixer, as do all other professions, start out with a unique tool. Every profession interfaces with the environment using their Neurolink Interface System. The fixer starts with a Modified NIS. The modified NIS allows the Fixer to remotely access the The Grid and manipulate its quantum proprties and draw on its power to give attacks their extra power and grants access to the Fixers other abilities. Fixers depend on speed and are naturally smart and agile characters. They will favour combat using their various hacking abilities or outrun enemies if things get too personal. However, if direct conflict can not be avoided they won’t hesitate and use their trusty SMGs to do the talking.
Abilities
A Fixer relies on Grid access. Using their Modified NIS they can hack directly in to grid to tap in to the network’s raw potential. Using the Grid they can warp bullets, hack target implants and even impersonate someone else by stealing their identity. Here are a couple of abilities that are unique to the Fixer Profession:
- Grid Warp. Partially warp your next bullet in to the Grid to reappear near one of the target vital organs, making them explode inside the body. Providing 5% * Player Level additional damage. This attack always critically strikes.
- Identity Hack. The Fixer, being a neutral holds no affiliation to either side of the conflict, they are where they are needed the most … to their benefit of course. The Fixer can hack in to the Global Insurance and Registration of Citizens company registry to temporarily change their identification and affiliation, allowing them to <do something somehing>.
- Grid Phreak. Rapidly encodes the Fixer and transfers its body to the Grid.
- Hack Implant: Rotary device. Hack the targets implants rotary device, limiting their movement and reducing their speed to 70% of their normal movement speed.
- Hack Grid: Trade Channels. Hack in to the Government official trade channels, allowing the fixer to buy up stock ammunition and weaponry at reduced prices.
This is just a glimpse of some of the abilities the Fixer might have. Our challenge will be to give each and every profession similar unique abilities that makes their character stand out from the others. Naturally some trade skills are going to be in higher demand. A doctor — healers are usually underrepresented in most games — will likely be in higher demand and as such so will their trade skill be. This will create an economy around characters, their professions and trade skill.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the first in these series. If time allows we’ll try to do more Brain Dumps. So please stay tuned!
— GG —
