Emotions

Emotions are a general collection of status effects that mechanically represent the underlying mental state of a character. Each emotion is not intrinsically beneficial or detrimental, but rather each one has both positive and negative qualities which both intensify alongside the emotion. Players may want to intentionally induce or suppress various emotions in order to gain mechanical benefits.

An important aspect about emotions compared to traditional SS13 moods is that each emotion is not exclusive. Multiple emotions (even seemingly contradictory ones) can simultaneously be present in a character, although the effects of each emotion may partially cancel out.

As a gameplay element, rather than informing a logical response from a character, emotions are supposed to represent a subconscious mental state outside the player's control. In the same way that someone with arachnophobia cannot control their heart rate spiking near a spider, your character is aware of the emotions they are experiencing but cannot actively control their bodily response.

Action and Reaction

Emotions occur as a specific reaction to things that occur to a character or in their environment. Being injured, consuming narcotics, or exposure to grisly sights can all trigger emotions, with the specific emotion tied to the stimuli (with potential variation tied to a specific character's traits or personality). While emotions can often manifest at inopportune times, they should always feel relevant and proportional to the thing which caused them.

Similarly, emotions often have direct ways of suppressing them in order to mitigate their unwanted effects. Whether it's downing alcohol or eating a warm meal, people should be able to prepare in advance to mitigate anticipated emotions that may interfere with their plans.

Hysteria

Although each emotion carries its own effects on the player, they share a common interface of different strengths:

• Level 0: A warning indicating the buildup/presence of the emotion without any effects
• Level 1: Effects begin to manifest but are generally minor or easy to ignore
• Level 2: Effects become more severe while simultaneously being paired with outward physical signs
• Level 3: Effects are maximally disruptive and the physical manifestations are extremely pronounced. The emotion can be seen plainly by others on examine