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Might not be 'cheap' but it might be possible with bits of recycled code.

Target spotters, sensors, and range finders.

Detectors: motion tracker/tripwire/pressure sensor/other detects something abnormal, and relays the alert to other systems on the same power grid. An alert pops up on a monitor in your base, you get an alert, (optional, enabled by default) and you can then either send a team out to investigate, gather more data, or start shooting with a mortar or ten.

Cameras track the movement of targets in real time, allowing you to hit mortar shots much more consistently.

Flares guarantee a mortar hit on a nearby target, but blind nearby pawns.

Etc. basically, make playing defensively inside and outside more interactive. Oh, you're perfectly safe in your mountain, but blind to the outside world. Want to look around? Gotta run some cables out there. You on the other hand are worse for wear but you can see threats coming much more easily. Stuff like that.

As a lazy smart person irl, I can confirm that unless you're missing one or more limbs, you can totally carry stuff around, use a broom, etc. and not spontaneously hemorrhage to death.

I don't think the game needs another layer to buff stats, which is already out of control and in the realm of Steve Rogers-esque "peak human" derp with drugs and bionics. It drains challenge from the vanilla game when you can make superhuman assassins that can outrun and outgun everything. It's fun, for about 15 minutes, then it's just sort of meh.

I think backstories that altered looks more, with for example vatgrown people having special glowing eyes or wild hairstyles that aren't hair (tubes or freaky tentacles), would be welcome. The game can always benefit from more diversity among pawns, as long as it fits Tynan's lore.

Give them a downside for every upside, fine tune it until they're on the same level as basic humans overall. 'Just because you're stronger doesn't mean you're better' kind of thing. Also, dual wielding shotguns spiders. Admit it, that sounds terrifying.

"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and anticipate both." - me.

Pretty much that. Try zoning them. You can outrange them, even with the pistol. Micromanage your troops around their max range, rush from multiple angles, do ANYTHING other than sit and watch. The storyteller doesn't play fair, but you're (probably) way smarter than it is.

Adversity leads to experimentation leads to failure leads to experience leads to success leads to adversity...

Minigun* or charge lance*

And it's definitely possible to stop them without too many serious injuries.

We need a random cave-in event.

But yeah I just lure them into my city, and bam. A minigun, a charge rifle, a grenade launcher (rimsenal), and a spike rifle (rimsenal) are tearing them limb from limb and they can't do anything about it. I don't need a killboxes because my base IS a killbox.

Shemstonian engineering at its finest.

Clones take time to replace. If you have a batch of ten thousand showing up in five minutes then yeah you can trash the first one, but why would you want to do that? Back on topic:

Vat-grown mate: Differs from other vat-grown individuals because they were built from the ground up instead of turning template DNA inside out. Brightly colored hair and eyes are more common, usually have sanguine trait, are generally a huge mood booster but varying levels of useless otherwise. Often have burning passions for art, growing, and on occasion, shooting and melee. Often have questionable moral standards.

Pretty much the above post. Save the mindless charges for the mechanoids.

Vat-grown marksman: Eyesight increased to 400%, manipulation increased to 120%, incapable of everything but violence, cleaning and hauling.

Less inventive? In Star Wars the whole point of using clones over their own droid army was to be able to adapt to situations more quickly than cheap mass produced brainless drones. Granted, it makes plenty of sense. Vat-grown commando with the stats I suggested, vat-grown soldier with he stats you suggested?

EPOE. Please. Maybe some of glitter tech too? Specifically the OCP.

Yeah, the amalgamates are a pretty long stretch, but were confirmed to exist in the story primer. I can see aquatic being added though.

Nobody? Ok.

Vat-grown feline amalgamate: Hearing is improved to 200% (for when it actually does stuff ), eyesight is improved to 120% in light and 100% in darkness, slightly more insulated from cold. Considered an abomination blah blah you get the drill.

If the closest one is eight light years away, it's faster to reinvent the wheel.

Human: a baseline human, almost entirely unaffected by gene modification and genetic drift from non-earthlike planets. Already in game, but I'm suggesting a change: can swim across deep water and fire while treading water, but at reduced accuracy.

Cave dweller: doesn't get cabin fever, pale skin, can see in darkness a bit better, maybe dislikes the outside?

Aquatic: base movement speed on land reduced to 90-95%, movement speed in shallow water is increased to 120%, can move across deep water at 150% speed.

Vat-grown soldier: anyone with this backstory ages at an increased rate with an increased risk of age-related health complications. Maybe physically stronger to offset this?

Vat-grown civilian: decreased aging speed, significantly reduced risk of age-related health problems, disliked by some in your colony due to being considered the unethical creation of life, treated as an equal by others in your colony because they're still human. Probably base it off of first, second, and third impressions per individual. [mewtwo quote goes here]

Glitter worlder: pumped full of nanites, doubled immunity build rate, automatically heal any wounds short of an amputation or major organ rupture in the field, but not 'heal' heal. Just stops the bleeding long enough to get medical aid. Infections can sometimes develop into sensory mechanites if they reach extreme levels.

Mechanoid: while not necessarily human in the biological sense, it fits in here better than anywhere else. An AI housed in a mechanical humanoid body. All stats enhanced to 120%, can never get sick, 12% lower break threshold, can be repaired with components, steel, and plasteel instead of the various medicines. Eats electricity by tapping power lines, will prioritize tapping lines placed under a chair next to a table. Ignored by manhunter packs unless provoked. Pirates may try to abduct them for parts. Immune to toxic fallout. Can be 'butchered' at the machining table like other mechanoids.

Spacer: comes from several generations of spacers who lived entirely inside the protection of a starship, extremely pale skin, sunburns extremely easily during midday. Increased crafting skill.

Vat-grown spider amalgamate: Can equip two non-minigun weapons at the same time, marked with disfigured by default, eyesight increased to 200%, manipulation increased to 200%, Can ONLY eat meat or insect jelly, but doesn't mind eating raw corpses. Produces five insect jelly daily at the cost of doubled metabolic rate. Movement speed increased to 120%, but reduced drastically in the water, down to 20%. Considered a monster at first glance by most, but gets a sympathy bonus from other vat-grown individuals.

Vat-grown bird amalgamate: Eyesight reduced to 90%, manipulation reduced to 90%, bones break more easily in combat, but movement speed is increased to 150% and is negatively affected less by ground type. Considered a monster at first glance by most, but gets a sympathy bonus from other vat-grown individuals.

What do you all think? Don't be afraid to give constructive feedback and  your own ideas!

Either dying a wuss or living long enough to become the crazy guys you crashed trying to escape. Maybe.