Mutually Exclusive Backstories

[Serviette Union]

I just started a new colony and after a couple of days got the wanderer joins event, the new addition is Nelson 'Nel' Ramos.

Nel is 62 years old and spent his adult life as an inventor, giving him a +5 bonus to crafting and a +2 bonus to research. However, before he was an inventor, he spent his childhood on a caveworld digging tunnels which, for some reason disables both crafting and research. This makes no sense! How is it possible for someone to be able to spend 40+ years in an occupation entirely reliant on those skills 

I think far too many of the back stories are questionable when it comes to disabling skills as it is but whatever - balance, challenge, etc. I can live with that, but this on top of it just makes it feel silly, and not in a good way. So, in the same way that some traits make it impossible to have others, i.e you can't be psychically sensitive and psychically dull at the same time, some background traits should make it impossible to have others.

[Thane]

+1

[b0rsuk]

There are a few possible solutions:
a) Conflicting backgrounds never happen on the same person
b) (current) restriction from both backgrounds apply.
c) Restrictions from the later background override the earlier background

A is obvious, but in my opinion not that interesting. It simply locks away certain background combinations.
B frequently leads to absurd colonists. Vatgrown soldier (Medicine disabled) becomes Glitterworld Surgen... who still can't heal anyone.
C would produce unlikely colonists and it would be up to player to imagine how the person ended up there. Vatgrown Soldier->Glitterworld Surgeon would be able to heal.

My vote is for C.

[Coenmcj]

c) Restrictions from the later background override the earlier background

C would produce unlikely colonists and it would be up to player to imagine how the person ended up there. Vatgrown Soldier->Glitterworld Surgeon would be able to heal.

My vote is for C.

Hello Strax.

[akiceabear]

snip

Agreed. This means all restrictions from earlier background simply need to be eliminated, correct? Fairly easy fix from a dev POV, right?

[b0rsuk]

snip

Agreed. This means all restrictions from earlier background simply need to be eliminated, correct? Fairly easy fix from a dev POV, right?

No, not all. Only those which conflict. For example, if Vatgrown Soldier has Medicine (or caring?) disabled, and Glitterworld Surgeon has +5 (or whatever) to medicine, medicine becomes unblocked. In other words, those skills that get a bonus in the later background but are blocked in the first.

[harpo99999]

another way of doing this would be for the childhood blocked 'skills' to get a -2 or -3 level (yes a NEGATIVE number ie UTTERLY crap at and usually totally wrecks anything involving this skill, then the adult backstory does the same for it's blocked skills eg a pawn child backstory has a +3 for growing, and a -2 (blocked) for building but the adult backstory gives a block (-2) on plantwork (the +3 -2 = +1 or can do just not good at) and on building adds a +2 ( -2 block, +2 allow=0 useless at but can do and does NOT destroy and can improve)