I think I saw your reddit thread but did not respond. I’ll give some comments here.
I feel Nature in MG is fairly valuable for the setting and tone of the game, so I can entirely embrace the idea of adjusting Nature to fit a hack setting with a distinctly different tone.
From just a perspective of revising the tone of Nature without entirely mutating, I’d suggest revising the descriptors for 3-4 active verbs reflective of the common tasks the characters could easily do without being especially skilled or trained.
One such example might be creating a hack about landscape workers who also solve mystery/supernatural crimes. The basic Nature would probably be digging, planting, cleaning, procrastinating. That would be IMO a tool for describing to players, “Hey, this is the stuff your character is probably not often tested, and could easily accomplish without a condition, twist, or compromise.” I might call it Work Ethic rather than Nature–but then, maybe the supernatural creatures they encounter in the mystery crimes would still be described with Nature.
Using that idea, you can rewrite the title and the descriptors without significant rewriting of mechanics that rely on Nature, like tapping/channeling Nature, breaking certain ties, and building a sense of tension about either burning out (taxed to 0 or depleted to 0) or becoming too comfortable in the work (advanced to 7). But, this is a rather simplified method of hacking–rename and revise descriptors. I think it works because it relies on the underlying mechanics without alteration. And, I think the idea of Nature includes the notion that some descriptors are not going to appeal to players for describing their characters. I think that’s probably a good thing.
Now, you might want to mutate Nature farther from a meager hack of renaming and redescribing. You might create a list of acceptable active verbs that can serve as descriptors, and allow players to select the descriptors best aligned with their own character concept. In this sense, the mechanics remain mostly the same, but they’ve got a custom set of choices about which their own character can accomplish just as themselves and without skill or training. It’s a bit more chaotic, as each character has a distinct toolset for play, and might be able to bypass some skills or go without supplies or tools.
One such comparison might be the two main characters of Psych. One could be using the descriptors of bluffing, figuring, explaining, discovering while the other seems entirely different, perhaps, asking, analyzing, complaining, delaying. It is a unique way to approach the desired tone of the setting. I might call it Persona rather than Nature and adjust the Person points to a different name. Otherwise, much of the mechanical function remains.
In that mutation, you are unlikely to find players selecting undesired descriptors, so you might need to mutate the background meaning of being taxed or depleted to 0 for advancing to 7. And, as this mutation might allow players more bypass of skills or ignoring tools and supplies, the advancement could be wonky. So, taxed to 0 or depleted to 0 suddenly means something else, like being incapacitated or in recovery, or maybe having been traumatically seized by depression, anxiety, or fear. Then, advancing to 7 might indicate becoming some other type of being–like after being a monster hunter, if the character advanced to ‘Nature’ 7 it indicates they have become a monster, the character is handed over to the GM to become an NPC, and the former companions must pick up a new member to assist taking down the new foe.
Anyway, that’s some thoughts.