+- Goonstation Forums (https://forum.ss13.co)
+-- Forum: Discussion (https://forum.ss13.co/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Forum: Ideas & Suggestions (https://forum.ss13.co/forumdisplay.php?fid=8)
+--- Thread: Changeling host ability that allows hive members to speak outloud. (/showthread.php?tid=23365)
Changeling host ability that allows hive members to speak outloud. - smallsandman - 11-16-2024
I just this changeling idea and think it would be REALLY interesting to give changelings this ability.
The idea came from when i thought of the voice mimic ability and how interesting it would be if your hive members could use it.
Here is my ideal version of the ability though i would understand if concessions would need to be made:
A new ability next to mimic voice ability or combined with it perhaps to save on HUD space at the cost of a bit more menu navigating or it could go in the commands tab if neither of those are good. when the ability is used you get to choose a hive member from the list to allow to speak out loud, and get to choose a name for others to hear, it would auto fill with the original name of the voice you chose, this will allow for faster speaking up of them if you just want they themself to talk but allows you to do gimmick voices or scary voices should you desire.
You can select hive mind members individually as well as have as many as you want at a time but this does come at the increased risk of people being even more suspicious then they already were or the voices giving something away. I like the idea of them being able to use radios with prefixes as well so you can have someone who is using the radio if that's what you want or let them respond to things over the radio, if you do not want them using the radio try ordering them not too. perhaps even give them a prefix for hivemind chat too if they want to be sneaky or ask to be shushed? should the voices not meet your standards, or try to make things worse for you, or just need to be quiet you may shush them at any time via the same ability you used to activate them, like a toggle (not sure if this could work code wise but if it can maybe add a thing next to their name like (speaking) or (heard) so you know who is talking and who is quiet at a glance.)
I foresee so many possibilities with this, possibilities for humor, possibilities for horror, possibilities for gameplay, drama, and much much more
humor...
As you are being dragged away you hear a bunch of voices whispering from your paralyzer, they are arguing about the ethics of killing to survive as you are being eaten by them. they talk in circles for over a minute as the life is drained from you. you open your eyes to realize you no longer have eyes, we have eyes and many of them. you join in on the debate hoping to get to the bottom of it.
Horror...
You are wandering the dark maintenance halls alone searching for something cool to collect when you hear something bump into something behind you, you turn around and see nothing. then you hear your name sung out by many voices all at once, some sound like your co-workers, some you don't recognize, all of them singing in perfect harmony. you turn around and see it in it's entirety, it stares at you with a smile stretching so wide it goes to where its ears should be. and just like that you collapse, unable to move you are at the will of this thing now. you have joined the choir.
Gameplay...
Sitting within this host can get boring at times and your suggestions aren't always able to be done. all you can do is talk amongst yourselves, then your host sprouts a mouth behind its ear and you can feel it, you can control it, you are instructed to cause distrust and confusion on the radio channels. finally having something to do you begin pretending to be who your host named you. making false calls for help, fabricating a whole life, eventually they find out your not real but have no idea who you are coming from so your tactics switch from confusion to fear mongering, hurling insults and threats from the safety of your host, though your ramblings might be heard by people within whispering distance. (I think for balance reasons it would be good to have the host body do the speech bubble that appears when enter is hit just like how it does with mimic voice on the radio. giving the crew a chance to catch your host in the act for making you a radio voice.)
Drama...
Your best friend was found dead today on station. desiccated, looked nearly like a raisin. but you have a station to defend so you steeled your heart and went forward, taking over the investigation of their death. you narrowed it down to one person and they are brought to interrogation. as you ask them about what happened your voice is grainy and strained, fighting back your emotions. The suspect senses this and decides to hit you where it hurts the most. as they speak your friends voice starts to talk to you from somewhere on the suspect though not from their own mouth. they try to convince you how complete they feel now, no more worrying over individual issues, they are all in that together. they remind you of your memories together. you tell yourself they are in pain yet their voice sounds genuine, and they were never a good liar. you stand up from your seat and ask the leadership to put what remains of your best friend out of their presumed misery. you find yourself a corner away from everyone else and let it all out. the radio goes quiet after a bit so you stop worrying about your job and you cry for several minutes but eventually you feel a tap on your shoulder and a hand reaching towards you to help you up... It's your friends, and you realized why the radio got so quiet.
Much Much More...
There are theoretically limitless possibilities for use with this idea, creating new avenues and paths while sticking to the theme of changelings.
Thank you for reading.
RE: Changeling host ability that allows hive members to speak outloud. - BadShot - 11-16-2024
I quite like this, while changeling can already give control to hivemind members (to act out their own character and whatnot) allowing them to speak on their own at will is really interesting.
Perhaps if possible when multiple are speaking at once, the extra text gets placed randomly around the sprite, to give the appearance the voices are coming from different parts of the body (since changelings can just morph more mouths)
Also, horror form gives voices to EVERY hive member simultaneously, shushing them when it ends
RE: Changeling host ability that allows hive members to speak outloud. - Glamurio - 11-17-2024
I think this is a good idea if only to increase the chance for characters to stay around when they get killed as a changeling. I've definitely seen a lot of people complain that once they are killed and inside the hivemind, many will just opt out so they can be revived and play normally. I think that's a shame and any feature that promotes people wanting to be part of the hivemind is a good change.
RE: Changeling host ability that allows hive members to speak outloud. - Kotlol - 11-17-2024
We've had the hivemind discussion a lot lately.
And it always comes down to this:
"I am technically dead but part of it and get a chance to be a critter for the antagonist but can die easily, in horror form I can contribute by spitting and talking and if I am really lucky, the changeling will let me take control!"
But we don't want to opposite effect to happen. "I am an antagonist part now and yaaaay! Let me go wild"
But as it is now.. it's a dull existance.
One major critter I think is great but sucks in execution is the eyeball. It can tag people.. so why does it suck? Only the eye ball can see em, not the changeling. Let alone if you are killed (wich is easy), you rat out the changeling. For a 0 cost critter.... THIS IS FINE. But let the tagging mean something to show to the main body as well. Let alone eyeballs can explode to not leave a trace.
But now stuff like the hand critter and buttcrab? Those costs points and are slower, the hand can gather DNA but is the highest cost of the others. Legworms aren't stealthy so they don't count.... If you go legworm you are going full reveal.
The buttcrab while funny, has the least tactical value and in my opinion needs a self destruct.
But enough about that.
After reading that...I think I got a better idea overal for hivemind players using this one as a base.
While I love this idea and improve upon it. Why not rework the LSD injection to have one with DNA and putting one of the hivemind in the victim to mess with the illussions and chatting. A way for a hivemind parasite to temporarely cause insanity to a victim. No control, just causing their LSD trip to be more "Personal"
Imagine that person killed by the changeling, becoming the parasite on a victim and "haunting" the victim till the timer runs out and they return to the main body?
Eitherway... I am just adding more suggestions then actually discussing this one.
But I do say you have a really simple good idea!