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Changeling Egg-Laying - Printable Version

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Changeling Egg-Laying - Schwicky_Schwag - 02-12-2017

So, I've been thinking for a while about a new feature that we can add to changelings involving the hivemind and turns lings into hellish mixtures of the Thing and Xenomorphs.

Egg-laying.

So, when changelings absorb a victim, they get absorbed into the hivemind and a husk is made. For ~15-20 DNA points, you can select a member of the hivemind to prepare an egg. When there is a husk nearby (or a live human for the sadistic ones) you inject the egg inside their chest or a limb. (Except the head) The egg stays inside the body until it hatches in 10-20 minutes, and it bursts out of the selected area, either popping the selected limb off or doing moderate BRUTE damage. The egg can be removed using surgery. or by throwing the body into the gibber

After popping out of the host, the spawn is in some small insect-like form (haven't gotten a good original idea for what the young phase looks like) and is basically a handspider. In this form, they have a handful of abilities. 

Abilities: (feel free to change the names if they're kinda lame, and I don't know what would be cooldowns for the abilities that much either)

Spawn Form


Bite
The basic melee attack of spawns.
Basically the harm intent interaction with humans.

Genome Leech
The way the spawn grows into the adult form.
When activated, you aim at a nearby human and then leap onto them, sucking out some blood. After the blood is absorbed, you gain 5 DNA points. Heals the spawn a bit.

Acerbic Spray
A basic ranged attack of the spawns.
Basically a weaker version of the changeling acid spit, but throws out less acid.
Slightly longer cooldown than the regular acid spit.

Tranquilizing Injection
A well-weakened version of the neurotoxin sting.
Injects the target with 10u of haloperidol.
Should have around the same cooldown as the neurotoxin sting.

Rapid Onset Metamorphosis
Requires 25-40 DNA points.
Forms a cocoon around the spawn, which has around the same health as a wooden barricade. After five to ten minutes, the spawn evolves into a bladeling and bursts out of the cocoon. If the cocoon is broken mid-metamorphosis, the process stops.


Bladeling Form

In bladeling form, players are faster and have more health. Most of these are just upgraded Spawn abilities.

Slash
Basic harm intent attack. Causes bleeding.

Corrosive Discharge
In-the-middle acid attack. More powerful than Acerbic Spray, but less powerful than Acid Spit.

Barbiturate Needle
Injects the target with 10u of pancuronium bromide.

Chromosome Siphon
Upgraded Genome Leech. Absorbs 7 DNA instead of 5. Heals a bit more.

Blade Launch
Throws out an arm-blade that causes BRUTE and bleeding, and embeds in the target, and quickly regrows.
Requires 5 DNA. 

Advanced Synthesis
Requires 10 DNA. Drools some Strange Reagent onto a dead critter. 

Leave any suggestions, comments, or concerns in the thread, so the suggestion can be more refined and balanced.

TODO: Sprites for the Spawn and Bladeling forms.

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - misto - 02-13-2017

more variety and ability for existing antags could be good thinking. there was a lot of positive feedback to a "parasite" mode that unfortunately sank away to nothing. so perhaps it could be folded into changeling functionality

maybe there someday could even be branches of changeling evolution, one leading to being a mommy changeling, and others to other kinds, as wizards and traitors have options to customize their toolset that changelings mostly lack

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - Grumpchkin - 02-13-2017

I think the Metamorphosis should be at most 1 minute, waiting 5-10 minutes for an ability after already waiting 10 minutes sounds boring as fuck.

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - Schwicky_Schwag - 02-13-2017

UPDATE: more classes and stuff. When I finish the sprites for all the forms i'll post a revised and balanced version of the abilities based on community feedback.

Bulk:

A slow but tank-y alternate metamorphosis form. Looks kinda like those glowing eye things in meat land.

Bash
Basic harm-intent attack. Kinda like hitting someone with a riot shield. Slower attack, more stamina reduction on target.

Anchor
An ability where the Bulk digs tentacles under the floor tiles and locks into place, unable to be moved by anything. 

Cryogenic Spit
Spits out a wad of cryoxadone at the target, whether it's a floor or a person, so you can use it to set up a trap or neutralize an attacker.

Pepper Spray
A huge load of hot capsaicin directly to the face, to deter any roughhousers that appose the new "Mandatory Assimilation" law set in place by the HoP.

Crush
Christ, it's as heavy as a vending machine! How the hell did it even tip over in the first place?!



Scouter:

A fast-moving, but fragile form that a Spawn can take. Looks kinda like the dogs from The Thing, except less "mound of flesh" and more "mutated dog".

Claw
Not like the Bladeling's claw, more of a dog clawing thing. Basic harm-intent attack.

Decayed Dash
A short-range version of the Jump genetic ability. Longer cooldown to prevent spamming it. Any humans in the way are automatically clawed.

Irritant Prick
Gives the target a dose of itching powder to disable them. Good for softening up targets.

Distorted Bark
Similar to the horror form's screech, but it only effects people that you're facing.

Gaping Maw
Open up a big, razor-teethed mouth and bite off a random limb from someone. Way higher chance of taking an arm than a leg.



Vile Engineer:

A crab-like thing that crawls onto someone's face, latches on, and begins to control them.

Pinch
A weak harm-intent attack. Ow!


Neural Incorporation 
On a downed human, you crawl (into their ear or down their throat like a headspider, haven't decided) and connect to their head. You are able to communicate through "vile voices" in their head. The controlled person (Drone) becomes somewhat of a mindslave, able to kill, but also able to rebel against their controller. They are also immune to being DNA-absorbed by the ling, to prevent farming mindslaves. Surgery will be able to remove the Vile Engineer, but they can put up a hell of a fight.

[Abilities when controlling human]

Pain Hike
 Triggers a debilitating spike of pain that stuns the Drone. Basically an electropack, without the pack.

Stimulant Production
Synthesizes 15u of meth in the Drone's bloodstream. Use it to help cooperative Drones evade capture.

Stabilizing Burst
Synthesizes 10u of epi and 5u of Omnizine. Long cooldown. Use it to get your Drone out of crit in an emergency.

Ersatz Itch
Synthesizes 10u of itching powder in your Drone if they are being uncooperative. 

Rampage
Synthesizes 50u of Rajaijah, and 30u of Mannitol. Use it to send your Drone into a killing frenzy unwillingly.

Kill Switch
Synthesizes 15u of Sarin, 15u of Spiders, and 15u of Toxin in your Drone, to kill them. 

Violent Outpour
You exit the head of your Drone by forcing them to vomit you out. They lose the Drone antagonist status and take some TOX damage.



Burster:

A somewhat fast, and very fragile class. Its only purpose is to explode at humans.

Explode
Explodes with roughly the force of a pipebomb, but can't poke holes in the floor. Also creates a fireball at the explosion point. This also kills you.


Well, now we have five classes for the Spawn. Attack-based, defense-based, speed/harassment-based, support-based, and a suicide-bomber-based. 

TODO: Sprites for the Spawn + 5 classes, ability icons

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - aft2001 - 02-14-2017

What if the burster latched onto a Drone? Like, it turns the Drone into a suicide-bomber if killed! And, as a bonus (obviously from the extra DNA and life-force) the Suicide-Drone will, upon death/detachment of the Vile Engineer, explodes with the force of a decent TTV, possibly wrecking the hull a bit but making a big fireball, knocking away most things nearby, and obliterating walls/windows/people.

Of course, the Engineer would have to allow the Burster to latch onto (or climb down the throat of) the Drone.

Also I can *try* to sprite these. You should DEFINITELY still sprite them but I just wanna try. Because I can.

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - Cirrial - 02-14-2017

I'm not sure how I feel about these ideas. I like freaky alien antagonists, don't get me wrong, but this feels like way too much to shove into the changeling. The changeling is less Alien and more The Thing, it's more about paranoia about who you can trust.

Then again, making an entirely new antagonist with this sort of stuff might be a little too much. Hrm.

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - misto - 02-14-2017

(02-14-2017, 01:42 PM)Cirrial Wrote: I'm not sure how I feel about these ideas. I like freaky alien antagonists, don't get me wrong, but this feels like way too much to shove into the changeling. The changeling is less Alien and more The Thing, it's more about paranoia about who you can trust.

Then again, making an entirely new antagonist with this sort of stuff might be a little too much. Hrm.

if you want to play your ling as The Thing there should be evolutionary paths that let you do that. just as a traitor can be a stealthy assassin. but why not experiment with building on the ling with new evolutionary paths that enable new playstyles? just as a traitor can be a mindslaver mastermind, or rampaging terrorist

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - New525 - 02-14-2017

(02-14-2017, 02:06 PM)misto Wrote:
(02-14-2017, 01:42 PM)Cirrial Wrote: I'm not sure how I feel about these ideas. I like freaky alien antagonists, don't get me wrong, but this feels like way too much to shove into the changeling. The changeling is less Alien and more The Thing, it's more about paranoia about who you can trust.

Then again, making an entirely new antagonist with this sort of stuff might be a little too much. Hrm.

if you want to play your ling as The Thing there should be evolutionary paths that let you do that. just as a traitor can be a stealthy assassin. but why not experiment with building on the ling with new evolutionary paths that enable new playstyles? just as a traitor can be a mindslaver mastermind, or rampaging terrorist

so instead of adding new antags we give the current ones unique skill trees and upgrades that cater to different playstyles. There are some very interesting ideas that could be spawned from this.

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - aft2001 - 02-14-2017

I like the idea of skill trees. Maybe make a new thread as to not derail this one.

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - New525 - 02-15-2017

Also can we hook up misto to a machine that drains good ideas, he has far too many for one man to posscess

RE: Changeling Egg-Laying - Nnystyxx - 02-19-2017

good idea mr misto (and mr schwicky)
But in all seriousness, I really like the idea of the changeling having more options to branch out and specialize in. Basically, horizontal mobility and a little bit of upward, at the opportunity cost of not doing other things, thus helping to balance it out.

More antag variety in general is cool (see: vampire rework maybe someday who knoooows), and I think this would go a long way to make changelings more interesting to meet and play as beyond 'FUCK I'VE BEEN DRAGGED OFF AND EATEN FOR THE 27TH TIME' (although, that's being toned down with the drag patch)