[Antagonist] Parasite

[YoukCat]

Perhaps if you die to a Parasite, you have to wait atleast 15 minutes if you want to hatch as an egg.

1. It will heavily slow down how many people suicide, since no one really wants to wait FIFTEEN MINUTES to be a pathetic little slug.
2. Even if people DO do this, it in no way helps the Parasites since they still need a FP to make you.
3. Same thing if your body is found by a Parasite after death, perhaps?

Oh, and with the teamwork thing, the Parasite is built on getting inside of a host, but it's also built on spreading quickly if people kill it. Especially since they are so fragile, that will let you respawn if you die to a Staff Assistant's boot or a deadly dose of Anti-Toxins.

So we can easily work in that, but I still hope for Respawning (even though it's ultimately not my decision, I'd be happy either way if this gets into the game :P)

[Roomba]

I think people are better at not suiciding just so they have a chance to play an antag nowadays - or disguise it better, at least. If you're worried, then maybe have the parasite spawn act as extra lives for the original parasite, rather than a way for the dead to respawn. I think parasites are limited enough in their capabilities that it shouldn't be an issue, you don't spawn in as a combat monster right off the bat.

One big worry I have is that if someone does anything that hints at a parasite, people will go "looks like we have a parasite, better shove antitoxin down everyone's throats" and there's no real drawback to that.

[YoukCat]

Maybe the Parasite can choose to lay an egg as an extra life or a baby. And on death they can choose an extra-life egg from any parasite instead of being put into the pool; Sorta like a VIP thing. Very Important Parasite.

That way they reproduce and the have that advantage.

ALSO: About the Anti-Toxin.
Any Health Scanner would instantly reveal a parasite, and anti-toxin leaves a body quick enough anyway that if everyone does that they're just wasting it. Carrying Anti-Toxins with you would be a problem however, and I do not know what to do about that for now.

[Musketman12]

Maybe the Parasite can choose to lay an egg as an extra life or a baby. And on death they can choose an extra-life egg from any parasite instead of being put into the pool; Sorta like a VIP thing. Very Important Parasite.

That way they reproduce and the have that advantage.

ALSO: About the Anti-Toxin.
Any Health Scanner would instantly reveal a parasite, and anti-toxin leaves a body quick enough anyway that if everyone does that they're just wasting it. Carrying Anti-Toxins with you would be a problem however, and I do not know what to do about that for now.

If a health scanner could instantly reveal a parasite, I think a parasite should have the ability to disguise itself as a different disease, because no one is going to flip out because some has the cold.

[YoukCat]

Yeah, I think that would be good. Perhaps as a 2-FP Power they can gain the ability to disguise as the Cold or Flu.

[Arborinus]

...(is it really symbiosis if you are killing the dude?)...

I would think the Parasite is just giving the Host power until it was fully grown and able to reproduce and doesn't need it for protection anymore. I think it should be a choice of the Parasite to kill though, or it could be a "skill branch" kind of like how the Blob can specialize in fire protection/growth/whatever.

Here's a little sprite, doesn't have to be final. I'll keep my further ideas in my own threads and not steal from YoukCat anymore!

[YoukCat]

...(is it really symbiosis if you are killing the dude?)...

I would think the Parasite is just giving the Host power until it was fully grown and able to reproduce and doesn't need it for protection anymore. I think it should be a choice of the Parasite to kill though, or it could be a "skill branch" kind of like how the Blob can specialize in fire protection/growth/whatever.

Here's a little sprite, doesn't have to be final. I'll keep my further ideas in my own threads and not steal from YoukCat anymore!

1. AWESOME SPRITE
2. No, post your ideas here! WE NEED YOUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuu.........

Thing is, the Parasite needs a large amount of organic food in order to eat. So unless the host brings them to everywhere with a monkey and the Parasite specifically gets the certain ability for that, and then waits thru the monkey screaming very loudly and running around 12 times, then heads to ANOTHER monkey machine, the Parasite is likely going to be aggressive.

[Dions]

I think the idea here is subtlety. Maybe instead of powers and levelling up, its just an extremely weak and defenseless parasite (and maybe some buddies) skulking around maint and in the shadows under items and equipment/tables waiting for someone hurt or intoxicated to come by. Have it so the parasite just infects its host, mindslaves them, and then proceeds to further their nefarious aims with their new pawns.

Purge chems harming the parasite is also good, maybe other chems that the parasite likes that could give them away. If you see a dude drinking phenol in a maint tunnel you'll know something's up. Maybe having the parasites be scannable by doctors is a bit too overpowered. I think it should come down to being cut out by surgery (maybe when you pop out an eye so too pops the parasite, so they can get shrapnel taken out without fear) for the crew observing their odd behavior.

A big motivation of parasites can be to establish some kind of reagent factory thing, with their hosts gaining a few abilities instead of the parasite itself who should be hands off. Hosts can build webs and obstacles and maybe rooms out of some kind of grody webs, and can then abduct a live human host to turn into a reagent factory. This reagent should power the parasites ability to reproduce, allowing them to multiply inside their host (bringing a new parasite player into their body) and implant the new parasites into freshly recruited hosts. This should be a difficult and time consuming thing to do though.

In short tiny parasites bide their time and use teamwork to get human assets and begin building a nest somewhere, defending their secret with subterfuge and cooperation. It shouldn't be seen so much as a round type but as a peril that can quickly spiral out of control if left unchecked, and in the hands of skillful and shrewd parasites maybe, just maybe, leading to ultimate victory.

Everyone loves an underdog.

---

No matter where this idea goes it'd sure to be a really fun gamemode in my opinion. This is an idea i hope to see implemented!

[YoukCat]

Amazing Ideas

PARAGRAPH 1:
That does seem like a good strategy, since one short stop can lead to the parasite getting into you. The reason it isn't an Instant Mindslave is because I feel that is for when you have completed objectives or want to play MUCH differently from normal. Also, I put the powers and leveling up for Specialties or for if the Parasite is in a REALLY shitty situation, but I can easily understand your view here. I guess we don't really need QUICK FEAST or anything like that. Hell, just Egg, Burst, Nest, and Anti-Tox Prot might be good. Other than the Queen, but that's a different story.

PARAGRAPH 2:
I agree with this, and maybe only Upgraded Ones can scan a parasite. Maybe add an upgrade for it. Or make Mindslaves immune to it?

PARAGRAPH 3:
That seems like a good way to reproduce actually. I'm about 50/50 on whether it should be the Original or this, excluding Biased to my own stuff.

Thank you for the ideas! We need as many as we can for the Coders to accept this idea, since more variety means more available choices for them to choose from.

[Frank_Stein]

One thing I thought would be neat semi-related to this is something similar to the game Plague Inc.

An antag that was a virus, parasite, or bacteria that had the goal to infect the crew and could purchase different points to mutate and change it's methods and effects. Beating it would require some pathology work.

So, for instance, the pathogen could choose to be airborne and force the infected to sneeze. Sneeze close enough to someone else, and they might get infected as well. Or maybe it's passed thorough blood. You can wait until your victims inevitably bleed somewhere and others walk across it, or choose to get loud with it and have people coughing up blood.

Control wise it would be similar to the AI's observe ability, with the list populated by the infected crew. Start off benign in a few people, then spend points on individual victims to create different strains like how you would if you were a blob

[YoukCat]

I love the idea. I have always like playing a virus or things that are similar, considering I own Plague Inc. Evolved myself.

[Roomba]

Had a thought: what if the parasite was only harmed by stuff like calomel or atropine? The side effects are significant enough that you're not going to want to chug that stuff down unless you're sure you have a parasite in you, and any attempt to mass-inject the crew on the off chance of a parasite is not going to be looked kindly upon.

Maybe pentetic acid too - that stuff can be chugged down relatively without issue, but it's rare for anyone to bother making it in significant quantities.

[Boa Jacque]

Heres my two cents:

I liked the idea of the parasite upgrading its host -- kind of like planning the perks it will have once it reaches maturity.
Suicides should auto-surrender the body to the host. The parasite should be able to gain points from any monkey or human body, but should see extremely diminished returns on a corpse. Parasite takeover should be toggle-able while inside a dead corpse and should inject a small quantity of SR to counter suicides.

Parasite cant gain points from a body it has "taken over". Host must be in control of body and suffer some form of damage, slowly, but with no warnings.
(how many times have you been yellow or orange health with no known explanation, and assumed you walked past a hot area with burning air or etc?)
Parasites who play smart with timing and stuns could wait till their host falls below X health then initiate aggressive consumption. (or while host is in combat)
(perhaps give them an ability to deliver 10 damage to a damage type, whichever they harm naturally as one of their abilities)

Parasites shouldnt take damage if their host is on fire. Not unless the parasite has already killed the host and is controlling the body.

Parasites should be able to gain control over their victim within 3-5 minutes after the onset of obvious infection.
Parasites need at least one ability to use that will stun or knockout their host for a short duration, to delay their curing. This should include losebreath so they can interrupt their hosts's screams for help. This is not a frequent-use ability.

Im ok with parasites being able to bring forth more parasites into being. This should be costly and should not include the host...Not right off the bat anyway.
Perhaps allow the parasite a "consume brain" function that can act as the "takeover" mechanic. This starts a 15 minute timer that will enable "lay egg" or "parasitic mitosis" Parasitic mitosis basically allowing you to puke up a new parasite, if you want to, which will happen to be controlled by the old host. Egg same thing but with further delay in hatching, not sure which mechanic would be better. Basically the parasite needs the brain-matter of their host to fuel reproduction, or some such. Note that the actual brain organ in the mob doesnt need to be consumed, that would probably be a coding nightmare.

The part where theres a 15 minute wait would be enough to keep hosts from wanting to die to their parasite.
The part where the parasite has to live for that duration to even be allowed to mitosis a fresh parasite is enough for powergamers not to trust their odds.
Finally, if the parasite doesn't feel like reproducing, it doesn't even have to. It can choose to grow stronger itself, via not spending the points to reproduce.

Work now.
More thoughts later, I want this gamemode to hatch. Just got to incubate it further.

[misto]

making medical chems hurt parasite makes bad trouble for parasite if they mindslave a host and that host becomes injured

perhaps we take this as an opportunity to give a use to certain overlooked drugs, drinks, etc?

hunchback, squeeze, cholestrol, krokodil and crank, many are the spaceman's tools to persuade a parasite that his body is not a good living space

[Arborinus]

More sprites

I still think that the Parasite should be the only one who is the Antagonist and not just a fancy mindslave implant. If we're worried about equipping non-antags with antag gear, just look at people who steal c-sabers, scan e-guns, etc.