add a zombification chem to the traitor poison bottle pool

[Sundance]

I'd like to see space zombies being a thing again, it's a good trope that works well in SS13, although there's some sentiment behind it being free antag, there'd need to be a serious balancing so you'd want to be a human surviving the horde over being a zombie itself. Basically being a zombie should be a death sentence.

Things I liked about being a zombie when it was still being used in goon:
1. Inability to speak
2. Brain damage, inability to use computers.
3. The re-animation process of constantly getting back up after be downed. God that made for some gritty scenarios, on both sides. Meant that you had to gib em (removing their heads would kill them when they were reviving, removing all their limbs would just make them a sad bitey sockpuppet)
4. The instant knock-down and brain eating. Simple, effective and made them scary to be close to.

Things I did not like:
1. Zombies moving at normal speed.
2. Zombies being able to use weapons/tools/etc. This is a major balancing issue.
3. Zombies suffering from 02 damage. They are dead, their lungs are kaput.

Things I would change:
1. Remove zombies being able to use their hands. This will people from wanting to be zombies, as on their own they'd be pretty fucked.
2. Slow 'em down a tad. Not walking slow, but slow enough that you'd outrun them. Granted they could still use the sprint button to lunge
3. Allow zombies to pry at things. Lacking hands would mean someone could wall them up and they'd have chance of escaping. Allow them to literally pull metal off walls, so they can get through a wall in a slow, but approaching force. Being able to bash windows and tables too.
4. Give them 02 resistance. Cant use hands so they cant turn on internals, but also they're dead. This, presumingly, would make them last longer in crit too.
5. Give them a small regen. Can't use hands, so can't heal themselves, but will heal over time.
6. Lastly, let them perish after not eating brains for long enough, becoming un-revivable. Would drive players to act like a zombie, while players avoiding becoming one.

tl;dr: Romero zombies with a small twist.

[Noah Buttes]

6. Lastly, let them perish after not eating brains for long enough, becoming un-revivable. Would drive players to act like a zombie, while players avoiding becoming one.

I love everything that you just said except for this one point.

Some of the most hilarious things in this game come from incompetent antagonists who keep trying to succeed only to fail in fantastic ways.

Zombies shouldn't be the forced exception to this.

[NateTheSquid]

yes all that sundance said minus point 6.

another solution, the zombie players arent antags, like polymorphed players

[Frank_Stein]

yes all that sundance said minus point 6.

another solution, the zombie players arent antags, like polymorphed players

I kinda think there should be variations on the zombie virus that allows for non-antag and antag versions with visual cues to distinguish them.

Although, what if zombies had a hunger meter of sorts in which going for too long without chomping down on some raw meat lead to temporary antag status until their next meal?

[NateTheSquid]

yes all that sundance said minus point 6.

another solution, the zombie players arent antags, like polymorphed players

I kinda think there should be variations on the zombie virus that allows for non-antag and antag versions with visual cues to distinguish them.

Although, what if zombies had a hunger meter of sorts in which going for too long without chomping down on some raw meat lead to temporary antag status until their next meal?

Terrible idea, sorry. They'd just not eat on purpose. Then kill people without eating them.

[Frank_Stein]

yes all that sundance said minus point 6.

another solution, the zombie players arent antags, like polymorphed players

I kinda think there should be variations on the zombie virus that allows for non-antag and antag versions with visual cues to distinguish them.

Although, what if zombies had a hunger meter of sorts in which going for too long without chomping down on some raw meat lead to temporary antag status until their next meal?

Terrible idea, sorry. They'd just not eat on purpose. Then kill people without eating them.

Of course they will. Which will both make them lovable wildcards and also slow the murder everyone process.

Edit: Oh in regards to not eating at all, that should kill them if they try to just not eat

[NateTheSquid]

how can you make it kill them if they try not to eat, but make them temp antags if they dont eat? just no antagging would be easier all around

[Frank_Stein]

It's a bloodlust. They need to eat regularly to live, and can become murderous if unfed.

I'm not saying it's the easiest solution, it's just a little RP built into the the concept.

Tbh I'd rather have them always be antags and the disease not be transferable rather than they aren't, because what's the point of zombies that never eat people?

[poland spring]

why the hell would zombies NOT be antags that defeats the whole point

[misto]

do synthbrain count for dietary needs

[poland spring]

do synthbrain count for dietary needs

this needs to be a viable method of pacifying zombies so I say yes

if they're fed a synthbrain they de-zombify, giving incentive to botany to grow stuff, the crew to get DANGEROUSLY close to zombies, and for the zombies to um....brains

[Haprenti]

Point 6 could be replaced with something like, eating brains boosts your regeneration for some time; allowing them at the same time to regenerate enough muscle tissue to pry things faster and move slightly faster, and heal some brain damage, all those temporarily.

It gives incentive to actually eat people, if you're injured but your regeneration is too slow at the moment, eat that clown.

And, if not eating brains for a long time, you accumulate brain damage up to a point where you just wish you had a brain to eat right now.

[atamusvaleo]

What if it were a constant degeneration -- limbs slowly fall off, flesh rots away, and gibs randomly fall off -- that killed the zombies. Make it an extended process (ie: it takes thirty minutes of "rotting" to kill a zombie).

To counter this, eating brains/flesh tilts the scale to regenerate flesh for a short period of time (ie: five to ten minutes of regeneration)

[Superlagg]

It's a clowning disease. You have to eat the clown or you turn into a clown.

[atomic1fire]

I'd say instead of including necrovirus with the poison bottles, having some sort of "Stolen bio-dome research" would make more sense canonically. A very distinct looking briefcase that contains vials which gives the more dangerous pathology symptoms, which could include zombie-ism. At least then you need to know what you're doing in order to release zombies, and you could probably even parlay it into roleplay where you threaten to release it if the crew doesn't give you cash.