Goonhub
10-03-2013, 10:50 AM
The self-gib option would quickly lose its trickery potential and you'll just have a mob of people armed with tasers and stun shotguns camping gibs.
So I have an idea about the headspider issue. Maybe we just scrap that. Maybe there can be some sort of embryo or pocket dna that a changeling can stealthily sting and inject someone with (assuming they've eaten enough people and got enough dna points).
Upon the changeling's death, there is a 1 minute delay before the embryo activates. This allows for the crew to wonder who might have been stung, if anyone at all. Was someone stung when the four assistants were beating the ling with fire extinguishers? Was someone stung before the fight ever happened? When it activates, the infected individual loses most of his motor control (so he's stumbling around) and can only gibber or sputter into the radio. It'd be the crew's job to locate him in time and figure out what location the person is at (or the AI can help with that). I'm not sure what the time could be before the embryo takes over. During that time, though, it could be surgically removed. I guess if the infected individual is dead (or rotten) then the body is useless and maybe the ling could receive a message when a host has died.
I realize that this could be a bit lazy for the ling to have such a (possibly) easy chance to take over people. So how about after injecting the embryo, the host will receive gradual toxic damage that gets more intense the longer the inactive embryo remains. Nobody would notice a little bit of toxic damage but once that person is suddenly dropping into orange or borderline crit then it would become obvious. However, that could also cause the changeling to strategize a little on who he is going to sting (and when).
I could just see it now. Four vigilantes standing in disposals watching a mass of bloody material get launched off station. One person accuses another person who then accuses the accuser whereas the other two are just watching everyone, expecting it. Then over the radio a miner splutters something incomprehensible... But the AI is too stupid to switch camera networks... RIP he.
I dunno how this all would be to code or anything. Just thought of it and decided to share. Pick it apart, add/change, or throw it in the "worst ideas ever" bin which is essentially a paper shredder. I don't mind!
So I have an idea about the headspider issue. Maybe we just scrap that. Maybe there can be some sort of embryo or pocket dna that a changeling can stealthily sting and inject someone with (assuming they've eaten enough people and got enough dna points).
Upon the changeling's death, there is a 1 minute delay before the embryo activates. This allows for the crew to wonder who might have been stung, if anyone at all. Was someone stung when the four assistants were beating the ling with fire extinguishers? Was someone stung before the fight ever happened? When it activates, the infected individual loses most of his motor control (so he's stumbling around) and can only gibber or sputter into the radio. It'd be the crew's job to locate him in time and figure out what location the person is at (or the AI can help with that). I'm not sure what the time could be before the embryo takes over. During that time, though, it could be surgically removed. I guess if the infected individual is dead (or rotten) then the body is useless and maybe the ling could receive a message when a host has died.
I realize that this could be a bit lazy for the ling to have such a (possibly) easy chance to take over people. So how about after injecting the embryo, the host will receive gradual toxic damage that gets more intense the longer the inactive embryo remains. Nobody would notice a little bit of toxic damage but once that person is suddenly dropping into orange or borderline crit then it would become obvious. However, that could also cause the changeling to strategize a little on who he is going to sting (and when).
I could just see it now. Four vigilantes standing in disposals watching a mass of bloody material get launched off station. One person accuses another person who then accuses the accuser whereas the other two are just watching everyone, expecting it. Then over the radio a miner splutters something incomprehensible... But the AI is too stupid to switch camera networks... RIP he.
I dunno how this all would be to code or anything. Just thought of it and decided to share. Pick it apart, add/change, or throw it in the "worst ideas ever" bin which is essentially a paper shredder. I don't mind!