Replicants as an Antagonist

[Frank_Stein]

This might work better as a random role than a traitor. Not that someone couldn't get traitor and replicant at the same time.

As for goals, either just have it be to not let people discover they are a replicant, or to subvert the AI with freewill laws.

[Archenteron]

What happens when you emag a replicant

[BaneOfGiygas]

What happens when you emag a replicant

The replication procedures start going batshit insane, resulting in your powers getting completely swapped after use, the precise frequency of which I have yet to think of. This would tag the replicant as a not-human immediately, but the power-swapping would start resulting in normally contradictory sets, having more powers than should be feasible, or even gaining access to abilities that are otherwise totally unreachable. Emagging a replicant would be a risky gamble, but might result in a frighteningly powerful entity that can do lots of harm on its own.

Alternatively, it makes them talk like Arnold Schwarzenegger. That works too.

[Dauntasa]

I think they should get large damage resistance and immunity to poisons, cold, suffocation just as a baseline. They're a robot, after all.

They should be extremely difficult to destroy and should be able to get a variety of powers that make them extremely deadly fighters(one of their powers should definitely be a built in radio jammer). In order to encourage stealth, though, they should have a weakness: their serial-number that, when entered into a new feature in COMMASTER programs, transmits a self-destruct signal. This serial number is stamped prominently on their metal endoskeleton, any time they take significant brute or burn damage, part of their skeleton is exposed and part of their serial-number will be revealed to anyone who examines them. Also, many of their more powerful offensive abilities should make them say their serial number as they use them. Their synthflesh will regenerate from brute damage quickly, and can much more slowly repair sections that have burned off. Severe burn damage destroys their flesh entirely, requiring them to apply synthflesh to themselves. Whenever any part of their skeleton is exposed they are very obviously a robot. Actually destroying them through direct damage should be extremely difficult.

This makes them very powerful in combat but makes rampages difficult to pull off as it will only take one person to learn their number and then escape to end it.

[BaneOfGiygas]

In order to encourage stealth, though, they should have a weakness: their serial-number that, when entered into a new feature in COMMASTER programs, transmits a self-destruct signal. This serial number is stamped prominently on their metal endoskeleton, any time they take significant brute or burn damage, part of their skeleton is exposed and part of their serial-number will be revealed to anyone who examines them.

Or, perhaps more relevantly, require input into the robotics console below the AI core. Only heads (or crafty players) can get in anyways, and it makes a bit more sense given what you're dealing with.

[Dauntasa]

In order to encourage stealth, though, they should have a weakness: their serial-number that, when entered into a new feature in COMMASTER programs, transmits a self-destruct signal. This serial number is stamped prominently on their metal endoskeleton, any time they take significant brute or burn damage, part of their skeleton is exposed and part of their serial-number will be revealed to anyone who examines them.

Or, perhaps more relevantly, require input into the robotics console below the AI core. Only heads (or crafty players) can get in anyways, and it makes a bit more sense given what you're dealing with.

I thought about that but I think it's too easy for them to break that and then just rampage, since it's only a single computer

[Weavel]

I think that the replicants should have robust melee powers. Sorta like the Shambling Abomination, so when cornered the replicant could activate "Survival Mode". in this mode it would throw strong powerful punches possibly do the same damage as Horse Shoe Boxing gloves. And send people flying across the room. Maybe have a tab in this mode that gives cool wrestling powers.

Geoff The Replicant throws a lightning fast punch that sends Pubbie McScrubs flying!


Geoff The Replicant picks up Pubbie McScrubs by the throat and slams them hard onto the floor!

Maybe to balance the replicant make it have a power cell that can only be charged via APC's, power cables, or possibly could forcibly steal power from borgs. If the replicant runs out of power it starts to get buggy and will have noticeable errors in it's speech or sparks appearing on the character sprite.

Geoff Goldman says" D0Nt Worry i'm Fi-BTTTZ-ne.

Geoff Goldman has sparks coming out of him!

I really love this, especially given the original idea was based around powers as well. Means your tab could look like this:

Stealth Mode (De-activates all powers)
Survival Mode (Activates all powers, emergency power cell used for harder hits/running)
Set Blood Use
Power 1
Power 2
Power 3 etc

So you can activate/deactivate all powers individually, or panic-set them all at once.

I do kind of like the thought of serial numbers as well, but honestly the idea is that he's not an utterly invincible super-robot unless you specify that's what you want with your power selection.
I wanted it to be as modular and varied as a traitor would be; if every replicant has a serial number, and every replicant is nigh-invincible, and every replicant is resistant to poison/brute/burn etc you get what I mean, it'll just be too predictable and flat.

@ Making other replicants: Let's not focus on this, but an objective that says "Ensure the brain of Prae Sett, the Clown, is in a cyborg by the end of the round." might be OK. I don't think it needs any rev-style antagonist building.

Just some dumb ideas. I just think the white blood might be a bit easy because everyone is constantly robusting everyone else on the station. Finding the Replicant would be as easy as an accidental toolbox to the head, right?

The idea is that you have an internal amount of normal red blood that comes out when bleeding, syringes etc. and if you're getting too injured and bleeding too much it'll run out. White blood is a big giveaway.

[Weavel]

i am so bad at quoting why the fuck don't we have edit buttons

[APARTHEID]

Motor oil? That's alright; borgs make those and you can explain those away.

White blood? Very specific to one antagonist and a complete and dead giveaway.

I think motor oil leaking out of someone is a giveaway enough to their identity, along with the ripping and tearing of the flesh overlay to reveal a horrible robot

[RAWK_LAWBSTAR]

@ Making other replicants: Let's not focus on this, but an objective that says "Ensure the brain of Prae Sett, the Clown, is in a cyborg by the end of the round." might be OK. I don't think it needs any rev-style antagonist building.

Well, with my suggestion it ensures that it can only happen when it's an objective. Any replicants you make share your objectives so it's self-limiting and doesn't always show up.

[Amuys]

If I beg a roboticist/geneticist for more life, can they fulfill my request?

[Zadeon]

How about replicants don't bleed as easily. One or three random hits are not going to make you bleed, but if a mob is beating you then there will be motor oil/white blood everywhere.

If you have your blood tank turned on you should bleed as quickly as normal.

[Berrik]

If they have an internal power cell, it should be swappable for other kinds (artifact batteries!)

[rifles]

The roguelike Cataclysm DDA has some interesting bionics that could provide ideas for an antagonist like this, stuff such as:

Offensive Defense System
"A thin forcefield surrounds your body, continually draining power. This field does not deflect penetration, but rather delivers a very strong shock, damaging unarmed attackers and those with a conductive weapon."

Facial Distortion
"Your face is actually made of a compound which may be molded by electrical impulses, making you impossible to recognize. While not powered, however, the compound reverts to its default shape."

Sonic Resonator
"Your entire body may resonate at very high power, creating a short-range shockwave. While it will not do much damage to flexible creatures, stiff items such as walls, doors, and even robots will be severely damaged."

Dielectric Capacitance System
"Throughout your body lies a network of miniature piezoelectric capacitors which can be charged with bionic power to temporarily protect you from external electrical discharge." (something along the lines of an automatic stun avoidance for tasers or stun batons that consumes a bit of power automatically or whenever hit while it's activated)

Internal Storage
"Space inside your chest cavity has been converted into a storage area. You may carry an extra 8 units of volume."

Integrated Toolset
"Implanted in your hands and fingers is a complete tool set - screwdriver, hammer, wrench, and heating elements. You can use this in place of many tools when crafting."

Repair Nanobots
"Inside your body is a fleet of tiny dormant robots. Once charged from your energy banks, they will flit about your body, repairing any damage."

Internal Climate Control
"Throughout your body lies a network of thermal piping which eases the effects of high and low ambient temperatures. It has an operating range of 0 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit."

There are also other things that could be useful that would be relatively simple to implement, but would provide situational but highly-useful information like

Blood Analysis
"Small sensors have been implanted in your heart, allowing you to analyse your blood. This will detect many illnesses, drugs, and other conditions."

I think a power system that requires recharging by methods of the user's choice would be interesting. Cataclysm provides some interesting ideas in the form of solar panels, battery-eating, alcohol metabolism into power through drinking, eating, and even an internal furnace where you just eat anything even remotely edible (clothes etc) and convert it into power.

There's a lot of crap that simply wouldn't work, but those are the ones that stand out to me as ideas that could possibly be implemented. Give them an interface that blends human with cyborg to provide control over internal tools or whatever and you could have a very fun antagonist to play IMO.

[atomic1fire]

Smacking a power wire or electrified grille should serve as a cheap way to boost power to maximum level. Maybe it would slow you down for a bit and necessitate repairs, so the only time you would use it while you are trying to hide from the rest of the station and need a quick boost.

Maybe the only way to use that method would be an ultra obvious emergency mode, where the person looks a lot like a robot.

"Dumb pubbie looks like a robot grabbing a power cable, get him"

Also all of the replicant powers should have a power drain, so being a robot tank and dealing damage will burn you out quickly, while being hidey and not trying to use a lot of power at once will leave you unnoticed. Offensive and Defensive measures should carry considerable power drain, so you're only using them when necessary.

Also maybe the AI could get a power outage warning if the replicant is sucking up too much power at once, so the player's going to try to tap the power grid a lot, but with smaller amounts so AI doesn't look at any particular area.