Arcfiend feedback thread

[Froggit_Dogget]

Think it would be interesting to give them an ability based smes human equivalent, push the button and get smes human for 30 seconds.

They have SMES, its just invisible.

[Katzen]

Think it would be interesting to give them an ability based smes human equivalent, push the button and get smes human for 30 seconds.

They have SMES, its just invisible.

Perhaps should have a status effect so you know.

[Vocalpocal]

First impressions of arc fiend: I felt like a miscreant more than an antagonist, a very different experience compared to a vampire or a changeling. I like that engineering now has their own antagonist, I have never really dealt with engineers before as they are so isolated from the rest of the station.

Some ideas I had that could improve the enjoyability of this antag:
- Remove the 2000 hard cap for absorbed power. It felt so confusing when at some point my meter just stopped moving. It felt very unsatisfying. Instead of a 2k cap, there could be an "overcharged" state once you go past 2k current power: you would emit sparks to make yourself an extremely obvious Arcfiend, and you could gradually lose power until you reach 2k cap. In any case, I think the Arcfiend should be well rewarded if they can suck power for a long time.
- Give the Arcfiend a power progression like the vampire. Something like maybe a 500 costing EMAG single use once you have sucked more than 5000 power? Or an EMP? Right now Arcfiend feels like a weird mix between antags who don't get strong over time (Like Wizards, werewolves etc.) and those who get rewarded with permanent benefits after being an asshole (such as vampire and changeling)
- Allow them to suck power cells directly. I found it very odd when I just could not refill myself with power cells I found lying around. They have power in them too you know!

Overall I love the concept of this new antagonist, but I feel that it needs more work.

[zjdtmkhzt]

I can second that the cap of 2000 felt pretty low to me.
You get to 2000 very fast and after that it's kinda like, "what now, do I just have to murder people to get rid of all this power?"
I felt like I was incentivized to get this plan like, "haha, I'll break into engineering and get *all* the power", but I just kinda sucked the SMES unit and was full really quickly.

Also, even if the cap is kept this way, it should maybe tell you that you are full and won't gain any more power? I was confused for a little while on why I was not getting anything and if it was bugged/just didn't work on certain machines/if the tick rate was really low.

[Asparaguy]

I think arcfiend should have some sort of unique appearance, maybe when you get to a certain point your body changes into pure sparks

[phyvo]

Arcfiend sort of feels to me like it should have abilities that use a % of your current power and do more damage/more things/more area the more power you have stored. Because upping the engine to petawatts of power and then draining it to supercharge your abilities just seems like the thing to do thematically, especially given how power gloves work. But there could be more than one way to go about getting the thematic element more correct.

It also seems lame that SMES mutation just counters what Arcfiends do. Leaves them with nothing but running away pretty much. Doesn't seem good for a round-start antag that's supposed to be a threat akin to vamps, lings, or traitors with equipment.

[Katzen]

An overlay of cables and highlight of APCs/power devices would be very useful.

[Vocalpocal]

An overlay of cables and highlight of APCs/power devices would be very useful.

T-ray scanner is quite useful but it makes you a very obvious Arc Fiend which I don't like too much.

[Tiresoup]

An overlay of cables and highlight of APCs/power devices would be very useful.

Possibly energy vamp could get this as an ability for electric charge/shock whatever the equivalent to blood is called?

[Ikea]

Have them being cuffed prevent them from using there abilities so sec can actually properly arrest them. Also limit one arcfiend per round as one alone can cause super hard to repair damage to apcs.

[Cal]

Have them being cuffed prevent them from using there abilities so sec can actually properly arrest them.

Yes please.

Also limit one arcfiend per round as one alone can cause super hard to repair damage to apcs.

Maybe only on RP.

[Sov]

handcuffs already block their abilities.

Currently arcfiends can't drain an apc below 10% of the total battery, you should be able to just force the power back on and pre-emptively force it on other APCs to prevent the power from ever going out at all. So long as the SMES's and/or solars are setup of course, or else you will eventually drain down to 0. 

There is currently a roundstart cap of 2, but latejoins are possible. Any additional roundstarts are forced to default traitor

[Ikea]

Handcuffs blocking abilities may be bugged then, heard several people claim that handcuffs dont block.

[Thathemmer]

To me the arc fiend feels very very weak. The 2000 power cap feels extremely low, and a lot of the abilities feel like they just don't pack the punch that they look like they do. Flash feels like it doesn't do anything, in that many times when I use it people look like they just walk out of it unfazed. the electric resistance feels inconsistent, in that I am completely immune to electrified doors, something that iirc is able to kill regular crewmembers, while stun batons feel like they have no reduced effectiveness on me. I think discharge is good, so is Jolt and ride the lightning, especially ride the lightning if the 2000 power cap is removed. I love the concept, it is one of my favorites so far, I like the draining. Something I am hoping for is some progression based abilities.

[cyberTripping]

To me the arc fiend feels very very weak. The 2000 power cap feels extremely low, and a lot of the abilities feel like they just don't pack the punch that they look like they do. Flash feels like it doesn't do anything, in that many times when I use it people look like they just walk out of it unfazed. the electric resistance feels inconsistent, in that I am completely immune to electrified doors, something that iirc is able to kill regular crewmembers, while stun batons feel like they have no reduced effectiveness on me. I think discharge is good, so is Jolt and ride the lightning, especially ride the lightning if the 2000 power cap is removed. I love the concept, it is one of my favorites so far, I like the draining. Something I am hoping for is some progression based abilities.

The resistance passive they have is just an invisible version of SMES human, a standard mutation anyone can get. Normal SMES Human doesnt do anything against stuns like batons, and empowered smes human "merely" provides a 40% disorient resist. It's basically just like having no conductivity, like insuls. Might also protect against arcs which insuls don't, but don't quote me on that.