Make Lings vulnerable to Shock/Cardiac Failure..again

[SgtBriar]

This is a change that was never actually listed in the changelog, but was discussed by Cogwerks in the SA thread and slipped in stealthily. Lings no longer go into shock or cardiac failure and this makes them nigh-on *invulnerable*. This now gives a ling a very sporting chance against groups, whereas before it was its greatest - and one of its only - weaknesses. At the very least, make this invulnerability limited to Abomination form.

[Archenteron]

Changelings don't breathe, why would they need a functioning cardiovascular system?

[SgtBriar]

Changelings don't breathe, why would they need a functioning cardiovascular system?

because it's unbalanced that a ling can take 4 laser guns and survive? they didn't need a buff

[Natsumehack]

Changelings don't breathe, why would they need a functioning cardiovascular system?

This brings up a question, if one was to remove a lings heart, would it grow, back?

Could one get unlimited hearts from lings, and sell them for a ton of profit?

[Berrik]

A ling against a group is at a serious disadvantage anyways since it can still be knocked down, dragged into the crusher/a locker/the gibber/etc.

[Aesculus]

I would support this change, as I fought a changeling recently. He was locked in the engineering gas supply room, constantly on fire, and had around three or so full laser guns emptied on him, in addition to a borg locking it in, it probably took upwards of a thousand burn damage.

It lived the entire time.

[Captain_Bravo]

What if, instead of making Lings able to die, you just make it easier to knock them unconscious?

I.E. if a Ling hits the criteria that would normally kill a person, (-200 health) they automatically are knocked into a regenerative coma? It doesn't even have to be long, maybe just for 60 or 90 seconds. But they go down, and are unconscious while their body knits back together. At the end of it, they instantly regenerate all their health, and wake up. (If you make it a slow recovery, someone will just stand over it with a welder and whack it constantly, putting your 'ling into an endless coma. That's not fun for anyone.)

So Changelings are still incredibly, astoundingly hard to kill. (As befits any lovecraftian space monster) But they're also not effectively invincible. Take the 'ling down, and you've got a ticking timer to get that son of a bitch to the crusher, or lock it in a room filled with burning plasma. If you're a changeling, you once again want to avoid taking too much damage, because all of a sudden you're down and out for a full minute while they can do whatever-the-fuck-they-want with you.

Plus, spacing the 'ling once again becomes an option. If the timer is ticking and you can't make it to disposals, just toss it in a mass driver and pray it never makes it back.

[Shoddy]

I agree with Captain_Bravo.

On a side note: I think actual changeling rounds were removed or something, cause they only seem to appear in mixed with wizards, vampires and traitors who all end up fucking each other up in a huge bloody mess.

Although I would add that changelings should be able to be killed by fire, if nothing else but a crusher or spacing would do.

Changelings have no need to breathe and thus they have no need for a heart or oxygen in their blood.

[SgtBriar]

Okay Bravo's idea actually sounds really good. Gonna make another thread with that idea in it.

[UrsulaMejor]

i like captainbravo's idea, especially since it'll allow changelings the opportunity to use the *collapse verb and then stealthily sting targets who think they've won.... >

[Cogwerks]

because it's unbalanced that a ling can take 4 laser guns and survive? they didn't need a buff

I did this on purpose. I miss the days when "dead" changelings were still a massive threat, leading to a panicked rush to gib or cremate the changeling before it could revive. Lasering them to death is boring and trivially easy, stacked damage should really only incapacitate them. Changelings shouldn't die from anything short of complete corporeal destruction, makes them way the hell scarier.

[UmmonTL]

Maybe you could make the changeling resistances someone that's tied to it's DNA points? A fresh ling wouldn't be much of a threat but one that survived through the round would be a beast like it is now.

[Paineframe]

Changelings don't breathe, why would they need a functioning cardiovascular system?

because it's unbalanced that a ling can take 4 laser guns and survive? they didn't need a buff

Why? A laser gun has eight shots anyway, and a ling with negative health is still going to be slowed down and vulnerable for the beating that will finish them - it's just that on the off-chance they manage to escape, they'll actually be able to make use of their regenerative powers, as opposed to needing to run to the nearest medkit for the syringe of epi. A ling's regen powers were basically useless before, because any fight that goes badly for a changeling is going to give them more than a few scratches and scrapes, and once they're in crit they need to grab a medkit even after regenerating.