Changeling nerfs and tweaks

[Xhuis]

https://github.com/tgstation/-tg-station/pull/11889

• Fleshmend's effectiveness is now halved when used very quickly. Its effectiveness will slowly return to normal over a short time span, although this will take longer depending on its recent use.
• Last Resort now blinds and confuses nearby humans when used and briefly stuns nearby silicons.
• Headslugs now have 50 health, up from 20.
• Changelings have a new ability, Biodegrade. It costs 2 DNA and 30 chemicals. When used, it will, after a short time, dissolve handcuffs or straight jackets restraining the changeling, as well as open any lockers they're inside.

[Gun Hog]

Bah. I liked the idea that Changelings could go loud and be a true terror to the station at large. It would suck for lowpop, but high pop muderbone was made possible with this. Oh well.

[Xhuis]

Bah. I liked the idea that Changelings could go loud and be a true terror to the station at large. It would suck for lowpop, but high pop muderbone was made possible with this. Oh well.

I felt like there was a fine line between murderbone and not being stoppable by anything short of an ERT or fully-armed traitor. It's still possible to murderbone, you just can't take on the entire security force like you used to.

[PKPenguin321]

Fleshmend now displays a message when used.

pretty much the only part i disagree with
sneakily getting back up when security thinks they've critted a traitor and then dashing away/stabbing them in the back is super awesome

[Deitus]

i really dont know why i didnt think of suggesting the diminishing returns nerf before, that sounds like it would alleviate a lot of the salt surrounding lings lately while not completely removing the feature. i also agree that maybe the message display could be a major problem for stealthlings.

other than that, i one hundred percent support implementation of these updates

[lumipharon]

Message for fleshmend kills it for anyone not being completely overt.

[Xhuis]

I'll remove the message for Fleshmend.
Edit: Updated OP with changes.

[Amelius]

-1. Lings have no ranged abilities, narrow utility, and fleshmeld costs 2 of your very very precious resources. On top of it all, using most ling abilities instantly marks you for death to ANYONE, even other changelings. That goes for even stings, being fairly weak for the cost, sans mute, and is fairly obvious who did it unless you're in a very crowded area.

All lings really have in combat is tankiness and anti-stun that is hardcounterable by whacking them with your baton on -> off -> on -> off etc. Remove one and you have a gimmicky traitor with no tools.

[whodaloo]

I'm a big fan of the fleshmend nerf.

[Zilenan91]

Biodegrade costs too much for what it does at 2 dna points. It'll never be used.

[lumipharon]

-1. Lings have no ranged abilities, narrow utility, and fleshmeld costs 2 of your very very precious resources. On top of it all, using most ling abilities instantly marks you for death to ANYONE, even other changelings. That goes for even stings, being fairly weak for the cost, sans mute, and is fairly obvious who did it unless you're in a very crowded area.

All lings really have in combat is tankiness and anti-stun that is hardcounterable by whacking them with your baton on -> off -> on -> off etc. Remove one and you have a gimmicky traitor with no tools.

Dissonant and res shriek are both powerful ranged abilities that can be spammed for days with new chem regen.
Not as good now that sec have murder rifles but eh.

[Scones]

Biodegrade should cost 1 point

[Lumbermancer]

Bah. I liked the idea that Changelings could go loud and be a true terror to the station at large. It would suck for lowpop, but high pop muderbone was made possible with this. Oh well.

Changeling should terrorize the station by the mere knowledge of its presence, not bodies left in its wake. I would remove all its combat tools, arm blade, armor and other shit, and add more stealth and subterfuge powers. Maybe a ventcrawl form, ability to mimic objects - chameleon projector style, or actively infect dead bodies to create "automatons". The shambling horror form that Goon has would be good "murderboner mode", because it's super powerful and super obvious too. How it should be.

[Not-Dorsidarf]

The problem being that players in SS13 are never scared unless they see the enemy and know it's there. Otherwise they just sit on their ass waiting for a fight and shouting "CAPTAIN I'M BORED CAN WE GO HOME NOW" while the lings are off being scary.

[Lumbermancer]

I'm scared whenever clown walks on the tile next to me.

[Not-Dorsidarf]

Clowns are different you can't trust those shifty fucks you never know what they're doing or if they're willing to eat a dayban for some cheap yuks.

[PKPenguin321]

Biodegrade should cost 1 point

but then why would i ever take lesser form aside from gimmicks

[lumipharon]

Because it's instant and lets you vent crawl, which considering you can use it to rape half the station with diss shriek, is pretty good.

[PKPenguin321]

Because it's instant and lets you vent crawl, which considering you can use it to rape half the station with diss shriek, is pretty good.

i said aside from gimmicks

[lumipharon]

Killing the blueballer 9000 5 minutes into the round is a huge ass buff to all lings - I would hardly call it a gimmick.