The Being, or "Another Goddamn Xhuis Gamemode"

jaxy15 · Post by **jaxy15** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 4:45 pm #213374

Bottom post of the previous page:

Plasma cutters should do extra damage to Necromorphs Follicles.

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 5:42 pm #213385

jaxy15 wrote:Plasma cutters should do extra damage to Necromorphs Follicles.

Weaknesses will depend on what the Corpuscle had adapted to be resistant to. Once it unlocks a certain research, it will be able to choose what to resist (with a hefty cooldown), at the cost of being vulnerable to that thing's opposite.

Post by **Armhulen** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 5:46 pm #213387

you're considering redoing the food web? I thought it was a nice way to challenge the being in that he needs to adapt to the station and balance growth while upgrading.

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 6:23 pm #213403

Armhulen wrote:you're considering redoing the food web? I thought it was a nice way to challenge the being in that he needs to adapt to the station and balance growth while upgrading.

I'm definitely going to keep a research tree, but I'm not sure how I want to do it. I'm torn between:

Multiple trees
How cost should be handled
A "make a choice, move onto next tier" thing like the research in the SC2 WoL campaign

Things like that. There's never been anything this complex in SS13 before so it's hard to decide implementation.

Anonmare · Post by **Anonmare** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 7:03 pm #213413

Will Integration Parasites be the only way to integrate a machine, or can it happen passively?

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 9:55 pm #213456

Anonmare wrote:Will Integration Parasites be the only way to integrate a machine, or can it happen passively?

It'll happen passively with a small chance if a machine has Being infection below it, but parasites are more reliable.

On an unrelated note, this is a reminder that I'm accepting all ideas and suggestions of any kind for this.

Post by **Armhulen** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 10:06 pm #213458

Xhuis wrote:
Anonmare wrote:Will Integration Parasites be the only way to integrate a machine, or can it happen passively?
It'll happen passively with a small chance if a machine has Being infection below it, but parasites are more reliable.

On an unrelated note, this is a reminder that I'm accepting all ideas and suggestions of any kind for this.

I personally like the idea of a more passive integration, but this works too.

XDTM · Post by **XDTM** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:21 am #213549

Instead of spending biomass to advance in the food web, you could have some Brain Matter organs that give you food web research points over time; you can spend biomass building and defending these, for faster research, or you can forego them for a quick expansion.

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 2:51 pm #213581

XDTM wrote:Instead of spending biomass to advance in the food web, you could have some Brain Matter organs that give you food web research points over time; you can spend biomass building and defending these, for faster research, or you can forego them for a quick expansion.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep Biomass and research separate. I'll think on it.

Post by **Armhulen** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 5:11 pm #213626

Xhuis wrote:
XDTM wrote:Instead of spending biomass to advance in the food web, you could have some Brain Matter organs that give you food web research points over time; you can spend biomass building and defending these, for faster research, or you can forego them for a quick expansion.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep Biomass and research separate. I'll think on it.

if i may put my two cents in, you shouldn't keep them seperate. It may be (but probably isn't) harder to balance 'brain points' or whatever and it just adds a lot of unnecessary complexion, considering they are made by brains built out of biomass anyway.

ShadowDimentio · Sun Sep 25, 2016 5:16 pm

Yeah just make it one resource that everything draws from. Like you have to constantly choose if you want to push forwards against the crew with weaker mobs or spend a chunk of biomass buying upgrades to make them better at the cost of being able to rush with fewer dudes.

Post by **Armhulen** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 10:19 pm #213726

ShadowDimentio wrote:Yeah just make it one resource that everything draws from. Like you have to constantly choose if you want to push forwards against the crew with weaker mobs or spend a chunk of biomass buying upgrades to make them better at the cost of being able to rush with fewer dudes.

this, and really once you finish the research web you got all you really need for a goodmode, don't overcomplicate it like with ratvar

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:41 am #213748

OP updated with a poll for naming. I still can't really decide.

ShadowDimentio · Mon Sep 26, 2016 1:18 am

>Protean

I love it.

Anonmare · Post by **Anonmare** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 1:36 am #213759

I'm not sure about the suggested names, they don't really reflect the organism in my personal opinion. Like a Blob is called what it is because it's a shapeless, directionless mass of ever-expanding flesh.

I'm partial to something like "The Mass" or "The Infection", since it more closely reflects the creature and how it works and highlights the uniqueness of it since it's not "a" blob but The Mass/Infection.

Post by **Armhulen** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 2:21 am #213760

Anonmare wrote:I'm not sure about the suggested names, they don't really reflect the organism in my personal opinion. Like a Blob is called what it is because it's a shapeless, directionless mass of ever-expanding flesh.

I'm partial to something like "The Mass" or "The Infection", since it more closely reflects the creature and how it works and highlights the uniqueness of it since it's not "a" blob but The Mass/Infection.

i change my vote to this, it's very fitting

Post by **Armhulen** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 2:27 am #213762

also can someone explain how the ceiling creatures/buildings work? are they just invisible?

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 4:34 am #213774

Armhulen wrote:also can someone explain how the ceiling creatures/buildings work? are they just invisible?

Like normal, they just have a sprite that fades out towards the top.

Post by **Armhulen** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 4:35 am #213775

Xhuis wrote:
Armhulen wrote:also can someone explain how the ceiling creatures/buildings work? are they just invisible?
Like normal, they just have a sprite that fades out towards the top.

that makes a lot more sense, okay

Gun Hog · Post by **Gun Hog** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 11:52 am #213809

"The Infestation", "The Corruption", perhaps? Failing those, I also vote for "The Infection"

Dagdammit · Post by **Dagdammit** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 2:11 pm #213830

Poking around in latin a bit for terms you can mangle in ways that sound cool.

viscus means viscera, flesh, entrails, internal organs, offspring, carcass

If you want something like a scientific name or gamemode title:
crescat viscus for "growing flesh"

viscus machinae for "flesh machine."

viscus inmutae for "flesh that changes"

viscus tendae for "flesh that spreads"

viscus vescori: vescor means eat, feed, devour, enjoy, live

DemonFiren · Post by **DemonFiren** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 3:31 pm #213851

If I could I'd find people who think like that and shove Latin grammar textbooks up their asses.
As it stands all I can do is cringepost about posts that make me cringe.

Also, just call this thing The Beast.
[youtube]dQgrQVv4rSE[/youtube]

Dagdammit · Post by **Dagdammit** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:52 pm #213903

I did say "mangle", feel free to offer versuons that actually work under rules of latin grammar. The Beast sounds good to me though.

Durkel · Post by **Durkel** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 5:37 am #214071

Looks alright so far, but we won't ever really get a idea until it can be tested. I thought you were working on a dead by daylight game mode though, Was looking forward to trapping shitters in bear traps and spiking em.

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 11:36 am #214139

Durkel wrote:I thought you were working on a dead by daylight game mode though, Was looking forward to trapping shitters in bear traps and spiking em.

Nah. I had said that I would be able to remake shadowling to be similar to it (and I can) but I was never followed up on it.

cocothegogo · Post by **cocothegogo** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:52 pm #214226

I think we should call this game mode Meat Mode

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 2:52 am #214547

Some more organs have been added to the design doc, and I'm adding some more as we speak. General and balancing feedback appreciated.

XDTM · Post by **XDTM** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:50 am #214616

I really like the theme you're going with, slow but terrifying mosters that you're not supposed to attack alone/unprepared.

The integration parasite should probably be quicker/automatic, the hard part in the integration should be reaching the machine more than using it.

Grazyn · Post by **Grazyn** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:40 pm #215003

I vote The Beast, it scared the fuck out of me when I was young

Anonmare · Post by **Anonmare** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 7:10 pm #215120

I'm gonna be real disappointed if nobody ever says "Long live the New Flesh" at least once during this gamemode.

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 11:55 pm #215155

Apologies for the slow rate of updates for this. I've been busy with a lot of other things. I'll get some more work done today.

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:29 am #215156

I should note that, due to feedback, I have decided that integration will be passive. It will always occur on eligible machines if the infection spreads to its tile.

Screemonster · Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:03 am

This is giving me Beneath A Steel Sky vibes.

Spoiler:

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Sat Oct 01, 2016 5:24 pm #215236

The Food Web's example researches are done, along with elite researches for each of the four trees.
Their names are "All Will Serve", "Biotic Integration", "Technological Domination", and "Queen of Blades".
Feedback and suggestions appreciated as always.

Anonmare · Post by **Anonmare** » Sat Oct 01, 2016 11:46 pm #215295

I'm not sure about Drones being integretable into The Being since it might encourage players to occupy a Drone shell, ventcrawl into a Being infected area and deliberately let themselves be infected and run around with a license to griff. Maybe Being infected tiles could be innately hostile to Drone life instead.

If the infected machines can be used by player-controlled Being infectees, the ones their retain their dexterousness anyway, they could produce posibrains and cyborg endoskeletons fresh for integration.

I also had some thoughts about how other machines might react when infected.

I was thinking that the research servers in R&D could reduce the cost it takes to research something in the foodweb, maybe 5-10% per server to a maximum of 50% if any madman actually ever makes that many for some reason.
Turrets could have their faction replaced and fire on non-Being mobs (silicons included) and not respond to turret behavioral controls to turn off.
Emitters could have their orientation changed and be activated/deactivated by The Being.
SMES units could function similarly to Lungs but "consume" electricity instead, or contribute to biomass production depending on how much charge they have with diminishing returns if someone upgraded the SMES units.
Particle Accelerators could leak radiation that is harmless to The Being's flesh and creatures but not so harmless to anyone else.
The gibber (and the slime processor too since they're basically the same thing) functions the same way as a stomach.
Taking over telecomms equipment will allow you to intercept radio messages over other channels. I.E. Taking over the server that manages the Security channel will let you hear on it, taking over the bus mainframe it's on will let you send messages to that channel but they'll come out garbled and the name associated with you is similarly garbled while taking over the processor will let you send coherent messages using the name of whoever you've Taken (Maybe make it that being too wordy makes you sound slurred or drawing out your words), you'd only be able to send the coherent message as long as you have the bus mainframe it's assosciated with as well. Taking over the T-Comms Hub let's you change the connections as if you had a multitool.

Anonmare · Post by **Anonmare** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 12:16 am #215302

I've also been doing some research on body horror and I'd highly recommend watching David Cronenberg's stuff if any spriter wants inspiration on how to portray visceral horror. I pulled the quote "Long live the New Flesh" from Videodrome (Specifically this scene NSFW:)

Spoiler:

You could also use Dead Space/System Shock 2/The Thing(1982 not that 2011 crap)/Aliens etc. Beneath a Steel Sky got mentioned and there's also the Master from Fallout 1 if you really want to go old school.

DemonFiren · Post by **DemonFiren** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 9:16 am #215354

And on a biomechanical, spaceship-consuming scale, Homeworld-fucking-Cataclysm.

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 3:53 pm #215386

Well, after reviewing my options and the current forum posts, I've realized that there's zero reason for me to not start coding this.
Off I go.

Edit: I should mention that, although the design doc doesn't say much, follicles are affected by the health/damage/whatever upgrades, and there are a lot of researches that benefit them directly. I didn't forget about them!

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 9:50 pm #215440

This is the first tangible bit of progress. It's admittedly not much and uses a horrendous codersprite that's temporary, but behold: the corpuscle.

Anonmare · Post by **Anonmare** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:32 pm #215449

I like that the old body is merged with it, makes it seem more, I dunno, insidious?

ShadowDimentio · Mon Oct 03, 2016 12:05 am

Every corpse absorbed should add to the sprite. THE FLESH GROWS

Screemonster · Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:51 pm

ShadowDimentio wrote:Every corpse absorbed should add to the sprite. THE FLESH GROWS

Like the thing from Slither? Hell yes

Remie Richards · Mon Oct 03, 2016 6:00 pm

Screemonster wrote:
ShadowDimentio wrote:Every corpse absorbed should add to the sprite. THE FLESH GROWS
Like the thing from Slither? Hell yes

Slither's antagonist is called Grant Grant.

GRANT
R
A
N
T

It is the most B movie piece of shit in existence and I love it.

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:25 pm #215745

I'll be posting noteworthy development updates here, so make sure to check back often.

Speaking of which, here's the first one. Sprites are temporary, as usual.
Edit: I assume you'll check this again Remie, so: how do I add extra hands to a human? No reason.

Remie Richards · Tue Oct 04, 2016 10:10 pm

change_number_of_hands(amount_of_new_hands)
eg:
change_number_of_hands(4), you now have 4 hands.

ShadowDimentio · Tue Oct 04, 2016 10:21 pm

>Multiple hands

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Tue Oct 04, 2016 10:34 pm #215754

ShadowDimentio wrote:>Multiple hands

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT

;D

Anonmare · Post by **Anonmare** » Wed Oct 05, 2016 1:56 am #215779

How much force damage does the integrator do? From the number of swipes and the fact the test dummy was still alive afterwards I'm guessing it's between 20 and 30?

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Wed Oct 05, 2016 1:58 am #215780

Anonmare wrote:How much force damage does the integrator do? From the number of swipes and the fact the test dummy was still alive afterwards I'm guessing it's between 20 and 30?

15

Dagdammit · Post by **Dagdammit** » Wed Oct 05, 2016 2:54 am #215792

Xhuis wrote:This is the first tangible bit of progress. It's admittedly not much and uses a horrendous codersprite that's temporary, but behold: the corpuscle.

I know it's a codersprite, but one quick thought:

Xhuis · Post by **Xhuis** » Wed Oct 05, 2016 3:16 am #215799

Dagdammit wrote:
Xhuis wrote:This is the first tangible bit of progress. It's admittedly not much and uses a horrendous codersprite that's temporary, but behold: the corpuscle.

I know it's a codersprite, but one quick thought:

The image is generated from the appearance of whoever rooted. It'll be a lot more irregularly fused in the final sprite.

What should the antagonist be called?