/tg/Station 13

Currently there doesn't seem to be much of an advantage of absorbing people. Once you absorb like 3 and have 3 rerolls you don't really need more. The only other advantage seems to be that the shield gets slightly stronger. I think it would be a good idea if you gained a point to spend after 2-3 absorptions or something. I mean a changeling isn't really intresting if it just acts like a normal crew member because it has nothing to gain from absorbing people. It sounds much more interesting to have it slinking around desperate for more people to absorb.

Absorbing victims should once again award points. The more people you suck dry, the powerful you become, at the obvious risk of blowing your cover and being cremated by Sec. It of course encourages killing lots of people, but for Changeling, this is a good thing.

Evolution-based Changeling that grows more powerful with each absorption when?

I mean I'd like that but I'd be annoyed when the changeling is unstoppable because of 12 idiots that aren't me

Armhulen wrote:I mean I'd like that but I'd be annoyed when the changeling is unstoppable because of 12 idiots that aren't me

last I checked 100 potassium 100 water grenades are pretty sizeable could probably gib an unarmored guy if it helps

Anonmare wrote:Evolution-based Changeling that grows more powerful with each absorption when?

4 years ago

I gotta admit I perfered old-lings, I get bitched at in deadchat for being a 'murderboner' because I go around sneakily shanking and sucking people in the maint tunnels like a changeling SHOULD.

>evulution ling genetics be fun again

In my opinion, lings should be antags that are progression-based but can specialise to a specific area of expertise. Like a ling who specialises in stealth can go chameleon, rest on the floor and laugh as sec keep walking by him, or a ling who specialises in combat who can go toe-to-toe with station security and have a shot at winning.
That and I'd like lings to have incentives to work together and to betray one another (I.E. Make absorbing one another a way to get a lot of points and get more powerful quicker).

I thought that if you absorb a ling you get that ling's DNA points?

DemonFiren wrote:I thought that if you absorb a ling you get that ling's DNA points?

You do yeah LET THE LINGS HIT THE FLOOR

Make ling goals require much higher amounts of DNA points, then.
This should be good.

Is it time for the BRING BAK PARASTANG thread argument again already?

Bring back parasting, but make it ranged.

Anonmare wrote:Bring back parasting, but make it ranged.

we are, it's called shadowling

HE REMOVED IT

Add the minds of the absorbed to the hivemind so they can become spiders or something later.

Anonmare wrote:Evolution-based Changeling that grows more powerful with each absorption when?

When coders grow a pair.

Its got removed YEARS ago and theres a lot of resistance whenever someone tries to bring it back.

I think that Lings should not be able to fix certain problems like limb loss (except heads when they need to revive once decapitated) or blood loss unless they absorb someone, but that doesn't really solve the problem of not needing to absorb once you've got a few victims.

I think, perhaps, Lings should start with like 4 points for powers. They get 1 more point for each absorption, they can get up to 10 total points (6 absorptions) and the 7th will force them into horror form.

Alternative I dont think giving them 10+ points is a big deal since we got rid of chemical sacs, at 10+ points you're limited by chems more than you are by a choice of power, doesn't matter if you get 20 abilities if you're out of chems after using 2 of them.

HOW TO FIX LINGS:

1: Reviving spawns you with only 15 health. It's fucking dumb how lings pop back from the grave at totally full health and can immediately sprint away from you.

2: Bring back parasting.

1. Recognize lings in design and abilities look and feel more like Alex Mercer from Prototype rather than a proper changeling as seen in the movie.
2. Import some of the abilities from Prototype (High damage backstab that interchanges the stabber and the stabee appearance)
3.?????
4. Merged

Armblade is lame as fuck. It's a virtually undetectable esword.

Of note is that in Prototype you can sneak behind people, and basically stab-absorb them and transform into them if nobody else is looking. You don't even need the armblade out for it, since the stab is made with a proboscis/virus hand thing.

Uh, import more prototype crap? The entire mode is basically prototype from the arm blade to chitin armor and shields.

Changling would be a hell of a lot more interesting if you removed the hivemind and gave changlings the objective to eat their counterparts to power up more in a highlander sort of way.

I'd you're gonna bring back parasting at least make it so the ling can't use it while stunned or slipped. Kind of shitty to have a button that's basically just a get out of trouble free card

Davidchan wrote:Uh, import more prototype crap? The entire mode is basically prototype from the arm blade to chitin armor and shields.

Changling would be a hell of a lot more interesting if you removed the hivemind and gave changlings the objective to eat their counterparts to power up more in a highlander sort of way.

sounds fun, all changelings are weak but eating eachother makes them stronger, not eating humies.

Para sting on a small channel. No warning while it's charging but gives a semi obvious message to those in the area and large obvious to the victim. Keeps the ambush aspect interesting, can't be used while stunned, cuffed. Etc

If I had my way, lings would be a fuck ton weaker. Basic stun/disorient ability to start. Eating other lings gives genomes/adds their points to yours for buying powers (like killing another tator and using their uplink.) Eating people just let's you get a new disguise and refill some of your mana/energy/what ever the fuck lings use to activate powers. No more walking down the halls and stealth stealing dna disguises and refilling your pool.

Lings would cat and mouse each other, they'd need some way to root out other lings (maybe a high frequency ping that only other lings, borgs and maybe Ian can hear, causing them to cringe or twitch.) Last ling standing wins, if multiple lings escape they tie, if all lings die or get stranded crew wins.

Davidchan wrote:If I had my way, lings would be a fuck ton weaker. Basic stun/disorient ability to start. Eating other lings gives genomes/adds their points to yours for buying powers (like killing another tator and using their uplink.) Eating people just let's you get a new disguise and refill some of your mana/energy/what ever the fuck lings use to activate powers. No more walking down the halls and stealth stealing dna disguises and refilling your pool.

Lings would cat and mouse each other, they'd need some way to root out other lings (maybe a high frequency ping that only other lings, borgs and maybe Ian can hear, causing them to cringe or twitch.) Last ling standing wins, if multiple lings escape they tie, if all lings die or get stranded crew wins.

Good thing you don't have your way.

kevinz000 wrote:Good thing you don't have your way.

I know, god forbid we have an antag that can't kill half the crew from the start.

Armhulen wrote:

Davidchan wrote:Uh, import more prototype crap? The entire mode is basically prototype from the arm blade to chitin armor and shields.

Changling would be a hell of a lot more interesting if you removed the hivemind and gave changlings the objective to eat their counterparts to power up more in a highlander sort of way.

sounds fun, all changelings are weak but eating eachother makes them stronger, not eating humies.

That actually sounds like a decent double agents. You don't want to release singulo either because if you dont absorb other lings you lose

Newling was a mistake.
There is a reason it doesnt even hold up as a roundtype anymore and we only have tatorchan.

CosmicScientist wrote:

ShadowDimentio wrote:HOW TO FIX LINGS:

1: Reviving spawns you with only 15 health. It's fucking dumb how lings pop back from the grave at totally full health and can immediately sprint away from you.

2: Bring back parasting.

And to also reanimate when ready rather than a minute after they hit the regen button. I'm always overeager to hit the "I want to play again" button and wind up waking up en route to the morgue/gibber with an instant valid label, multiple witnesses and no weapons. It might be a bit more interesting for someone to say "I need to watch/monitor this body regularly" rather than "If they pop back up in a minute, I'll just baton them down again and gib" that and I suppose removing them permanently from the round will be a bit more of an effort when they can spring back at the opportune moment rather than an uncontrollable time.

That's how it works, in my experience. You start the process, then when it is ready you get a verb to wake up.
One time I threw a few people into the supermatter because there isn't really anything interesting to do as a changeling besides fucking around, got killed and my body was paraded around on the bridge, I had to wait 10 minutes before people got bored and fucked off, then I revived and walked away.

Like I have said many times before: progression based side antag ling IS the answer.


The reason progression ling didn't work in the past is because it was an entire gamemode of its own.

>Didn't work in the past

It worked perfectly well. Lings weren't a team, you could kill each other for all their genomes giving you a big bonus, or work together and fuck shit up twice as well but constantly worrying about the other dude betraying and eating you.

The only thing was that they were unbeatable in 1V1, which was only a problem if you were the sort that got assblasted because the ling successfully muted and para'd you and ate you in toxins without getting caught. Eating also had a huge incentive, the more you ate the stronger you were and the more you could do.

However, crew In groups of two or larger, or if the ling was caught in the middle of gibing the succ to a guy, they had to run like hell and put on a new face lest they get gangraped.

It was balanced, fun, had different gameplay to the usual mindless murderbone and added some paranoia to the game.

>he doesn't remember 3 hour oldling rounds

>He doesn't remember 3 hour current ling round

ShadowDimentio wrote:The only thing was that they were unbeatable in 1V1, which was only a problem if you were the sort that got assblasted because the ling successfully muted and para'd you and ate you in toxins without getting caught.

kinda like the constant cries of nerfing the wizard because they can't disarmspam a solo antag and win the prize

really fires up the ol' grey matter