HugoLuman

Let there be light

Yeah, I'm gonna need plenty of help on design here. Currently they have MASSIVE weakness to EMP. An EMP will instantly drop the infiltrator shells (haven't coded the Invader or Controller shells yet). They're also weak to radiation, which will damage the creature piloting the shell directly. I'm planning on having the transformed slaves be resistant to EMPs.

Hey, if that datum based cult PR goes through, we could actually do this!

For the infiltrators, I've made an item, a mask that looks like a generic head of whatever species it's set to (it can change icon like a clown mask) and adjusts their examine text accordingly (it will say "This is Totalynotayinfiltator, a human/etc!" Question is, should it disguise their skin as well, or should they rely on gloves, shoes, and clothing to do so?

I was thinking somewhere between nuke ops (guns blazin!) and xenos (taking over the station, making and expanding a base within the station). So, yes on replenishing their fabricator points by taking resources. And possibly yes on their enslavement chem. Codewise, help would be highly appreciated. In particular, the code for the Yin Controller. I'd like them to behave somewhat like an AI core, with the player inside being able to move an "eye" around. At first, only able to see the area in and around the ship, but then patching into the station's cameras later.

(I've done a lot of coding and spriting for this, but I must defer to those more experienced with the balance of the game to design mechanics) Locked in an eternal civil war, the Yin are one of the most technologically sophisticated powers in the Galaxy, though they rarely involve themselves in the affairs of others. Their organic forms are little more than wriggling masses of nervous tissue with a flagella, but they inhabit a wide variety of synthetic shells, their "bodies" being anything from small combat drones to entire starships. While reluctant to involve outsiders in the War for fear of unpredictable escalation, one faction has seen a temptation too great to pass over: The NSS Cyberiad. Seizing control of the station and its assets would grant them an excellent production facility for their efforts against the others. And no outsider would know which of the myriad factions to retaliate against. Mechanics The Yin start in critter form (outside their shells) on their ship One will then enter the empty control core in the center of the ship, enabling them to control the ship and its machines, and coordinate the invasion effort. The Yin will then use the Shell Fabricators aboard their ship and plan their strategy. Shell Fabricators These print out mechanical shells for the disembodied Yin to pilot (and perhaps items or upgrades). These draw from a point pool (similar to TC stations), which might be static or might be replenishable by loading in more resources. There are two kinds of shells to print: Invaders, a borg-like, heavily armed and armored shell for overt tactics Infiltrators, a humanoid shell for stealthy tactics. Possibly starts with implants, possibly spends points to print additional implants/equipment Yin can eject from their shells at any time, and while in critter form they can ventcrawl. Their organic forms have a bluespace uplink implant that enables them to communicate with each other at any time. Objectives The Yin seek to claim the station as a new production facility for their war effort, seizing control of all it's assets (including the crew). To accomplish this, they must: 1) Install a Bluespace Shield, preventing BSA fire from hitting the station or its vicinity 2) Take control of the station's systems by subverting or replacing the AI 3) Prevent their new slaves from escaping These really need a lot of work. Unique Equipment Not that many yet, and not sure about these. -Morphic Disguise: a programmable disguise for the Infiltrators. Customize your false appearance then slip it on in the mask slot -Armblade/Armgun implant: a weapon for Infiltrators to use. Not overly powerful -Guns: Probably mostly energy based. Considering giving their weapons a plasma focus -Yin Neurotoxin: Causes victim's brain to mutate into a Yin, exploding out of their skull. Probably not as an antag. Won't have the uplink implant (Probably not using this) -Yin Nanoplastic: transforms the victim into a walking meld of flesh and machine, enslaved to the Yin controller.

Not sure of this, but giving the Chaplain something to do on any round would be very welcome. All too often we have cultists around but no chaplain, because chaplain is usually pretty boring (leading to them going around greytiding or bibleslapping people)

I say leave them as xenobio rewards. The whole reason they exist is that slime people were made a karma reward, making these guys a karma reward would be a bit of a gaffe and probably necessitate a rebalance

In light of the initial RP, I've got some more stuff to add to the lore. Namely that they really don't like warm food. And we should flesh out the city-states

Alright, while we wait for the staff to pass judgement on the PR, let's work on the lore some more. FlattestGuitar already pointed out a few issues, and I've added some more today

Where do people keep getting ocean and aquatic from? Their planet is a big ball of rock and ice that may have had a subsurface ocean in the past, but doesn't any longer. As for mannerisms, that too could use some development. Currently I'm thinking on their concept of time, coming from a planet with no seasons and little difference between day and night, where they can live very long lives. They probably find many of the other races frantic and fiery. Personality-wise, I think they could be considered opportunistic, or even greedy. They are eager to spread into space and learn what they can from the space-faring races.

I'm in favor. The latent unactivated genes in everyone sounds like it'd make thinks more interesting for everyone on the entire station.

Alright, I've coded everything I can think of to code for them, so unless I've missed something (and I hope someone can look over the PR and tell me if I have), that leaves just rebalancing the numbers already there and the lore to discuss. WIP lore is here, thoughts? https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GR6 ... GLhQZS1qcU

Alrighty, I've given them skin tone now

Well, we've got the PR up now: https://github.com/ParadiseSS13/Paradise/pull/4187

That's extremely complicated, especially as there are no implants that require an external power source. I'd have no framework for that. Logically, as it's an implant, it should be lost when a Drask is cloned, and require re-implanting. However, I'm worried we'll run into concerns of "too snowflakey" with that.

Well, I've figured how to code it so their organs take damage at certain body temperatures. Not quite sure how to make the implant prevent that yet. The rates of organ damage will need tweaking. EDIT: Also, I just want to clarify, they don't NEED supercooled internals (nor do they spawn with them), those just cause them to regenerate. Strangely, the temperature of breathed gas does not affect body temperature. Being surrounded by cold air does, but not breathing it.

One thing the Drask remind me of are of recorded lifeforms in the Marianas Trench - a deep-sea formation where visible sunlight is almost null, and temperatures average around 1 to 4 degrees celsius. In regards to their abilities, I suppose would make sense that they'd have darksight due to eyes adapted for life beneath the surface. One idea to balance this would be to give it a rational extreme: As a result of having more sensitive photoreceptors, blinding effects such as flashes and flashbangs could take much longer to wear off, or perhaps inflict stamina damage which would eventually stun them with repeated blinding. As for how they'd adapt to life in a lukewarm, surface-level environment, my (very superficial) understanding of deep-sea life is that their bodily chemical functions would accelerate dramatically, leaving them drained and exhausted. This is, pretty much, an idea ripped from the Resistance games, but if we're trying to avoid another Vox or Plasmamen approach of needing specialized internals, the Drask could be given some sort of regulator unit - like a pacemaker or a DBS system to regulate their bodily functions for the station's environment. I absolutely LOVE this idea. Maybe instead of being so weak to burn you could make said device EMPable for some serious downsides. This makes an already unique race even more so, and moves away from the idea of species that require internals to function (which I think we already have enough of). That'd be awesome but I don't know how to code it. Well, I know how to make it EMPable. But not sure about the other stuff.

SOUNDS! https://www.dropbox.com/s/d38s51ttticc8 ... k.wav?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/28xcqp64j77hs ... 2.wav?dl=0 Preliminary, but, thoughts?

Anyone have customization ideas for them? Currently all you can set is their eye color More lore ideas: -Elders, figures in Drask society who have lived an exceptional span -Due to their potentially long lives and lack of seasonal or other visual indicators, Drask are not as keenly aware of the passage of time as other species -Microscopic, luminescent symbiotes in their bodies (which are largely responsible for the color of their eyes) -Non-gendered, any individual potentially able to reproduce with any other, but may have individual style preferences for male or female garments -Linked to the discovery of Cryoxadone

Fully support. More customization options to make IPCs look even neater

But remember: racial darksight is different than actual nightvision. You don't get to see in pitch blackness, just further with a given lightsource. Though on the note of burn weakness, theirs is significant. They die in 5 welder hits with their current stats. Edit: My bad. Turns out it doesn't even make a difference unless you wear thermals or mesons.

And remember, racial darksight isn't nearly as good as the nightvision certain antags get, or that afforded by science equipment Here's their racial definition code at present: /datum/species/drask name = "Drask" name_plural = "Drask" icobase = 'icons/mob/human_races/r_drask.dmi' deform = 'icons/mob/human_races/r_drask.dmi' path = /mob/living/carbon/human/drask default_language = "Galactic Common" language = "Orluum" unarmed_type = /datum/unarmed_attack/punch eyes = "drask_eyes_s" darksight = 5 burn_mod = 4 //exotic_blood = "cryoxadone" body_temperature = 273 can_revive_by_healing blurb = "Hailing from a planet outside what is usually considered a habitable \ orbit, the Drask evolved to live in extreme cold." flags = HAS_LIPS clothing_flags = HAS_UNDERWEAR | HAS_UNDERSHIRT | HAS_SOCKS bodyflags = FEET_CLAWS dietflags = DIET_OMNI cold_level_1 = -1 //Default 260 - Lower is better cold_level_2 = -1 //Default 200 cold_level_3 = -1 //Default 120 cold_env_multiplier = -1 heat_level_1 = 300 //Default 360 - Higher is better heat_level_2 = 340 //Default 400 heat_level_3 = 400 //Default 460 heat_level_3_breathe = 600 //Default 1000 flesh_color = "#a3d4eb" reagent_tag = PROCESS_ORG base_color = "#a3d4eb" blood_color = "#a3d4eb" has_organ = list( "heart" = /obj/item/organ/internal/heart/drask, "lungs" = /obj/item/organ/internal/lungs/drask, "metabolic strainer" = /obj/item/organ/internal/liver/drask, "eyes" = /obj/item/organ/internal/eyes/drask, "brain" = /obj/item/organ/internal/brain/drask ) /datum/species/drask/handle_temperature(datum/gas_mixture/breath, var/mob/living/carbon/human/H) // called by human/life, handles temperatures if( (abs(310.15 - breath.temperature) > 50) && !(RESIST_HEAT in H.mutations)) // Hot air hurts if(H.status_flags & GODMODE) return 1 //godmode if(breath.temperature < 260) if(prob(20)) H << "\blue You feel an invigorating coldness in your lungs!" else if(breath.temperature > heat_level_1) if(prob(20)) H << "\red You feel your face burning and a searing heat in your lungs!" switch(breath.temperature) if(-INFINITY to 120) H.adjustFireLoss(cold_env_multiplier*COLD_GAS_DAMAGE_LEVEL_3) H.adjustBruteLoss(cold_env_multiplier*10) H.fire_alert = max(H.fire_alert, 1) if(121 to 200) H.adjustFireLoss(cold_env_multiplier*COLD_GAS_DAMAGE_LEVEL_2) H.adjustBruteLoss(cold_env_multiplier*6) H.fire_alert = max(H.fire_alert, 1) if(201 to 260) H.adjustFireLoss(cold_env_multiplier*COLD_GAS_DAMAGE_LEVEL_1) H.adjustBruteLoss(cold_env_multiplier*3) H.fire_alert = max(H.fire_alert, 1) if(heat_level_1 to heat_level_2) H.apply_damage(hot_env_multiplier*HEAT_GAS_DAMAGE_LEVEL_1, BURN, "head", used_weapon = "Excessive Heat") H.fire_alert = max(H.fire_alert, 2) if(heat_level_2 to heat_level_3_breathe) H.apply_damage(hot_env_multiplier*HEAT_GAS_DAMAGE_LEVEL_2, BURN, "head", used_weapon = "Excessive Heat") H.fire_alert = max(H.fire_alert, 2) if(heat_level_3_breathe to INFINITY) H.apply_damage(hot_env_multiplier*HEAT_GAS_DAMAGE_LEVEL_3, BURN, "head", used_weapon = "Excessive Heat") H.fire_alert = max(H.fire_alert, 2) EDIT: MORE LORE COMMENTS: I think it makes a lot of sense for them to live sub-surface. Perhaps their planet is a big rocky iceball, and the surface has a very thin atmosphere but subsurface ice cavities are full of more substantial gas. Perhaps a chemotrophic food chain that turns volcanic output into oxygen

I like it so far. Here's what I have of the language, though I'd like to give them their own naming convention, rather than just random syllables (which I know how to do, but haven't thought of one yet) /datum/language/drask name = "Orluum" desc = "The droning, vibrous language of the Drask. It sounds somewhat like whalesong" speech_verb = "drones" ask_verb = "hums" exclaim_verb = "rumbles" colour = "slime" key = "%" flags = RESTRICTED syllables = list("hoorb","vrrm","ooorm","urrrum","ooum","ee","ffm","hhh","mn","ongg") EDIT: I wonder, can we tie them into the development of common cryogenic technology somehow?

I've tried to avoid them resembling anything from Earth, but as for the sounds, their language description says it resembles whalesong, and I was thinking something between that and the strider sounds from Half Life 2