New race idea: the Qi'Vetaan

[Splat1125]

I've had this race floating around a self-made Sci-Fi framework for a while, and I realized that maybe SS13 could use a little bit more of the intensely unique aliens with equally unique quirks like the Vox instead of simple, anthropomorphized animals.

Since I'm way too lazy to format it here, I made a google doc to contain the excess of content.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A5SNPuPtYj26CYuAGdxC7RimDD6-mm6kY0l8p12ytwg

This, in short, should detail everything you have to know about these electric lizards. If it doesn't work, please tell me!

Changelog 9/20/17: Nerfed as a whole in accordance to a few concerns over size, energy, and healing and removed a few weird mechanics and buffs. Specified that sprites would function with Vox clothes. Allowed people to comment on the document; please provide feedback!

TL;DR: Slightly smaller electric lizards with a very unique metabolism, powerful perks, and severe disadvantages.

Edited September 20, 2017 by Splat1125

[Tayswift]

This is really cool. My only concern is that they might be confused with the Unathi.

[Splat1125]

5 minutes ago, Tayswift said:

This is really cool. My only concern is that they might be confused with the Unathi.

This's a valid concern which I hope the presence of a dorsal frill, digitigrade legs, and less height will solve.

Then again, it's also a nice touch to roleplay. Space-racism, huzzah...

edit: i'm redundant

Edited September 19, 2017 by Splat1125

[MarcelinePye]

I forsee more snowflake code then IPCs if you manage to get it approved...

[Splat1125]

6 minutes ago, MarcellusPye said:

I forsee more snowflake code then IPCs if you manage to get it approved...

Somehow, I foresee this using parts of IPC code, parts of Unathi and Vox spritework, and maybe a few bits and bobs of cyborg as well. It'll be horrible and a big spaghetti-coded mess, I'm aware, but it's always open to the reduction of its size. Not everything has to be implemented all at once; only the basic gimmicks like electricity-eating and chem immunity have to. I'll sort out the + and - to more easily distinguish.

[FeiH]

The problem with having a nonstandard race height is that someone is going to need to re-sprite every single piece of external wear in the game to fit the new species' bodies. Considering we don't have complete ports of suits for most other nonhuman races, this is probably the biggest barrier.

Besides, Vox are canonically like 3 feet tall so their in-game sprite is just a representation for convenience.

[Splat1125]

41 minutes ago, FeiH said:

The problem with having a nonstandard race height is that someone is going to need to re-sprite every single piece of external wear in the game to fit the new species' bodies. Considering we don't have complete ports of suits for most other nonhuman races, this is probably the biggest barrier.

Besides, Vox are canonically like 3 feet tall so their in-game sprite is just a representation for convenience.

Thanks for the feedback; I'm going to edit the main doc now.

[TwoCam]

I believe that the last community meeting confirmed that new races currently aren't being considered. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I also believe that it's been a longstanding rule that races that would require all of the clothing to be remade for them will also not be approved. I think they have to work with either the normal or vox clothes.

[Athavirasu Aqua]

It would need a lot of balancing.

"Mostly immune to EMP, taser stun, radiation, and electric shock*"

Nope, that's downright broken.

"Rapid regeneration of brute and burn damage when at high energy"

So they can just carry a bluespace power cell for almost infinite healing?

"Very slightly faster, but this is not needed"

Even if they are just "very slightly faster", it actually matters.

"Breathe oxygen, but perform better with more present O2"

Perform better how?

"Alien, energy-based blood can shock nearby people and cannot be transfused; must regenerate by being exposed to high energy levels"

That's arguably a disadvantage.

"Use a lot of energy; must be constantly managed"

APCs are almost everywhere, so that's not too much of a disadvantage.

"High energy will regenerate health slowly"

That contradicts "Rapid regeneration of brute and burn damage when at high energy".

"EMP damage, shock damage, radiation, and tasers will add energy and can hold a Qi’ over their limit; this stuns them and can kill"

Those damage sources can also heal them.

"Immune to all chemicals except for acids"

"Cannot regenerate from toxin and oxyloss damage by energizing"

So how are they supposed to regenerate toxin and oxyloss damage?

 

Edited September 20, 2017 by Athavirasu Aqua

[Sanpd]

I've had a read over the race, it definitely needs more balancing as it seems to have quite a lot more strengths than weaknesses.

They have almost the same resistances as IPC's though they lacks the vulnerabilities to make up for it.

[Splat1125]

54 minutes ago, TwoCam said:

I believe that the last community meeting confirmed that new races currently aren't being considered. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I also believe that it's been a longstanding rule that races that would require all of the clothing to be remade for them will also not be approved. I think they have to work with either the normal or vox clothes.

For the first, this saddens me for reasons I will not say because of me not wanting to vent my opinions here. I will say, though, that I care about this server and the races it takes in and a few choice races seem almost mundane in their lack of variety.

For the second, I've looked over it and yes, Vox clothes will work for the Qi' sprites; I'll edit the documents as such. Thank you.

For the above post, I will take your concerns and simplify and specify the perks and disadvantages. I'm sorry for the initial imbalance; it's the prime reason I ask for feedback in the first place.

[LordSplinter]

i think i have something that would make this species alot interesting, first of all make it so they need to breath pure oxygen or another gas due to their electric reactions inside them (usually the air isolates the lightning and all). depending on the amount of the shock  they will either get damaged, stunned or healed. all chemicals inside them are heated to a certain temperature (very hot, due to the electrics inside them), They will proccess reagents and chemicals, tought some of them have different reactions on them, due to a different organism, after i'll read the doc i'll give some feedback, but from what i've seen, it's pretty unbalanced

Edited September 27, 2017 by LordSplinter

[LordSplinter]

i've read it a bit and:

• Make so that they need to breath pure oxygen, or another gas that might pass energy better
• not sure what would make them EMP fragile, But make so that if they are hit by a EMP they will send in back another charge of EMP(probably a bit smaller
• About electric shock, make so they will discharge part of or fully it at nearby machinery (don't affects tazers), or make it so that being shocked in the torso or other parts of their body which would not have been made for receiving energy would stun him and shock people who would touch them while stunned
• i do not believe being regenerated when being shocked is anyway balanced, i believe it would be proper if they would receive a buff in speed and a debuff in something(like meth) if they would receive energy from a viable way( like, dionae regenerate from radiation, but they do get damage from the floral somatoray)
• gaining some energy from food, i have no comment on that, seems something normal, or use cyborg recharges for that
• glowing softly into darkness is okay,if that would be toggleable, glowing into darkness can sometimes be a hell of a problem when running of sec or other antags which do not have night vision
• make so that doing surgery into them without insulated gloves would shock who was performing it, also they would be more resilient to infections, such because of their energy manipulation, ligthning, etc
• their attack could give a small burn damage, like a small shock which would not stun, just either drop what someone was holding(chance of 5% or something like that), like a small shock you get from low voltage
• it would be better if they instead, could not break brones easily or would heal them if at some situation(no clue at what one, like a shock on the limb)if that would be the case, they cannot do augmentation or amputate limbs normally due to high voltage energy holding their limbs( could amputate them at very strong force, but could be attached a bit easily)
• another idea that could be used at his blood is if it is pure energy(like lightning) and touching energized things that would shock you would suck it instead, and you could be sucked out of blood if they used like, a empty or half full battery somehow on you
• due to their energy blood, they would need it to run their organs, that somehow run on electric energy( like if they are half mechanized or something), if they are half mechanized, they should be resilient to EMP due to the weakness they would have of receiving EMP and sending another wave(or strongness, maybe that can just be switched by a organ EMP weakness and remove that EMPw ave thing)
• lack of energy MUST as you said kill via ''suffocation'' damage, just because energy would be their blood
• low energy should cause you to get fatigued, medium would recharge, and high would cause something like i said about the meth , that would see fit when being shocked
• being immune to chemicals is a bit OP, but they could use a small-medium ammount of their energy to neutralize or contain harmful chemicals and helpfull chemicals as well(should be able to be used as a spell or ability)
• make so that them being attacked would make smal hole (same thing as wounds) at their skin, leaking some high voltage energy which won't hurt anyone but will remove it from your energy
• make it so that toxin damage would be turned into burn or brute damage ( they would use energy to kill the part of their body intoxicated and grow another trough regenerating brute damage, would work just as a exchange of both)trough a ability ?, oxyloss would be regenerated normally from breathing
  
  some of these in here may be contraditory to others but prioritize the ones below than the ones above

[Splat1125]

On 9/27/2017 at 8:22 PM, LordSplinter said:

i've read it a bit and:

*snip, too long*

I've read over your suggestions and have the following feedback for your feedback.

Pure oxygen? Yes please. That would likely be a good addition to nerf the Qi' in some way. However, it'd be neat if they could have their own take on a breath mask which wasn't directly a Vox one.

EMP fragility is due to their body being a mass of biological electronic conduits and batteries. Such an influx of energy would stun them, definitely, but it would not cause them to rebound! They have limited control over their energy, not full control.

Regen from energy would likely need nerfs. Honestly, that would be its only purpose. Too much energy will hurt them, too little will hurt them. Just right will keep them stable, a little over the sweet spot will heal passively. See the document. I also agree that somatoray-esque exploits would have to be patched.

Glowing would have to exist to nerf their innate regenerative abilities. It's ample, yes, but their blood *glows.* Hard to make an excuse for why they would be able to control its glow.

They are not energy beings, they're merely biologicals who harness electricity naturally. As such, I'm not changing their blood or limb mechanics. Being attacked and losing blood, however, would drain energy.

Thanks for your suggestions!