Design Idea: Lavaland Adventuring Overhaul

[MattTheFicus]

DISCORD DISCUSSION: https://discord.com/channels/145533722026967040/145700319819464704/1063239326013599844

For the Original Post: https://github.com/ParadiseSS13/Paradise/discussions/20164

I AM POSTING THIS HERE AS NOT EVERYONE CHECKS GIT/CODING CHAT, AND WOULD LIKE MORE INPUT FROM PLAYERS. This will only have the base-level ideas and not be fully fleshed out mechanically.
See the Git Discussion for more up-to-date discussions and mechanical specifics.

Currently, Lavaland is in this odd state of power-escalation, speedrunning for loot/tendrils and VERY solo-minded mechanics surrounded by a passive-mining system. There is minimal reason to work together with your fellow Miners/Spelunkers while adventuring, and even DOWNSIDES to working together to fight Megafauna/Tendrils/etc. The idea behind this document is to change Lavaland from a "collect the shiny toys by myself" to a system that encourages players to work together instead of nearly strangling eachother when one player "rushes all the good stuff".

Issues with the Current System

• There is no way to share kills of Megafauna/Fauna between KC and KPA users.
• There is no "reset" mechanic that players can activate when all of a certain Megafauna are dead (think BotW's Blood Moons).
• There is no "progressive" tree for KPA users other than going to Science for upgrades. Likewise, there is no way for ALL KC users to progress at the same rate as not all trophies can be acquired, leading to people "speedrunning".
• There is no defensive progression to go through other than going from [Miner Suit > Drake Armor > HECK Suit].
• KC Trophies are all RNG-based to drop, rather than something you can farm via crafting from killing (mega)faunas.
• There are minimal QoL items on Lavaland's loot table that help on Lavaland, most are "antag/overpowered" items (meat hook, eye of god, cursed heart, inferno, warp cubes, dark blessing, and cult items) or are VERY old designs that are nothing more than shiny trinkets due to how outclassed they are by basic tools (Paradox Bags, diamond pickaxe, KA modkits, lava boat, possessed sword, lifesteal crystal, and the immortality crystal).

Issues with Progression

I personally break this into four issues:
- KPA Progression
- KC Progression
- Defensive Progression
- QoL Progression

KPA Progression

This one is rather simple. I do like the idea of this staying locked behind Science/RND. I would personally want the modkits to be removed from the Mining Vendors and placed solely within RND. This causes there to be a symbiotic relationship between miners playing safe early to ensure Science is given mats and items to ensure they can get their KPAs upgraded.

I would also like to see a more "attachment" based upgrade system, kind of like the KC so that it steps away from the "percentage based" system that is currently in the game as well as moving it from a "spam click" gameplay loop to a semi-reloadable system (think the Adamant Rail gun from Hades, with infinite ammo but a "reload")

Examples could be:
- Bayonet Upgrades (for better close-range melee)
- Fire Rate
- Magazine Size
- Movement Abilities (think the KC's dash trophy)
- AoE Mods
- "Beam" Mods (to allow you to hit 3 layers of rock in front of you)
- Etc Etc Etc

KC Progression

For the KC, I would like to move from an RNG-based full-drop system to a "crafting" system. You are choosing to go melee, a semi-tribal method using technology to assist you. Some of the trophies are VERY neat, and are probably some of the most enjoyable gameplay moments ive had in SS13's minimal PvE environment. But, the fact you need to speedrun to the Blood Drunk Miner to have a chance to get their trophy is rather rough. Below I will list a few ideas to change how the KC goes through its upgrade path:

- KC Trophies are made through the crafting menu from "salvaged" parts of creatures and plants around Lavaland. You can "skin" any killed faunas with the KC for "rare" materials used only in Trophy creation(see below for how skinning becomes a QoL progression). You would then combine these items with other items you collect to make the different Trophies.
(i.e. > [Watcher Sinew x4 + Plant Fibres x2 + Watcher Wings (R) x2 == Watcher Trophy])
This would allow KC and KPA users to work together and trade items theyve "farmed" to encourage teamwork (and hell, you could ask people to pay for 'em)
- KC Trophies should not be locked behind KC-only combat. We should be encouraging players to work together as teams to take down Megas (think melee vs ranged DPS in an MMO).
- KCs should be able to melee-parry, to reduce full dependence on the BDM Eye trophy.

Defensive Progresion

One of the sorriest and most overlooked parts of Lavaland I feel is crafting. You have a whole list of Tribal items that really only have a use to Ashwalkers. I would like to expand this system as the main "goal" of Lavaland. Your survival knife goes from an underused melee attachment to your KPA and becomes a "skinning tool" to collect items and drops from your kills on Lavaland to be used to craft progressively helpful armor. For example, the progression system could look like this:

[Explorer Suit > Reinforced Explorer Suit (via bones/goliath plates > Adventurer's Suit (add Goliath Cloak for Storm Protection with the hood up) > Adventurer's Armor (add Drake Scales for higher defense) > etc etc.]

This entire system would mirror the KC Trophy crafting system and have recipes you'd need to farm to get.

This might seem like a scary thing to balance, but if it incorporates Lavaland items, we can introduce a "brittle" system that "nerfs" Lavaland items on Station to be on-par with Station-found items.

QoL Progression
Things such as healing, ore gathering, scanner upgrades, explorer mesh storage slots, etc can all be feasibly upgradable using Lavaland as a focus instead of locking it behind tendril loot only.

Other QoL ideas are some sort of on-Base Ore Deposit that sends to the ORM along with a stationary Mining Drill that you can place on Lavaland for passive material gain.

[NOTE: I NEED TO THINK MORE ON THIS]

Issues with Tendril Loot

To start, I would like to COMPLETELY remove the "breaking a tendril opens a chasm" mechanic. Instead, you can "salvage/mine" materials needed for crafting from the tendril, causing it to become dormant for a certain amount of time. You can either wait it out, or reinvigorate it with some kind of "restart item" (probably something you can craft with LL plants and a legion core). This prevents full round removal AND gives a reason to have "nests" all over LL that dont TRULY go away.

[NOTE: I WILL EXPAND ON THIS, BUT THINKING AT WORK IS DISRUPTIVE]

Ash Walkers

With a full revamp of defensive/offensive/QoL items being more Lavaland-derived, this would allow for the Ashwalkers to be a good "testing ground" for dead players/observers to spawn in and try to "climb the tech tree" of progression.

Instead of the "Base Armor" being an explorer suit, they can craft the usual "Bone Armor" as their base option.

Spears could be crafted into a tribal version of a KC, using the power of the Necropolis to empower their hits/give special effects. This would also encourage Miners to trade/fight the Ash Walkers for a chance to use a different toy.

[THIS ALSO NEEDS SOME MORE FLESHING OUT, AHHHHHHHHH IDEAS]

Edited January 12, 2023 by MattTheFicus