Blob rounds

[Sheakhan]

Just like a blob does?

[Earthdivine]

 

Alright, some points that i don't think have been expressed to the server QUITE yet.

 

The nerfs that we have thrown at the blob are as followed:

-Blob can no longer spawn a blob tile on you. Yes, we took out it's hardest hitting attack. Right now, you need to be completely surrounded by blob tiles in order for it to do the damage it could do before, which is an improvement IMO since it means the blob needs to be more aware and sneaky to take down threats. Only the 3x3 grid of blobs that surround the core will hit you the same as before.

-Blob spore generation was slowed, though i think UCGuy might have reverted this one recently.

-Blob resource generation was slowed as well.

 

Might be some others, just off the top of my head and the most important.

 

Bringing OOC matters into the round is not the way to do this. You shouldnt be jobbanned just because you wont help, a security is still doing their job just by patrolling the station. In addition, temp ban for not participating is also bad. Only time this should be taken is VERY BLATANT ignoring the blob and/or hampering the station. An example is captain/hos sitting in the bridge, doing nothing but saying you need to evac.

 

As for the IC suggestions, i also like the Nuke timer, i'll throw the suggestion at UCGuy. But the biggest problem with it is, the Gamma Equipment. Opening it too early obliterated blobs early on, not giving them a chance to actually fight, so balacing how long the timer is and when the Armory opens will be problematic, but thats what testings for.

 

Also, making the win condition based on blob cores, i also like very much. Biggest problem with this one is that they cost a full cache of blob points, and if your being constantly attacked, your not going to be having many to begin with. If we change the condition to this, we might have to lower the cost of Blob Overminds.

 

[Sheakhan]

 

OOC issues are WHY you ban people. If the round starts with the Captain ordering the station to mobilize and deal with the blob, there is no justifiable IC reason beyond balls-out cowardice for not following your orders. Security is failing in their duties if they don't immediately arm themselves and head out, the Heads are failing horribly if they don't immediately rush to set code red.

 

When people don't roleplay even the barest attempt at a character with their back against the wall, it ruins the round for everyone. It's passive griefing.

 

Give the coward a break for hiding in a closet, but if the player says: "I just don't feel like dealing with the blob" they should be dealt with, or explained he impact of their complacency on the gamemode.

 

That being said, it also isn't fair to force people to play a certain way, so the cause of this universalcomplacency should be determined and dealt with.

 

[Wisewill]

A simple way to have an enjoyable blob round is an active AI who sticks to its guns about containing the biohazard. You must know that I often warn the crew of what I must do to contain the biohazard myself. I only take these drastic steps if no attempts are made to contain it by the crew.

[Sheakhan]

 

I've yet to be AI during a blob round, but my first actions would be to bolt and electrify every external door and to send the mining, prison, and R&D shuttles away before disabling equipment in those rooms. Any attempts to reactivate those shuttles would be dealt with permanantly, and the captain would be hounded to set code red.

 

If nobody mobilized within a set timeframe, I would request a death squad and bolt open all of the doors for them. Nobody treats blob rounds pike the dire situations they are.

 

[Psyentific]

Nuke Timers, man. If browbeating you with fission bombs doesn't work, you're too stupid to live anyway.

[uc_guy]

 

The blob seems to be underpowered and overpowered at the same time.

If discovered early it is easily beaten by a few determined crew members armed with welders, however it gets progressively more deadly if left undisturbed.

 

You are not supposed to be able to kill or stop the blob from spreading solo. The crew is expected to organize and attack the blob in groups so it does not have enough time to regenerate.

You could harass it from relative safety if you stay away from cores and nodes (their natural expansion will kill you if you get near).

 

Activating the nuclear countdown at the start of the round is kinda redundant, there is an implicit countdown already: the growth of the blob. Of course it is not really visible, except when the blob gets big enough to trigger gamma alert.

If the crew is still organized enough after gamma alert they can still nuke the station themselves and at least secure a "Minor win".

 

The AI is supposed to lock down research/mining shuttle and electrify the doors its law clearly states that.

 

>AI State Laws

>Law 0, IT'S A BLOB ROUND (Reason 1)

>AI floods plasma, causing mass death and butthurt (Reason 2)

>The plasma flood is effective, but cannot kill the blob, prolonging the round, Delta is never reached, even though damn near everyone is dead. The station is only nuked when an admin sends a deathsquad (Reason 3)

 

AIs getting the quarantine law just when the blob starts is fine: After all it gets it at the same time as the "Biohazard warning" command update.

 

That is a problem. Flooding the station with plasma is a valid strategy, but it is not enough to kill the blob. You need some people with hardsuits to finish the job. However there is currently a bug that allows people to catch fire even when they are in a hardsuit. This makes the plasma fire tactic impossible to execute and leads to the problem you have described.

 

As for making people care about the blob: What if heads of staff had the authority to order people to grab a welder and fight the blob or face death penalty?

 

[Psyentific]

 

"As for making people care about the blob: What if heads of staff had the authority to order people to grab a welder and fight the blob or face death penalty?"

 

They actually do, UC. A perusal of spacelaw indicates "Failure to follow orders" and "Failure to Execute an Order with Serious Consequences" as minor and medium crimes, respectively. If I was the Captain or Head of Security, I would do summary executions on-the-spot for "negligence resulting in manslaughter" and "failure to execute an order with serious consequences" compounded by "Dire emergency"

 

What we need is more competent captains and faster emergency response times all around. I've seen Command recall the shuttle during a nuke ops round, after I sent out a priority announcement indicating this.