duck
Anomalist
Posts: 124
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Post by duck on Aug 12, 2014 18:17:20 GMT
So changelings. I'm sure any sec player knows how much of a pain they are to deal with.
The two most problematic things about them are pretty much parasting and deathsting, but without them, they lose a lot of power. So I think we should make them loud.
Some stings like transformation sting and hallucination sting are pretty much useless if they're loud, so that's not on the chopping block. Just saying.
But being able to just walk up and deathsting someone in a crowd is ridiculously silly. And parastinging an officer when there are several around you should give them some hint you aren't exactly human instead of just having the officer fall over without a sound.
This doesn't change anything for sneaky changelings, because only one person should be present when they sting and that person will be dead or dying shortly.
Proposed change: When you use para/deathsting, a message in big red text pops up alerting all players on-screen. You know, like any attack message. We can even have it pick from a pool of cool flavortexts.
X's eyes balloon and burst out in a welter of blood, burrowing into TARGET!
X's arm rapidly shifts into a giant scorpion-stinger and stabs into TARGET!
X's throat lengthens and twists before vomitting a chunky red spew all over TARGET!
X's tongue stretches an impossible length and stabs into X!
X sneezes a hail of shrieking spiders at X!
You know. Stuff to make changelings feel a lot more monstrous. Right now, they're just kind of people who can make you fall over and die by pushing a button. This gives them flavor. It gives sec some notion that what they're dealing with Isn't Human. And I bet it'll make changelings feel really cool, too.
Thoughtsplease.
Also, silence sting should totally be changed to allow for emotes. That was originally removed because people would me HELP I'M BEING EATEN BY A CHANGELING at people. But that is literally against the rules here so. I imagine it's hard to RP with someone who's mechanically unable to respond.
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Post by Sentient Bowtie on Aug 12, 2014 18:21:26 GMT
duck we have discussed this
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SoundScopes
Developer 
The Lazy Coder
Went for a romantic dinner, ended up disturbing the borgs who had their own romantic dinner.
Posts: 137
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Post by SoundScopes on Aug 12, 2014 18:22:02 GMT
Where have you discussed this?
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duck
Anomalist
Posts: 124
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Post by duck on Aug 12, 2014 18:23:25 GMT
Said 'no' on OOC and that's pretty much it.
Or were you the one that said we should make all stings loud because I still want changelings to work and stuff like transform/hallucination just won't.
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Chaznoodles
Moderator 
Broodhost
Syndicate CEO
Posts: 198 
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Post by Chaznoodles on Aug 12, 2014 18:23:38 GMT
There's a reason they're silent. If it was telegraphed, then the person would immediately be lynched. It's no fun for the changeling for that to happen.
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SoundScopes
Developer
The Lazy Coder
Went for a romantic dinner, ended up disturbing the borgs who had their own romantic dinner.
Posts: 137
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Post by SoundScopes on Aug 12, 2014 18:27:27 GMT
Ok, anything that is mentioned outside of this thread isn't taken into account unless it is mentioned in the thread somewhere.
Talking about things on the server or over Skype stops other people putting there points across.
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duck
Anomalist
Posts: 124
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Post by duck on Aug 12, 2014 19:04:26 GMT
There's a reason they're silent. If it was telegraphed, then the person would immediately be lynched. It's no fun for the changeling for that to happen. I suppose, then, it's fun for the people who get deathstung in a crowd because the changeling feels like it. Changelings aren't just changeling powers. They have people-powers too, aka stun weaponry. You don't actually have to sting someone to down them. But if, after they down you and you choose to push the I-win-the-fight button, then. I think that should be telegraphed. There is, in fact, a reason for everything. That doesn't mean it's a good reason. Changelings are already unfun for most of the crew to deal with. Even as sec, they can plausibly play their cards so that officers have to throw them away at least three times. You shouldn't be stinging people in crowds unless you want to get caught. That hasn't changed. It's just evening the field. So. I'd like to hear your reasons why they should stay silent. |
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Chaznoodles
Moderator
Broodhost
Syndicate CEO
Posts: 198
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Post by Chaznoodles on Aug 12, 2014 19:11:11 GMT
They should stay silent because;
1. Changelings are a covert species, using deception and stealth to get what they need and want. Removing the ability to be stealthy with their stings removes their ability to utilise stealth to work. Stinging people in crowds is part of this.
2. We've never had a problem with it before. Changelings have always worked like this, and it's never caused problems before.
3. There's more than enough visibility when the Changeling is absorbing a person, with the proboscis and all.
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Mr. Majestic
Developer
Majestic is the name, majestic is the game.
Posts: 485
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Post by Mr. Majestic on Aug 12, 2014 19:41:21 GMT
Or yu cud jus be a gut RPer and use de me's to mek de tentacle come out ur but and stick the gai. Ver de lulz.
And if a bad RPer becomes a ling, don't fret, it could turn out well. And if it doesn't, just use ahelp and request to be a ling yourself to save the round! And if there are no admins? You'll just have to deal with it, and once the matter is resolved ICly you get to have extended with fun new conversational topics- like people absorbing people then turning into people.
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mrimatool
Lore Developer 
Your guy, Toolio <3
Posts: 703
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Post by mrimatool on Aug 12, 2014 19:43:57 GMT
I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Chaz, don't fix what ain't broke.
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gollee
Lore Master
I write things
Posts: 828
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Post by gollee on Aug 12, 2014 19:47:05 GMT
I would say that Deathsting should definately have a message, if it is used in any stealth style situation, it is instant gank. Parasting I am ambiguous about, though it would be intensly suspicious if they stung someone in a group, they could do it covertly, and pass it off as "____ _____ Has had a siezure! I need to take them to medical!"
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duck
Anomalist
Posts: 124
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Post by duck on Aug 12, 2014 20:13:51 GMT
Honestly, my main problems are with deathsting, but parasting is kind of dumb too.
Regarding point one: Putting a message that they stung someone does not negate their ability to stealth. They can still grab people one-on-one just like all changelings try to do. If you think this removes the changeling's ability to stealth, I have to ask how. It removes the changeling's ability to sting someone without outing itself as a changeling during a fight with multiple people. It removes a changeling's ability to pick someone to drop dead in front of everyone because haha deathsting. If anything, it enforces stealth.
Regarding point two: With all due respect, even before I left, I rarely if ever saw you around. One round pre-leave stands out in particular. They deathstung a million people and I took to carrying dexalin pills around and saved the blue ERT guy when he got deathstung in front of the whole crew during a briefing. Was it meta? Oh yes. Yes it was. Is deathsting bullshit? I certainly think so. And if you think it's stopped happening, well. Just last night, I was watching changeling chat and they were like, 'ill use my deathsting on her.' Which is actually why I'm posting this today. Because deathsting is stupid, an instant-kill mechanic, and completely untraceable to the changeling. And it is mostly used for 'ganks.' AKA wordless this-person-might-be-on-to-me-I'd-better-push-the-button business.
Regarding point three. Who actually sees a changeling absorb anyone. If you walk in on a changeling absorbing someone, that changeling is going to move unless it is very, very stupid. The process gets interrupted, and it looks like it was just someone strangling someone else. Where's the visibility. There is none. The visibility is in the autopsy, which doesn't give enough IC info to justify sec exterminating the changeling even after it's caught. Which means more lives.
Soo. Point one? It's the exact opposite of what you're saying. It encourages stealth and subterfuge. Point two. False and untrue. Point three. I don't think so.
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lk600
Head Of Security
Procrastinator by trade...
Posts: 300
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Post by lk600 on Aug 12, 2014 20:47:08 GMT
Well, maybe one big thing should be taken in here... that this is a Heavy Roleplaying Server. If someone was to sting someone in a crowd of people without any kind of emote should be a matter of ahelp for poor rp and ganking.
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Chaznoodles
Moderator
Broodhost
Syndicate CEO
Posts: 198
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Post by Chaznoodles on Aug 12, 2014 22:41:35 GMT
Regarding point two: With all due respect, even before I left, I rarely if ever saw you around. Huehuehue |
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Post by Skull132 on Aug 12, 2014 23:13:01 GMT
My 2 cents.
There are two ways to play ling:
Stealth ling, which would not be affected by this change due to what Duck already pointed out.
And the shambling horror. Which means being open about your work. Which won't be affected either, because at that point, everyone already knows what's up.
For further consideration: unless the ling manages to escape, they'll be treated as one when they start hueh-stinging their captors.
And playing some conglomerate mess of the two play styles where you walk up to someone in a hallway, sting them dead, react with an "Oh god" and theb drag them away for noms is rather ganky and does not serve RP more than your butt getting caught for it.
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Post by Mewoykyinuis on Aug 12, 2014 23:32:45 GMT
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duck
Anomalist
Posts: 124
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Post by duck on Aug 12, 2014 23:45:05 GMT
I hate to pull the RP card, but I don't see anything that silent stings actually add to RP.
A bunch of people stand together in a crowd. One falls over and suddenly dies and no-one's the wiser.
Versus:
A bunch of people stand together in a crowd. Someone sneezes a million spiders over someone else and that someone falls over and seconds later, seizes up dead.
Do you know what I'd do in the first case. Probably nothing. In the second one, I'd back up. I'd back up so fast. No one even knows changelings are aliens half the time they get caught. Considering they're supposed to be space terrors from beyond the stars, this is kind of stupid.
Honest. It feels kind of like you lot want to defend the stupid, unfun instant-kill mechanic exactly because it's a stupid, unfun instant-kill mechanic and you haven't had a chance to exploit it. Hell, even EI NATH is better than deathsting. At least people see who's doing it with that one.
Regardless. If you've got more reasons. Keep 'em coming.
Edit: I am all for removing changelings. Yes please forever. But no-one else will let me do that. Ha.
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lk600
Head Of Security
Procrastinator by trade...
Posts: 300
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Post by lk600 on Aug 13, 2014 2:10:33 GMT
I never meant that it being silent or not adds to the RP, I mean that the player who is playing the changeling needs to add the RP themselves. Also want to show my support to the anti-ling foundation. With a simple monthly donation, we will soon be able to put an end to the changelings once and for all!
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mrimatool
Lore Developer
Your guy, Toolio <3
Posts: 703
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Post by mrimatool on Aug 13, 2014 3:43:26 GMT
Ok Tool has an idea, how about rather than the horrific horror emotes, how about.. it says you hug them, when you do it, or touch them.. or something that doesn't arouse suspicion, but if you're the stung one.. you know who did it.
I feel like this is a happy medium..
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duck
Anomalist
Posts: 124
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Post by duck on Aug 13, 2014 3:47:42 GMT
I feel like people who have never been deathstung are weighing in.
You have one tick and then you pass out. That's it. It doesn't change anything at all if it alerts only you because.
Well, it already did that. And you're dead now, so.
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