Changeling Overhaul

[Xhuis]

https://github.com/tgstation/-tg-station/pull/13138

This PR aims to bring back how changeling used to be, with a "stealthy" feel to it. You'll see abilities like Paralysis Sting and Death Sting making a return, with stuff like Arm Blade being cut from the game. Changelings also start off weak but gain two evolution points for every absorption.

A full list of changes can be found at the pull request.

[Saegrimr]

Good to have you back, dude.

[Amelius]

Xhuis ded for like, 3 days. Also, I'm willing to try anything to make pureling playable.

[Doritos]

Whatever makes lings not un-killable gods is good with me.

At least, not at the start of the round with 0 effort.

[PKPenguin321]

xhuis got back up from the dead, he's a changeling!!

nah but for real this looks pretty sick, they just need an endgame (like horror form (i know this was already said on the github page but i just want to put it on the forums as well))

[Super Aggro Crag]

welcome back fam

[Alex Crimson]

10/10 great step in the right direction to making lings the stealthy antag they were supposed to be. Now we just need the side-antag thing to allow lings to spawn in any game mode.

[Anonmare]

May I suggest a purchasable evolution? How about an ability to "Prepare" a sting and make it ranged, at the cost of doubling the sting's chemical costs (so no ranged death sting memes until you're very strong to be able to tank the cost).
Say about a 3-4 tile range so it's effective but not overly strong, has potential in framing a crewmember that just so happens to be standing next to them, or taking advantage of a crowd.

[DemonFiren]

I foresee that :g will fall underused because nobody wants to get memed on by other lings hungry for GENOMES.

[Incomptinence]

I advise that someone par back objectives further. Stop pretending they are tator plus focus what you want them to do.

[ShadowDimentio]

>PARASTING IS BACK



LEGENDS STATE THAT ONE DAY THE ASSBLAST WOULD FADE, AND THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF PARASTING WOULD RETURN TO THESE LANDS. AT LAST, THAT DAY HAS COME.

[Xhuis]

Xhuis ded for like, 3 days. Also, I'm willing to try anything to make pureling playable.

For your INFORMATION, it was 13 days.
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I needed some time to rethink my stance.

[ShadowDimentio]

I'm glad you didn't leave. You're a good coder AND a nice guy, a rare mix.

Plus shadowling is great and I'd hate to see someone bend it over a table and fuck it like they did to lings.

[Qbopper]

YES PLEASE GODDAMN

[Phalanx300]

This sounds great, making it more truthfull to the Thing. The oldlings really were something to be afraid of and caused wide paranoia, we really need that fear back and I think this is a right step in the good direction for that.

[invisty]

>PARASTING IS BACK

We've come full circle.

[Xhuis]

Sorry, but this ain't happening. I was tired of fixing merge conflicts twice a week and I've been getting a lot of flak by people rather than suggestions on how to improve it.

[Bluespace]

Xhuis listen to me.
You are the only hope for tgstation changeling right now.
People are fucking stupid cunts and don't know what they're saying and I bet they've hardly ever played changeling.
Get it merge ready and i'll get myself banned from coderbus shilling it for merging.
One more time.

[youtube]FGBhQbmPwH8[/youtube]

[Steelpoint]

Any good thing is worth fighting for, or whatever.

The changes proposed I think will be a net positive to the game mode, aside from this the only fate of Changeling is its removal.

[ShadowDimentio]

YOU'RE THE CHOSEN ONE, XHUIS! YOU HAVE THE POWER TO SAVE LINGS!

[PKPenguin321]

Hey xhuis, if you're totally abandoning this project, do you think you could post a "To-Do" list of things you still need to tweak/add to it?
From what I can tell, this is pretty much finished aside from...

Conflicts (Duh)
The proposed idea of making wasting toxin scale damage up over time.
Minor coding tweaks (the ++ thing and using world.time for horror form).
Possible horror form changes, including (but not limited to)...
Removing ventcrawling from horror form, replacing it with the ability to smash walls. (Shouldn't be that hard, hopefully)
Restoration of the arm blade (NOT the power, just the item (should be easy, it's just re-adding code that already exists)).
Possibly readding hallucination sting? Maybe with tweaks? (This is up to the developer)
An objectives overhaul (This is the only one I'm not sure about)

This is assuming what you already have written works and is done. If this is all correct, this project shouldn't be that hard to pick up...

[Alex Crimson]

I feel like you should just do the overhaul then add the horror form later.

[cocothegogo]

Please give changling UI icons like wizard with it's spells, fuck the tab menu's this is 2015 not 2006

[Xhuis]

Fine, I'll continue this. Will talk more when I'm home.

[RG4]

Paralysis Sting

Welcome back Easyling.

[CPTANT]

Paralysis Sting

Welcome back Easyling.

I feel parasting is fine, but that the ling should do work to get it. So gate it behind requiring a certain number of absorbs.

[Gun Hog]

I am seriously worried about Changeling becoming hardmode after this. How well are the average players going to be able handling playing Changeling well? Not everyone has the refined, skilled hands of a seasoned veteran player.

[Xhuis]

Paralysis Sting

Welcome back Easyling.

Parasting works on a delay now and warns the victim after the sting. It also costs all of your available DNA points at the start, meaning you can't mutesting then parasting until you absorb a few people.

[MMMiracles]

I am seriously worried about Changeling becoming hardmode after this. How well are the average players going to be able handling playing Changeling well? Not everyone has the refined, skilled hands of a seasoned veteran player.

Look at where nuke ops is now due to that mindset.

Please no.

[Takeguru]

>Parasting is back

FUCK THIS

[PKPenguin321]

>Parasting is back

FUCK THIS

kindly read the fucking post
it gives you a BIG RED MESSAGE that says HEY IDIOT YOU'VE BEEN PARASTUNG YOU'RE GONNA FREEZE UP IN A FEW SECONDS BETTER RUN
its not even remotely close to the original parasting, this version is outclassed by a stunbaton, even in terms of subtlety

now would you not be a fucking idiot and actually read what the proposed changes are

[ShadowDimentio]

Ignore everything that guy has to say about parasting

He got dunked once by it or something and still feels the assblast. Ever since he's has a vendetta out for it, even with it neutered like this

But yeah I'm kinda apprehensive about the nerf. I liked the idea of lings being unbeatable in single combat, but if they got caught in the middle of eating some guy they'd be out of tricks and have to run. It's the way Goon does it, and it's great there.

[Incomptinence]

Maybe put in a less expensive stamina over time sting?

Either make it outpace stamina regen or disable the regen to slowly build up stamina damage. Not enough to stun alone but enough the make people more fragile than they think and be masked behind other attacks maybe building up to 40 stamina or so.

Dual purpose budget hunting tool and tricking mouth breathing idiots who think they should duel lings with their bare fists into thinking they stand a chance.

[Bluespace]

Mutesting + stunprod will be the go-to meta and that's okay.