Symbiote

src/design-proposals/symbiote.md

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+# Symbiote
+
+| Designers | Implemented | GitHub Links |
+|---|---|---|
+| sssaaagggeee | :x: No | TBD |
+
+
+## Overview
+
+This proposal outlines the removal of Changeling antagonist with a more roleplay friendly, but thematically similiar antagonist, Symbiotes. Symbiotes are a open-ended antagonist that must also complete certain objectives to stay alive.
+
+## Background
+
+https://discordapp.com/channels/1276640157511979008/1276641732557013154/1469151886916452603
+
+Taydeo summarizes what is wrong with Changeling in this post.
+
+## Features to be added
+
+### Symbiote
+
+You are the host of a Symbiote. Feed it to keep it happy, enact your revenge with your new power, and prevent anyone from knowing you are a host.
+
+Objectives:
+- Feed the Symbiote
+The Symbiote needs to be fed to be kept in line and it only eats the other Humanoids on station. It must eat once within a certain period of time to be kept happy, or else it will start taking over the Host's body and randomly attack people, and eventually kill the host outright.
+
+- Enact revenge on anyone who wrongs you
+This is the open-ended objective of Symbiote. Tired of being powerless at their corporate job, the Host will want to enact their revenge on anyone who has wronged them. This could either be their boss, or some cargo tech that denied their department's order. It is up to the player to make this objective what they want. This objective should not be treated as 'round-remove anyone' but instead teaching someone a lesson by killing them, then letting them continue the round in fear of you.
+
+- Make it to CentComm alive and unrestrained
+This objective is self explanitory. The host doesnt want to get caught.
+
+Abilities:
+- Devour
+Feeds the Symbiote and prevents it from acting out of line for a certain period of time.
+
+- Recover
+Slowly heal all wounds on your body, but makes the Symbiote hungry.
+
+- Symbiote Powers
+Opens a shop menu where the host can get new powers granted by the Symbiote
+
+Following abilities are purchased from the shop, with plenty of room for more to be added:
+
+- Lashing Tendrils
+The Symbiote lashes tendrils out towards a chosen target and slows their movement.
+
+- Symbiote Fortification
+The Symbiote hardens your body and grants you temporary resistances, but damages you once it runs out.
+
+- Evolved Sight
+The Symbiote allows you to see the world through it's eyes, granting you night vision but damaging your head.
+
+- Slashing Tendrils
+The Symbiote uses its tendrils to form a blade out of your arm which is temporary and damages your arm.
+
+- Symbiote Speed
+The Symbiote fortifies your legs, granting you increased movement speed, but damages your legs once it runs out.
+
+- Form wall
+The Symbiote uses its tendrils to form a temporary wall at a chosen location, but damages your body.
+
+- Reconstruction
+The Symbiote completely reconstructs your body, allowing you to escape restraints. This causes significant damage to your body.
+
+Each ability used by the host will cause them to bleed their special blood, which does not contain the host's DNA. Security will have to take the bood to chemists, who would have to be encouraged to make a complex specialized chemical which can be combined with the blood to isolate the host's blood and DNA. Once hosts are either dead or restrained, the Symbiote can be surgically removed. It will not let itself get removed without a fight though.
+
+Each ability will need balance adjustments to their damage numbers, length, and self damage.
+
+## Game Design Rationale
+
+### Seriously Silly
+With being an open-ended antagonist, hosts of Symbiotes can teach that station clown a lesson for slipping everyone or kill that Research Director that everyone is taking issues with.
+
+### There is no Winning or Losing
+Since the Symbiote can be removed from the Host, there is no round removal for any side and the Host can continue trying to achieve its objectives even without the Symbiote.
+
+### Take Things Slow
+While hosts of Symbiotes are limited by time, it is still quite forgiving. They are allowed to take it slow and roleplay to find targets for their open-ended objective.
+
+## Roundflow & Player interaction
+
+Symbiote is an antagonist similiar to current Changelings, Traitors, Syndicate Agents, Thieves, and Heretics. Symbiotes should not have their own gamemode but should be alongside the other antagonists listed before.
+
+
+Consider addressing:
+- At what point in the round does the feature come into play? Does it happen every round? How does it affect the round pace?
+- How do you wish for players to interact with your feature and how should they not interact with it? How is this mechanically enforced?
+
+## Administrative & Server Rule Impact (if applicable)
+
+- Unchanged workload: Admins will still have to intervene if Symbiotes decides to ignore their objectives.
+- Lowered grief risk: there is no such thing as a 'loud' symbiote, they are not strong enough to do so and will be shut down by the crew.
+- Mechanical enforcement: Hunger forces the symbiote to interact with the crew and feed.
+
+# Technical Considerations
+
+None really. All the needed logic exists and can be reused from Changeling.