S-02: Can it work, and if it can, do we wan't it too?

[Zoombie]

Hello all and all.

I have an idea, and I think I know of how to go about it. Now I want to see if everyone else thinks its viable. It'll probably require lots of fancy scripting, if possible, and will be a bitch to balance. But it would be insanely cool if it DID work!

For those of you have not read my books (Witch you should try. Who knows, you might like it! Check the off topic forum). Species Zero Two (S-02) is the designation given to the first species that made contact with Humankind in my Story's Darkside and Darkside: Extermination. By contact I mean: Two asteroids that had been seeded with S-02 ran into a star ship, a light hugger drifting between Alpha Century (AKA Darkside) and SOL. S-02 is numerous enough that it can collide 'accidentally' with a space ship going between two star systems at sub-light speeds in the ass end of the galaxy.

Thats a lot of S-02.

The the main reason why we haven't been destroyed and our planets sucked into the massive empire of S-02 is because S-02 is not sentient. Rather S-02 has four 'life' stages:

Stage One: In this stage S-02 can live pretty much any where. Why? Because its basically a lode of microbes that, when collected in abundance, looks like black grit. Mostly the microbes just take in some uninteresting elements and put out some uninteresting elements.

Stage Two: Now things start getting deadly. When the environment around the Stage One Microbes changes, the Microbe evolves and mutates to adapt. This usually makes it move around, growing and expanding. Now this is when sentients start shooting and generally trying to kill the S-02. Killing is basically changing the environment in a very drastic manner. And so the S-02 evolves more and more and more until...

Stage Three: Now things get VERY VERY deadly. The S-02 in question becomes sentient. This is a very rare occasion. Now the S-02 usually gets some universal powers that all sentient S-02 have. The normal ones like telekinetic and telepathic powers. But also they get the ability to control the S-02 mutations. I.E shape shifting. So the S-02 in question usually rips the memory's and experience's from the nearest sentient and assumes a form similar to that, allowing the S-02 in question to conform with the race around it. Then it usually acts based off what it learns from there, because the Stage Three S-02 has literally NO idea of what to do next. Its like making the leap from non-sentience to sentience in a matter of seconds. No wait it IS making the leap from non-sentience to sentience in a matter of seconds :) .

So I want to have S-02 as a side in a mod I'm trying to make. But before I try something I want to know if its possible. I think it would be as follows:

Build a basic S-02 unit. Send this unit into battle and it gains levels. Use the Jam/Unjam tag's to jam the prior weapon and unjam the next level weapon (Say the ability to eat the skin off someone in a few seconds). Then use the nifty hide/unhide model part that Gnome told me about to make the unit larger and more 'evolved' looking. Eventually it would grow to a stage three and get kick awseme psi powers and you know do normal psi power things. Like making people's heads explode when they get to close.

Now, modders, does this sound feasible? Does it sound balanceable? Does it sound like a fun race to play? If not, tell me now and I will think about a different second race for my...mod...that will remain nameless for this moment.

[Mugslugs]

What I can say is it sounds cool and I mean really cool.
If it's possible someone pls make it generic civ vs generic civ is getting boring we need something that pits two completely different races together therefore two completely different side.

[Zoombie]

Thanks, but...err...I need some one who can say if it would work or not.

And read the storys in the Off Topic Forum...if you haven't already.

[KDR_11k]

Probably. Can the script read the unit's experience level?

[Maelstrom]

Yes it can. Well, its supposed to be able to, ive never tried it personally.

Oh and Zoombie, you said it has four life stages. You only listed three. And yes i HAVE read the story, and there was only 3 stages there. (well ok i havnt read Extermination yet, is it in there?)

But about eating peoples skin and making their heads explode, good luck. That will be fun to make.

[Comp1337]

Organic models are hell on earth(or anywhere tbh) to script with the current animation system.
They will look a bit freaky without an idle animation.. Or can that be made?

[Guessmyname]

Yes it can. Well, its supposed to be able to, ive never tried it personally.

Oh and Zoombie, you said it has four life stages. You only listed three. And yes i HAVE read the story, and there was only 3 stages there. (well ok i havnt read Extermination yet, is it in there?)

But about eating peoples skin and making their heads explode, good luck. That will be fun to make.

A stage four S0-2...

*flees*

It should be possible...

But it will be a bastard to script. I could probably do the bits that don't involve animation. To get good anims, you will probably need to use Servo...

[KDR_11k]

Of course you can have an idle animation, the unit is idle after StopMoving was called.

[Zoombie]

I know organic movements are going to be hard, but the plus side is it doesn't need to look humanoid. Everyone has SEEN a human move, but no one has seen a S-02 move, and as such will not know if a animation doesn't look like a real deal...mostly because there is no real deal... I hope.

Did I say four...fancy that

But this is in the very very very very conceptual stage at this point, so don't get all exited. So its possible, but very very hard to script this S-02 side. I will start with the other side, to get the hang of scripting first.

[bobthedinosaur]

why not just make an entire mod based off raising little warrior guys that level up and grow into soemthing?

[Zoombie]

Well if both sides played the same, what fun would that be?

So we have a slightly more traditional side, and one thats a bit more crazy.

[SpikedHelmet]

There was this one game for XBox or something like that where you started out in control of a small little ball. You had to roll around picking up little things like twigs, marbles, blades of grass, soda cans, etc... eventually the ball of stuff grew, and soon you were able to pick up stuff like trash cans, people, small bushes... and you grew... trees... cars... small boats... small houses... big houses... buildings... ocean liners... skyscrapers... chunks of land... city blocks... small islands.. continents...

It was an awesome game because your little ball flowed seamlessly from starting as a minute speck into something that just devoured the entire planet. Anyway, your idea reminded me of that, and I say go for it. Infact, it could be a single unit that starts out as Commander, that goes and devours and/or destroys shit, grows, becomes able to reproduce, etc.

[bobthedinosaur]

i see what you mean..but i dont see how that would work unless it was single player or maybe AI and co op with a warrior for each human player

[Zoombie]

That would be neat idea, but would make you insanely vulnerable in the begging of the game, as your enemy just needs to drop da bomb on your com.

I'd prefer you build a swarm of small unit, and over time the one's that survive become bigger, badder forms. Then you build new swarms around your old units and those make a stronger swarm, and then you get some really strong units. Then eventually you get a stage three and close in for the kill.

A see a few problems with this, but it sounds like a new way to play the game. Problems include: You're army can get unstoppable army, thanks to your stage two's. I was thinking that you could either A) have weaker Stage Threes (But that's no fun!) Or, I was thinking, Stage Three's could stick out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of your army. How so? Well they wouldn't be stealthed (IE They would show up on radar). The rest of the army doesn't show up on radar, except for your stage three. Witch means it gives your enemy time to panic, change underwear and get some kind of army together to stop it. Or drop a nuke on it. Or get a sniper on the grassy knoll.

I wasn't both sides to have terrifying weapons. I mean one's that actually SCARE the other player. I wasn't a stage three radar blip to evoke the same panic that a Xenomorph in your bed room would. Or if you haven't seen Alien (You bad person, you), having a Diclonious in your bed room. If you haven't seen Elfen Leid (You bad person, you), then...err...Jason...from those slasher type flicks. If you haven't seen those slasher type flicks then...a cougar in your bedroom. From...life. You know the kind. The other team would have their own ultra distinctive, scary as hell artillery weapon. I'm not sure what it should be yet.