Ponies.txt

Ponies.txt

Ponies in SS13;
A basic overview

-         3 subraces: Space pony, Space pegasi, Space unicorn
-         General attributes:
-         Can only wear satchel, jetpack, oxygen tank on back slot. //Sprites?
-         By default have two item slots serving as human hands.
-         Speak in human.
-         Health-wise, same as humans.
-         Can be interacted with just like with humans.
-         Inhands only shifted to correspond to each race’s holding spots (space = mouth, tail, pegasi = mouth, wing, unicorn = mouth, air?)
// If you intent on using actual inhands, it would be impossible  <- It might be possible if done properly, such as orienting it behind the mouth in a way that it corresponds or making the tail/wing wrap around it. Either way, one can simply conjure up a generic item for everything held by the corresponding appendage, such as the wing or the mouth. It's going to be badmin-only either way. If you wish to do that, it would take ALOOOOOT of spriting for every inhand on every mob position.
I'm saying that  you'll just have to sprite a generic item, such as the current black  and grey block that is used for unsprited items Maybe just some sword or  gun for all the other items.
But  it won't probably be a simple animal, it'll be a mob. Otherwise it  won't really work, simple animals can't really hold items. honk
Either way, if you want to code them as simple animals,  you're bat-shit crazy. There's so many limitations for simple animals,  including having no code for a GUI or even having a  unified system of  attack and simple animals can't hold items, at all. //Yeah, this. You're going to need to make them normal mobs, not simple animals. Simple animals are just too restricting for something with this sort of ambition
-         Hair = mane, Beard = tail, skin/hide most likely unchangeable due to code restrictions. //Skin/hide/fur/whatever you call it can be changed much like hair(Example: Hulks go green)
I mean in a way similar to the character selection screen instead of being dependant on one or two sprites. For simplicity's sake, just skip out the whole coloration process and confine the players to only a bunch of default hair colours and hides, maybe just one specific full sprite.
Or just have it done like haircolour, except for the entire skin of the mob.
-         Can eat only food items that do not contain meat or blood (may be ignored due to code restrictions) //Would need special snowflake code on the food/eating that works for ponies only. Fair bit of work, but possible.
Snowflake code, or just make them unable to eat burgers. It's not like most chefs make anything more than that. Maybe SoS jerky.
-         Run/walk system same as humans, may have their speed increased slightly.//Current human run speed is BYOND's maximum, or really close to it. Same speeds is a better idea.
-         Targetting = identical, targetting head has a chance of hitting the horn if unicorn, targetting chest has chance of hitting wings if pegasi, targetting crotch will hit tail
-         Can be shoved onto a spike like a monkey for five meat or gibbed for three meat and additional glue.//Just the gibber will do, and needs less sprites. <-- i will take almost everything if i have to sprite less
I know, it's pretty much just a joke.
-         Reacts identically to chemicals and gases.
-         Their stats, abilities and whatnot are affected by CUTIE MARKS.//Implies stats will be different from normal humans, needs explanations
Because they technically can be.
-         Capable of being cloned, has a chance of turning into a human when cloned, has a chance of either being a vegetable human, normal human or pony when cloned in hydroponics// Doesn't work with the current cloning and such, as subraces(Vegetable, metroid, etc) are a part of the DNA that will be copied over during cloning. Plus, we don't want people to turn into a pony after cloning. No ponies without admin intervention.
Only ponies could turn into humans, no humans turning into ponies. Either way, the same would apply to cutie marks (implying they would even be implemented). Cutie marks could really just be a choose your own like with alien races.//That works fine then, though I would prefer keeping ponies as pony, to prevent people from praying for them again after they die again and don't want to just be human again.
Though there may be a natural problem with genetics. Unless the genetic code is changed or the pony subtype is under humanoids, it won't probably work. IE. Aliens put into a DNA changer turn into humans. //That's an addition to cloning I would want to get anyway. Clone metroids for Xenobio when the idiots let them out. Making the cloner more generic works out better in the long run, I think.
That works for anything, especially if you're going to add even more races.
-         Cloning may change the type of pony they are (generic, pegasi, unicorn)
-         Ponies cannot get fat. (because go to hell with spriting that)

Space pony:
-More resistant towards all kinds of damage except for suffocation and intoxication.
-Alcohol has less effect.
-Drugs wear out more quickly. // No idea how this would be done with our current code
-Chemicals get absorbed more quickly, both negative and positive, and apply accordingly. // same as aboveYou can simply add to the reagent expiration tick in the code specific to the mob. I have no idea how code works, but that could work
Space pegasi:
-Has wings, which make attacking the chest and if the wings are hit do more damage.
-Nimble, can run slightly faster.// This will mean nearly nothing at current speeds, since we're already close to the maximum BYOND speed normally. Maybe it will matter after we test slower running.
Maybe make a dash verb to substitute for it that simply moves you a bunch of tiles forward at once?
-Weaker to ballistics and brute damage. // Makes sense, hollow bones and shit
-Is weaker than all other ponies due to weaker skeletal structure (has 10-15 less health total)
-Has VAULT ability.
VAULT:
Gives the user the ability to jump up and fly into the air, flying over anything in their way (mobs, tables, any objects other than windows, walls, barricades, doors, lockers and taller machines (vending machines))
Lasts for 6 seconds, will collapse to the ground, stunned temporarilly if hits anything in their way.
Directed just as all other transportation-based spells, direction and momentum can be changed at any time.
-Has a small chance of dodging when attacked.
-Can use their wings to steer and thrust in space from time to time, cooldown of three seconds after each use, possibly without a cooldown. // I like this

Space Unicorn:
-Has horn on top of the forehead, which makes attacking the head and if the horn is hit do more damage.
-Hitting their horn with an item with enough brute damage knocks them out.
-Has natural ability to use old-code telekinesis. // Yes, please dear god yes
-Can hold multiple items in the air. (may be ignored)
-Hitting the horn or stunning them makes their telekinesis and item-holding fail.
-The more items a unicorn holds in the air, the higher the chance that they will all fall from the air when used. A 1 item limit sounds more balanced to be honest Imagine the effect being like the one of a tray dropping. It might even kill you, so you damn right should be careful when you muck about with telekinetics.
-Items dropping from the air that are of the /melee category have a chance of causing damage to the holder.
-Items dropping from the air that are of the /gun category have a chance of setting off and shooting their projectile in a random direction, including the direction of the holder.
//There, happy?
-Has an array of basic spells to use with a higher original cooldown (Phase jaunt, teleport, blink, spawn forcewall, fireball // wouldn't a single magic missle be better? // (weaker, much higher cooldown), smoke…)//Our spells are made for OP wizards. Giving these spells to unicorns would make them OP as well. Forcewall and Smoke maybe, and teleporting only with extreme cooldown or with massive failure chance to land in space
Maybe have an increasing variable based on how much you practice that spell? Like using teleport 10 times make you able to teleport faster and with almost zero failure chance.
-Has weaker melee attacks.
-Less resistant to energetic projectiles.

Cutie Marks: (may be ignored completely) *cough* probably will <-- definitely will but I'll write it down anyways Atleast don't start making a list of different cutie marks, we don't need this being 5000000 lines long
-         Give a permanent bonus to the holder of the cutie mark.
-         Have a specific icon and are displayed on the flank of the holder.
-         Each cutie mark has a different positive/negative effect on the holder.
-         Cutie marks can only be removed by gibbing, cremation or direct removal.
-         Cutie marks should carry through cloning.

List of cutie marks://Needs a base pony nerf to make up for the boost from these. //Most have a kind of debuff anyway, others are minor enough to not have a real disadvantage.
Electric – Gives higher resistance to shock damage, has a chance of completely ignoring the knockout.
Vital – Gives 10 more health and higher natural resistance to brute damage.
Runner – Has higher natural metabolism, gets hungry faster and all chemicals are processed faster and may have a more prominent effect.
Machinist – Has a natural psychological connection to the AI/cyborg channels, but suffers from permanent stuttering in normal speech. // I totally need to sprite a cyborg pony //
Engineer – Any construction actions are performed faster, suffers less damage from hitting the singularity containment field.
Syndicate spy – Has natural talent with using energy swords and blocks more attacks when holding one. //<< I’ll add to that Syndicate unicorn anyone? // Remember that you can easilly knock out unicorns by hitting their horns.
Entertainment – Any slipping items the holder drops, places or applies knock down anyone for longer. Has a “honk“ verb that emitts a bike horn sound. Is naturally clumsy. Is more resistant to /melee category weapon damage. (stun batons)
Silence – Cannot talk. Is capable of forming long-lasting invisible, indestructable walls that disappear after certain time. Is more resistant to /melee category weapon damage. (stun batons) Gets out of cuffs/buckling faster.
Jack – More resistant to all damage except for suffocation, to which they are extremely vulnerable.
Maiden – Naturally cleans anything they walk over. Cannot slip on watered tiles.
Sly – Capable of reproduction. Extremely vulnerable to all attacks, especially vulgar. Natural agressiveness. // it had to be done//We all know this will be done at some point.
Nuclear authentication diskette – Explodes on death. Does additional damage towards any NanoTrasen employees, especially one with contents containing a nuclear authentication disk. Runs faster and is more resistant to all damage except for suffocation when in possesion of a nuclear authentication disk. When slipped is knocked down for far longer.
// Insert a bunch more cutie marks here, all corresponding to their role's expected attributes and abilities. Captain has a cutie mark of a comdom.

And that's pretty much it honk

Spriting work:

-Body: included in the free to use spriteset i found (That fits in 32x32) are body types for fillies, colts and mares. Wings and horns can be taken from the already existing sprites

-Hair: can be taken from the already existing sprites and be colored to fit with the hair color system

-Inhooves(?): maybe 1 generic sprite for everything on the slots that will be made. // Again, better to make seperate generic sprites for things like swords and guns. Maybe a generic toolbox for the hell of it.

-Clothing: the sprites being used have little place for actual backpacks, side bags may be possible but i am not 100% sure // Satchels are canon. I already wrote that ponies can only wear satchels on their back slot.
Also, sprite generic space suits for ponies. That's pretty much all we'll need.