diff --git a/src/SUMMARY.md b/src/SUMMARY.md index 1ac5afd5f..98feaf557 100644 --- a/src/SUMMARY.md +++ b/src/SUMMARY.md @@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ Space Station 14 - [Thief](en/space-station-14/round-flow/antagonists/thief.md) - [Xenoborgs](en/space-station-14/round-flow/antagonists/Xenoborgs.md) - [Pursuer](en/space-station-14/round-flow/antagonists/pursuer.md) + - [Spider Queen](en/space-station-14/round-flow/antagonists/spider-queen.md) - [Proposals]() - [Cleanup Crew Gamemode](en/space-station-14/round-flow/proposals/cleanup-crew-gamemode.md) diff --git a/src/en/space-station-14/round-flow/proposals/spider-queen.md b/src/en/space-station-14/round-flow/proposals/spider-queen.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..8b8c6bf2a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/space-station-14/round-flow/proposals/spider-queen.md @@ -0,0 +1,185 @@ +# Spider Queen + +| Designers | Implemented | GitHub Links | +|------------|-------------|--------------| +| Shaddap1 | :x: No | [Design Doc PR](https://github.com/space-wizards/docs/pull/533) | + +## Overview +A mid-round ghost-role major antagonist focused on stealth, ambush, brood expansion, and territorial control. The Spider Queen survives and grows by feeding, weaving webs, cocooning victims, spawning broodlings, and upgrading a wide range of mechanics. Crew counterplay centers on teamwork and environmental control. I believe this design sticks to the central theme of a spider queen while operationalizing the best mechanics and attributes of other similar antagonists such as the Rat King and Dragon, and provides a new and interesting antagonist that will contribute meaningfully to roundflow. + +## Background +The Spider Queen is inspired by a mix of xenomorph, dragon, and rat king. The design prioritizes stealth, strategy, and slow escalation rather than immediate overt crisis. It is designed to be a sister-antag to the Rat King while featuring a more comprehensive scope and more diverse mechanics and playstyles. + +## Features to be added +- Two new Team Antagonists, the Spider Queen and Broodling. +- Spider Queen abiltiies and mechanics +### Core Loop +- The Spider Queen expands upon the existing spider infestation event. When the event triggers, there is a 25% chance that a Queen will spawn alongside ordinary spiders, similar to Rat Kings. Optionally, it could be called in by Spider-Clan ninjas when they hack the comms console. +- Feed on animal protein (mice, roaches, pets, crew) to gain **biomass**. +- Use biomass to produce **webbing** and **venom**, which drain biomass passively over time. +- Weave webs and cocoon victims to store food and expand territory. +- Feed on cocoons 2–3 times for biomass recovery. +- Lay **broodling eggs** or upgraded **egg-sacs** (1 or 3 broodlings respectively). +- Form hunting parties with broodlings to ambush isolated crew. +- Can lay one expensive **Queen Egg**; if killed, this becomes a ghost-role spawn for a successor Spider Queen after a 30-second incubation delay if the egg is not destroyed. + +### Broodlings +- Hatch from eggs after a short delay. +- Defensive AI near Queen; aggressive toward crew. +- Default AI similar to space carp but rat servant style commands could be implemented. +- Ghost-role eligible, using the standard raffle system similar to dragon carp. +- Broodlings are tankier and faster than space carp. A single crewmember can handle one, but a swarm requires a coordinated response. + +### Resources, Abilities, and Upgrades + +**Resources** +- **Biomass** – primary resource; gained from feeding. +- **Webbing** – converted from biomass; used for webs and cocoons. +- **Venom** – converted from biomass; fuels venomous bites. + +**Queen Starting Abilities** +- *Weave Webs*: Toggle; movement slowed, webs placed per tile; costs webbing. Biomass is not drained to replenish webbing while toggled off. +- *Venom*: Toggle; bites inject venom; costs venom. Biomass is not drained to replenish venom while toggled off. +- *Cocoon Target*: Do-after; wraps downed targets in a thick cocoon. +- *Lay Egg / Egg-Sac*: Eggs hatch broodlings after an incubation delay. +- *Feed on Cocoon*: Long do-after; yields extra biomass from cocooned victim and incentivizes the Queen to not gib players. +- *Pry Door* and *Pull Mob*: Basic mobility and victim relocation (upgradable). + +**Queen Upgrades** +- **Web Mutations** *(mutually exclusive)* + - *Nanofilament Webbing*: Lower opacity, harder to see. + - *Glycoprotein Recombination*: 10% chance to stick blunt/slash weapons, requiring them to be pulled out like knives thrown into walls. + - *Keratin Composite Filament*: Web traversal inflicts pierce/slash damage like flesh kudzu. +- **Venom Mutations** *(mutually exclusive)* + - *Caustic Glands*: Adds caustic damage. + - *Aphasia Toxin*: Temporarily mutes victims. + - *Virulent Neurotoxin*: Slows and briefly sleeps targets. +- **Other Upgrades** + - *Egg-Sacs*: Eggs spawn 3 broodlings. + - *Hunting Pounce*: Leap to target; stam-crit and disarm on hit. Long cooldown. Similar to vulpakin pounce. + - *Insulated Carapace*: Immune to electric shock. Essential for AI counterplay. Allows Queen to bite and break LV, MV, and HV cables. + - *Armored Carapace*: Increases brute resistance. + - *Chromatophores*: Camouflage or invisibility while stationary. Custom shader would be dope. + - *Enhanced Photoreceptors*: Night vision (planned system). + - *Enhanced Hydraulics*: Faster door pry and mob pulling. + - *Mass Scaling (Passive)*: Biomass spent increases Queen size (Small/Medium/Large), affecting sprite size, speed, and noise. Small queens move silently and can hide under tables. Larger Queens are louder and slower but tougher. + +### Resource Economy and Management +- **Biomass**: Gained from animal kills; consumed by webbing and upgrades. +- **Webbing**: Regenerates by draining biomass; capped (~30 tiles). +- **Venom**: Regenerates by draining biomass; capped (~100). + +**Placeholder Values** +- Biomass cap: 100 + - Mouse/Roach: +10 + - Pet: +20 + - Cocoon Feed: +50 + - Ruptured Egg: +5 +- Web cost: 1 tile (2 for low-opacity, 3 sticky, 4 thorny). +- Web regen: Every 3s → 2 biomass → +1 tile. +- Egg: 20 biomass; Egg-Sac: 40; Queen Egg: 90. +- Venom Bite: Normal 1/5 pool, Caustic/Mute 1/4, Paralytic 1/2. +- Venom regen: 5 biomass → +20% of pool. + +All values are preliminary and will require testing. + +## Round resolution +Crew victory occurs when all Spider Queens and eggs are destroyed. +Queen success is measured by survival and brood strength. +The end-round summary lists brood size, whether a Queen Egg was laid, and survival. + +## Game Design Rationale +The Spider Queen adheres to SS14’s core design principles: +- **Chaos**: Webs, cocoons, and brood interactions create unpredictable situations. +- **Seriously Silly**: Combines horror tension with getting to watch the clown being devoured by spiders. +- **Dynamic Environment**: Webs and nests alter station condition. +- **Player Interaction**: Encourages multi-department cooperation (Security, Engineering, Medical). +- **Player Agency**: Crew and Queen both retain counterplay choices, Queen gameplay requires extensive decision making, resource management, strategy, and skill expression. + +The design ensures escalation over time, promotes teamwork, and avoids “guaranteed chaos” by relying on player decisions rather than overly impactful abilities. + +## Roundflow & Player Interaction +**Early** – Hide, feed, and establish the first nest. +**Mid** – Hatch broodlings, expand territory, hunt, and purchase 1–2 upgrades. +**Late** – Multiple nests, large brood, several upgrades, Queen Egg laid, crew freaking out. + +Departments involved: +- **Engineering**: Burns webs with welders, rebuilds maintenance. +- **Security**: Engages broodlings and Queens, escorts engineers. +- **Medical**: Treats toxins and rescues crew from cocoons. +- **All Crew**: Potential snacks + +- A typical round might look like this: + - Spider queen spawns at around 20 minutes in + - Early phase + - Keeps to maints, trying to avoid detection from crew. Tries to find an isolated and infrequently visited section of maintenance. + - Runs into a crewmember, should be able to crit them provided they are not well armed. + - Drags them to a safe location, webs them up in a cocoon, and feeds. + - Buys an upgrade, lays a few eggs, and weaves some webbing to protect them. + - A paramedic comes looking for the dead crew member at the behest of AI + - Spider Queen smartly hides, waiting for the paramedic to try to free the crew member from the cocoon or attack the eggs. Lays webbing at escape routes before ambushing paramedic. + - Cocoons paramedic, but is likely outed on radio first. Broodlings hatch. Spider Queen quickly feeds on paramedic and departs for a new section of maintenance to hatch more broodlings + - Queen is well protected/upgraded enough to abduct station pets or unarmed crew members for additional biomass and upgrades. + - Mid phase + - Sec is actively searching for the Spider Queen + - Spider Queen balances staying mobile enough to evade direct confrontation with finding biomass sources, creating nests, hatching more broodlings, and buying upgrades + - Now strong enough to raid unprotected departments and flee back to maintenance + - Late phase + - Most of the crew is aware and responsive to the Spider Queen threat. Easy victims are difficult to find. Confrontation is necessary. + - Spider Queen assaults the medbay with her brood, seeking to drag victims into maintainance and leave her brood and webbing behind to fight and delay pursuit. + - Sec responds and dies and/or succeeds in dealing critical damage to the Queen + - The Spider Queen escapes with a victim, bleeding, with death immminent in the next few minutes + - She quickly cocoons her prey, feeds, and flees a bit further to lay a hidden Queen Egg. + - The Queen moves across the station, far away from the egg, to draw security away. + - The Queen is tracked down and killed, but the Queen Egg begins to hatch. + - The threat is lowered, but the station is still armed, and security will be searching maintenance for any more eggs and broodlings + - The new Spider Queen hatches and begins the process from the beginning, with the added threat of additional armed security patrols and more cautious victims + - She manages to feed from a few left over corpses and raises a small army but is found by security and killed. + - During the chaos of the past 20-40 minutes, syndicate agents, thieves, and other antagonists may have taken advantage of the chaos to accomplish their objectives. + - The disruption caused by the Spider Queen was major but not round-ending, demanding a coordinated crew response to resolve the crisis. + +Queens should rely on stealth and selective combat. They should not be able to solo a squad of security officers. + +## Administrative & Server Rule Impact (if applicable) +- Goal is survival and expansion, not griefing. +- Prohibited: round-ending sabotage (singulo/tesla releases, mass plasma fires). +- Ghost roles use the standard raffle. A successor Queen should ideally go to a different player. +- Playtime requirement recommended due to mechanical complexity. + +## List of Sprites +- **Spider Queen:** + - Small size + - Alive, crit, dead + - Medium size + - Alive, crit, dead + - Large size + - Alive, crit, dead + - Probably needed eventually: Living animation for alive sprites + - Optional: Visual changes to alive sprites for certain upgrades: armored carapace, insulated carapace, camoflauge, etc. +- **Broodling:** + - Alive, crit, dead + - Probably needed eventually: Living animation for alive sprites +- **Eggs:** + - Broodling egg + - Alive, ruptured, OPTIONAL: hatching animation? + - Spider Queen egg + - Alive, ruptured, OPTIONAL: hatching animation? +- **Webbing:** + - Monofilament webbing: lower opacity, thinner strands (harder to see) + - Sticky webbing: probably sort of goop visible on the web + - Thorn webbing: Spikes or spines visible on the web +- **Icons:** + - Action bar icons + - Upgrade menu icons (can be same as action bar probably) + - Biomass resource icon (can borrow from changeling?) + - Webbing resource icon (can probably use existing spiderweb sprites, would be nice if it updated to purchased web upgrade) + - Venom resource icon + +# Technical Considerations +- **New Systems**: WebTypeComponent, CocoonComponent, BroodLeashSystem, ResourcePools, QueenEggIncubatorSystem, QueenActions. +- **Reused Systems**: Spider content, knife-stick mechanic, flesh kudzu behavior, Vulpakin pounce. +- **Performance**: Broodling cap may be required. +- **UI**: Resource bars and simple upgrade menu (similar to uplink/grimoire). +- **Sprites**: See above list +- **Audio**: Briefing audio, custom hisses/screeches, egg hatching noises. +- **Testing**: Extensive playtests needed for web burn behavior, biomass balance, and venom regeneration.