Repair and reprogram mechanoids

[b0rsuk]

Mechanoids can be downed. They writhe on the ground pretty much forever. They can be shut down, their scyther blades can be harvested.

Let me carry them to a mechanoid pen, reprogram them and make them serve me. I mean, what could possibly go wrong ??

[GarettZriwin]

I mean, what could possibly go wrong ??

Famous last words.

Jokes aside +1, if Tynan want players not to killbox and most of them do not run good quality power armor colony commando then someone needs to take hits.

Friendly/Controllable mechanoids seem good candidates for that.

[b0rsuk]

How it could work:

1. You gather some incapacitated mechanoids
2. You find an AI Core
3. You modify the mechanoids and reprogram the AI Core. The AI Core controls the mechanoids now.

AI Core requires power. If power goes down, mechanoids act hostile until it's back again. The core needs more power for each controlled mechanoid, so in a way it competes with turrets.

[Losttruppen]

AI core requirements would be a good way to limit the number you can have under your control.

Would give another reason to hate solar flares though.

[b0rsuk]

Hey, it's mechanoids, it's super-soldiers. It can have a downside. I wonder what kind of defenses people would invent in case of a solar flare.
Store them in a walled-in room which also happens to be a mortar shell stockpile linked to an IED trap ?

[Losttruppen]

The addition of an EMP mine could help solve that problem for a few minutes until you shoot them into incapacity.

[GarettZriwin]

Hey, it's mechanoids, it's super-soldiers. It can have a downside. I wonder what kind of defenses people would invent in case of a solar flare.
Store them in a walled-in room which also happens to be a mortar shell stockpile linked to an IED trap ?

In my Open-city(Well, except wall around inner streets ;P) mechanoids ALWAYS gone after my mortar bunker, maybe all you would need to do was to store them next to some or next to few turrets...   

Exotic traders could have some modifications for mechanoids, one of them could be temporary shut-down in case of such event.

[JuicyPVP]

Solar Flare should shut them off- they are electrical. Actually0 this should be changed regardless of if OP's idea (which I +1) gets implemented. I like the AI core running them, but I don't think they should be hostile if the core goes offline. They should just stop and do nothing (like if a solar flare goes off...)- One would assume you wipe their programming which states they want to kill you as a failsafe before allowing the core to run them.

[b0rsuk]

Mechanoids are pretty terrifying, or at least they're meant to be the ultimate enemy. Bending them to your will should come at a price, it should feel like sitting on a barrel of gunpowder.

[RimworldOx]

Sounds like a great idea, as right now- kill boxes are the only viable means of survival on higher difficulties. A16 is great, but it didn't change game mechanics at all in terms of raid's happening in relation to your wealth.

[Barazen]

In addition to the current negatives to having mechanoid gaurds, maybe each linked unit increases the chance of ai core corruption? Making each hostile again. Forcing you to remove the core and fight the mechs again? After all, power breeds corruption

[SpaceDorf]

Solar Flare should affect every Mechanoid .. they are Machines after all.

Possible Effects :
1.) They shut off completely.
1a.) Only some components shut down. ( Sensors, Movement.. )
2.) Have a internal power supply that depletes slowly
3.) Go Berserk and attack everything, including each other
4.) The other Mental Breakdown effects. Driving in Circles, Hiding Somewhere
4.) Get debuffs similiar to psychic drones ( also fail at tasks, like open doors )
5.) Attach to Batterys and drain them ( moar power needed .. )


x.) RNG based all of the above ..

[Xom]

To balance things, mechanoids should be able to capture and reprogram your colonists, inserting a control chip into their central nervous system which overrides their motor functions remotely. They remain conscious throughout the process as they're forced to war against their former allies. They feel pain and it effects their mood but the chip does not and it forces them to fight, protect damaged ship parts and remain conscious the entire time until the body is dead.

[b0rsuk]

That's a good idea, but mechanoids take no prisoners. How would that happen ?

[makkenhoff]

I'd say, I like the idea of "hotwiring" mechanoids.  I think tying it to the AI core is a good idea. Maybe the AI core "hostile/benevolent" could be played on here, so you never know what kind of AI core you have, until you "plug" it in. So, it would always be a risk, even if you've got the economy/technology, to activate one.