Corpse Decay and skeletal fear tech

[Damien Hart]

As it is currently, corpses decay a little, and then somehow manage to be eternally preserved half decayed. I've seen a lot of talk about incinerators and the like, but I'd like to see them decay through several stages, causing varying psychological effects throughout the process.

I think with the 100 hp a corpse has, about 15 lost per day seems a decent amount - about a week to decay fully. Probaly nowhere near a realistic amount of time, but remember you just made an entire hi-tech base out of scrap metal, so...

Anyway, the first stage would obviously be the fresh corpse. 100-86 hp, so the first 24hrs. pretty negligible happiness penalty, minor fear increase, but nothing really worth worrying about. This is the point at which you want to shift it somewhere away from your colonists, before it stinks up the place.

The next stage is when it starts to rot. 85-56 hp. It stinks, it looks nasty, and the colonists hate it. Moderate penalty on happiness, moderate fear increase.

Stage three is when it gets really nasty - it's bloating, the bugs are chowing down, and it's absolutely noxious. This is 55-0 hp. Big happiness penalty, moderate fear increase.

If scavenger/predatory animals are implemented, they could feed on the corpse to expedite the process.

Once it hits 0, the corpse is replaced with a skeleton, which can be used for fear tech.

Like this for example:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hnwiirrfc2z9ohd/2013-03-31_00002.jpg

To that end, it would be cool if raiders suffered penalties from fear tech, say an accuracy penalty, which could be negated by certain personality traits once those come into use. Also, your superstitious tribal enemies are going to be more affected than pirates and the like, who probably decorate their base similarly, whereas more civilised factions (outlander towns etc.) would sit somewhere in between.

[tbrass]

Other civilized factions may not be afraid of fear tech... but they ought to be repulsed by it. Should be a negative to your reputation.

Otherwise, great ideas!

[Coenmcj]

There's been a considerable push for additional fear tech, I suppose because it's so effective with it having no debuffs at all.

I reckon corpse decay on it's own is a good idea, adds to the immersion, and more fear tech is more than welcome in my books.

[StorymasterQ]

Hmm, maybe Fear should somehow raise the loyalty threshold. Something like you'll need more and more fear to keep colonists loyal.

[Damien Hart]

I definitely like the idea of fear tech affecting relations, even more so if it affects relations more if the corpse of someone from a specific faction is used,  and then a visitor from that faction encounters it. Not to mention that would also be cool for affecting hostile morale.

As far as why more fear tech, I can't speak for most people but I like it more for the fact that it allows the morality choices you'll typically not find in strategy games, that are usually reserved for RPG's like Fable and the like. More ways to play are never a bad thing; and being the bad guy is so much more fun.

In terms of happiness/fear and the loyalty threshold, I always thought the two should be mutually exclusive, set on a scale where 0 is in the center, and essentially symbolises total disillusionment, -100 is terrified, while +100 is ecstatic. There would need to be some sort of time delay in how long it takes someone to begin having a breakdown though, or people could snap while they shift between sides of the scale.

[sparda666]

having hp determine decay might be weird if you are accustomed to throwing grenades at corpses

[Coenmcj]

being the bad guy is so much more fun.

+1, This ^ ^ ^

[Untrustedlife]

being the bad guy is so much more fun.

+1, This ^ ^ ^

I agree

[Damien Hart]

having hp determine decay might be weird if you are accustomed to throwing grenades at corpses

I reckon corpses ought to be turned into chunky soup if hit directly by a grenade With an appropriately huge happiness penalty of course.

And any that aren't hit directly and catch alight could become a "charred corpse" with the same decay rate, but burning would still speed up the process of turning to a skeleton - possibly a black, charred looking one.

[vagineer1]

There's been a considerable push for additional fear tech, I suppose because it's so effective with it having no debuffs at all.

I reckon corpse decay on it's own is a good idea, adds to the immersion, and more fear tech is more than welcome in my books.

I gotta say that corpse decay is a great idea. I'd love to see skeletons scattered around my base as remnants of my past battles.

[Headshotkill]

I want miasma when stuff decays...