Blob and Sensory Organs (spoilers)

Game Talk The Drawing Board
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So, I was looking at https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/28217 and thought I’d take a stab at it (maybe). But I want to put my own flair into it instead of just giving a completely headless zombie. In the end, it might end up being more like mod content rather than something main-line-able, but we’ll see.

So my questions are these. Would a headless zombie even function? Does the Blob require a brain? If not, why don’t we see it animating, like, a table or something?

And even if it doesn’t require a brain, how then does it detect? In-game the zombies detect the player through sight, smell, and sound. If we remove the head, or even just the sensory organs, isn’t that creature then incapable of noticing or interacting with the player? Or can the Blob see/hear/smell without those organs? Or would I just give it the flags for certain senses regardless, just to mitigate the complete uselessness?

Also, if the Blob infested an organism that then lost its head, would it attempt to reconstruct the creature as it previously existed or would it simply mutate into some horror?

IE: Zombie gets its face and skullcap/brain blown off. Would the Blob attempt to reconstruct the skull or would it simply grow, like, cthulhu-esque murder tentacles or something instead?

That was my initial line of thinking. Devastating head/face damage. Upgraded version (Blue Skulls) are partially reconstructed zombies where the skull is a merging of bone chips and blue blob-goo, with virtually useless but slowly regrowing sensory organs (like tiny eyes, so it has bad eyesight but the Blob is making an attempt at regaining some ability)

Any amount of feedback from lore-aware folks would be great, or if anyone wants to weigh in on whether this sounds like mod content or mainline, that’d be helpful, too.

Sorry if this was ranty. Lore and creativity gets me twitchy.

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Honestly considering a zombie can blow it’s leg off 10+ times on landmines and still get up the 11th time in perfect condition it would probably just regrow the head or something.

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Unless it’s decided it doesn’t need the head, which to why it evolves into a listener zombie.

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Meh. Shrug.

I had wanted feedback before I added the brainless/listener/skull zombies to the game. Didn’t really get any, back then, and just put them in. I mostly regretted it, but I think they’ve been sorted out at this point. It exists and no ones thrown a fit about it, so I guess they fit the lore well enough.

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Yeah, reviving naked zombies is stupid, so as the no brain but listeners zombies. Lore is not that clever or interesting. Blob is just that all purpose ultimate ACME GACK ™ what can do anything. This is why people just do not care. Like, whatever.

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If that is the case then I propose a “torso” zombie.

A zombie that is nothing more than a torso.

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I mean, that’s a hard no from me, personally. I don’t really contribute much (at all?) and my experience with adding a new creature was a bunch of negative feedback. It may or may not have been deserved, but I’m not looking to repeat that experience.

If I add more stuff it’ll be low impact junk like random items or new layouts for existing buildings.

Buuut . . . I will say that it’s not super hard to add things via json, and I always try to encourage people to take part. If you have an interest, you should look into it. It’s also fun to contribute, despite what I said above.

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Heh, if you really think so. Be funny to imagen a rolling torso moving towards you.

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That would be still scary, but oddly funny at the same time.

But then maybe they would work as punching bags since they’re just torsos.

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Maybe area denial mutation, sort of guardians from deadspace?

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Or, if we’re talking about dead space, something like those constantly reviving necromophs, but zombies. Built with an unbreakable core so lore wise they will always revive.

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Hm, what if there was a zombie that’s fragile. But it can get back up in like, 5 in-game turns or so. Would that be lore friendly for the blob?

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And I guess setting it on fire be the only solution to kill it right?

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Or you could smash it right away. I sort of think it as a repetitive nuisance when battling hordes. I agree with the fire idea though.