@Role_Player I think the towering unstoppable nigh-invincible gods you first suggested would be better in a separate mod than mainline. Currently, only radiation can make an area truly uninhabitable. Mi-Gos still die to bullets, zombie hordes can be chipped away at, and even the Mycus can be burned back with time and dedication. I made a comment on the subreddit a while ago replying to a post that wanted to shift CDDA’s setting to a “dying world”, to which I proposed instead a “deadly world full of zones where you die”. To sum it up, I think large scale environmental hazards are an unexplored mod-worthy addition to CDDA that would serve to fundamentally change how you play the game.
(comments on some of the suggested ideas):
- Grappler Hulk: What if it moved at a reduced speed on open terrain, but had a 50 move-point “leap” that throws itself forward four tiles when within two tiles of a tile with 70% coverage or more and throws what it grabbed backwards if it is not secured to the floor. I’m imagining a beefy armed abomination somewhere between Spiderman and a gorilla swinging through the concrete & plant-based jungles. Note: still has the 3-tile grab.
- Stag Migo: With developments on AI patrols, Stags could serve as a durable first line of defense for Mi-Gos doing “research” inside their towers. Mi-Go themselves are well suited for smaller targets, but the Stags have the brute strength and durability to deal with larger opponents, like cars. The charge attack could be jury-rigged by triggering the Zombie Hulk’s smash attach on every tile that passes directly in front of it. A loud roar before the charge would be a good warning sign to prepare to move.
- Ant man: This reminded me of DCSS’ Formicids. I’m imagining them as an expansionist NPC faction with small dirt structures above ground and intricate tunnels underneath sprawling out from a hole in the center of their village. Rather then just being highly aggressive, what if they were instead extremely territorial, willing to negotiate and trade at the edge of their above-ground structures, and just as willing to repurpose you for landfill if you take a step too far. Once the Arthropod Redesign finishes coding bees to be able to send swarms to establish new hives, it would be interesting if Formicids sent groups out to build new aphid pastures and tunnel systems. This faction would be much like a new born humanity. Few in numbers (exist because an isolated experiment), relatively weak compared to many horrors of the new world, and heavily reliant on constructed tools and structures. What if some of them rode their unevolved brethren?
- ‘Pragnant zombies’: This sounds a lot like pupating zombies, which burst and spawn flesh raptors. Not sure how to expand on the pregnant aspect unless you want to enter fetus flail territory.
- Second gen zombies: Like Jabberwocks and dissoluted devourers. I agree that there’s room to add more monsters of this specific type.
- zombie_ramp: This is a great idea that has been discussed here, but not yet implemented.
- blob_buff: Unless they are given an extreme damage vulnerability to fire, I don’t think we have nearly enough sources of fire damage to take on the numbers that blobs are usually found in.
(my monster idea from here)
- Storm Heralds: From within the largest Wandering Hordes comes Storm Heralds. When faced with a threat to the horde they burst, creating a temporary portal that lets the evolved armies of The Blob’s previous conquests join the invasion. If they are killed before they can trigger, they cause an explosion that shreds the horde around them and create a short lived portal to the Netherworld, summoning creatures that cripple the horde even further.