[Rdy] [CR] Skeletons overhaul

[nexusmrsep]

Resolves #23463

This may be part one of the skeleton overhaul proposed by @kevingranade .

Things done in this pull request:

• descriptions of skeleton and skeletal dog
• armour increased by 50%
• [edit] speed reduced due to overgrown bone carapace and reduced muscle mass
• "HARDTOSHOOT" flag reduces size of the creature for hit chance calculations (ranged only)
• skeletal juggernaut

[Night-Pryanik]

Why the decrease?

[nexusmrsep]

As stated in #23463 the overgrown bone carapace and reduced muscle mass would reduce speed.

[DracoGriffin]

Both descriptions are both really awkward and stilited, I like where you're going with it but it's difficult to follow. Can you come up with a few more examples?

Dog:
A once-canine encased in bony armor, the massive conglutinated carapace seems fueled by a network of black-filled veins and sickly organs.

Skeleton:
A monstrous overgrowth of ossified tissue has replaced this zombie's rotting skin with an organic armor of dense bone. Large clumps of black goo seep from its joints, as it makes sickening cracks while it moves unfazed.

[nexusmrsep]

Yeah, all suggestions are welcomed as I'm not a native speaker.

Dog, skeletal:
Original proposition:
This canine skeletal frame with bulging bones, woven with a net of sinew growing out from conglutinated carapace of fused together ribs, resembles an overactive turtle.

Variant 1:
This once-canine has shed all its skin revealing a carapace of fused bones and ribs. This bone armour devoid of external flesh seems to be propelled by a net of sickly black veins and sinews glistening with black goo.

Variant 2:
This undead canine has lost its skin and most of its organs, but that what's left is now hidden under thick bone carapace grown all over it. Ropes of black veins and sinews oozing with black goo originate from the fused ribcage and connect to lean muscles hidden in bony shell composing its limbs.

Skeleton:
Original proposition:
On a closer look it is not a decrepit zombie you expected. While still having a general look of a human skeleton, bones have regrown over some muscles and conglutineted ribs created a protective carapace. Few gaps in this grim exoskeleton show a glistening black mass of transformed organs and muscles, that controls an excesive net of sinews woven over and throughout the bones, keeping this monster mobile.

Variant 1:
Like a shell of a hermit crab, this skeleton has become a host to undead unknown, that accommodated this once living body into a walking suit of bone armour. Hiding inside conglutinated carapace that once was a ribcage it controls rest of the petrified limbs by a net of sickly black veins and sinews glistening with black goo.

Variant 2
This once-human creature has lost its skin and most of its organs, but that what's left is now hidden under thick bone carapace grown all over it. Ropes of black veins and sinews oozing with black goo originate from the fused ribcage and connect to lean muscles hidden in bony shell composing its limbs.

Feel free to discuss, vote for one of the variants or propose another.
[edit: fixed typo, as noticed by @Rivet-the-Zombie below]

[Rivet-the-Zombie]

it's -> contraction of 'it is'
its -> possessive form of 'it'

[DracoGriffin]

Honestly, after the variants, I think I like my examples more. Otherwise, variant 1 for canine, variant 2 for skeleton.

[nexusmrsep]

Honestly, after the variants, I think I like my examples more. Otherwise, variant 1 for canine, variant 2 for skeleton.

I went for your variant for skeleton and my variant nr 1 for canine skeleton.
I just hope we're getting the right picture of the concept.

[nexusmrsep]

Ok, so after adding mostly everything in the source issue #23463 I have some questions before I flag this PR as READY:

1. Should I add any other skeletal monster fitting between skeleton (human) and skeletal juggernaut? Like skeletal brute or something?

2. Should skeletal dogs evolve into any other skeletal monsters, perhaps even juggernauts?

3. Should HARDTOSHOOT flag reduce the ranged profile of TINY monsters? Now it reduces size of monsters by one for the sake of ranged combat calculations, but it does not reduce it beyond TINY. Howewer code allows to reduce it further, so I ask if my approach is ok.

4. Are the skeletal juggernaut's stats acceptable? It is a slow monster, dragging it's bony prison-armour around, but heavily armoured, slender (HARDTOHIT) but with a heavy punch when it comes to it. Consider it a skeletal version of a zombie hulk, with a twist. It burns to a zombie fiend, which as a matter of fact fits the theme idealy.

[kevingranade]

1. Would be nice if you feel like it, but can also be added later.
2. Is certainly possible, though I'd rather it be a distinct monster, quadruped vs biped is a pretty big change to ignore.
3. It can, but probably isn't necessary.
4. Looks ok to me, if it needs tweakingbit can happen later.

[nexusmrsep]

Ok, as I am also not convinced to add anything more at the moment without more feedback from the gameplay, let's consider this PR done, and see if more tweaking needs come up with time.

[kevingranade]

I'm testing this right now, and just FYI:
HARDTOHIT is working as intended, they're hard to hit, but it gives good feedback.
Regular skeleton:
9mm ammo can't damage them at all.
It takes a number of rounds of .45 (3-5) to put one down.
Entry level spears can trivally chip them down to nothing.
Skeletal Juggernaut:
Trivial to kite with a gun.
Can chip away at HP with a .45 (I'd like to increase the armor to get it out of range of most handguns, but not necessary for this PR), but it takes a LOT of ammo.
Can take down with an AKM with ~15 rounds, that's a significant investment IMO.
Can't safely kite with a reach weapon due to the reach attack, good.

[kevingranade]

Bug: when skeleton armor negates damage, it doesn't print what the round bounces off of.