[MWR] Mutcat_Ursine

[KA101]

Apparently, some people want to mutate into humanoid bears. OK, this now contains all the files needed for us to make that happen.

Would appreciate review and merging; I realize that the makefile's outdated and apologize for the delay. Took longer to get a handle on Hibernate than I anticipated--but we have it now.

Merge when ready, please.

[Rivet-the-Zombie]

Apparently, some people want to mutate into humanoid bears. OK, let's make that happen.

Everything about this makes me happy. Your attitude is awesome!

[EkarusRyndren]

"HE'S LIKE A BIG MEAN BEAR, A BIG MEAN SHAVED BEAR THAT HATES PEOPLE."

Felt that needed to be said.

[Zireael07]

This looks awesome!

[Rivet-the-Zombie]

Maybe bear-mutants could be made to actually be able to do this; eat a huge quantity of food then go pass out in a recuperative coma for a while. One way or another, they should probably get mutations like gourmand, so they can be super big eaters, and super thick fur so they can be warm and snuggly while they hibernate.

[Rivet-the-Zombie]

This might be good for plant-mutants or theoretical insect-mutants too.

[Zireael07]

What does the hibernation mutation do?

[dwarfkoala]

Yeah, looks to be a positive trait. Can you choose to hibernate or is it like you eat and then you're suddenly sleeping through winter and mauled by zombie bears?

If hibernating characters can get ripped to shreds and not wake up, that's not a positive trait.

[Rivet-the-Zombie]

What does the hibernation mutation do?

It looks like it makes it so that when you lay down to sleep and the game checks conditions for you to fall asleep i.e. if you're on a comfy spot and sufficiently tired - this mutation makes it easier to fall asleep by skewing the math so that you're considered to be much more tired than you actually are for the purposes of that one check.

Kinda like reverse insomnia maybe?

[dwarfkoala]

So, you can sorta fall asleep any time you want, but when you fall asleep you're kinda stupidly asleep?

Is the hibernation sleep checks basically equate to NOT GONNA WAKE UP EVEN IF ZOMBEAR OR HORDES OF FUCKING RATS BITING AT YOUR FLESH OR DEAFENED BY HORRIBLE DEATHVEHICLES REVVING UP?

Is it possible to be woken from hibernation before the time is up?

[Rivet-the-Zombie]

It looks like all the hibernation trait does is make it easier to fall asleep initially.

[KA101]

I think it looks like I didn't finish it because this is WIP and I planned on coming back tonight to handle the "food" side of the issue. And then there's Inconveniently Large to add, and tweak the Claws around, probably a new muzzle too... ;-)

But yeah, Hibernation is intended to let you pack yourself full, and then sleep through (most of?) the winter. If you pick a bad spot...well, I suppose I should make a note about that when you start gorging yourself.

Highlights: You WILL be a Very Heavy Sleeper. BUT that doesn't affect pain-wakeup, nor cold/heat for that matter; just noise and light. (VHS shouldn't kill you. It's a perfectly good format. :-P ) @Rivet-the-Zombie , that's what I was trying to skew the math on: if for some reason you hibernate in a sunlit area (maybe you're a Plant or something) the light ain't waking you up. Your watch alarm may be a liability as you really really shouldn't wake up for it.

Zombear raids your den, you'll wake up on the first hit, I should think. Same if someone opens a lava rift 3 tiles away or something. Those shouldn't be affected. If they are, that's bad coding on my part.

I'm thinking about 100 (planning numbers, subject to change) or so nutrition past the current cap, with 2:1 Fatigue for each point so people don't stuff themselves for convenience's sake. Will probably have to stick stat penalties on Dead Tired or something too.

Reediting: 40 nutrition/quench is about the norm for sleeping chars IME, so x3 (24 hours) =120, /2 for efficient metabolism during hibernation =60/day. So 600 ought to let hibernators get through the winter. Was afraid I'd need to let people eat to -900 hunger for a while there.

[RadaRadaRada]

I, too, want to drink/inject this pure distiled beardom. Anyway, I have found this site here:

http://www.americanbear.org/bearinfo2.htm

After a short read, a short tl,dr:

1.) Bear are built for strength. Possibly, few or all levels in a bonus strength mutation branch.
2.) Increased muscle mass slows down a bear, making it hard for them to run. Possibly, a level or two in ponderous mutation branch.
(A thought: perhaps strength increasing mutation should make one increasingly slower (thou, not to the level of ponderous) to account for above?)
3.) Have a similar eyesight to those of humans, but a bit worse. A tiny perception penalty
4.) Eyes are adapted to see underwater.
5.) Black bears are nearsighted.
6.) Have improved night vision.
7.) Good hearing (speculated to be up to ultrasonic.)
8.) Probably, won't come up in game, but I am listing it anyway. An extraordinary sense of smell.
9.) Fur insulates heat, repels water and protects from dirt, debris, insects.
10.) Can dig with their paws, Something akin to integrated toolset, but for digging a shallow pits?

[Zireael07]

Strength, Ponderous, Night Vision, Good hearing... and something for water-repelling thingy?

[EkarusRyndren]

@RadaRadaRada If we're gonna add "tool" mutations I'd like to point out it could complicate things, just saying.

[KA101]

Category concept, AKA "Why would you want to be a Bear?": I regard Ursine as a "tank" mutcat, as will be Cattle once I'm through with it. Ursine gets less extra attacks and probably less damage output, but retains greater freedom of gear and fuel (omnivorous, no horns/hooves, etc). Hibernation allows one to fast-forward the winter or other unpleasant times. Both will grow Inconveniently Large(TM), planned to cause clothing and perhaps vehicle issues in exchange for bonus ST.

Following up on @RadaRadaRada's list there:

I planned on giving Ursine the Insanely Strong, and knocking the others down a notch. Lupine might get Very; Feline probably would get Very Dex but no bonus ST. (Insane-level boosts should be rare, IMO.)

Gave 'em Ponderous too--though I'm inclined to revisit that later. Ursine muscles are overengineered to the point where they lose efficiency, but not "slow", per se.

Furry already exists. Ain't broke, not fixing ATM.

Nearsighted is in that last commit, thanks to your information. Will probably just give 'em High NV and call the eyes done; Ursine has a fair amount of uniques as it is and their vision's tagged as comparable to human. (Lupine Eyes will be made interesting though.)

And now I gotta get some sleep. Thanks for the support, all.

[NaturesWitness]

This looks amazing, with this in the ORIGINAL NaturesWitness may yet ride again!

Explanation - my call sign originated in Diablo 2, as a Druid character specced in the werebear tree.

Also, it occurred to me, would it make any sense for gaining "Mastery" in a certain mutation tree to grant peaceful relations, or maybe outright alliance, with the species in question? IE I've gone full ursine, so bears and zombears will come to my aid if they see me threatened, and can be befriended to follow me? It makes some sense that a character fully altered to embody the essence of another species, combined with the intelligence, wisdom, and total, relentless desire to control all things that is so very human, would be seen as the ultimate "Alpha" leader to other animals.

[RadaRadaRada]

http://smf.cataclysmdda.com/index.php?topic=3982.msg60850#msg60850

[KA101]

Bears are apparently solitary creatures, so I'm thinking Ursine probably wouldn't attract followers in the sense that Lupine or even Feline might, let alone Plant, Insect, or Rat.

Let me know what you think of the new trait, hmm? ;-)

[RadaRadaRada]

I must say, Retractable Claws are quite a brilliant idea. The Bad Temper, is nice addition too, but I am not certain about it being an opposite of Optimist trait. I would think that it doesn't need a constant penalty to morale, only leaving the morale bonus and focus penalization trait.

Additionally, if doesn't already, bad temper should be selectable as a starting trait during character creation.

[NaturesWitness]

These all look really cool, nice job as always. One question, what is the difference between regular claws and retractable? From what I see, they doesn't seem to be any functional change to them. Am I just missing something?
Maybe reduce the visibility/ugliness values (you can hide them when anyone who cares is looking) and boost the damage a little (since they can be retracted, they can get away with being larger than fixed claws without preventing the use of gloves).

Also, long nails/claws don't seem to have category-ursine on them, even though paws requires them. Although, I don't really know how the mutation system works, so maybe this is intended.

Paws look like very sensible trait too, but having a fairly end-stage mutation be purely negative seems a little anti-climatic. Maybe in addition to the current penalties, have it also provide:
-Bonus bashing damage when unarmed because of their increased mass (why should cut damage get all the attention?)
-A small bonus to swimming (bears are good swimmers, and heavy paws should be much more effective at pushing on water than thin human fingers)
-Paws have built in environmental protection, warmth, and bash/cut resistance (humans wear gloves because their hands are thin and wimpy, bears don't need gloves because their paws are already fuzzy, warm, and tough as old boot).

Finally, I like the bad-temper idea, but it does feel a little overly debilitating and un-bear like. Bears tend to be pictured as angry and aggressive, not mopey and sad.
A neat idea could be in addition to the morale penalties, have it also give a combat BONUS when at low morale. Being sufficiently grouchy makes you better at harming others, and also improves your morale while doing so (nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it around). Would make this trait more of a "Grrrr! I'm angry and I'm taking it out on YOU!" type thing and less of a "boo hoo I'm sad and I just want to go sit in the corner" trait.

Hope these suggestions help, this is looking like a great addition to the game!

EDIT - Drat, didn't notice paws also applies to cat and wolf mutations, my suggestions were more focused at the ursine tree. For general issue paws, maybe just have a very small swim bonus and light warmth bonus, and maybe add a later "grizzly paws" mutation that offers the full list of bonuses to high-ursine characters.

[KA101]

Thanks for the 0-visibility thought. Had tried to get standard Claws to be a hazard to one's gloves. One very frustrating Friday night later...no luck. (One of the reasons I put in Bad Temper. Rawr!) Will take the paw suggestions into consideration.

Categories affect what mutations the system tries to give you. If you mutate, it calls for Claws, and you don't have anything on your fingertips, it'll give you Long Fingernails and then (if you've another mutation coming) grow them to Claws.

If you didn't have another mutation coming, you'd stay at Long Fingernails and that "intent" would vanish. When applied to "bushier" stepping-traits like Rough Skin, Tail Stub, Wing Stubs, etc, this is a great way to mix your mutcats. ;-)