New Disease: Hatch Pox

[Darkarma]

So, I had a thought. For all those people with Hatches running around the base, what if there are consequences to not penning them up? A mixed blessing disease.

I give you Hatch Pox

Found on coal that's been produced by Hatches. Hatch coal needs to be washed with an ore scrubber.

Edit: As a possible means of delaying the infection from early game, this disease comes about as a result of hatches getting slime lung and it mutating.

Dupe Symptoms:

Cons:

Increased Hunger, Dupes eat a lot more. Not quite binge eaters but when stressed their hunger cycles speed up.

Insomnia, a Dupe has hard time going to sleep may be work even when tired. If they aren't doing something they are stressed. If they are stressed, they eat more. Keep their stress low and they'll go to sleep!

Idle Stomach, if a dupe finds themselves idle they immediately begin seeking out food. If they can't find food they start eating everything else. Your supplies. This may also happen when they are outside your base even while working if particularly stressed

If they make a mess, then the oil they release floods the area with heat and may damage some nearby equipment. Plus there's the Hatch Pox disease that's in it

While infected, your dupe suffers from Slow Learner trait and may become Destructive if not given work. Their destructiveness is them taking bites out of your equipment to sate their hunger.

Pros: (Sorta)

Infected dupes produce Hatch Coal if using an Outhouse, hot oil if using a Lavatory, and Hatch Pox infected polluted water if showering. The amount they eat results in a proportional output. Hopefully your plumber dupe is up to the challenge

Radiators, Dupes are even more uncomfortable in colder temperatures and when at normal temperatures, they begin to produce heat which may annoy those that sleep near them. They aren't stressed by hotter temperatures but they do take damage all the same. At least the can keep your other dupes warm in colder temperatures even if the stress may kill the infected.

Athletics, Strength all increase by several levels while infected.

Finally the infected can survive by eating just about anything, like a Hatch. Oh hey Devon starved to death, he won't need that leg will he?

[Reaniel]

The concept is fun and interesting, but with hatches being in the starting zone, I'm a bit iffy about the idea of having a second germ right in the beginning.

[Darkarma]

8 minutes ago, Reaniel said:

The concept is fun and interesting, but with hatches being in the starting zone, I'm a bit iffy about the idea of having a second germ right in the beginning.

Well maybe give it a high threshold? You have to have a particularly high concentration of the germs before it takes hold in your dupe maybe 30,000? While the coal itself can't be cleaned, you should be able to clean everything it touches.

Maybe only infects dupes that are suffering from high stress and or hunger, or someone who hasn't properly set up their wash basins?

Edit: Or it could be a result of your hatches getting slime lung and the disease mutating.

[brummbar7]

Disease details aside, I do like the idea of hatches carrying a disease.  I think what you would want to do is have other biomes like the starting biome - but smaller - outside, away from the core.  These would contain diseased hatches, while the starting biome would contain only normal hatches.  Would probably need some balancing on the hatch numbers in the start biome, to make the diseased hatches more attractive in the long term.  Of course once the two hatch types mix, the original clean ones become a source of the disease.

[Darkarma]

1 minute ago, brummbar7 said:

Disease details aside, I do like the idea of hatches carrying a disease.  I think what you would want to do is have other biomes like the starting biome - but smaller - outside, away from the core.  These would contain diseased hatches, while the starting biome would contain only normal hatches.  Would probably need some balancing on the hatch numbers in the start biome, to make the diseased hatches more attractive in the long term.  Of course once the two hatch types mix, the original clean ones become a source of the disease.

Agreed, I think there should be mobs of all kinds that have some sort of disease with their own draws and consequences.

[Michi01]

Nice idea, although before something like this is added, I think they should give us a proper way of moving animals, it'd just get too frustrating if a hatch with the disease gets into your base and you just can't get it to go where you want it to.

[BlueLance]

On 02/09/2017 at 6:05 PM, Michi01 said:

Nice idea, although before something like this add, I think they should give us a proper way of moving animals, it'd just get too frustrating if a hatch with the disease gets into your base and you just can't it to go where you want it to.

I do agree with this.

As for how hatches produce it they could produce it as a stress reaction? For instance if they get too hot/cold? or if they are in a certain atmosphere? this could help keep them in the starting biome for a time before they do become an issue.