Just Exposition, skip ahead for dem meaty bits (or would it be bare bones?): After having explored a new planet, but not having the time or resources to really set up a solid base of operations, you return to the nearest one to rest up and gather what you need or tie things up there before moving on. while passing through village of friendly NPCs. Suddenly you feel a tearing sensation and all those awful sore pains you were having on the way back make sense as a brood of creatures erupts from you. Chaos ensues and you fight off a few that turn back, with the rest running amok and infecting townspeople. You've just had a bad case of the Kricks and this po needs to get sorted out quickly before the whole planet is in danger. What are they? The Kricks are a rare, cave dwelling parasitic species. They prefer caves in hot, dry environments because the lack of water and food force creatures towards the caves in search of it. Occasionally, when one is ready to reproduce, it will lie in wait for a passing creature and pounce, quickly injecting its offspring in a fast, confusing hit and run. Outside of this, they are fairly passive, unless their home in threatened in which case they will emit shrieks, summoning the rest and attacking en masse. How can I identify them? I would love to draw you a picture, but I am by no means artistically inclined, nor do I know how to sprite, so words will have to do. They are similar to a cross between a spider and a miniature anteater. They also tend to sport striped color patterns, similar to a rattlesnakes. The "mothers" can be identified by a single brightly colored stripe along their back. How will this work? After infection, there is a moderate "gestiation" period for the parasites, during which they are quite vulnerable. Medical checks by NPC healers can reveal them, and so can medical equipment. In the early stages, they can be dealt with through decidedly foul tasting mixtures of some common plant qualities, or a dose of mild radiation. Despite being organically based, some strains on hotter and harsher planets have developed a tolerance for even the hot plasma innards of Novakids, and some can even sustain on the inorganic matter of a Glitch, though both may have a natural resistance. These sound way too dangerous! Hold on! I'm not done! C'mon don't walk out like that baby! They can become quite dangerous, but only if left unchecked. And even if they manage to mature and break out, there is still a chance to hunt them down. An outbreak of the Kricks is not assuredly the end of a planet though, as their main goal is simply to find a new cave and create a hive. Unless your planet is the cave planet of prominent holes populating by the digging fanatic cult, then you should probably just opt out. Also, if you are really fearful of this mess, bring anything loud on a spelunking expedition, quiet cave life has made them averse to loud noises. (It is late and I am tired. I will come back later and edit further. Just wanted to get this out for feedback.)
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Sounds like a great idea! Although, would this happen while you're off on another planet doing something, and it just so happens to create a hive in a cave on your home planet? Because that would be a real bummer. Note to self: Set explosive charges in every cave... Just in case.
These are exactly the kind of questions that will help me form up this idea better! The way I see it working is that they would be inactive while you are off planet, only expanding while you are there to do something about it. And even then they would be just another scary cave creature to look out for. I want to ensure they wouldn't have too much of an impact while still giving you an "oh crap" moment, and that there are accessible countermeasures to them. Note to you: Explosive charges are probably still a good idea. I'm currently toying around with a couple ideas. The one I like most is that they do a percentage of your current health if they hatch, and shortly before that point just a few, spread out, minor ticks of "self-damage" as an early warning sign. Another more subtle and devious sign from the start of infection might be accelerated hunger loss/gain/whatever. As far as ones already in the environment, they would simply have a short range jump attack. Or, if we really want to give people a freakout moment, have them latch on. Mwahaha! (TL;DR) They would stop expanding if you leave the planet. Hatching does a health percentage. And they have a jumpy-scratchy "BOO!" attack. Overall, I want them to be more scare factor than anything else. Not everyone comes into this type of game looking for skill-straining, hardcore survival, fight for your life stuff; I want to make a suggestion that is still fun for those looking for challenge, without impeding on casual gameplay.
So do you have to help the NPCs if they get infected? Sounds like a fun idea though, doesn't seem too hard or too easy.
This is one of my favorite parts of the idea. When you bring the Kricks with you, it isn't just some sucky event that just affects you for a moment, it has the potential to slowly change the entire planet. After an outbreak, if there are NPC doctors/healers, you could get a small sidequest with a time limit. They would ask you to quickly gather some local materials with the quality that can stop them from hatching more. And if the village/town/space hobo territory/station has no available healers, you could take matters into your own hands, making up the cure and handing it out to several of them or giving a big stack to one who can hand it out from there in the interest of not bogging the player down with too much tedium. Of course the simplest way to handle it if you don't have a cure would be to rush to an isolated area at the "about to hatch" warning signs and let them hatch, killing any heading for the town before they get there. A heroic, yet thankless task.
kinda sounds like a variation on the pest mob type, but more like a vermin that is also a status ailment, i like this also, and if you post your idea on the pest board, perhaps it will be resurrected? http://community.playstarbound.com/index.php?threads/new-mob-type-pest-creatures.29975/ it also may get you more publicity for your idea, you have my vote! ideas a decrease in max hp due to the parasite infestation? the ability to go find and import their natural predictors? using the natural predator to keep a world from ever getting infeste4d in the first place? making a big big big one as a boss on worlds you didnt rid of the nasty lil buggers? can you freeze em off on a cold world and what do they do on a sand world? (cascading blocks means no or few open cave systems)
Wow jintoya, those are pretty good ideas. I especially like I don't know about being able to really import critters. But we know you can get pets, and having a carnivorous pet could have a severe effect, maybe even stopping you from catching them in the first place. And I probably should attach this onto the pest idea. Since this already is in the negative votes, and it does fit into the pest idea anyway. I imagine them like awful little space fleas or chiggers with xenomorph (the Aliens aliens) qualities, except fluffy and colorful.
