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UFO: AI Chryssalid Successor? Alien Concept: Hydra
Wanderer:
Brief thought on this. The idea of 'cellular biological mutation' is all good, but that doesn't change the alliance and thinking of a person. Even if you just trigger the entire rage center, the person would just go berserk, with a major chance of it going psychopathic on the hydra that just infected it, and then going straight for the first thing it saw, which would probably be another alien, a moving car, or a drainpipe that they didn't like the color of...
... and far to fast of a conversion for an 'injection' when you consider you're talking less time then it takes to change a clip in a weapon.
HOWEVER... a more likely scenario might be something like the following:
There ARE neurotoxins that can paralyze the body nearly immediately. A quick fading one of these giving time for an injection to get up to the brainstem might be effective. So, a non air-tight armor, on injection, would automatically lose all the TU's the next round to imitate this effect.
Now, instead of a biological conversion, which either turns the human into a roaming destroyer of anything moving (and non), or a vegetable, let's take a quick look into how to control a human so they are weapons against humanity. Such as nanobots that can receive psionic commands from the Tamans (kill the Tamans, get your guy back). Even nastier thought is until you research how to remove the nanobots any mission you use that character on with Tamans in it in the future... he's controlled again.
This would most likely be a different creature all together from the listing above though.
Coming back to the Hydra... I'd almost think an infection wouldn't 'zombie' the user... but most likely paralyze him to prevent a suicide attempt. The idea of turning the human into an egg would still be viable, but it wouldn't be a conversion of the human in the meanwhile, merely a paralyzation during the gestation.
With the rest of the game being 'hard sci-fi', other then the psionics and FTL, I could see these two types of methods being more believable.
... not to mention less overkill.
Baron Crass:
I really like the idea of a more 'melee' style alien breed like the Chryssalid (as opposed the the Reaper...did anyone EVER have one of those stupid things do ANYTHING damaging to a member of their team?). Chryssalids were absolutely brutal...a couple of those on a Terramission with time to 'work' could create a veritable army of spawn. I ended up just chucking HE Demo packs in every building on the map I saw one of those things OR one of the resulting zombies, run around in.
I like the basic idea of this Hydra creature, but worry that it's a little TOO potent.
Surrealistik:
--- Quote ---Brief thought on this. The idea of 'cellular biological mutation' is all good, but that doesn't change the alliance and thinking of a person. Even if you just trigger the entire rage center, the person would just go berserk, with a major chance of it going psychopathic on the hydra that just infected it, and then going straight for the first thing it saw, which would probably be another alien, a moving car, or a drainpipe that they didn't like the color of...
--- End quote ---
My thinking is that these mutations have the effect of essentially instilling the same biologically programmed urge the Hydras have to attack and infect other humans.
--- Quote ---Coming back to the Hydra... I'd almost think an infection wouldn't 'zombie' the user... but most likely paralyze him to prevent a suicide attempt. The idea of turning the human into an egg would still be viable, but it wouldn't be a conversion of the human in the meanwhile, merely a paralyzation during the gestation.
With the rest of the game being 'hard sci-fi', other then the psionics and FTL, I could see these two types of methods being more believable.
... not to mention less overkill.
--- End quote ---
The idea is to replicate the horror and psychological effect of the Chryssalid, and perhaps surpass it. Because this is the object, zombification is necessary (paralyzation isn't nearly as intimidating).
That said, it is certainly possible for a properly designed pathogen to have this sort of effect in its totality (I will admit however that it would be incredibly complex, but that may be said of most alien tech). The speed at which it occurs is by and large the least plausible aspect, but an obvious necessity for the creature to be effective.
--- Quote ---I really like the idea of a more 'melee' style alien breed like the Chryssalid (as opposed the the Reaper...did anyone EVER have one of those stupid things do ANYTHING damaging to a member of their team?). Chryssalids were absolutely brutal...a couple of those on a Terramission with time to 'work' could create a veritable army of spawn. I ended up just chucking HE Demo packs in every building on the map I saw one of those things OR one of the resulting zombies, run around in
--- End quote ---
Haha, yeah, I developed a great deal of paranoia myself with respect to the Chryssalids prior to the creation of flying armour. On max difficulty they can literally clear half the map or more. Reaction fire was mandatory.
As for the Reapers, they were a running joke more or less. Often they'd get stuck as a consequence of their size, while my troops effortlessly blasted away at them in complete safety. Large creature + poor AI + melee attack and mediocre TUs = easy kill.
--- Quote ---I like the basic idea of this Hydra creature, but worry that it's a little TOO potent.
--- End quote ---
Reaction fire with plasma weapons and incendiary munitions should prove very effective as a countermeasure against this creature, as they are vulnerable to the intense heat these weapons produce. This creature obviously wouldn't be encountered until early-late game at the earliest, likely allowing you to research at least plasma pistols.
Alex:
How about a brain-slug a-la Futurama?
no?
Ok so if you want believable...
The Hydra pierces the skin with surgical precision. Rather than dealing vast amounts of damage, its tentacles work quickly and accurately to insert an array of small but powerful electromagnetic transmitters directly into the major pathways of the central nervous system. These transmitters seem to directly bypass the soldier's brain... Sir... This type of attack is utterly disturbing... These transmitters give the aliens the capability to take full control over our soldiers by supressing signals from the soldiers brain, and substituting signals recieved from a nearby transmitter.
The most disturbing part of all this is - the soldiers brain is still active during this experience. Your soldiers are fully aware of what is happening around them, even as their own body is used as a weapon against their friends, or as a human sheild. There are battlefield reports that the soldiers who have been captured by the Hydra's attack are screaming for help as they run towards their own men, guns blazing.
We know of no way to counter this attack, other than perhaps to stun the affected soldier and get them to hospital as quickly as possible, so the implants may be removed.
Voller:
Hmm, I like you're idea alex, but it's more like standard mind control, not at all like a chryssalid.
I guess Winter will find himself to be in a bit of a pickle here: chryssalids + realism = difficult to explain ;)
Personally I think you should be a bit more lenient this one time, and create a worthy successor for the chryssalids, even if you can't explain it 100%
I suggest the following stages:
1. melee attack by hydra, soldier gets infected
2. Soldier can still be controlled, but is infected with a parasite or some other nasty thing growing in him. Can be stunned and treated in hospital.
3. Soldier loses consciesness. Cannot be rescued anymore.
4. Soldier gets up again, but is some zombie type creature (slow, but strong melee attack)
5. If shot, cracks open and another hydra comes out
6. Hydra maybe needs another round or two to gain its full strength.
At stage 3, your soldier already counts as enemy, so has to be neutralised like all the other aliens if you want to win the mission.
If this is too easy, cut out stages 2 and 6 (and maybe 3) ;)
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