Dark Skies 8: Adds strays, lurker, enemies; updates modinfo

[ephemeralstoryteller]

Summary

SUMMARY: Mods "Adds the last of the files needed by Dark Skies"

Purpose of change

Completes Dark Skies by adding strays, the lurker, their spawns, and updates modinfo.json to unobselete the mod to allow for play.

Describe the solution

• Lurker: A large alien squid-like creature and an ambush predator that usually lives in the water. Obviously inspired by the dianoga (ie, Star Wars trash compactor monster). Currently, only the sewer version is implemented, though larger water creatures are bound to make an appearance.

• Strays: Half living, half dead humans who were mutated horribly by alien bioweapons during the Arrival. They hate the Order for doing this to them, and you for not being like them, but generally leave wildlife alone. They regenerate slowly as part of the condition that keeps them suspended in their between-state, and will mutate further as time goes on and the Order puts pressure on them. They also revive, but turning them to their 'burned' form overwhelms their ability to regenerate and they will not come back if killed like this.
  Overall slower and slightly weaker than the average Cata zombie, but more numerous. Obviously inspired by The Lost from XCOM 2's DLC.

  • Stray: Basic "zombie", only advantage is that it has lots of friends. Just human enough to make you feel gross about cutting it up. Human enough that cutting them to pieces is somewhat icky.
  • Stray Sprinter: A quick Stray with a bit more health and melee ability. Eventual precursor to an "Apex" line, focusing on speed and aggression, but generally doesn't have much more health. Still human enough that cutting them up is icky.
  • Hungry Stray: A slightly slower Stray that can spit bile and shriek. Eventual precursor to a "Ghoul" upgrade line, focusing on debuffs and tracking the player, but generally weak in direct combat.
  • Stray Bruiser: A tougher, slightly faster Stray with heavy attacks, wrapped in a cocoon of its own scar tissue. Eventual precursor to a "Titan" line, focusing on health, armor, and heavy attacks, but have bad senses.
  • Stray Waif: Child Stray, serves much the same purpose as child Z's do. Precursor to the Wretch. Human enough that cutting them up is icky.
  • Stray Wretch: A catchall for mutated small children and mutated housepets. Dodgy enemies with decent melee ability and very quick but with low damage. Will probably receive an upgrade to make them stealthier at night (and/or the ability to hide, if such a feature becomes available).

• Stray Husks and Tinder: Burned Strays with little going for them other than their armor. Do not revive.

• stray_spawns: Defines spawn groups for strays.

Describe alternatives you've considered

• Just calling them zombies. Still somewhat on the fence about it, though 'Stray' does adds character to the mod and they're not even undead, but it may be an appropriate term regardless.
• Strays may need a health boost if they are too weak, or a more carefully applied speed boost.
• Lessening their numbers in return for giving them more health. The number present did not cause lag when tested, but my computer is a bit above average and accessibility is a concern.
• Making them more like vanilla zombies. Them being easy to kill does create an interesting and initially unintended sense that you can just autoattack even when not in a strong position, only to get badly surrounded and beaten down. Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer, etc. Might be too punishing, or might lean more into a finer sense of tactical appreciation.
• Removing the "human" tag.

Testing

All spawn appropriately, with sprinters being sprinkled in packs of regular strays, and heavies being present but very rare. Hungries might still be a little too rare.
Autoattacking through packs of regular Strays does not work with a 0 skill character with okay armor (leather) and a machete, they will eventually overwhelm the player, particularly because they can cause bleeding damage with some luck.

[ZhilkinSerg]

You have issues with line endings.

[ZhilkinSerg]

Looks good now.

[anothersimulacrum]

There are merge conflicts (or not).