#baxxid

[octagoncalibrator]

Nebula blevdog April '24

This post was crossposted from cohost.

Quite a bit to talk about this month! Mostly relating to the various crafting and building systems being put into place for the low-fantasy map, currently titled Shaded Hills.

Nebula SS13 is an open source project based on the Baystation 12 version of Space Station 13. SS13 is a topdown multiplayer simulation game where you play the crew of a ship, station, colony, etc. depending on your fork and map, with the Nebula and Bay forks having a focus on roleplaying and simulation interactions.

Notable changes

Fair bit of boring backend stuff - some HUD code has been streamlined, the way stack recipes are handled has been redone, and using an item with even the slightest heat difference to the target will no longer 'carefully heat' it.

Penny removed a metric shitload of unused procs and variables, cleaning up the codebase and revealing that a bunch of really fiddly DNA code just... doesn't need to exist anymore. Blessed.

The fantasy map is now merged into the main dev branch, and has been receiving periodic updates from Penny and I. It's slowly approaching a state where it can be playable...

Flame sources like matches and lighters have been reworked, and now include fueled lanterns and torches, which can be crafted. This is mainly to support the fantasy map, but also means you can hotbox the station in carbon monoxide with 200 lighters burning at once, if that appeals to you.

Farms have been redone. Rather than building a plot out of stone, you now dig a plot into a dirt or mud turf. Plots will take water from adjacent water sources or rain, and you can fence them with bricks to prevent people walking over them and squashing your crops.

Various other crafting systems are in, albeit in skeletal form. Metalwork, tanning, making catgut, and weaving cloth are now supported. You can grow cotton, process it on a spinning wheel to make thread, and then weave the thread into cloth on a loom.

Fishing got merged. It's basically Stardew Valley without the minigame, currently. If I can get through my backlog in a reasonable timeframe I'm going to try working on a proper little minigame for it, but it's a pretty chill mechanic currently.

Bugs of note

r5 is overdue, mostly because I've been putting my after-work dev hours into random stuff like weaving or clothing code. Hoping to get onto that before making any more big feature PRs. I have instructed the dev channel to smack me if I open more feature PRs before r5 is stable.

While testing campfire cooking I was saddened to discover that all of my food would get up to cooking temperature and then instantly melt into 'liquid nutriment' which fertilized the ground under my campfire.

Downstream on Scav, dexterity changes resulted in one of the species being totally unable to pick up or use items with the only inventory slot they had capable of doing so (their mouth). 'Baxxid Stares Longingly At Vending Machine' indeed.

Current priorities

r5 is the main priority, we need to get that stable as soon as possible. r6 is going to be enormous due to all the crafting changes and several big backend rewrites like the removal of /turf/simulated.

I'm working on getting the fantasy map into a state where we can actually run a round, off and on. There's still a pretty big laundry list of props we need to be able to get the map populated, but it's all pretty achievable.

My storage rewrite PR is now up to its fourth or fifth rebase. Please save me from this PR.

[dafukdidiwatch]

Damn it, another one of these. I don’t feel like doing a TON of posts on this, so I’ll just make bullet points

The city was founded on free/open ideas, and if you tried to violently hurt someone over differences you will suffer painfully for it

Now you just become a slave.....way to be open for all ideas guys

other religions existed

The rock-snake Baxxid would chain people for over 40 years for breaking a rule, and given a voldemort like name

The point of chaining them to a rock is so their heads will continue to grow until they are unable to move due to weight (like wtf)

Ran has no problems gathering information like this from studying prisoners, so add that to the list of “why this guy irks me”

The Galaxy thing like the Milky Way has a shit ton of names including my favorite:

Because all Homestuck Fans know what this really means

[armyvet2000]

They were still in use in the early 70’s many a finga get mash, hell di whola han tuh baxxide!!!! https://www.instagram.com/p/CLnb-eMBco1uXT_nT82Qu17B2GKku1Nw95sstE0/?igshid=4r75i9w7fq4t

[yingletamiibo]

SIDE: Doltrix

I'm Doltrix, but you can call me Doll! I know, baxxid aren't really common outside of Ivenmoth, but I'm definitely the cutest one you'll meet!

Okay, maybe I'm pretty ordinary... But my mistress sees something special in me!

I was sad, cold, and so alone... No other baxxid to keep me company. Humans wouldn't even give me the time of day! They all saw me as a monster...

But not my mistress! I still remember the first thing she said to me...

"You are, by far, zhe most pazhetic excuse for a baxxid I have ever laid eyes on."

She cared about me! She saw my sadness, and I know she saw my potential!

I followed her home to a really big mansion! She was living there all by herself... I could tell she was lonely just like me! She was very surprised to see I followed her, heehee!

She looked at me for a long time, circling around me, feeling my legs and claws. She looked happy!

"... What is your name?"

I froze, giddy with excitement! No one had ever asked me my name before! I knew it, of course, but it had been sooo long, I had to think a bit.

"Hhhhhhhu-um, Doltrix, ma'am...!"

I was so caught off-guard, I could barely hiss out the answer!

She paused.

"Tell me, Doll, have you ever killed someone?"

A chill ran up my spine. I felt so many mixed emotions! No one had ever given me a nickname before! And... I wanted to lie. It wasn't on purpose, of course! But still, I didn't want to scare her...

But the way she looked at my large, menacing claws... Those same claws I always hated, those claws that made everyone nervous around me... I saw her smiling while she looked them over! I wanted to cover my face in embarrassment, but at the same time, I didn't want the attention to that part of me I hated most to stop!

Her hands were so small, so... Delicate. But somehow, they felt heavier. I nodded my head before I spoke.

"Hhhhyesss, but, it wasss an, accident...!"

She smiled again, looking me in the eyes.

"Do you have any experience wizh maid work?"

Once again, I was super surprised! I know the work, of course, but to ask it of a baxxid? We don't have the nimble fingers, the dexterity for any kind of labor like that! And yet, as she held my massive claws in those tiny padded hands, I could feel my heart racing and my breath shorten. My eyes lit up as hers met mine. I shook my head.

"Please, Doltrix, follow me."

Even as she let go, that feeling didn't leave.

I followed. I had to! My heart demanded it.

Meeting Zelt was the best thing to ever happen to me! Of course, to this day, I am still her loyal maid. And I love her.

And I will never let anything bad happen to her.

[yingletamiibo]

SIDE: Ghost

I've had a hell of a week. I'm supposed to be some high-stealth political assassin, and now I'm a butler for some fucked up scav! I mean, she kind of saved my life, but with how crazy everyone in this house is, I think I'd be better off if they executed me.

When you're a prisoner slated for execution, the last thing you'd ever expect is a yinglet of all things to buy your freedom. There must be some cosmic power playing a prank on me or something. That's the only explanation. I shouldn't have been on death row in the first place! I dunno, I guess I should count myself lucky.

When the warden came to my cell with that sca- The Matriarch- I thought he was gonna toss her in with me. Plenty of scavs behind bars.

But the warden stopped in front of me, turned to her, and said "This is the one," something like that. She got close to the bars and eyed me up and down. I don't know what it was, but this... Tiny thing made me nervous. Could've been that knife strapped to her tail.

Something about her seemed off. She was calm, stoic. Nothing like any other scav I've seen. I have no idea what she was looking for in me, but when she found it, she turned to the warden.

"Are you sure zhis is him?"

A chill ran up my spine. I realized that my fate rested in the Matriarch's hands.

"Of course, Matriarch Zelt. All evidence points to him."

"Very well. Send him to my estate."

The warden just nodded. Taking orders from a scav... I wondered just how low the guards had sunk.

I spent the rest of the day alone in my cell. I didn't believe it at first. Surely they were just fucking with that yinglet, playing along with her.

The next day they set me free. Returned all my belongings. Led me out of the prison. And I was greeted by one of those huge bug fucks.

I stopped in my tracks as they stared at me. A vacant stare, like they were looking through me.

The guard escorting me laughed.

"I suggest you follow the indrel. And don't run."

All I could do was swallow and nod.

I followed the indrel as I was told.

"So, er... Where are we going?"

They didn't reply.

"Not much of a talker, huh?"

Again. They didn't even acknowledge me. Just kept staring straight ahead, leading me wherever. Finally, we arrived at the biggest house I've seen. In the distance, I saw some scav working in the gardens. They waved excitedly in my direction.

We reached the door. The indrel knocked, and I heard a woman yell to us-

"I'm comiiiiiiing~!"

Sounded kinda cute. I heard someone clamboring toward the door. I figured it was probably a dog or something. The door rattled a bit before opening to a huge baxxid in a maid's uniform.

This had to be a prank.

"Hhhhoh! It's the new butler! Hhhhhhjust a moment, let me get the Matriarch!"

It was that same voice. The one that called out earlier, with this... Disturbing raspiness behind it. It was uncanny. She turned and left quickly. I was left alone in the doorway with this... Creepy fucking indrel.

After a short wait, the yinglet who visited my cell greeted me. She looked me up and down again.

"So, you're zhe infamous Ghost?"

I swallowed nervously. Why did this yinglet make me feel so... Afraid?

"Yes, that's me."

She seemed pleased.

"Come inside."

She turned and started walking. The indrel had already left at some point. I don't know how I didn't notice. I followed the Matriarch.

As we walked, she spoke to me without looking.

"So, 'Ghost'. May I have your real name?"

My mind suddenly flashed with thoughts of old fairytales.

"Just... Ghost is fine, ma'am."

"You will call me Matriarch, Ghost."

She didn't quite snap at me, but the calm way she spoke felt like I had a knife to my neck.

"Yes, Matriarch."

I did my best not to show how nervous I was. I think she bought it.

She brought me into a small tea room, pulled out a chair, and gestured for me to sit. So I did. She poured some tea for the two of us. We sat there for a while, drinking tea in silence. Finally, she spoke up.

"Zhere is no need to fear me, Ghost. I am no fae."

I sat up, surprised to hear her speak suddenly.

"I... I don't fear you."

I could see a smirk on her face.

"In time, you will come to respect me. You will not have to force yourself to call me Matriarch. It will come naturally."

I don't know what the fuck I got myself into, but at that moment I missed that dank cell waiting for my death.

[octagoncalibrator]

Painting with no hands is tricky. (Baxxid belong to www.valsalia.com, etc etc)

[dafukdidiwatch]

Again: TL;DR:

The Baxxids of the city were refugees of there own problems (whatever it was) and basically attacked the city when they first came to try and be safe

Founder guy gave them a deal so they can live peacefully, by pledging themselves to his family & city

They all live underground, there is a hell of a lot of caves underground

They hunt like a Antlion

While they look scary, prefer to be hired for accounting jobs

Wear a cloth to cover other sets of eyes, but it doesn’t hinder their vision so it’s all good

They only really have genders when mating, and yes Ran did try to ask them for more details

I really hate this guy