Lionfish Mk1

I hope you enjoy this one, it's been a while since I published any new subs. I wanted to design an interesting sub with some unusual but fun quirks. It's a new build and I am expecting at least some initial bot pathfinding issues until fully polished but I will be quick to fix any bugs you report.

I wanted the main theme of this sub to be an un-ethical research vessel, a place to do shady stuff in the name of science and profit. Like.. how many times would it have been better to just let a passenger husk infection outbreak run wild, rather than waste 3-4k worth of meds to save a 2.5k contract? I mean, theres a lot of money to be made from harvesting calyx eggs, are those mutinous prisoners worth the nonlethal ammunition and injuries, or are they more valuable as a husk crop?

I wanted to counteract the pain of spending half your time on ladders in vertically themed subs, so i've focused all of the activity and critical facilities to the 3 central levels. Aside from the rarely visited ballast, the passenger/crew quarters and hydroponics lab are optional areas, you will be spending 90% of your time in a very efficient workspace on the middle levels

IMPORTANT FEATURES: The Lionfish has several quirks which will affect gameplay.

Minimal Shadow Casting Lights Theres only three on the whole sub. I still advocate that real-time shadow casting lights are the main source of lag in multiplayer and do everything I can to minimise their effect. If you want moodier lighting as seen in the preview, subscribe to my Basilisk sub which mods strip-lights to illuminate downward only instead of a sphere ( |< vs >|<) - this stops ceiling light pollution into rooms above them without using expensive shadows.

The Lionfish has NO BATTERIES What it does have is a jury rigged alien generator which will constantly produce 1,000kw of power once you supply it with an alien power cell - barely enough to keep the sub ticking over but it is possible to completely power down the main reactor. The alien generator will also recharge spent alien power cells. Plan accordingly as this will allow you to lean into frequent use of alien weapons and tech.

SHARED CABINET, Volatile explosives. The storage cabinet for the linked workstations in engineering is actually found in the lower airlock, meaning materials from mining and harvesting can be deposited directly from the airlock into engineering's inventory with minimal inconvenience. Be advised this locker is NOT waterproof, the airlock wont flood except in case of catastrophic hull damage or a ballast purge - but securing of volatile materials is recommended.

OVERVOLTAGE The alien generator interacts strangely with the power grid, absorbing excess voltage even when inactive, so it is impossible to go over 100% voltage.

BALLAST FLORA With only 1 ballast, a unique soloution to ballast flora was needed. To sustain neutral buoyancy the lower airlock area will flood completely when the ballast is purged. The pumps will switch off once the ballast is empty.

PASSENGER SECURITY. The lower passenger area is designed with many security features to make passenger/prisoner transport more safe and secure. The lower decks/rooms can be locked down before setting off, (it's advised to tell bots to ignore the switch with shift + context menu) and there are several security measures can be used to deal with dangerous/hostile passengers without risk to crew. These countermeasures are intentionally destructive and it is up to you if the collateral damage/passenger deaths are worth the crew's safety. The Sentry gun has unlimited ammo so you only have to worry about patching the holes - though I guarantee you'll forget to switch it off at some point, it is not friendly.

UNIQUE EVENT There is a one shot (once only) jumpscare event and reward that can be discovered - There are clues to be found in logbooks but you are unlikely to encounter it in regular play. Be warned it will put crew in danger (you're not playing this game for a peaceful relaxing time are you?)

SURVEY DRONE Access using the green flashing screen near the helm, The drone is indestructible for sake of game play but will lose 10% power when attacked to simulate damage. Double clicking will switch between navigation and attack mode, becoming a stationary turret. It's lighting radius and battery is limited as it is intended to be a supplement to divers not a replacement. Lost drone can be recovered at a sub merchant (repairs tab > replace shuttle).

EXTERNAL CAMERAS The large console in the command room gives a view for 4 points outside the ship which can be cycled by left click. The cameras are placed far from the sub and use hidden un-lit searchight nodes for super extra view range plus upgrades, (this is a research vessel after all). These camera positions can be used to 'X-ray' a beacon station or wreck with some clever maneuvering.

The Lorebabble: I like my subs to tell a story for anyone who wants to go digging, the Lionfish has some homebrew lore about the early days of the colonisation of europa, the husk infection and how they developed a cure. Ingame we have lots of options to deal with husk infection to the point its barely an inconvenience with the right supplies. But the prospect of a roleplay playthrough when there was no cure (~yet) fascinates me.

Heres some roleplay ideas for a potential playthrough where you play as a science team researching a cure for the husk. {Dr. Calyx roleplay rules}

Show husk infection warning OFF Health scanner forbidden. Broad spectrum antibiotics only, no Sufforin, no Calyxanide. Calyxanide forbidden until you complete several research goals for example; A) Harvest (not buy) 64 calyx eggs. B) Wipe out 3 colonies using Husk infection and C) Cure a patient at 100% infection (using cyanide) without killing them.

Sub Description: "The Lionfish was a unique compliment to the doomed 2nd expeditionary fleet, a research vessel loaded with sensors and scientific equipment, yet heavily armed for remote expeditions away from the flotilla. It's original purpose was to study the various alien flora and fauna of europa to discover medicines and practical applications. It was thought lost after the original crew perished to their own increasingly unethical experiments, namely with husk infection vectors on unsuspecting passengers."

Have fun! please give feedback, leave a upvote, and report bugs so i can fix them quickly.