In progress on further building out the Status Effect system in Depth of Extinction this week, which has also meant making another pass on items. I thought it would be interesting to give a bit more detail on the status effect system while I'm working on it and also share the full list of items that will be in the next build (11 new ones).

Effects

• Crippled - movement is 50% of normal. Primarily the result of explosions in the character area.
• Stunned - lose turn and won't use cover.  Stun grenades and electric weapons will inflict.
• Bleeding - lose some health each turn and movement is 75% of normal. Inflicted by weapons with piercing ammunition.
• Burning - Character can't attack and lose some health each turn, "put out" option that  consumes turn, transitions to "on fire" after x turns or if another "burning" state is added. Burning is applied from laser weapons.
• On Fire - More serious fire. Character can't attack and loses more health each turn, "put out" reduces fire to "burning" state. Androids can lose health more quickly if on fire and can explode if not put out that turn.
• Regen - gain some health each turn. Wearing medical armor automatically enables regen and using a medkit or a trauma kit has a chance to enable it.
• Poisoned - hit chance and critical chance slightly reduced, movement is 75% of normal and loses health each turn. Androids are not vulnerable to poison. Inflicted primarily by "Bio" based weapons used by the Cultists.
• Blinded - hit chance and critical chance reduced. Smoke grenades are the only item that inflicts so far.

Every weapon has a small chance to inflict a status that makes sense in the context of that weapon. For instance, the Lightning Rifle will inflict Stunned and the Shotgun has a small chance of inflicting Bleeding and Crippled.

What are we missing? Maybe a status that can only inflict androids (rusted)?

Items

Adding status effects is not really interesting unless you have some way to apply the effects. In Depth of Extinction, the main way effects are applied are by items and weapons (though not the only way of course). You also need some way to defend against status attacks. Most armor will provide some level of status protection. 

Usable Items - can be equipped and must be used during battle

• Frag Grenade  - Throw it at enemies to do damage to an area. Can apply Crippled.
• Frag Grenade Mk II  - Does more damage and in a wider area than the regular grenade.  Can apply Crippled.
• Stun Grenade  - Throw it at enemies to disable them for a few turns. Can apply Stunned.
• Smoke Grenade  - Throw it at enemies to blind them for a few turns. Can apply Blinded. (NEW)
• Proximity Mine  - Can be placed and then will explode when enemy is in range.  Can apply Crippled.
• Med Kit - Can bind human or android wounds, allowing you to take a bit more damage. Can apply Regen.
• Trauma Kit - Revive or stabilize a downed character. Can apply Regen.
• Battle Stim - Gives an extra action each turn and improves speed and reaction time
• Health Stim - regenerates health for a few turns (NEW)

Passive Effect Items - can be equipped and provide some kind of a bonus to the character

• Dampeners - Provides extra weapon stability which increases effectiveness
• Magazine - Allows your weapon to hold extra shots
• Bullet Proof Vest - Increases the amount of damage you can absorb
• Carbon Fiber Vest - Greatly increases the amount of damage you can absorb
• Flack Jacket - Protects character from explosives
• Reflective Vest - Keeps you from getting burned by lasers
• Scope - Gives you a better chance to hit a ranged target
• Binoculars - Gives you a significantly better chance to hit a ranged target
• Focusing Goggles - Increases your chance of inflicting a critical hit
• Ultimate Goggles - Increases both your hit and critical chance
• Piercing Ammo - Shoots through non armored cover. Can apply Bleeding
• Stunning Ammo - Chance to stun on a successful hit. Can apply Stunned.
• Damaging Ammo - Adds extra damage to a successful hit
• Explosive Ammo - Explodes on hit, chance to Cripple
• Filter - Reduces chance for poisoning (NEW)
• Gas Mask - Removes poison and Blind chance (NEW)
• Helmet - Reduces poison, blind and stun chance and provides some protection (NEW)
• Armor Plating - Adds extra strength to your armor and defends against Crippled but makes you a bit slower (NEW)
• Scanner - Increases visual range and can spot enemies through walls (NEW)
• Medal of Honor - Bestows a little extra grit on the recipient (NEW)
• Ruck Sack - Allows you to carry two extras of any usable item (NEW)
• Backpack - Allows you to carry three extras of any usable item (NEW)
• Silencer - Does not alert enemies to your presence when ranged weapon fired (NEW)

Unfortunately, not all of these will be immediately available in Build 32, mostly because they will require some custom code in order to work  (ex Scanner) or another system to be more fully build out in order to make sense (ex Silencer requires Stealth system).

More Status Systems

We will also have some other systems in place (eventually but probably not in Build 32) to make the game more interesting and add some more scenarios and tactical choices.

Panic

• Each character will have a "panic meter" that is based on their Grit stat. Higher grit means the character can handle more panic.
• If the panic meter fills up, the character will go into a Panicked state
• Panicked characters will lose turns until their panic meter drops below the max (based on grit)
• What can fill a panic meter? Multiple enemies appearing when not in cover, a team member's death, being hit, getting a status effect. Maybe even more stuff.

Revive and Bleed Out

Instead of instant death when health runs out, this will create a more nuanced system to enable you to save the character using items.

• Revive skill checks will happen before bleed out starts
• Bleeding Out - if all health lost, will be unconscious and bleeding for some number of turns based on constitution
• Using a "trauma kit" will restore character 
• Using a "med kit" will transition character to unconscious 
• Unconscious or Bleed Out player can be killed by explosive damage in area but can't be targeted
• If Bleed Out timer lapses then the character is dead
• Bleed out can also be canceled by successfully completing the mission

What do you think? Please let us know in the comments!