Canine Companions
Friendly NPCs are a topic that have been brought up in the forums before, however I feel that dogs will fit the role and be easier to implement.A shoutout to @GreatHeroJ, @MoltonMontro, @ThatGuyYouDontKnow and @anon67155151 for helping me brainstorm this topic before creating this thread.
Special Props to @anonimoanbu for his thread discussing his vision for dogs. My iteration will be different.
Topics for Discussion
1 - Finding your companion
Finding your companion
Finding your dog is the first step of your totally awesome co-op survival with your soon to be fur friend. Below is listed a few places you will find dogs.• Alleyways/Streets
Alleyways are a common urban area you will find stray dogs roaming about. Near dumpsters and trashcans is where they will be drawn to.
• Forests/Woods
A less common area to find dogs, or more common depending on how bloodthirsty the server you’re on is. Dogs can be found here in the wild as a result of them resorting to hunting small game for survival.
• Junkyards
Hopefully we’ll see junkyards in UII, if we do this will be the perfect place for stray dogs to be found. Digging through old trash to find scraps and food.
2 - Taming your companion
Taming your companion
Taming your companion is a simple process, it can be affected by multiple factors though. Dogs will require you to use food items on them in order to tame them. (Just be sure its not chocolate.)Food
Meat items
Meat food items will count for 2 units of food as opposed to 1.
Items that count as meat are:
• Venison/Steak/Pork (Raw or Cooked)
• Canned Meats
• Chicken Soup
• Pizza
Reputation
Reputation +25 and up
Dogs only require headpats to tame them.
Reputation -25 to +25
Dogs require two food items, or one meat item to tame them.
Reputation -25 and below
Dogs require four food items, or two meat items to tame them.
• Taming dogs will never be impossible. Just a bit more costly due to dogs being able to recognize shifty behavior.
• You may only be able to tame ONE dog at a time.
3 - The basics of Doggo
The basics of Doggo
To put it simple and clean the dog is oriented mostly towards PvE scenarios, but does possess some abilities that can help in a multiplayer scenarios without throwing everything out of balance.
Statistics
Health: 250HP
Speed: Relative to Player with max movespeed.
Melee Damage: 30
Special Notes:
• Can not attack the Player under any circumstances.
• Can knock over zombies that are standing upright and sprinting, but only on the first attack.
• The knockdown from the dog’s first attack will last for 2 seconds.
• When health is below 100HP the dog will run and hide whenever hit.
4 - The abilities of Doggo
The abilities of Doggo
Your canine companion will come with an array of commands that can be accessed through a radial menu ingame. Starting off the dog will only know three commands, however more can be unlocked over time.Commands
Follow(Unlocked upon Taming)
The player will command the dog to follow at a close distance. This command can also be used to call your dog back to you if they have been left somewhere nearby.
Hide (Unlocked upon Taming)
Tells your dog to quickly hide behind cover. Be it a bush, house or tree. The dog will stay there unless attacked.
Rest (Unlocked upon Taming)
Your dog stay put in one place unless they are under attack.
Alert (Unlockable)
Upon another player who isn’t in your group coming within 35 meters your dog will bark nonstop in the direction of the other player.
Aggressive (Unlockable)
You and your dog face the forces of the undead together. Any zombie that comes within 20 meters of you the dog will attempt to kill. The dog will prioritize the zombie that is closest to you.
Fetch (Unlockable)
Upon selecting this ability you can interact with an object on the ground that is up to 35 meters away. After pressing the interact key on the object you want, your dog will try to grab it for you. This attempt will fail if the the dog is shot with less than 100HP and will instead run away.
5 - Taking care of Doggo
Taking care of that doggo.
Your new companion will require attention just as you do. There will be no heavy penalties for not nourishing your faithful companion, you will just be missing out on all the benefits.
Nourishment
You get hungry, I get hungry, dog also gets hungry. While doggo will not die from not eating for awhile, feeding your companion will yield benefits depending on what you feed it.Meat Items
Feeding your dog a food item that contains meat will give your buddy a slight buff to their damage towards zombies. Their damage will increase from 30 to 40 for 20 minutes. Your dog will also be very happy.
• Can only be fed meat once every 20 minutes or until buff is removed.
Regular Food Items
Feeding your dog scraps will allow them to regenerate health over time. The dog will regenerate health at a rate of 1HP/second for 50 seconds.
• Effects will not stack
• Healing will stop if in combat or damaged.
Water
Staying hydrated while running all day is very important. Your dog will recieve a 5% speed bonus if you decide to give it some water. This buff will last for 20 minutes.
• Effects will not stack
Medical Attention
Injury
When the dog’s health is depleted, the dog will enter a downed state. The owner or a kindhearted stranger has 30 seconds to act before the dog will die. The dog when revived will only have 50HP.
First Aid
Dogs can be patched up with medical supplies just like other survivors.
There are a few items that cannot be used on dogs however.
• Antibiotics
• Bloodbags
• Cough Syrup
• Vitamins
Infection
In UII, infection won’t be as serious for dogs as it is for the survivors. Infection has a 5% chance to happen whenever a dog is bitten or hurt by a zombie. All infection does to a dog is turn their fur a gross dark green color as well as nonstop drooling and flies around their head constantly.
If the sight of a sick dog bothers the owner, vaccines are a quick solution. Upon using a vaccine on a dog they will instantly perk up with life again.
Housing
Dogs do not die, like the survivors they respawn.
Its a wierd way the world of Unturned works but okay. Dogs have to ability to respawn upon death just like the player under one condition.
Dogs must have a Dog Bed placed down and claimed for them in order to respawn back home.
When dead the owner will need to wait 5 minutes for their dog to respawn at their bed.
Dog Bed Recipe: Cloth(x7)
If the owner does not have a bed for their dog, upon death the dog will unfortunately be gone forever.
As always, keep the comments constructive and have fun.
