u/Pinecone_salad

Howdy everybody! Like you all, I have an idea for a monster that I think would be fun!

The Trade Bug.

The trade bug would only spawn in caves and facilities. It would look very similar to loot bugs, probably simply being a different color.

When a trade bug spawns it begins looking for scrap. Rather than hoarding scrap however, it will begin searching for a player in a state called “prospecting” after it has found scrap. When the bug finds a player it enters into a new state called “pondering” where it will determine if it wants to make a sale. Certain factors could affect its pondering state, such as what a player is holding compared to another.

When a trade bug decides it wants to try and make a “sale” it will enter into the “soliciting” state. Soliciting has three states. The first is a “friendly sales bug” state. The trade bug will make friendly chirps and clicks to try and make a sale. The second state is a more neutral “indifferent sales bug” state. It will make noises similar to that of a normal loot bug. The third state is the “annoyed sales bug” state. Maybe its sings flutter a little. It grunts and sounds frustrated.

After the annoyed state the bug will become aggressive and attempt to kill the player it was soliciting.

In the friendly sales bug state it will continually follow the player it has selected to solicit. Players can attempt to trade one of their scrap for the bug’s scrap. The bug will either accept the deal or deny the deal. If it denies the deal, it won’t enter into the next state right away. Players have 2-3 chances to satisfy the bug. If not satisfied with the potential sale, the bug drops into the indifferent state where players have 1-2 attempts to placate the sales bug. If failed, the bug drops into the angry sale bug state and players have 1 chance to appease the bug.

Certain scrap might “offend” the bug more than other scrap. Of note, players could trade walkies or flashlights (dead or juiced up). Dead equipment has a chance to instantly agro the trade bug but can also instantly satisfy it.

If a bug has made a successful “sale” it will return to its state of looking for scrap to sell and start the process over again. The sales become progressively more difficult and expensive and the bug gradually decreases in patience and increases in strength with each sale made.

I moved a loaded pickguard from one strat to another during this spring. The bridge pickup no longer is functional (as in no noise). and it has not been warm enough to work in my garage until now. I tested the guitar again today to see if the pickup still was dysfunctional, of which it is. The wiring does not appear to be damaged and I changed nothing besides the guitar that this loaded pickguard is inside of. What are my other possible problems? The neck and middle pickups still work.