View source for Critter

<center><gallery mode=nolines widths="64px" heights="64px" perrow="15">
File:ZombieV2-64x64.png ‎
File:Remy.png
File:DrAcula.png
File:Heisenbee.png
File:SyndicateKillbot.png
File:QueenIceSpider.png
File:KillerTomatoV2.png
File:ManEater.png
File:NewCluwnspider.png
File:SpaceYetiV2.gif
</gallery></center>

'''Critters''' are life forms with simple behavior patterns. They come in a variety of forms, ranging from benign to horrific monsters that will destroy you instantly. Critters do not take damage in the same way humans, [[Cyborg|cyborgs]] and [[Monkey|monkeys]] do. They are immune to atmospheric conditions. They can move through space as if they had a jetpack and can safely stroll through a room full of knockout gas. The only way to harm a critter is through brute force damage, lethal guns, such as [[Security Objects#Energy Gun|energy guns]] or [[Security Objects#RP-4 Phaser Gun|RP-4 phaser guns]], and fire. Because many hostile critters can quickly overpower a human at close quarters, the latter two are generally the only safe way to engage them.

Some critters appear normally on the station, such as George the dog, the [[Chef|chef's]] sidekick Remy, [[Research Director|RD's]] Heisenbee, the docile bat Dr. Acula in [[Medical Director|medbay]] and the [[Captain|captain's]] lovable pet cat Jones. Rock worms have a way of showing up around [[miner]]s. Skeletons can pop up when a [[Wizard#Utility|wizard]] or [[Wraith |wraith]] descends on the station. [[Telescience]] can summon critters through teleport accidents, and other beings lurk in the various dark corners of space on other [[Z-level|z-levels]]. And of course, critters can also be spawned by a bored [[Admin|admin]].

While critters can ride in [[Space Pod]]s, they can't actually pilot them. This goes for both critters that are coded as objects and critters that are bona-fide mobs. 

Critters can appear in varying degrees of quality. It will be part of their name. The best of their breed will sparkle to indicate that they're a pretty big deal in the space animal kingdom. Food made from these critters will retain their full name, e.g. ''healthy cockroach-meat taco''.

==Robust NPCs==
[[Image:MonkeyResprite64.png]]

These are a subgroup of mobs (distinct from critters) who are more evolved than your stock cockroach. '''Robust NPCs''' are mobile humans who operate by the same rules of existence as human players. They take damage like humans, drugs work on them, and they can be grabbed, disarmed, restrained and dressed like human players. They're advanced enough to pick up anything they find lying around, and they're violent jerks so they'll try to kill people with it. The only thing that doesn't work on them that works on regular people is [[Cyborg|borging]] and cloning.

Robust NPCs come in many forms. [[Monkey]]s are the most common form encountered, though they tend to be passive and only fight like violent jerks when provoked. Their [[Syndicate Items#Barrel of Monkey|evil barrel brethren]], on the other hand, skip the "when provoked" part entirely. Hyper-aggressive humans can also rarely appear from [[telescience]] accidents(?) and [[Chemicals#Life|chemical life reactions]]. There are also Syndicate variants of these hyper-aggressive humans, equipped with guns. Hope to [[Admin|God]] you don't see these.

'''Because of how dangerous they can be, you should avoid making these guys unless you're an antagonist.'''

==Mob NPCs==
[[File:WhiteHen.png]][[File:Sawflyhover.gif]][[File:Featherdrone.gif]]

Some creatures fall outside the previously mentioned groups, in that they are not critters, but mobs with AIholders! While the difference to the everyday player isn't all too sizable, codewise they are far, FAR complicated, and as such can (usually) be affected by the same things as players. Consider them a middle ground between critters and humans- although some of them can bleed, and might even have a few organs, they're still a few steps down the evolutionary chain from you.

Notable examples of AI-controlled mobs you'll (hopefully not) find around station are [[Rancher#Chickens|chickens]], [[Syndicate Items#Sawfly|sawflies]], and [[Flockmind#Flockdrone|flockdrones]]

Most of them, however, exist to tie the place together like a good rug. The seas around [[Oshan Lab]], for example, wouldn't be nearly as lively without all those exotic fish. One of your first stops on the way to space adventures in a [[pod]] is the space diner. It is the adopted home of Shitty Bill, Father Grife, and ol' Donald "Don" Glabs, a rather talkative trio with rich personalities and the inclination for drugs and alcohol.

==Playable Critters==
{{Outdated}}

Like the aforementioned monkeys, these critters are distinct from regular NPC critters like mice and roaches, which actually fall under objects, and actually count as mobs, albeit as a subgroup confusingly also named critters. Though they can't bleed, get infected with [[Pathogen Research|pathogens]] or [[Virus|diseases]], or be buckled to a chair (well, [[Krampus#Weaknesses|except for one]]), they still share many qualities with humans. Almost all of them can be stunned or knocked unconscious, and experience the TOUCH effects of chems. Set them on fire, and they will burn. Grab them, and you may suplex them. Feed them floorpills, and they can go on bad trips and vomit, though most lack chemical reservoirs for more lasting damage.

PC Critters are created through various machinations throughout the station. Some are bored [[Ghost]]s loitering about in the corporeal plane, some are [[Wizard#Offensive|Baleful Polymorph]] victims, some are [[Changeling#The Hivemind|living changeling limbs]], some...are something in-between.

=== Ghost Critters ===

Congratulations! You died and, by choosing to forgo any chance of being cloned or made into a cyborg to ''Respawn as Animal'', have reincarnated as a critter! You can walk through people and doors, open windoors if they're not-access locked (and open them if you have an ID with the right access of course), and breath in space! Unfortunately, like [[Krampus]], you are also an ungodly nightmare that haunts the dreams of [[Admin|gods]], shackled solely by an [[Rules|social obligation]] to not be a dirty [[Metagaming|metagamer]] and various mechanical restrictions: 
*Very little health (A few bare-handed punches will instantly kill you.)
*Too simple-minded to use most computers or fly [[Space Pod]]s (the latter is true of all critters, but it's particularly relevant for you).
*Limited to just one hand slot and a nonfunctional Bite/Gnaw slot.
*Too weak to pull or hold most items bigger than ''small'' in size.
**Even then, can't hold [[Murder|potentially dangerous weapons]], like flashes, screwdrivers, or beakers.
*Cannot read or write anything beyond basic pictographs. 
*Humans and silicons cannot understand what you are saying (though you can understand them just fine).
*Can't strip people who are alive.
*Can't Point at people or things. (So you can't point at the [[Traitor]] that killed you or their discarded bag of gear.)
*Can't punch people into critical condition.
*Disarms and grabs do nothing. 
*Lengthly timeout between each life. After you die as a non-ghost-critter, you need to wait 3 minutes to become one. After your first death as a ghost critter, you need to wait 10 minutes! Mentor and admin mice have much shorter timeouts.
*Only able to nibble at food. You can get a few bites out of food, but you can't take any bites out of it, i.e. you won't be able to eat the [[Chef]]'s 13-course dinner.
**The chemical benefits you get out of it are also limited. Eating food still applies the [[Chemicals#TOUCH & INGEST Effects|INGEST effects]] of the reagents inside, but they'll be limited since you'll only get up to 3 units worth, and you can only get the effects once per food, ever. Eating food also technically just "copies" the chems inside it; you don't actually remove any reagents from the food.

Simply put, like the [[Ghost Drone]]s, this is not a second life or chance for revenge, but an alternative to being a [[Ghost]]. While you have many restrictions, you have one simple objective: survive!

{| class="wikitable"
! Mugshot
! Critter
! Notes
|- body style="background-color:#F5D0A9;"
| <center>[[File:RoachNew64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Cockroach'''</center>
| Prove that Franz Kafka was wrong and live a comfortable, fulfilling life as a modern human in a cockroach body. Use the fact that your exoskeleton color matches your corpse's hair color to prove your individualism.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpaceMouse64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space mouse'''</center> 
| Your fur color will be the same color as your corpse's hair. Be the envy of all the space mice and live knowing you died and dyed fashionably. 

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpacePug64.png]] [[Image:SpaceCorgi64.png]] <br> [[Image:SpaceShibaInu.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Dog'''</center> 
| You're a sentient canine. Become man's best friend! or, station's most feared beast (ha not really). Speak to [[#Polymorphed Critters|other dogs]] that are somehow capable of human speech.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Butterflies.gif]]</center> 
| <center>'''Butterfly'''</center> 
| Flutter around. Make strange chirping noises. Attempt to be a vague notion of rebirth and reincarnation . 

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[File:BoogieBot64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Boogie Bot''' <br> ([[Spacebux#Purchasable Items|Spacebux Purchase]])</center>
| Do The Robot. Dance the night (?) away. Literally be a "ghost in the machine".

|- body style="background-color:#D0F0C0;"
| <center>[[File:Figures.gif|64px]]</center> 
| <center>'''Toy Figure''' <br> ([[Spacebux#Purchasable Items|Spacebux Purchase]])</center> 
| Squeak. Burp. Fart. Be the most realistic doll ever. 

|- body style="background-color:#a3e4a3;"
| <center>[[File:MentorMouse64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Mentor Mouse''' <br> (Exclusive to Mentors)</center>
| A helpful little mouse that will (hopefully) give good advice. Click on it to pick it up!

|- body style="background-color:#a3e4a3;"
| <center>[[Image:AdminMouse64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Admin Mouse''' <br> (Exclusive to Admins)</center>
| A troublemaking mouse that will most probably contribute to your death, one way or another.
|}

====Antagonist-Exclusive Ghost Critters====
If you die as an [[antagonist]] and opt to respawn as a ghost critter, you'll instead spawn as either a fly or mosquito. Flies have the ability to occasionally vomit, dumping out whatever [[chemicals]] managed to get inside them and applying their turf reactions on the floor and [[Chemicals#TOUCH & INGEST Effects|TOUCH effects]] on any unfortunately bystanders. Meanwhile mosquitos have one that lets them steal a single unit of blood from a human and heal themselves; this also transfers a tiny 1.1u of whatever was in the human to the mosquito and an even tinier 0.1u of the mosquito's chems to the human. 

While they are antags and are meant to hamper the station, these are more of an extra way to annoy the crew after you die rather than a second chance at an antag round. On top of this, the regular rules and mechanical restrictions of ghost critters still apply.

{| class="wikitable"
! Mugshot
! Critter
! Notes
|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Fly64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Fly'''</center> 
| Float about the [[Bar]] and [[Kitchen]] grodily. Get chased by the [[Chef]] after for vomiting all over their food and ruining their ratings.

|- body style="background-color:#F5D0A9;"
| <center>[[Image:Mosquito64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Mosquito'''</center> 
| Buzz incessantly. Drain blood from unwitting [[Pool]] visitors. Accidentally walk into a [[Vampire|different flying bloodsucker]].
|}

=== Polymorphed Critters ===
[[Image:Animal.png|64px]]

Getting [[Wizard#Baleful Polymorph|Baleful Polymorphed]] by a [[Wizard]] will randomly turn you into one of these critters for 8 minutes, after which you return to your original form. Like Ghost Critters, these animals can breathe in space and have little health (albeit much more than a ghost critter would). Unlike Ghost Critters, these animals can actually pull everything a regular human can and can pick up a much wider range of objects (generally tiny- to small-size, with some able to do normal-size.) Some of them even have dedicated attack abilities with names like Gnaw or Bite. However, most of them (save mice and both roach varieties) can't phase through doors, and they're still ''not'' antagonists, unless the polymorph victim actually was an [[Antagonist]] beforehand.

{| class="wikitable"
! Mugshot
! Critter
! Notes
|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpacePug64.png]] [[Image:SpaceCorgi64.png]] <br> [[Image:SpaceShibaInu.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Dog'''</center>
| Pounce on people. Bite the [[Mail Courier]]. Hang out with George. Shoot guns and perform surgeries despite having no thumbs.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:CatOrange.png]] [[Image:CatOrangeAndBlack.png]] <br> [[Image:CatGray.png]] [[Image:CatGrayStripe.png]] <br> [[Image:CatBlack.png]] [[Image:CatBlackTop.png]] <br> [[Image:CatOrangeSpot.png]] [[Image:CatGrayTop.png]] <br> [[Image:CatTan.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Cat'''</center>
| Weave between peoples legs. Knock glasses off tables. Pester the Chef for more Lasagna. Take a nap.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpaceEclectus64.gif]] [[Image:SpaceCockatoos64.gif]] [[Image:SpaceCockatiels64.gif]] [[Image:SpaceCaiques64.gif ]] <br> [[Image:GreyParrot.png]] [[Image:SpaceBugerigars.gif ]] <br> [[Image:Kea64.png]] [[Image:Sparrow64.png]] <br> [[Image:Crow64.png]] </center> 
| <center>'''Space Bird'''</center>
| Wear hats. Be the cool critter on the block with a headset slot. Screech over the radio. Peck the [[Wizard]]'s (or the person who forcefed you [[Chemicals#Feather Fluid|feather fluid]]) eye out.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Owl64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Owl'''</center>
| Hoot. Hang around the Owlery. Deliver letters. Find familiar faces in [[Adventure Zone#Frontier Space Owlery|space]]. 

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpaceGoose64.png]]</center>
| <center>'''Space goose'''</center>
| Honk to your heart's content. Migrate to another station when the [[Clown]] slips you out for taking his job.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Swan64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Swan'''</center>
| Complain about the size of the pool. Report back to your [[Nuclear Operative|superiors]]. Bend your neck in ways thought impossible. Scream in pain as [[Staff Assistant|someone]] drinks all the pool water. Bring glory to the Swandicate.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Turkey64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Turkey'''</center>
| Spread your feathers proudly. Realize its Space Thanksgiving. Bring peace between Nanotrasen and the Syndicate by being the main course of a dinner party. 

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpaceTimberdoodle64.png]]</center>
| <center>'''Space Timberdoodle'''</center>
| Scream. Eenk adorably. Eenk entertainingly. [[Wrestler|Eenk viciously]]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Owj52XhoxI Eenk!]

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpaceGull64.png]]</center>
| <center>'''Space Seagull'''</center>
| Squawk. Hang around the [[Pool]]. Furiously squawk the [[Chef]] for fish.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpaceBat64.png]] [[Image:SpaceAngryBat64.png]]</center>
| <center>'''Space Bat / Angry Bat'''</center>
| Hang around the local [[Vampire|bloodsucker]], inevitably get downed by a toolbox. Screech cheesy stock scary music tracks and 60s superhero shows themes.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:SpaceRacoon64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Raccoon'''</center>
| Scour [[Disposals]] and the station's hallways for leftover Discount Dan's and coffee. Be the four-footed version of a [[Staff Assistant]].

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Pig64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Pig'''</center>
| Lament at the lack of mud on station. Oink. Make friends with the killer spider queen. Help the Chef serve breakfast.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Walrus64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Walrus'''</center>
| Swing your weight around. Be the [[Staff Assistant|second laziest thing]] on the station. Sit on anyone who opposes you.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Seal64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Seal'''</center>
| Be the cuter, smaller version of the Walrus. Go ballistic when the Janitor takes your bucket. Ponder why the Chef wanted you to visit him in the kitchen. 

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Crab64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Crab'''</center>
| Pinch people. Host a crab rave. Scuttle around. Help the Chef with his newest recipe. 

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:GreaterDomesticSpaceBee64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Bee'''</center>
| Bee cute. Bee adorable. Bee kind. Sting whoever dares to mess with your beeloved owner and give them the itch of their life.

|- body style="background-color:#F5F6CE;"
| <center>[[Image:Bumblespider.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Bumblespider'''</center>
| Coo '''''adorably''''' when hugged. Use your six hand slots to become the physical embodiment of "many hands make light work". Or, just annoy monkeys and other pests with your poisonous, itch-inducing bite. 

|- body style="background-color:#F5D0A9;"
| <center>[[Image:BabySpider64.png]] [[Image:BabyIceSpider64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Baby Spider'''</center>
| Nibble on people. Drain the fluids of a human or monkey to become...  

|- body style="background-color:#F5D0A9;"
| <center>[[Image:Spider64.png]] [[Image:IceSpider64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Medium Spider'''</center>
| Scare yourself with your own appearance. Terrify the clown. Eat the clown (or just anyone) to become...

|- body style="background-color:#F5D0A9;"
| <center>[[Image:QueenSpider64.png]] [[Image:GiantIceSpider64.png]] <br> [[Image:NewQueenClownspider.png]] </center> 
| <center>'''Queen Spider'''</center>
| Be dissapointed in the wiki's outdated information. Realize you are worse than a baby spider. Realize this is a metaphor for adulthood.

|- body style="background-color:#F5D0A9;"
| <center>[[Image:Maneater64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Maneater'''</center>
| Have just as much bark as bite. Chat with the other [[Syndicate_Items#Kudzu_Seed|local fauna]]. Murder in the name of mother nature. Get set on fire by a botanist carelessly disposing of his lit joint.

|- body style="background-color:#F5D0A9;"
| <center>[[Image:SpaceWasp64V2.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Wasp'''</center>
| Literally sting like a bee while floating like a butterfly. Give some poor soul a life-long supply of itching powder with your sting.

|- body style="background-color:#F5D0A9;"
| <center>[[Image:Fermid64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Fermid'''</center>
| Clack your mandibles. Bite people. Realize you are a larger version of the cockroach. Get squished by an assistant with a toolbox.   

|- body style="background-color:#F5A9A9;"
| <center>[[Image:FloatEye.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Floating Eye'''</center>
| Float around eerily. Win a staring contest. Struggle to wear sunglasses. Reel back in pain when someone pets you on the eye. Take a trip to the eye doctor. Make a [[Changeling#Eyespider|friend]]. 

|- body style="background-color:#F5A9A9;"
| <center>[[Image:Snail64.png]] [[Image:Slug64.png]]</center> 
| <center>'''Space Snail / Slug '''</center>
| Coat the whole station with (harmless) slime trails. Drive the poor [[Janitor]] to suicide despite having no arms. Lament your state as the lame, uncool brother of the snake.
|}

=== Changeling ===
[[File:EyeSpiderNew.gif|64px]] [[File:HandSpiderNew.png|64px]] [[File:LegWormNew.png|64px]] [[File:ButtCrabV3.gif|64px]]

{{Main|Changeling#The_Hivemind}}

Through certain abilities, the [[Changeling]] can detach various organs from themselves, creating autonomous minions controlled by select members of its [[Changeling#The Hivemind|hivemind]]. Eyespiders can't attack, but see behind walls and in the dark. Handspiders can gather DNA points from bodies living and dead. Legworms can robust the crap out of everybody and everything they see. Buttcrabs can make people fart a lot or make them stop farting. The first three can boil their own blood to go out in super-hot explosion of gibs and changeling blood.

==Hostile Critters==
{{Incomplete}}
Unlike previously mentioned critters (except the changeling ones), these guys will try to fuck you and others up. These guys follow a different type of ai that's not like robust ones, which is bad, since you can't chem, burn, or grab these critters. Luckily, these are rare and you'll only encounter them in [[Z-level#Debris_field|Debris Fields]] , Adventure zones, and sometimes the telesci portal ([[Admin|or so thought]]).
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Mugshot
! Critter
! Source
! Notes
|- body style="background-color:#808080"
| <center>[[File:SyndicateDroneV2-64x64.png]]</center>
| '''Syndicate Drone'''
| [[Z-level#Debris_field|Debris Field]] 
| style="text-align:left"| Tear down everything in your path like a murderous robotic Kool-Aid Man. Blast/cut up/ion shock the crap out of anything that moves and occasionally anything that doesn't.
|- body style="background-color:#808080"
| <center>[[File:Brullbar.png]]</center>
| '''Brullbar'''
| [[Adventure_Zone|Adventure Zones]] 
| style="text-align:left"| Live in a icy chasm, destroy all what's in your path, and howl at your prey to spook them. And when least expect it, teleport behind them and laugh as you eat and maul them! Also your arms can make the roles reversed for pesky humans to take them. 
  
|}

== Other ==
These critters appear through entirely different mechanisms from the ones previously discussed. Most of them use fairly old code that makes them more like objects than mobs.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Mugshot
! Critter
! Source
! Notes
|- body style="background-color:#00B7EB;"
| <center>[[Image:SoulsteelLocker64v2.png]][[Image:HauntiumBagpipes-64x64.png]]</center>	
| '''Living Soulsteel/Hauntium Object'''
| [[Ore Processing#Soulsteel|Soulsmithery]]/[[Ore Processing#Hauntium|Soulweaving]]
| style="text-align:left"| Float around ominously. Play yourself as a hauntium instrument. Play with wacky container code as a soulsteel locker.
|- body style="background-color:#CD5C5C;"
| <center>[[Image:MeatCube64.png]]</center>
| '''Meatcube'''
| [[Syndicate Items#Trash Compactor|Trash Compactors]]
| style="text-align:left"| Squirm horrendously. Fart terrifically. Accidentally get stuck in space, without anybody to [[Engineering Objects#Welder|welder-pop]] you out of your mercy. 
|- 
| <center>[[Image:MiniSingulo64.png]]</center>
| '''Mini Singularity'''
| [[Admin]] screwery 
| style="text-align:left"| Suck out the tiles from every floor and the sheets from every wall with your immense gravitational pull. Somehow be unable to suck in the rest of the floor with you. Embark on an epic quest to merge with the [[Singularity|one who begot you]].  
|- body style="background-color:#FF5800;"
| '''No Mortal Can Bear The Sight''' 
| '''Space Owl in a Bikini'''
| [[Admin]] screwery
| style="text-align:left"| Champion the cause of Wonkmin. Hoot seductively.
|}

==Supplementary Videos==
<youtube>Vz8ctgUxKOQ</youtube>
<br>
{{JobMenu}}
{{Game Mechanics}}

[[Category:Tutorial]]