swalkSay hello to my little friend.Join Date: 2011-01-20Member: 78384Members, Squad Five Blue
I'm just a bit worried about the idea about hydras disappearing after 30 seconds. Mostly because it takes 3 minutes to build a hive, maybe they could last for 3 minutes? It's not like they are invulnerable, same for turrets actually.
fanaticThis post has been edited.Join Date: 2003-07-23Member: 18377Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
edited January 2012
That would pretty much defeat the entire purpose of making them temporary. 30 seconds isn't set in stone in my head, but the duration needs to be relatively short to make it an active use skill instead of just maintaining a farm. 3 minutes is definitely too long. I guess I should also add that this idea will only work in practice if the gorge also receives a few boosts in combat efficiency and learning curve, as I suggested earlier in this thread.
I prefer swalk's idea of hydra lifetimes being linked to gorge lifetimes. Of course the cost of hydras would have to be energy only (is it already? I haven't played in a while.)
I don't really like the idea of <b>any</b> durations (like arbitrary hydra lifetimes) in the game unless they're, like, researches. I think everything else in the game that fits the bill operates on direct cause and effect: building/repairing structures requires "active participation", and can be sped up, postponed or slowed down.
I agree with Fana on this one. 3 minutes is definitely too long. Even 30 seconds is a huge deal on hive defence if the hive design remains somewhat similar to what it is now.
I definitely don't like the idea of connecting hydras to gorge lifetime. I think there are way more dynamics when gorge has its own value, but also can sacrifice itself without crumbling half of the defensive advantage. It's kind of like a RTS situation where killing a worker from cannon rush leaves you still with the challenge of dealing with the cannons, leading into multiple new decisions for both sides rather than simply ending the situation.
30 seconds is a bit short if you consider how long it takes to actually create a hydra farm..
without actual numbers, but assuming with current energy regen, you can drop 1 hydra every 5 seconds?, so at most you can have 6 hydras up and thats with the gorge not spending energy on anything else?
Soul_RiderMod BeanJoin Date: 2004-06-19Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
edited January 2012
<!--quoteo(post=1892324:date=Jan 1 2012, 10:29 PM:name=swalk)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (swalk @ Jan 1 2012, 10:29 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1892324"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I like the idea of hydras expiring after some time, the cost would obviously need to be reduced a bit.
Another idea that could achieve something like it, but different; let the hydras die when the gorge dies. Maybe even combine the two ideas.
I also think turrets should be limited to be within a certain range of the robotics factory. That would make it alot more expensive/unviable to cover the whole map with them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Aliens are getting slaughtered all the time at the moment. With 3 res for a cyst, and 10 for a hydra, Most gorges don't live long enough to 'farm'. Farms tend to be created when the marines haven't gone to an area for a long time, and the gorge has been through a life or two to build the farm. Farms are only created over a long period of time, if the marines choose to abandon part of the map for 20mins, you shouldn't make it so the first lone marine that comes along and kills the gorge clears the whole area, it is just making the marines even more OP compared to the aliens.
As mentioned earlier, if hydra's were moved from res to energy, then this could work, but currently farms take a long time to build, 10 res per hydra, means with 5 RT's, it still takes 16 secs to get enough res for build 1 hydra, thats assuming you don't need to add any cysts in the area too, that wastes a lot more res. How often do the aliens hold 5 RT's? Is it even possible to hold 5rt's without have at least 2 hives :P
I do agree with the turrets within a range of the robotics factory, as at the moment it's too easy to place sentries at every RT/Hive, mainly keeping the skulks out.
Comments
Mostly because it takes 3 minutes to build a hive, maybe they could last for 3 minutes?
It's not like they are invulnerable, same for turrets actually.
I don't really like the idea of <b>any</b> durations (like arbitrary hydra lifetimes) in the game unless they're, like, researches. I think everything else in the game that fits the bill operates on direct cause and effect: building/repairing structures requires "active participation", and can be sped up, postponed or slowed down.
I definitely don't like the idea of connecting hydras to gorge lifetime. I think there are way more dynamics when gorge has its own value, but also can sacrifice itself without crumbling half of the defensive advantage. It's kind of like a RTS situation where killing a worker from cannon rush leaves you still with the challenge of dealing with the cannons, leading into multiple new decisions for both sides rather than simply ending the situation.
without actual numbers, but assuming with current energy regen, you can drop 1 hydra every 5 seconds?, so at most you can have 6 hydras up and thats with the gorge not spending energy on anything else?
Another idea that could achieve something like it, but different; let the hydras die when the gorge dies.
Maybe even combine the two ideas.
I also think turrets should be limited to be within a certain range of the robotics factory.
That would make it alot more expensive/unviable to cover the whole map with them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Aliens are getting slaughtered all the time at the moment. With 3 res for a cyst, and 10 for a hydra, Most gorges don't live long enough to 'farm'. Farms tend to be created when the marines haven't gone to an area for a long time, and the gorge has been through a life or two to build the farm. Farms are only created over a long period of time, if the marines choose to abandon part of the map for 20mins, you shouldn't make it so the first lone marine that comes along and kills the gorge clears the whole area, it is just making the marines even more OP compared to the aliens.
As mentioned earlier, if hydra's were moved from res to energy, then this could work, but currently farms take a long time to build, 10 res per hydra, means with 5 RT's, it still takes 16 secs to get enough res for build 1 hydra, thats assuming you don't need to add any cysts in the area too, that wastes a lot more res. How often do the aliens hold 5 RT's? Is it even possible to hold 5rt's without have at least 2 hives :P
I do agree with the turrets within a range of the robotics factory, as at the moment it's too easy to place sentries at every RT/Hive, mainly keeping the skulks out.