so if the aliens adapt new creatures into their species

douchebagatron

<div class="IPBDescription">isnt it time for a humanesque alien class?</div>if im not mistaken the aliens get these different classes by the bacteria assimilating different lifeforms. if ns2 is after ns, then what about adding an alien that has a human resemblance. what do you all think?

this new alien of course wouldnt use tools or weapons like humans do, and wouldnt wear clothes and armor. my initial idea is something that walks on all four limbs and can climb walls, a medium sized alien thats an alternative to the fade. thoughts?

Buzzou

isnt the fade human looking enough? he's the only one that walks on 2 legs, he looks like a cross between a human and a skulk that was dipped in tar

Femme_Fatale

edit my bad early in the morning i read humongus.

anyway, i agree with above.
fade has 2 legs, 2 arms and no specific tail and is the ultimate killer.

human enough to me.

Porcepic

<!--quoteo(post=1610522:date=Mar 2 2007, 07:54 AM:name=Femme_Fatale)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Femme_Fatale @ Mar 2 2007, 07:54 AM) [snapback]1610522[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->2 arms<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I am not sure we can really call it "arms" <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

douchebagatron

well just because it walks on 2 legs and has 2 arms doesnt make it look even remotely like a human. it looks and moves much more like a dog that walks on 2 legs. if you look at its bone structure it all around seems much more similar to a dog or some other animal. just look at its legs and how they are built. im talking about something that when you look at it the first thing you think is "ooh creepy infested human."

Cxwf

Well think about it, what feature makes humans such effective hunters?

2 things--Teamwork (which the aliens already have), and tools/weapons. Our body structure is really poorly suited for unarmed fighting. So if you aren't taking advantage of our ability to manipulate weapons, why bother?

douchebagatron

im suggesting this as more of an addition to the game story-wise instead of "ogm cool idae for aliun!"

yes the human body is poorly designed for combat, but if the aliens were to assimilate humans, it would look like a cross between an alien and a human.

the mental image i am getting right now is something along the lines of the licker from resident evil, but with a good set of jaws instead of a huge tongue.

<img src="http://rems.planets.gamespy.com/Licker.gif" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />

the_x5

I feel the fade is the logical adaptation to the human soldier threat.

Remember that the real battle here is between human technology controlled by humans versus kharaa extremely rapid adaptation controlled by the collective hivemind.

I disagree with changing the fade but it would be wonderful if we could get more diversity in the Kharaa collective. That I <i>totally</i> agree with.

Right now all we have are the following:
Mycellium
Aerial Network Cells
Hive
Defense Chamber
Movement Chamber
Sensory Chamber
Offense Chamber
Skulk
Gorge
Lerk
Fade
Onos

We need more lesser creatures, more greater creatures, and creatures inbetween.
More stuctures, more abilities, and things which are unseen.
To counter human technology; we need new biology.
For the Kharaa, the imagination is the limit; when you play, you should feel truely in it.

(like the poem?)

Crotalus

Yeah, in the old manual, it said that the Fade would've normally evolved opposable thumbs if left to their own devices, but they got assimilated into the Kharaa instead. Currently, all the aliens are gross perversions of vertebrate lifeforms. I think it would be more consistent to keep it like that, so that means no scorpians or anything like that.

Sheepe

HAMSTERS!

Well, honestly, it seems NS drove it self into a corner with all bases covered, but we need to think of how the TSA would adapt and how the Kharaa would adapt in response. Imagine!

-Sheepe

Axel_Stone

Yes, I think NS did in a way. It has all the major weapon types... except rocket launchers and sniper rifles. Lets not go there with NS please. Unless you could come up with some sort of stealth marine and some sort of alien that is its counterpart.. I personally think its fairly well rounded atm.

Perhaps vehicles for larger maps... but that'd detract a bit from the game... then what would aliens do. Its an involed thought process thats for sure.

Zek

I don't like the idea of an alien lifeform that looks at all like a human. Fades are close enough to cover that category. Humanoids are boring, and if aliens became any more human-like they'd be too much like zombies. I prefer most of the lifeforms being more like animals than people.

Blue_Falcon

All bases are covered weapon-wise and I can't think of any more abilities! Though I'd love an alien that had limited wallhax <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />. All the life forms resemble something or other I think... was even thinking about calling my new dog 'Skulk'. I wouldn't want any adaptation of a human though, possibly more insane looking aliens, scary and the like!

N_3

A wallhax alien eh, an alien which had farsight like attack, shooting beams of infestation through walls?

SpaceJesus

dude .... no skorpians?!

Seriously though - kharaa = zerg!?

the_x5

<!--quoteo(post=1611409:date=Mar 5 2007, 12:30 AM:name=Axel_Stone)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Axel_Stone @ Mar 5 2007, 12:30 AM) [snapback]1611409[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Perhaps vehicles for larger maps... but that'd detract a bit from the game... then what would aliens do. Its an involed thought process thats for sure.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Definitely vehicles. And that's easy to counter. Just jump on the vehicle and tear the driver apart, like in Halo2, but WITH TEETH!!! Manhacks too to fight with babblers. All kinds of things.

To figure out what adapts to what you have to create a model of how the TSA and Kharaa adapt.

My thoughts:
<!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->The TSA is a model of how humans evolve and adapt: though our technology. The naked human would never stand up to the Kharaa, let alone Earth's own environment's challenges. So humans invent. Invent solutions to the poroblem. And in this case, the marines must either adapt or die. The TSA is machine based and computer intelligence driven with a definitive preference to ranged attacks.

The Kharaa is an allegory for nature. One could also argue they are an avatar of vengance towards humanity's brutality towards nature. They are a collective that thinks totally different from us (perhaps a psychic collective mind link like Star Trek's Borg but more natural) and prefers to get up close and personal and melee the threat with speed & stealth as keys to this. The Kharaa prefers to match new creatures and abilities to specific threats.

Both sides are truely savage in their will to survive. They both are extremely fast at adapting (growing something as big as an onos or hive in seconds?!?! wow...). And perhaps their battle is based around an unfortunate misunderstanding and a lot of hidden behind the scenes plot where neither is justified for their actions. In that way NS is more about paranoia and fear of the unknown than evolution and adapting in battle to threats.<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

Prefix

<!--quoteo(post=1611681:date=Mar 6 2007, 04:51 AM:name=Zek)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Zek @ Mar 6 2007, 04:51 AM) [snapback]1611681[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I don't like the idea of an alien lifeform that looks at all like a human. Fades are close enough to cover that category. Humanoids are boring, and if aliens became any more human-like they'd be too much like zombies. I prefer most of the lifeforms being more like animals than people.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I agree 100%.

And Falcon, where the hell have you been! You missed an entire ensl season...