"Specialist" upgrades
Chris0132
Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Variations on a theme</div>This is mostly derived from an idea about the fade I had while playing, but it expands to a few other classes too.
Basically, you could have a special type of upgrade available for aliens. Each class would have different ones available, and they would mutate that class into a more specialised form.
For example, you could give fades an upgrade that reduces blink energy drain, but cuts their health in half. This means they would be a lot more mobile, but they absolutely need to use blink to survive, turning the class into a much more ambush kind of class and less of a generalist like the fade currently is.
Alternatively, you could add one that makes the blink much quieter, and silences the fade's footsteps, but removes their primary attack, leaving only the stab attack.
For other aliens you could have gorges evolve into battle gorges which have more HP and and can self heal/get more energy regen, but lose the ability to shoot webs or drop hydras. Alternatively they could evolve into builder gorges which can grow hydras and infestation with a bile bomb-like spit glob, allowing them to place them over greater distances, and their infestation patches grow larger.
Lerks could get one that removes their basic spike attack and only allows them to use snipe, but makes snipe use less energy and lets the lerk climb walls like the skulk. Alternatively they could remove snipe and gain increased ROF on the regular spike attack as well as more health, while spores cost more energy to drop, turning them into a close range lerk.
Basically there's room in a lot of classes for variant strains of the class, you could change your specialist mutation by re-evolving another upgrade or reselecting the basic class form, but it would add a lot of variety to aliens without too much effort.
You could display the changes by colour tinting the aliens subtly, if the upgrade is something like battle gorge or battle lerk which makes them tougher and more direct, the alien would be red tinted or have red streaks running along it. If the upgrade makes them more ability oriented like sniper lerk or blink fade, it would turn them yellow tinted (the energy bar is yellow isn't it? turn them that colour if not) and you could think of other colours for other styles of play.
As for balance, it shouldn't be too hard to balance the different variants against each other, as everyone has different styles of play, I for example would have little interest in battle gorge, as I much prefer building, but there are a lot of very good battle gorges in the game, similarly I would probably not bother with mutating the fade, but some people might want to make it more mobile or more stealthy.
Basically, you could have a special type of upgrade available for aliens. Each class would have different ones available, and they would mutate that class into a more specialised form.
For example, you could give fades an upgrade that reduces blink energy drain, but cuts their health in half. This means they would be a lot more mobile, but they absolutely need to use blink to survive, turning the class into a much more ambush kind of class and less of a generalist like the fade currently is.
Alternatively, you could add one that makes the blink much quieter, and silences the fade's footsteps, but removes their primary attack, leaving only the stab attack.
For other aliens you could have gorges evolve into battle gorges which have more HP and and can self heal/get more energy regen, but lose the ability to shoot webs or drop hydras. Alternatively they could evolve into builder gorges which can grow hydras and infestation with a bile bomb-like spit glob, allowing them to place them over greater distances, and their infestation patches grow larger.
Lerks could get one that removes their basic spike attack and only allows them to use snipe, but makes snipe use less energy and lets the lerk climb walls like the skulk. Alternatively they could remove snipe and gain increased ROF on the regular spike attack as well as more health, while spores cost more energy to drop, turning them into a close range lerk.
Basically there's room in a lot of classes for variant strains of the class, you could change your specialist mutation by re-evolving another upgrade or reselecting the basic class form, but it would add a lot of variety to aliens without too much effort.
You could display the changes by colour tinting the aliens subtly, if the upgrade is something like battle gorge or battle lerk which makes them tougher and more direct, the alien would be red tinted or have red streaks running along it. If the upgrade makes them more ability oriented like sniper lerk or blink fade, it would turn them yellow tinted (the energy bar is yellow isn't it? turn them that colour if not) and you could think of other colours for other styles of play.
As for balance, it shouldn't be too hard to balance the different variants against each other, as everyone has different styles of play, I for example would have little interest in battle gorge, as I much prefer building, but there are a lot of very good battle gorges in the game, similarly I would probably not bother with mutating the fade, but some people might want to make it more mobile or more stealthy.
Comments
I think aliens have to keep their identities and have clear purposes. If they can have specializations then it should be a specialization <i>within</i> their original field. Gorge's might specialize in defensive or offensive structure/trap building. Skulks might specialize in stealth or aggressive attacks. Onos might be a tank or more of a battering ram.
But overall, I like the idea because it gives each class a greater variety - more to the point, it gives each player greater freedom in choosing and expressing their own specific playstyle. Games themselves will become much less static affairs. So +1.
Gorge: Support-Skulk
Lerk: Flying-"Archer"-Skulk
Fade: Mature or Soider-Skulk
Onos: Tank- Skulk
Why? Because they all Evolve from a Skulk.
<b>But</b> the good thing is:
Afaik Specialised Class Upgrades are planed (to read in the Wiki)
For example
Gorge: Corpulence and Bacteria
Lerk: Piercing and Adrenaline
Fade: Feint and Sap
Greetings
Btw +1 :-D
Edit: Corpulence would be the Fight Gorge and Bacteria for Infesting/building.
Piercing would be the Sniper upgrade and Adrenaline for the Spores.
Things you mentioned and already planed. And that is Niceeeeeeezzz!11elf
I'm very much looking forward to this!