Nydus canal for aliens

DrStrangelove

Aliens need an phase gate alternative, something like a nydus canal from sc2 available after 2nd hive. As it stands they are great at ambushing, skirmishing and not very good at actual assault untill onos. (Not counting skulk rush.) The nydus canal should be bad for defensive purposes i.e. very low hp. It is meant for heavy pressuring. It can even be one way only. The way I see it can work in the form of n incoming canals one outgoing.

Also this would make alien commander role a bit more exciting since as it stands its basically just sim city, it is hard to coordinate alien team when they spawn all over the map.

Arkanti

One of the UWE devs- Schimmel - was working on a prototype of this kind of concept using the infestation. But it seems like they've scrapped the idea or he was working on it before being hired.

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I don't like the idea of Aliens having a direct parallel to the phase gate however, I think their mobility serves that goal, and with Celerity they will be even faster at crossing the map.

Broseidon

The Shift when implemented will be able to transport/teleport aliens when to alien territory under attack when they press use on it. If this design decision will be kept in of course.
Personally I don't think the aliens <i>need</i> some sort of transportation structure cause they are already pretty good at moving across the map while marines already have a hard time doing this.

Racer1

The NS1 alien movement chamber did something similar - I expect to see something like this eventually -- but better looking.

PsiWarp

As mentioned before, Shift will probably handle quick travel between bases :)

I just hope we'll see more forward bases with Shift introduced, instead of buildings huddled in each Hive location.

Dank McShwagger

A while ago one of the devs mentioned they were working on a way for the aliens to create tunnels that run under the map for direct routes to specific locations and they would be accessible by both aliens and marines. I really hope this idea wasn't scrapped.

Soul_Rider

<!--quoteo(post=1906971:date=Feb 25 2012, 10:25 PM:name=Dank McShwagger)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dank McShwagger @ Feb 25 2012, 10:25 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1906971"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->A while ago one of the devs mentioned they were working on a way for the aliens to create tunnels that run under the map for direct routes to specific locations and they would be accessible by both aliens and marines. I really hope this idea wasn't scrapped.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

That is not possible in the game engine. Faces cannot be edited in game at the moment, only thing you can edit are sounds, lights and props etc. There is just way too many reasons to even begin to list why this is not possible, unless UWE are developing some truly groundbreaking game technology, then we may see the like of Unreal and valve knocking on the door for some of that technology.

And before anyone says portals, they do not involve editing the map :)

Dank McShwagger

<!--quoteo(post=1906974:date=Feb 25 2012, 05:37 PM:name=Soul_Rider)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Soul_Rider @ Feb 25 2012, 05:37 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1906974"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That is not possible in the game engine. Faces cannot be edited in game at the moment, only thing you can edit are sounds, lights and props etc. There is just way too many reasons to even begin to list why this is not possible, unless UWE are developing some truly groundbreaking game technology, then we may see the like of Unreal and valve knocking on the door for some of that technology.

And before anyone says portals, they do not involve editing the map :)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I think you are looking at the concept in a way too complicated manner. It's not meant to be a winding series of tunnels. It's just a straight tunnel that would lead from one point to another... and yes, portals would do the trick. Just have a seperate map entity dedicated to the length of said tunnel that the players would teleport to when entering the mouth of the tunnel. Realistically this has already been done... it's called the ready room.

_Necro_

<!--quoteo(post=1906637:date=Feb 24 2012, 08:30 PM:name=Arkanti)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arkanti @ Feb 24 2012, 08:30 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1906637"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Cool video. This pits looking really good nice on infestation. And the aliens are not really fast enough to counter a hive rush, so this is needed. But I think it will come with the movement chamber ... erm ... Shift.