Make alien upgrades depend on lifeform

ogz

Just thinking its a bit wierd that each lifeform costs the same to get upgrades.

Getting the upgrades is a no-brainer if you are an Onos. In fact, Most lifeforms would grab every upgrade they can as soon as they evolve.

On the other hand, skulks would rarely choose to use upgrades


Would love to see the upgrade system changed so that it costs different amount to upgrade up.

Eg (Below are just examples... can change numbers around)

Gorge stays the same
Lerk can cost 25 res and upgrades cost 5 res each
Fade cost 40 and upgrades cost 10 each
Onos cost 50 raw and upgrades cost 15 each

**which leads me to suggestion 2

Skulks can get free upgrades?.. would this become imba?

By reducing original lifeform costs and adjusting upgrade costs, suddenly there are more choices from players and players can choose to 'fade up' earlier even with no res.. but just that their now upgraded fade form will be quite weak.

Flounder

I would like to see free upgrades, and for the 2 res cost to kick in only if you are swapping upgrades.

NS1 incorporated free upgrades late in development, and it made early game play so much better.

Xostean

Meh

I kind of like that the alien players can pick and choose what upgrades he wants

Those upgrades may not be the correct choice for the particular alien, but its options. People love options

That an an onos using personal camo is funny

Laosh'Ra

+1 to op. 2 pres for a skulk-upgrade seems like a lot...

there'd be one issue to be adressed though:
example with skulk upgrade cost being 1 pres each, onos upgrade cost being 3 pres each:
<b>way 1</b>
evolve onos: 75 pres
evolve 3 upgrades as onos: 9 pres
-> onos with 3 upgrades for 84 pres
<b>way 2</b>
evolve 3 upgrades as skulk: 3 pres
evolve onos: 75 pres
-> onos with 3 upgrades for 78 pres

i guess you'd want both ways to cost the same pres in total e.g. by increasing the onos-evolve-cost to 75+3*(3-1)=81 pres in way 2. maybe there is a better solution which allows a constant evolution cost for higher life forms. there could be a refund for the skulk-upgrades.

_Necro_

+1 to this idea. But you would have to make the upgrades stronger and the basic life form weaker.

RobB

I think it's fine the way it is, you can 'devolve' from a fade to gorge too, after all.

Yuuki

Agreeing with myself :

<!--quoteo(post=1910938:date=Mar 7 2012, 01:34 PM:name=Yuuki)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Yuuki @ Mar 7 2012, 01:34 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1910938"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Upgrades should be free.

The reason why is that the relative cost of getting an upgrade for the skulk is infinite (2/0) while it's only 6%, 4% and 2% for the lerk, fade and onos. Thus getting an upgrade for the skulk is very unfavorable. Taking lifetime into consideration make this even worse.

Upgrades was one of the thing that made skulk fun to play in ns1 by 1) adding diversity (celerity, silence, cloak, focus) and 2) allowing the skulk to scale better in late game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

The idea behind upgrade cost is to make it a trade-off, taking an upgrade now or keeping my res for a life form, but sadly it doesn't work.

ogz

Oh I didn't consider that

"way 1
evolve onos: 75 pres
evolve 3 upgrades as onos: 9 pres
-> onos with 3 upgrades for 84 pres
way 2
evolve 3 upgrades as skulk: 3 pres
evolve onos: 75 pres
-> onos with 3 upgrades for 78 pres"

hmm, yeh have to consider hte upgrade before evolve idea :|, maybe you have to reselect upgrades if you choose a diff lifeform (and pay price for it)