Phase Gate Reimagined

OutlawDr

<div class="IPBDescription">Mad Scientist Idea</div>One of the main strikes against Marines is that they can't keep map control. There are several issues behind this, but phase gates are suppose to be one of the tools for marines to do this. Its a bit lacking atm. Its fragile and expensive. 30 res to set up and can be easily camped and taken out.

Lets reimagine the PG.
Instead of having two PGs with each having a "portal" that connects, have only one PG that opens two portals. The PG opens up the gateway or 'wormhole' between two locations without need of a second PG machinary. Picture below for visual aid. For this thread Im calling it the "exit" of the PG even though you can go back and forth.

So why do this? Obviously because now the exit of the PG is something the aliens can NOT attack, but they can still camp. Its also something that won't set back marines economically if they lose it. It will allow marines to use PGs more aggressively and better maintain the map...something they need right now.

However there are certain conditions that don't make this a free ride.
First, increase the PG cost to somewhere between 20-30 res. Put the cost upfront.
Second, to activate the PG requires the PGs own energy (like Obs). So lets say the PG starts at 100/100 energy and it cost ~75 energy to activate the gate between the two locations. This means a commander can relocate the exit but must have the energy. Also if the exit gets taken down (read below), the commander must have energy to reactivate.
Third, the other room with the exit must also be powered. This allows aliens to take down it down the exit even though they can't attack it directly. This means taking down the powernode takes down the PG 's exit, but an alien must decide between taking down the exit or camping it...they can't do both. Marines must first build the powernode before they "construct" the PG's exit, so it still requires a marine to go to the room first. Aliens must now be very attentive about powered rooms and can't ignore idle powernodes. A powerpack can also be used to power the PG's exit.
Lastly, the PG only connects between the two locations. PGs do not cycle with other PGs. This is actually a bit of a plus imo. It will be much easier to keep tabs on what goes where. The commander can create a central PG hub at the main base that leads to the various outposts.

By making PGs less vulnerable and less of a burden economically, it allows marines to use them much more aggressively. The idea is that it will allow marines to better wrestle map control over aliens.

<img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6636384/NS2/Portal-1way.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Champlo0

If there is no way to attack the end of a PG nothing stops marines from getting the power up (which is near nothing), and if they use a power pack then it will be unstoppable. It makes the phase gate far too powerful, even if it can be camped the aliens have to actually get in the marine base to destroy it, otherwise the connection will remain. 75 energy is very little for something as major as this to reconnect the gate. Hence, while this would create more aggressive PG play, it would make PGs far too powerful; PG is already very powerful and should present a challenge for marines to be able to hold the PG. The current mechanics are fine as they are, however they could use an improvement if you could create a revised version of this.

Omega_K2

To be honest, I like the current phase gates, but I think your idea would be a perfect phase gate ability.
So basicallly you can once open such a portal once in a while if you have enough enegry but only for a limited amount of time. I think that would be pretty cool, could also require the phasegate you use this ability from to be upgraded for a bunch of res :P

OutlawDr

<!--quoteo(post=1928376:date=Apr 21 2012, 10:01 PM:name=Champlo0)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Champlo0 @ Apr 21 2012, 10:01 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1928376"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If there is no way to attack the end of a PG nothing stops marines from getting the power up (which is near nothing), and if they use a power pack then it will be unstoppable. It makes the phase gate far too powerful, even if it can be camped the aliens have to actually get in the marine base to destroy it, otherwise the connection will remain. 75 energy is very little for something as major as this to reconnect the gate. Hence, while this would create more aggressive PG play, it would make PGs far too powerful; PG is already very powerful and should present a challenge for marines to be able to hold the PG. The current mechanics are fine as they are, however they could use an improvement if you could create a revised version of this.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Costs could use some tweaking. Increase energy costs, increase TRES cost. Balance costs as needed. However things are not fine as they are. Obviously <i>something</i> needs to be done. This is one thing we can try, and I think will go a long way into making marines much less insipid.

The idea is to give marines a much less vulnerable form of map movement. Currently Aliens have fast and easy movement around the map (will get even faster once shift is introduced) while marines suffer as they trod along hopelessly trying to defend their gains. The PG can be very powerful, but its just not doing it atm. Again too vulnerable, too expensive. Once it goes down it usually signs the end for marine side, and its all down hill from there.

With this idea attacking the powernode essentially destroys the exit. Marines still have to move to the room and secure the power there. Whats going to stop the marines from doing this are the alien players. Right now aliens ignore powernodes for the most part. If this were implement, it would pretty much ensure aliens take down every powernode they see, and defend unsocketed powernodes in rooms they control with whips and hydras (maybe also implement a big cyst tumor to cover powernodes). It'll stop aliens from having a wonderful, grand'ole time moving around the map and having their way with it. Its time to put some fear in them.

EDIT: I agree that the power pack solely powering the exit could be a bit too much. If teams want to ninja a PG like that, change it so that they need to build the actual PG at the powerpack, and open the exit inside the base or other rally point. Or simply build the regular PG (read below) at the ninja location.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->To be honest, I like the current phase gates, but I think your idea would be a perfect phase gate ability.
So basicallly you can once open such a portal once in a while if you have enough enegry but only for a limited amount of time. I think that would be pretty cool, could also require the phasegate you use this ability from to be upgraded for a bunch of res :P<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Right, you could have two forms of PGs: regular and upgraded. Regular PGs act as they do now. The upgraded form is the proposed PG. Cost to upgrade could be an additional ~15 res. Once upgraded it is removed from the PG chain, and acts as described above (or remains in the chain, if they implement it as a temporary ability). Visually the PG could widen a bit and/or change color of the gate to a darker blue (like the picture in the OP).

Champlo0

I had forgot about an idea I had a few days ago. I would prefer to have phase gates have an upgrade which gives a nanoshield for 1 second so that it can't be camped as easily (the nano would come after you phased).

Another suggestion that I think would balance out your original suggestion would to be to give the pg a charge meter which has to take 2 seconds after someone phases to be able to phase another marine through. That would limit the massive surge of troops that could potentially use the pg and force the marines to already have a steady foothold more so than the original idea you had.