Parasite

Wheeee

<div class="IPBDescription">needs to be useful the entire game</div>With the new drifter mechanics giving hive sight to the alien team, parasite has become almost completely worthless past the 3-5 minute mark of games. There needs to be new mechanics introduced to give parasite a use beyond the point where marines get armor 1. This is especially true because parasites are medpackable, which means that they need some extra goodness to offset the fact that skulks have to expose themselves to instant death to use it. Furthermore, I would like to tie these extra mechanics to the upgrade path that the aliens take, in order to make the gameplay a little more thematically cohesive. The stronger the parasites are, the more rewarding it is for skulks to use it, the more alternative there is to skulks rushing headlong into marines suicide style, the more effective smart skulks can be at attacking marine economy without actually biting down structures.

Idea: tie parasite effect to hive type.

E.g.
Crag hive: crag hives give the aliens stronger defensive abilities. Have parasites require 2 medpacks to remove (parasites are tougher to kill). This allows skulks to put more pressure on comm economy through flat out attrition.
Shade hive: Shade hives promote stealth. Parasites maybe induce the 'hallucinate' or 'phantasm' effect periodically. This would allow skulks to even the combat effectiveness gap with crag hive, which is something shade hives sorely need.
Shift hive: Shift hives increase the mobility and adaptability of aliens. Parasited marines slowly lose armor as the parasite adapts to the marine's defensive nanites.

This is seriously something that needs to be thought about because skulks need extra effectiveness later on in the game. Especially with the new armor values, skulk effectiveness drops like a rock because their only option is to engage upgraded marines in face to jaw combat.

GORGEous

I'm pretty sure armories throw out medpacks as their healing now, so parasite is even more worthless.

Wheeee

do they??? yikes.

internetexplorer

I don't see how drifters giving vision renders parasite useless or whatever. It's still the only way to constantly see someone no matter where they are (as long as they aren't medpacked...and every time they get medpacked you just need line of sight for an instant to reapply it).

I think it's a simple enough mechanic that does exactly what it's supposed to, and it's always very cost effective. I don't see why a marine should have the game become even more impossible just because a skulk can aim a perfectly accurate, range-unlimited attack at them.

Here are some predictions for the future: medpacks become more expensive, hit registration is better so parasite is even more reliable, players get better so the effectiveness of drifter scouting drops (since it's much harder to pull off than parasite).

twiliteblue

If the health of parasited units are revealed, the extra info would help aliens choose their targets greatly.

Wheeee

the problem with that internet, is because as the game progresses marines get more damage, whereas parasite stays static. therefore, in the later game it becomes much more risky for the skulk to expose himself (and yes, i believe there is a range limit on parasite) and get insta-pistoled. the reward is not good enough for the risk taken, especially since the comm can just expend a small amount of res to completely negate it.

internetexplorer

<!--quoteo(post=1940945:date=Jun 1 2012, 08:39 PM:name=Wheeee)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Wheeee @ Jun 1 2012, 08:39 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1940945"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->the problem with that internet, is because as the game progresses marines get more damage, whereas parasite stays static. therefore, in the later game it becomes much more risky for the skulk to expose himself (and yes, i believe there is a range limit on parasite) and get insta-pistoled. the reward is not good enough for the risk taken, especially since the comm can just expend a small amount of res to completely negate it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

but these are all things that can be tweaked with the existing numbers (parasite damage, range, medpack effectiveness/cost etc)

you know, without adding mechanics where parasite changes armor and stuff like that...

GORGEous

There's no reason to parasite players after marines research armor 1 (1 para + 2 bites at armor 0) unless you plan on not engaging the marines. If you plan on fighting, you will always be more effective going for the bites and not wasting time or health parasiting.

internetexplorer

What about parasiting long before fights, so you can plan them more effectively?

If they get medpacked, try to reapply parasite but know that they spent meds to mitigate what you did (and when the game is in a better state this will count for something)..

ScardyBob

Two thoughts:
1. Far too few people parasite structures, which give you a ton of strategic info. Knowing that rines have 5 RTs or a PG in a critical location is immensely valuable.

2. Personally, I think the issue is that parasite removal is a medpack rather than armory ability. With a good comm, a marine should never have parasite for more than 10s because you can instantly drop a parasite removing ability anywhere on the map at any time. However, if you move it to the armory, marines have a more interesting choice of whether they run to the nearest armory or chance giving away his position to nearby aliens.

Papayas

Researchable upgrade:

Explosive parasite? (Upon hitting a marine it explodes in a 'large' radius parasiting anyone around them. Only deals damage to person hit not the ones parasited by the explosion).

xDragon

I think only the armory removing parasite is a good idea, and i would like to see medpack removal of parasite get removed.

subshadow

<!--quoteo(post=1940996:date=Jun 2 2012, 07:42 AM:name=ScardyBob)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ScardyBob @ Jun 2 2012, 07:42 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1940996"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->However, if you move it to the armory, marines have a more interesting choice of whether they run to the nearest armory or chance giving away his position to nearby aliens.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


I choose this solution.

Wheeee

i still think that parasite needs added functionality since one of their primary functions (revealing enemy positions) is redundant to drifters.

hapro

Babblers spawn from a parasited enemy that dies.

Jekt

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If the health of parasited units are revealed, the extra info would help aliens choose their targets greatly.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Sounds like a nice upgrade.