Gorge - Combat Engineer & Gardener

MistenTH

<div class="IPBDescription">Making free hydras work</div>Longtime NS player, longtime NS2 forum lurker, see requests for quality I&S to tweak developer concepts rather than revoking them. These are the result. Statistics here are only an example to illustrate the concept.

<b>Problem</b>
Free Hydras cause havoc in a res-based game. Removing free Hydras removes concept of a dynamic-offensive gorge.
Current Hydras allow overly offensive lockdowns to occur too quickly without infestation.
Current Hydras do not allow 'growth' of the infestation on home territory.

<b>Idea Concept/Summary</b>
Make all Hydras permanent regardless even if player is no longer gorge.
Free Hydras take energy to drop
Free Hydras are very weak (e.g. 500 HP), but a Gorge can "USE" it to purchase an upgrade for 3/4/5 P.Res.

<b>Details/Examples</b>
Free Hydras can only be bought every 200% Energy, nerfing early game infestation but buffs late game infestation. A dedicated Gorge can have a continual impact throughout the game by continually dropping defences. But yes, this means Gorgie will have negative energy.
Free Hydras can grow off-infestation, but at slower rate (50%).
Free Hydras mature gradually to 1000 HP (from 500 HP).

<b>P.Res Upgrade</b>
Upgraded Hydra costs 3/4/5 P.Res
Max HP, HP Regen, Growth Rate increased 4x.
Rate of Fire doubled.
Damage taken from ARCs / Grenades reduced by 50%.

schkorpio

hmm i have to say i like gorging early, it setups on control areas for alien team - until the marines get grenades or arcs - by which point the aliens should be offensively focused anyway.

I don't think the game would be very fun if as a marine you spend a lot of your time killing weak hydras.

botchiball

So there are 12 PRes Hydras which are more powerful than free ones, and Gorges would essentially be penalized for placing any Hydras (with their Negative Energy)? - sounds like there would be huge forests of free Hydras with interspersed PRes Hydras which are more powerful, and there'd just be less seeing of Gorge's in battle. There are some interesting concepts here, but as you have them arranged I don't think they'll do much but promote spam.