New ninja opportunity

Deadzone

<div class="IPBDescription">without power packs</div>I seem to recall that the devs would like to get some form of ninja in the game, even though they removed power packs. Sounds good, let's start from there.

This particular suggestion uses energy, but I'm sure there are other ways if energy is still a no-no.
I'd like to see a special upgrade to a phase gate, similar to an advanced armory. This unlocks an activated energy-based ability. The advanced phase can select one other phase gate, powered or not. While the ability is active, the advanced phase will only send marines to/from the selected gate. Energy drains as long as the ability is active, and there is either a cooldown or a flat activation cost in addition to the drain.


advantages:
Marines are able to ninja in short waves.
Utility extends to saving a base which had its power cut.
Allows doing all this without running through a chain of phase gates to get to the right destination.

disadvantages:
Short window of use.
Res cost to upgrade to advanced phase. (additional cost/time for researching tech?)
While ability is active, the advanced phase cannot send marines anywhere else.
Cooldown/flat activation cost prevents macro from getting too crazy.

If additional balancing is needed, further tweaks could be made. The ability could be a forced 20 second duration with a substantial cooldown (removing the need for energy). An activated advanced phase could become one-way only. An activated gate and its target gate could light up like a Christmas tree.

Katana-

Might be interesting if this was a 3 CC tier tech that let you place phase gate exits, with out needing to build a phase gate. As in allow marines to teleport through a phase gate to a commander specified location, with out needing a phase gate there at all. Maybe make it so phasing costs pres or tres.

Deadzone

<!--quoteo(post=1980593:date=Sep 20 2012, 12:33 AM:name=Katana-)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Katana- @ Sep 20 2012, 12:33 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980593"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Might be interesting if this was a 3 CC tier tech that let you place phase gate exits, with out needing to build a phase gate. As in allow marines to teleport through a phase gate to a commander specified location, with out needing a phase gate there at all. Maybe make it so phasing costs pres or tres.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Y'know, that's not a bad idea either. If marines kept using pres to phase in, they would not be able to keep up a sustained assault with heavy tech. That'd be a good "soft cap" on how many marines could get in, without being super complicated.

However, I think there still needs to be something built as an exit. The "rules" of a ninja have always been that one marine sneaks in and builds something in secret. It feels more legit than just putting an exit anywhere.

Xarius

Just have a commander ability that provides 'emergency power' to a structure for a short duration. There's your ninja.

Deadzone

<!--quoteo(post=1981009:date=Sep 20 2012, 04:38 PM:name=Xarius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Xarius @ Sep 20 2012, 04:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1981009"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just have a commander ability that provides 'emergency power' to a structure for a short duration. There's your ninja.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

The simpler the better. Awesome.
Interesting things to think about with an ability like that are the effects it would have... like allowing a beacon to go off, or other shenanigans. Still, that might mean that killing a power node isn't an automatic game over, which is a very good thing IMO.

Laosh'Ra

+1 for emergency power, but don't make it spammable. it should cost a hefty amount of tres imo, something like 15 or 20 for ~10 seconds. still a low cost compared to your main base going down (unless you beacon, but it'd still be worth it i guess), but expensive enough for aliens to actually feel decently satisfied if their attack fails because of it.

IeptBarakat

<!--quoteo(post=1981009:date=Sep 20 2012, 05:38 PM:name=Xarius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Xarius @ Sep 20 2012, 05:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1981009"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just have a commander ability that provides 'emergency power' to a structure for a short duration. There's your ninja.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

We have a winner.

Deadzone

<!--quoteo(post=1981251:date=Sep 21 2012, 04:11 AM:name=Laosh'Ra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Laosh'Ra @ Sep 21 2012, 04:11 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1981251"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->+1 for emergency power, but don't make it spammable. it should cost a hefty amount of tres imo, something like 15 or 20 for ~10 seconds. still a low cost compared to your main base going down (unless you beacon, but it'd still be worth it i guess), but expensive enough for aliens to actually feel decently satisfied if their attack fails because of it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Mm, I don't think that it should be too similar to beacon. Having two defensive skills that allow teleporting for marine players would be OP. There would need to be something that like making sure they can't be used at the same time (a shared cooldown?).

TinCan

<!--quoteo(post=1981009:date=Sep 20 2012, 09:38 PM:name=Xarius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Xarius @ Sep 20 2012, 09:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1981009"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just have a commander ability that provides 'emergency power' to a structure for a short duration. There's your ninja.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


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+1