Let Crag/Shift/Shade Choice provide viable 1-hive start

MistenTH

<div class="IPBDescription">Extend benefits to structures, infestation, drifters</div>Right now 1-hive aliens get only 1 lifeform upgrade, and a utility structure that is too expensive for the benefit early game for a 1 hive choice.
This suggestion is to allow 1-hive teching to be viable, to give more "character" to choosing that particular hive and to give a permanent minor life-form upgraded similar to Marine weapon & armour upgrades.

<b>Crag Choice - Things become tougher</b>
Hive (automatic with hive choice): Gains extra HP, can heal self, healing rate doubled, eggs gain extra HP - for THIS hive.
Infestation (automatic with hive choice): Structures regen HP on infestation, Kharaa innate regen doubled
Drifters (automatic with hive choice): Gains 50% extra HP
Hydras (automatic with hive choice): Gains extra HP
Clogs (automatic with hive choice): Gains extra HP

Lifeforms (pay tres): Lifeforms gain extra HP, scaled. (e.g. skulk gets +15 HP, Onos +400 HP etc), innate regen doubled (quadrapled on infestation)
Upgraded Drifters (pay tres): Gives half healing rate in small AOE around it
Structures (pay tres): Gains extra HP

<b>Shift Choice - Things become faster</b>
Hive (automatic with hive choice): Spawns eggs faster, reduces spawn time - for THIS hive.
Infestation (automatic with hive choice): Small speed increase on infestation
Drifters (automatic with hive choice): Drifters move faster
Hydras (automatic with hive choice): Shoot faster (more DPS)
Clogs (automatic with hive choice): Marines who touch clogs get slowed by 30% for 3 seconds

Lifeforms (pay tres): mini-adrenaline (2-3% for all lifeforms)
Upgraded Drifters (pay tres): Recharge energy in small AOE around it
Structures (pay tres): Grow, mature faster. Special effect rate faster (e.g. attacking, healing, cloak time etc).
<b>
Shade Choice - Deception, Paranoia, Intel and strong defence</b>
Hive (automatic with hive choice): Eggs spawn cloaked, skulks that respawn are cloaked - for THIS hive.
Infestation (automatic with hive choice): Cysts only are cloaked.
Drifters (automatic with hive choice): Can move while cloaked.
Hydras (automatic with hive choice): Cloaked until they fire.
Clogs (automatic with hive choice): Parasites marines who touch it.

Lifeforms (pay tres): Sound of marine footsteps increased, parasite energy cost halved, parasite permanent, only removable by advanced armoury
Upgraded Drifters (pay tres): Cloaks all lifeforms/structures in small radius around it.
Structures (pay tres): Spots marines who are nearby, parasites marines who touch or axe them.

All "automatic" upgrades are lost if that hive if destroyed.
All paid upgrades are permanent, even if that hive is lost.

Peacefulwarrior

This idea seems like it would be fun to play in a mod only.

Benson

I like the concept, it makes aliens scale with number of hives due to additional innate benefits. I dont feel right with the drifters acting as mini-chambers.

Theres a lot of people who say aliens need some form of scaling, and this turns hives into their scaling (even better than now) since currently the only buffs you get from the different types of hive are the upgrades and more eggs.

This would add more strategy to playing kahmm and give aliens that little bit of a buff as the game goes on that they need

Omega_K2

Not too bad with some balacing involved, it would make it more interesting at least.

RiCexEaTeR

I agree, a 30 min hive should be stronger, more evolved, and offer more benefits than a 10 min hive. Goes along with the ever evolving nature of Kharaa.

This would also add strategic attack elements in the TSF commander's choice in choosing which should be the target hive. (prioritize hives according to upgrade type, location, AND maturity).

bravo

maD maX

I like this but with small tweak, shouldn't affect harvesters or nearby structures, That's what structures are for, But it would be cool if it affected the hive and that hives eggs.

Ex the shift hive has a higher limit on egg count and spawns them faster
The Craig hive has more hp and the eggs have more hp
Shade hive. Eggs and hive cloak

This would add a layer of tactics to the game, currently if you lose a shift hive no one cares as long as the celerity/adrenalin dosnt get destroyed, so you go shade if you redrop. Well now you have to think about losing the hives innate ability.... Also now you can think 20 min ahead, do you want your hive near the frontline to spawn more eggs so you can push wave after wave, or have more hp so it can take a beating when the arcs roll in.....

beyond.wudge

Honestly, having higher forms of the hive and the marine comm chair which open up the use of more res points within the bases would probably be a simpler and more intuitive way of making 1 base play 'work.' It also would add some much needed depth to expand/tech game as you could consolidate a taken base and get a second res up before moving further out, encouraging/validating the deployment of more chambers/support structures/hydras to fortify that location.