No more hive drops off infestation

Imbalanxd

<div class="IPBDescription">The choice is just too binary</div>Currently the vast majority of alien teams begin by immediately dropping a second hive. I don't have a problem with the strategy, just how predominant it currently is. That can of course be changed with various tweaks to things like upgrade strength and cost, and resource expansion benefits, but could I make a suggestion?

Bring back the requirement of infestation in order to be able to drop a hive. At the moment the choice is simply too cut and dry. There is no expansion required, no tres investment other than the gaurenteed 40 of the hive, no sense of control to the mechanic. The commander just gets in and drops the hive instantly before anyone has even set foot in that part of the map. In my opinion this is highly detrimental to the strategic aspect.

I'm not saying they should simply bring back the requirement and leave it at that. I'm saying that I think it would be beneficial if all future balances and tweaks were based around a system which required control of the room before a hive was droppable.

IeptBarakat

Can we also have it where you need power in a room to drop a Command Station/Res tower?

The drop ghost structures to find the alien base tactic is not much of a tactic.

twiliteblue

Aliens already suffer from the lack of flexibility in structure placement, and player mobility. If aliens have Hives at distant tech points (eg Sub and Pipeline on Veil), they will not be able to effectively defend both Hives.

Marines, on the hand, are currently stronger in both aspects.

<!--quoteo(post=1999492:date=Oct 29 2012, 04:05 PM:name=IeptBarakat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (IeptBarakat @ Oct 29 2012, 04:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1999492"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Can we also have it where you need power in a room to drop a Command Station/Res tower?

The drop ghost structures to find the alien base tactic is not much of a tactic.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I do like the sound of that.

ChaosXBeing

I can give a +1 to that. But, I think that'd just get Khammanders to make really long cyst chains at the start of the game and still plant down a second hive. Though maybe that's all you were going for, jsut making the option less desirable.

<!--quoteo(post=1999492:date=Oct 29 2012, 12:05 AM:name=IeptBarakat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (IeptBarakat @ Oct 29 2012, 12:05 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1999492"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Can we also have it where you need power in a room to drop a Command Station/Res tower?

The drop ghost structures to find the alien base tactic is not much of a tactic.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I can agree there as well. IMO, the Marine Comm shouldn't be able to do too much of anything in an unpowered area.

rantology

Would make ninja drops, comebacks and surprise play much harder. Same goes for the cc/rt requiring power node to be built before you can build it.


The strategies in this game already have enough predictability in them, the stuff in this thread would only add more.. which imo is a bad thing, makes the game play bland.

Imbalanxd

<!--quoteo(post=1999558:date=Oct 29 2012, 08:50 AM:name=rantology)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rantology @ Oct 29 2012, 08:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1999558"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Would make ninja drops, comebacks and surprise play much harder. Same goes for the cc/rt requiring power node to be built before you can build it.


The strategies in this game already have enough predictability in them, the stuff in this thread would only add more.. which imo is a bad thing, makes the game play bland.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Predictability can be bad, but then against its what RTS games are based on. At the very start of a game you know exactly what choices your opponent has. Which choices he will take, may be unknown, but you know his options. Being able to drop a hive anywhere any time makes it so unpredictable that it actually becomes damaging to any form of strategic thinking. With regards to observable information which can be analysed, hive drops are completely random, and random is bad.

MiniH0wie

<!--quoteo(post=1999558:date=Oct 29 2012, 01:50 AM:name=rantology)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rantology @ Oct 29 2012, 01:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1999558"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Would make ninja drops, comebacks and surprise play much harder. Same goes for the cc/rt requiring power node to be built before you can build it.


The strategies in this game already have enough predictability in them, the stuff in this thread would only add more.. which imo is a bad thing, makes the game play bland.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

+1


<!--quoteo(post=1999566:date=Oct 29 2012, 03:33 AM:name=Imbalanxd)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Imbalanxd @ Oct 29 2012, 03:33 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1999566"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Predictability can be bad, but then against its what RTS games are based on. At the very start of a game you know exactly what choices your opponent has. Which choices he will take, may be unknown, but you know his options. Being able to drop a hive anywhere any time makes it so unpredictable that it actually becomes damaging to any form of strategic thinking. With regards to observable information which can be analysed, hive drops are completely random, and random is bad.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

It's a game changing variable that IMO make NS2 unique and fun to play, because it's always different and hard to predict.