Fun with Cysts
Blindga
Join Date: 2012-10-21 Member: 162931Members
Join Date: 2012-10-21 Member: 162931Members
<div class="IPBDescription">The commanders most important structure should do more.</div>Cysts are needed for the alien com to do anything, yet they don't seem too useful as is. They just sit there, waiting to get shot. In addition to that, seeing these flat blobs all over the place looks boring. I think the alien side of the world should be diverse with strange and malicious life forms. I would like to see more diverse life, for both visual appeal and to create interesting gameplay challenges for the marines.
So I came up with an idea to where you can upgrade cysts to do different things. The various upgrades add more effects to the lovable little cysts to make them more useful, and incur slight visual changes to alter their appearance.
So, here's what I came up with. Now, this is just an example, so if anyone has their own ideas or suggestions please feel free to post them.
In this idea, all upgrades take effect immediately, and cost one resource (just like placing the cyst does.) So attaining each of these only takes two resources and a few seconds.
<b>Scab (requires crag hive)</b> Looks like a regular Cyst but with a rugged scab sheath over the top part. A hardened cyst that resists gunfire. Takes roughly twice as long to kill with rifles, pistols, and shotguns. Scabs also <i>scab over</i> and heal when left alone. Can't be walked over either, as it is hard like a structure.
<b>Sore (requires shift hive)</b> A skinny bleeding Cyst. This Cyst spreads influence much much faster, and has a large radius. Just two of these could fill a small room with infection in just a few seconds. They are just as vulnerable as normal Cysts though.
<b>Scar (requires shade hive)</b> It looks like a squashed Cyst; being nothing more than a flat fleshy manhole cover on the ground. Once infection has spread a certain amount, these Cysts are nearly invisible until you get close; and hard to notice from afar (unless you know they are there already). Their low profile protects them from long range shooters as well.
And for some more aggressive options
<b>Swollen (requires two hives) </b> A fat Cyst; looks like it's going to burst. When killed, this Cyst explodes with poison bombs that severely damage marines nearby. A last ditch defensive option. The commander can turn this Cyst into a potentially dangerous mine-like trap, by spending another resource point on it and ordering it to detonate on proximity for maximum damage.
<b>Scratch (requires two hives)</b> A Cyst that looks like it's cut in half. One half looks like a normal Cyst, the other houses an oozing tendril. This Cyst acts like a miniature turret, and will fire nails at passing Marines. The damage, like it's name, is only a scratch and only harasses enemies. If ignored, it can still kill, but again, it's mostly a last ditch defensive option for the com. A resource point can be spent on it to temporarily increase it's fire rate, which is quite slow.
<b>Scalded (requires three hives)</b> A Cyst with a blistered vent on the top. This Cyst emits toxic gas (like lerk gas) in on itself constantly, blocking passage to marines and damaging them if they try. The red blistered vent stand out, so they are easy to spot in the dark or in mass amounts of gas. Mostly a barricade option, forcing Marines to take their time and work their way through infected areas. Can be ordered to emit umbra for a few seconds for one resource point, making it into a useful support role for a brief moment.
I think some options like this would greatly diversify the Cysts, and give them new meaning. Too often do I see Marines completely ignoring infection and Cysts, and I think turning them into some support roles and traps would make fighting the infestation more meaningful, and would give alien coms more options for weaving deadly masterpieces on the battlefield.
Let me know what you think.
So I came up with an idea to where you can upgrade cysts to do different things. The various upgrades add more effects to the lovable little cysts to make them more useful, and incur slight visual changes to alter their appearance.
So, here's what I came up with. Now, this is just an example, so if anyone has their own ideas or suggestions please feel free to post them.
In this idea, all upgrades take effect immediately, and cost one resource (just like placing the cyst does.) So attaining each of these only takes two resources and a few seconds.
<b>Scab (requires crag hive)</b> Looks like a regular Cyst but with a rugged scab sheath over the top part. A hardened cyst that resists gunfire. Takes roughly twice as long to kill with rifles, pistols, and shotguns. Scabs also <i>scab over</i> and heal when left alone. Can't be walked over either, as it is hard like a structure.
<b>Sore (requires shift hive)</b> A skinny bleeding Cyst. This Cyst spreads influence much much faster, and has a large radius. Just two of these could fill a small room with infection in just a few seconds. They are just as vulnerable as normal Cysts though.
<b>Scar (requires shade hive)</b> It looks like a squashed Cyst; being nothing more than a flat fleshy manhole cover on the ground. Once infection has spread a certain amount, these Cysts are nearly invisible until you get close; and hard to notice from afar (unless you know they are there already). Their low profile protects them from long range shooters as well.
And for some more aggressive options
<b>Swollen (requires two hives) </b> A fat Cyst; looks like it's going to burst. When killed, this Cyst explodes with poison bombs that severely damage marines nearby. A last ditch defensive option. The commander can turn this Cyst into a potentially dangerous mine-like trap, by spending another resource point on it and ordering it to detonate on proximity for maximum damage.
<b>Scratch (requires two hives)</b> A Cyst that looks like it's cut in half. One half looks like a normal Cyst, the other houses an oozing tendril. This Cyst acts like a miniature turret, and will fire nails at passing Marines. The damage, like it's name, is only a scratch and only harasses enemies. If ignored, it can still kill, but again, it's mostly a last ditch defensive option for the com. A resource point can be spent on it to temporarily increase it's fire rate, which is quite slow.
<b>Scalded (requires three hives)</b> A Cyst with a blistered vent on the top. This Cyst emits toxic gas (like lerk gas) in on itself constantly, blocking passage to marines and damaging them if they try. The red blistered vent stand out, so they are easy to spot in the dark or in mass amounts of gas. Mostly a barricade option, forcing Marines to take their time and work their way through infected areas. Can be ordered to emit umbra for a few seconds for one resource point, making it into a useful support role for a brief moment.
I think some options like this would greatly diversify the Cysts, and give them new meaning. Too often do I see Marines completely ignoring infection and Cysts, and I think turning them into some support roles and traps would make fighting the infestation more meaningful, and would give alien coms more options for weaving deadly masterpieces on the battlefield.
Let me know what you think.
Comments
Maybe... I've never seen Marines have any problems with Cysts though. Most of the time they only attack infection to clear space for structures. When attacking, I often see Marines completely ignoring Cysts because neither Cysts nor infection do anything to them.
<b><!--coloro:#9ACD32--><span style="color:#9ACD32"><!--/coloro-->Poison Cyst<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b>:
Converts near-by infestation in a * radius to poison infestation.
Marines near-by or who walk on the infestation will take damage over time.
Remove the <b>Rupture</b> ability from vanilla Cysts. Add them to poison Cysts.
Once ruptured, the Cyst must regrow. In this time, the DOT is disabled.
<b><!--coloro:#A0522D--><span style="color:#A0522D"><!--/coloro-->Tangle Cyst<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b>:
Converts near-by infestation in a * radius to tangle infestation.
Marines near-by or who walk on the infestation are slowed.
Give the Tangle Cyst the ability to immediately snare near-by Marines and hold them in place for * seconds.
After the snare has taken effect, the roots lower to heal. In this time, the slow is disabled.
Cyst modifiers do not stack. Once you convert a Cyst, any modified infestation in its radius will be replaced with the new modifier.
I'm new to NS2's additions, so I apologize if these effects are already present in other structures.
<b><!--coloro:#9ACD32--><span style="color:#9ACD32"><!--/coloro-->Poison Cyst<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b>:
Converts near-by infestation in a * radius to poison infestation.
Marines near-by or who walk on the infestation will take damage over time.
Remove the <b>Rupture</b> ability from vanilla Cysts. Add them to poison Cysts.
Once ruptured, the Cyst must regrow. In this time, the DOT is disabled.
<b><!--coloro:#A0522D--><span style="color:#A0522D"><!--/coloro-->Tangle Cyst<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b>:
Converts near-by infestation in a * radius to tangle infestation.
Marines near-by or who walk on the infestation are slowed.
Give the Tangle Cyst the ability to immediately snare near-by Marines and hold them in place for * seconds.
After the snare has taken effect, the roots lower to heal. In this time, the slow is disabled.
Cyst modifiers do not stack. Once you convert a Cyst, any modified infestation in its radius will be replaced with the new modifier.
I'm new to NS2's additions, so I apologize if these effects are already present in other structures.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Cysts are supposed to be cheap. This is something a structure should do.