Remove Xenocide : Replace with Acid Blood
schkorpio
I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
I think that xenocide is a really badly thought out ability. I mean how can an ability that removes yourself from the playing field be useful to the team? And being in dead/spectating is boring for the player as well.
I get the idea behind it - it's supposed to make the skulk a powerful unit late game. Well it doesn't work.
What would work however is an upgrade for the skulk, that lets you do your normal skulking thing AND when you die, you get the benefit of still potentially causing some additional damage. And we would do this by giving the skulk extra bacteria that has various effects.
You could give the skulk perhaps either blood infused with:
Spores : When the skulk dies, he explodes in could of spores to cause damage to marines
Bile : When skulk dies he explodes in a blob of bile damaging all marine buildings near by
Umbra : every time the skulk bleeds (e.g. is shot) a small umbra could pops out
Ink : when a skulk dies, ink spews out as if a shade were there
Frenzy mist : every time the skulk gets shot nearby aliens are frenzied and increase their attack speed
Heal Wave : when the skulk dies the healing bactieria pops out a decent one time heal to nearby aliens
Perhaps even all could work depending on what else you have evolved. E.g. if you evolve Adernaline your blood is now bile, if you evolve celerity your blood is spores, if you evolve a shade ability you get ink. etc etc
Or we could just have plain old acid blood like in various aliens films, so that if you a skulk is too close to you when you kill it it will damage everything around it, and even leave a 2-3 second acid pool that you can't step in or build on.
Either way, now even late game the skulks will be very useful late game, as will play a big part in wearing down the marines and their turtle base.
ps. btw where is the colour code html option gone
new forum with less features?
I get the idea behind it - it's supposed to make the skulk a powerful unit late game. Well it doesn't work.
What would work however is an upgrade for the skulk, that lets you do your normal skulking thing AND when you die, you get the benefit of still potentially causing some additional damage. And we would do this by giving the skulk extra bacteria that has various effects.
You could give the skulk perhaps either blood infused with:
Spores : When the skulk dies, he explodes in could of spores to cause damage to marines
Bile : When skulk dies he explodes in a blob of bile damaging all marine buildings near by
Umbra : every time the skulk bleeds (e.g. is shot) a small umbra could pops out
Ink : when a skulk dies, ink spews out as if a shade were there
Frenzy mist : every time the skulk gets shot nearby aliens are frenzied and increase their attack speed
Heal Wave : when the skulk dies the healing bactieria pops out a decent one time heal to nearby aliens
Perhaps even all could work depending on what else you have evolved. E.g. if you evolve Adernaline your blood is now bile, if you evolve celerity your blood is spores, if you evolve a shade ability you get ink. etc etc
Or we could just have plain old acid blood like in various aliens films, so that if you a skulk is too close to you when you kill it it will damage everything around it, and even leave a 2-3 second acid pool that you can't step in or build on.
Either way, now even late game the skulks will be very useful late game, as will play a big part in wearing down the marines and their turtle base.
ps. btw where is the colour code html option gone
new forum with less features?
Comments
Well i'm just throwing stuff out there, i'd be happy if it was really simplyfied and xeno triggered automatically when you died tbh.
Thanks for that insightful comment... I think you must have meant xeno is better at being worse?
A) You could continue to attack after it was triggered (I believe it worked this way in NS1?)
You play with bad commanders.
Really seems like its an ablity to use while they replace the arms lab.
It might make some more sense if it did damage and poisoned marines, the reason no one really uses it is because it's a sacrifice of your life for almost no return, you only ever have it late game, because 3rd hive ability and generally last researched. At which point you're probably trying to get res for a higher life-form with upgrades to have a chance vs 3/3 'rines/exos you don't want to die and stop that res income. Considering xeno doesn't outright kill a 'rine on lvl3 armor (at least pretty sure it doesn't) why bother trying?
OR... OR... BEAR WITH ME FOR A MOMENT. YOU COULD USE XENOCIDE TO WEAKEN ALL THE MARINES AND GET RID OF THEIR ARMOR AND YOUR FADES AND OTHER SKULKS COULD COME IN AND ONE SHOT THEM. 2-3 XENOS WILL KILL ALL THE EXOS WELDERS LATE GAME. HOLD ON. GOTTA BLOW YOUR MIND. GET A LERK TO SPORE THE ROOM BEFORE YOU XENO OR... OR... YOU COULD GET A GORGE TO BILE AWAY THE MARINE ARMOR.
Why does everything think Xenocide is supposed to be a gaming ending ability that one shots Armor 3 Marines, ESPECIALLY IN NS2 where the Khammander can spawn you WHEREVER HE WANTS?
When is xenocide most useful? When the marines are all crowded and scared sitting in their final base with aliens on all sides.
Which are the only viable lifeforms at this stage of the game due to the marine team's awesome power of turtlage? Gorges and Onos.
If you aren't a gorge or an onos, or your third ability doesn't directly help gorges or onos, the ability is going to look like crap. No matter what.
As with vortex, the ability itself is fine. I've used it to great effect in combat mode. But once you introduce the situational constraints that come with 3 hive aliens against losing marines, it suddenly seems lack luster in comparison to the alternatives.
yeah but considering you are dying when you use your attack, you'd want it to be pretty damn good - ns1 had it much better