Gorge Tunnels need linked together
aeroripper
Join Date: 2005-02-25 Member: 42471NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
Join Date: 2005-02-25 Member: 42471NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
Anybody else think gorge tunnels need linked together? So when you enter one it connects to the network of the other tunnels that lead to different parts of the map? The art would probably have to be modified to allow more "entrances" to open up as more tunnels come online, but it would make them more useful.
Granted with good team coordination the current point to point system works fine but in general, this would improve their function. Also gorge tunnels should glow when they have a completed exit so players don't get confused from the unconnected gorge tunnels many noob gorges leave lying around.
Granted with good team coordination the current point to point system works fine but in general, this would improve their function. Also gorge tunnels should glow when they have a completed exit so players don't get confused from the unconnected gorge tunnels many noob gorges leave lying around.
Comments
If you are in the middle of a tunnel when a new exit is added, the wall to your left/right will open up to reveal more tunnel with the new exit.
So when you see a gorge tunnel, you know that it will at least take you somewhere, assuming at least one successful connection has been constructed. Once inside the tunnel, the entrances to different areas would also glow with the destination name so you know exactly where each one leads quickly. There would probably have to be a max cap of connected gorge tunnels though, like 3 or 4 to match the available sphincter entrances modeled in the tunnel.
create a new structure (similar to the gorge tunnel but instead of a tunnel it would be a small room), this structure would be called the gorge tunnel HUB.
Now gorges will only need to drop 1 gorge tunnel exit (not 2 like it is now) and that exit will be a gorge tunnel leading to the gorge tunnel HUB.
Inside the HUB would be multiple sphincters which would light up/open up and would display where they lead to. When you go through one it would enter you into another gorge tunnel leading to your destination.
1) First tunnel created on map leads to the hub.
2) All exits except for the initial tunnel are closed.
3) Another gorge or same gorge makes another tunnel somewhere else on the map which opens up one of the exits on the hub and so forth.
Would work good. Even if a noob gorge places one not knowing what to do, it would still give you access to the hub.
Have the hub placable by the Khamm on Infestation. Still allow Gorge to place up to two entrances (so the only difference is you'll need to pass through the hub on your way from A to
Right now you just look at the lines on the minimap. But if every tunnel connects to one hub, how will you tell by (say) 5 exits, which one leads to the hive under attack?
I think the intention of this idea, that is to make travel easier has failed. You have made it more complicated and this doesn't justify the development time.
If the individual exits from the network were positioned in the general direction of where they are on the actual map, with the center being either the center of the network or the map itself, you would be able to figure that out without even needing something to tell you. Just move the direction you want to go, naturally. If the whole thing was to-scale it could even have map feedback.
Yeah, the current system is fine as it is. Aliens are not supposed to get the same mobility that marines get from PGs. Rather are they supposed to be creative with the few routes that they have and utilize them to their advantage, preferably for securing and reinforcing forward locations.
An actual underground hub for a tunnel network would be overkill.
The current implementation suffers from serious gameplay issues.
Firstly, what's to stop two gorges from dropping two tunnel entrances, each in one hive at the same time? That is a lot of wasted res for a structure that now becomes completely useless.
To connect three locations together, you need 6 tunnels, and 2 tunnels in one location. This is extremely confusing as the tunnels are identical and easy to confuse when in a hurry.
The transition into a tunnel is incredibly jarring and breaks flow, so needs to be done as few times as possible. Currently you may need to transition between 2 or even 3 tunnels to get somewhere at a late point in the game. Eventually it simply becomes faster to run there.
Gorges having to travel all the way across the map to drop a transport structure is just silly. Any tunnel being dropped should immediately connect to the network. That way no tunnel can be wasted, and no single gorge is required to take on the cost of the entire tunnel.
To make a single gorge tunnel network would be an incredibly challenging developmental goal, to be sure. The primary challenge would be in creating the tunnel assets, and have the fit together properly. That being said, just because its a tremendously difficult task does not mean that the current system is without some serious flaws.
It's also a matter of balance and whether or not the intended goal of Gorge Tunnels is to be used the same way as marine Phase Gates.
The fact that you need a dedicated Gorge to consciously make a connection from A to B is balancing in itself. If any Skulk or Gorge at the front line could suddenly decide to get a tunnel for instant reinforcements from every alien spawn, they might become too good. If you want that kind of reinforcements, you currently need to invest time, lifeforms and res into an adequate logistical effort from each Hive.
It also helps marines by not allowing any alien to appear at any point in the map at once but instead to only be able to move between predictable points. A Tunnel Hub would be more of a beacon for aliens and would shift balance a lot.
Agreed. Even with the current in-game implementation they need some simple changes to aid in their use. They should glow with the destination shown when hovering over them (more noticeable than it is now). Also some arrows or something similar should be pointing to the tunnel when its connected so its very obvious to all aliens in the area that there is a connected tunnel there.
In most games there is usually an errant tunnel some gorge has placed in the hive that isn't connected, sitting next to the one that is and its very confusing which one is actually active outside of the tiny icon on the minimap.
It'd also mean that destroying a hub would completely screw over the aliens' subway system.