Alien Backup Biomass

twilitebluetwiliteblue bug stalker Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13116Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
edited September 2014 in Ideas and Suggestions
Aliens have much important abilities, Leap and Umbra, that depend on having 4 Biomass (which currently requires at least 2 Hives). Once the second Hive falls, Aliens' odds of winning almost always quickly falls to zero, as a lot of passive traits (eg Carapace, Celerity) are often lost in the process as well. A new Hive takes a long time to build, and leaves the aliens very vulnerable to further marine pressure.

Marines, however, can build and buy almost everything crucial off one base. Redundant structures can be built. Destroying an Arms Lab or Adv Armory has zero effect if Marines have more than one of those. Even a destroyed Arms Lab can be quickly rebuilt for 15 res and restore all marines to their former glory (+30% damage +a million armor).

Aliens deserve a better chance of staging comebacks, to which I propose a simple solution:

Backup Biomass:
An additional level of biomass (up to 4 on a single Hive), unlocked when Aliens have at least 2 Hives. With one hive, it would be unavailable (grayed out).

What do you guys think?
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Comments

  • CRaZyCAT_RusCRaZyCAT_Rus Russia Join Date: 2013-10-31 Member: 188899Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    When marines going to kill shielded hive they usually spend much time, resourses and efforts. Sometimes those spendings can be very significant. So, if marines killed hive, I think they have the right to move toward win. But backup biomass renders hive kill almost useless.

    I don't like it.
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  • UncleCrunchUncleCrunch Mayonnaise land Join Date: 2005-02-16 Member: 41365Members, Reinforced - Onos
    I would not say "backup" but "restore".

    It is a fact that you have to RE-upgrade a hive if it is rebuilt. Plus, each biomass point is linked to a single hive. Let's say you loose a 3 biomass level hive, stay 2 "1 level biomass hive". it's 3 points gone.

    So commanders use to upgrade each hive to the same level. It's not that difficult, ok for that. But you still have to RE-build and RE-upgrade while Marines just rebuild a structure and Voila. A hive takes much more time than an Arms lab to be up again.




    I believe it is the effort to slow down the alien economy we witnessed build after build that led to this. I truly have an opposite opinion on that matter. It would have been much better IMO to make fades a little weaker (not slower) and RE-buyable for a lower price. So the fade wouldn't be the pivot point of any game. at least a little less. Fades would have a second chance as long as the team keeps harvesters up.

    It would probably extend a little the "middle game" but isn't it the precise part everybody likes (fades ... shotguns... let's roll) ?

    Marine would kill them a little more and that would have lowered the performance issue rant this game has. Many time i saw myself emptying shotgun and see the guy make the kill and fly away even if you anticipated properly lag and moves. Who never said : "I shot the balls twice, he should have died 3 times already !" ?

    Right now... depending on map and player level it's just F4 before a fade comes up. Everybody knows the end before middle game. And if by chance fades come up, it's without any doubt that the game scenario is tied to their survival. If they die, stays the gorge rush... Not much of a suspense.
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  • cooliticcoolitic Right behind you Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184609Members
    edited September 2014
    twiliteblue wrote: »
    ...Once the second Hive falls, Aliens' odds of winning almost always quickly falls to zero...

    Which is why Aliens should always have 2+ hives (preferably 3), and marines should never have less than 2 tp (veil excluded).

    It's not unbalanced at all because both sides are losing when they only have 1 tp.
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  • FrozenFrozen New York, NY Join Date: 2010-07-02 Member: 72228Members, Constellation
    Lets just make the game symmetric
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  • cooliticcoolitic Right behind you Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184609Members
    edited September 2014
    mattji104 wrote: »
    Lets just make the game symmetric

    it's not...

    Aliens have max tech potential at 3 hives, while marines have max tech potential at 2 chairs.
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  • RoobubbaRoobubba Who you gonna call? Join Date: 2003-01-06 Member: 11930Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    The alien 'comeback' ability is bilebomb, though, which is accessible on 1 hive. Better take care of that 2nd hive if you don't want to lose the upgrades!

    I don't see the current situation as a problem, the asymmetry isn't actually unfair. Aliens can take out a marine base in a number of ways, and once marines are spawning in, they're basically toast. It's harder for marines to attack and take down a hive and protect themselves from spawners/returners in the process than it is for aliens to take a marine base in a rush (bilebomb / reversing a PG / killing IPs / forcing a beacon elsewhere immediately before the base push etc etc). Consequently, it's easier for the marines to rebuild after losing a base, reflecting the comparatively easier damage to their capabilities vs a hive loss.

    Wow that was a horrible paragraph, I do apologise.
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