Your buildings will definitely not be destroyed if a builder changes into a new alien. I'm considering not allowing the builder to morph though, we'll see.
KassingerShades of greyJoin Date: 2002-02-20Member: 229Members, Constellation
Not morph at all? That might scare ppl off, not being able to morph again. <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
Why not add a timelimit for the builder, so he has to be his class for so and so many minutes? At least that's better than no morphing at all. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
I tend to get very twitchy when month old threads get revived, but yeah, this one has an ok reason to be revived.
The idea of not being able to evolve... eh... Too restrictive. Really not all that fun. A delay would work, but again, that'd require balance, as that could be restrictive/unfun as well.
I guess this is just one of those things you can't answer without playtesting.
lol, oops, Sorry Mole. I'm a surface feeder. If it comes near the top, I chomp it down <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
well personally i think it'd have been cooler if the builder had looked more like a spider with multiple legs and a bulbous abdomin, however, if you choose to have it look like a mutated cow of some sorts, well then thats your decision... However, i like that the structures will be persistant, but, forcing people to stay as builder morphs..thats just plain bad. You wanna scare people away, just keep that thought, however, if you want to have people remain as a builder for any amount of time, then i advise implimenting some sort of timer to ensure that the remain as builders for a period of time. Yeah, thats my two cents, whether you like it or not. Gasfiend
KassingerShades of greyJoin Date: 2002-02-20Member: 229Members, Constellation
Why do I get the feeling that you are repeating some of what's already said? <!--emo&;)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'><!--endemo-->
... <!--emo&???--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'><!--endemo--> ... <!--emo&:angry:--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':angry:'><!--endemo--> Gasfiend's Mighty Hand of Silencing comes down and smites Kassinger from the face of the Earth. Gasfiend More Smite than a barrel of buckets!
/me mumbles something about none of the aliens being spider- or insect-like at all, and that it wouldnt make sense.
Actually, that's what I was sortof expecting -- definitely not a pig-dog <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo--> Although he certainly works in the context
Perhaps, to combat the "build 'n' switch" strategy, structures could require some sort of maintenance -- you'd have to come by and spray it with a new coat of spit every couple minutes, or it would eventually melt away. Perhaps each builder can only maintain his own structures, so you couldn't just have 1 builder running around maintaining 20 builders' slime blob turrets or whatnot.
That would encourage people to stay as builders, and would still have "realistic" persisiting structures (they don't melt when you change, but if you ignore them, they will go into disrepair), and allowing only the original builder to maintain the structure would "encourage" (force) builders to stay builders, without actually forcing them to stay as builders.
That said, I banish this thread to the bottom of the forum sea, never to resurface again! heh
Seriously, though. I think it would be cool to make them spray, but make it so any of them can spray it..that way if they bail on the one builder, he doesn't hafta suffer because they left by losing the buildings defending his buildings...that way he can take care of them all..though it would be a lot more work, it would be a lot less time that the builder is forced to stand solo and lonely...bored and sad... CRYING AND...Nevermind..that's all.
Hmm, I dont like the idea of only being able to repair your own structure. I prefer (ala TFC) where any enginner can repair any stucture. If they did have 20 turrets (and without regular degradation like Jacius said), 15 of them would easily be killed because they couldn't keep up with all of them. A marine could easily chuck a few grenades around a corner and dismantle one, so I dont think they should degrade over time. They should have to be repaied when they are attacked like in TFC. Think it as the slime hardens into a structure, and doesnt slowly ooze away like Jacius said <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
Just a suggestion for some gameplay thingies. It could crumble <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
And the only repairing your own thing was to keep from having the whole alien team turn into builders temporarily, build a billion million turrets, and then all but 1 or 2 switch to other things, and those other 2 run around repairing more than their fair share of turrets.
Maybe you can only spit so often, so you can only really keep up with a handful of turrets or other structures.
Of course, not all structures would require maintainance. Those trap things wouldn't, and maybe some very large essential structures wouldn't. And yeah, you can just toss a grenade around the corner, but if you have a thousand alien turrets lined up all the way from the center room in the map to the hive rooms, you'll need a lot of grenades <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
Neat ideas. Just for the record, I have no idea what I was on that day I said I was considering not allowing the builder to morph. I don't remember ever thinking that and it will certainly not work that way.
Awwww...cutie builder all alone? He can create friends like...a glistening sensory chamber friend, or a plant turret that "talks" to other aliens. He's never alone.
now you once again have piqued my interest in the builder class of the aliens...what exactly can this critter make anyway? Trip wires, and now some other vague referances, GARRRG!!! Information is the key to success, and if you're...umm...seeking success, than you need to give us information!!! So there! WE THE WORKING PEOPLE UNITE!!! GIVE UP INFORMATION OR GIVE US DEATH!!! ***Flayra's Mighty Fist of Silencing smites Gasfiend from the face of the Earth*** Gasfiend He's not a communist, he's just...eccentric.
I think..umm..Flayra has suffered the final stage of Flayritis...being too close to NS without being able to play it 24/7..makes your brains rot out. <!--emo&:(--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('><!--endemo-->
I have the same concern as Jacius, we dont want our favourite class to be abused now do we? if everyone stops by a lvl2 stage before continuing up the levels may get choked with goopy structures and make the marine play more of a mine-clearing operation than strategic advance. Im not sure what youre planning for this but perhaps a limit of total structure numbers. As we all know engineer classes can be a very potent part of the game (think tfc and infantry!! lol @ rob, im still hooked) i would hate to see pudgy get bad media because of his great effects on gameplay.
oh, and they definately should be able to repair each others structures, they are after all of the same species and presumably identical physiologies.
Yep, if you read the backstory of the Aliens (a military scientist's report on them), you'll know that they change their biology according to set patterns that are known to them to be successful...hence, They all conform to the same patterns for each level. Conformist punks <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--Jedisar+Mar. 08 2002,12:07--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (Jedisar @ Mar. 08 2002,12:07)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->Yep, if you read the backstory of the Aliens (a military scientist's report on them), you'll know that they change their biology according to set patterns that are known to them to be successful...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> eh? ah? wha'ts this? an alien backstory? when'd I miss this? I don't recall rading about it @ rr.org... someone got a link to this for me?
Yeah. Because everything on overmind.org is 100% accurate and up to date with regards to Natural Selection. Or is it Humans vs. Aliens? I can't remember.
Realize that that document is probably back from the time when NS was outdoors, and the aliens used weapons just like the marines. Check out the OOOLLLD marine backstory on there as well to see what I'm talking about.
Comments
Why not add a timelimit for the builder, so he has to be his class for so and so many minutes? At least that's better than no morphing at all. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
The idea of not being able to evolve... eh... Too restrictive. Really not all that fun. A delay would work, but again, that'd require balance, as that could be restrictive/unfun as well.
I guess this is just one of those things you can't answer without playtesting.
Gasfiend
Gasfiend
More Smite than a barrel of buckets!
/me mumbles something about none of the aliens being spider- or insect-like at all, and that it wouldnt make sense.
Actually, that's what I was sortof expecting -- definitely not a pig-dog <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo--> Although he certainly works in the context
Perhaps, to combat the "build 'n' switch" strategy, structures could require some sort of maintenance -- you'd have to come by and spray it with a new coat of spit every couple minutes, or it would eventually melt away. Perhaps each builder can only maintain his own structures, so you couldn't just have 1 builder running around maintaining 20 builders' slime blob turrets or whatnot.
That would encourage people to stay as builders, and would still have "realistic" persisiting structures (they don't melt when you change, but if you ignore them, they will go into disrepair), and allowing only the original builder to maintain the structure would "encourage" (force) builders to stay builders, without actually forcing them to stay as builders.
That said, I banish this thread to the bottom of the forum sea, never to resurface again! heh
-Jacius
<!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
Seriously, though. I think it would be cool to make them spray, but make it so any of them can spray it..that way if they bail on the one builder, he doesn't hafta suffer because they left by losing the buildings defending his buildings...that way he can take care of them all..though it would be a lot more work, it would be a lot less time that the builder is forced to stand solo and lonely...bored and sad... CRYING AND...Nevermind..that's all.
And the only repairing your own thing was to keep from having the whole alien team turn into builders temporarily, build a billion million turrets, and then all but 1 or 2 switch to other things, and those other 2 run around repairing more than their fair share of turrets.
Maybe you can only spit so often, so you can only really keep up with a handful of turrets or other structures.
Of course, not all structures would require maintainance. Those trap things wouldn't, and maybe some very large essential structures wouldn't. And yeah, you can just toss a grenade around the corner, but if you have a thousand alien turrets lined up all the way from the center room in the map to the hive rooms, you'll need a lot of grenades <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
-Jacius
Awwww...cutie builder all alone? He can create friends like...a glistening sensory chamber friend, or a plant turret that "talks" to other aliens. He's never alone.
<!--EDIT|Flayra|Mar. 08 2002,11:04-->
Gasfiend
He's not a communist, he's just...eccentric.
if everyone stops by a lvl2 stage before continuing up the levels may get choked with goopy structures and make the marine play more of a mine-clearing operation than strategic advance.
Im not sure what youre planning for this but perhaps a limit of total structure numbers. As we all know engineer classes can be a very potent part of the game (think tfc and infantry!! lol @ rob, im still hooked)
i would hate to see pudgy get bad media because of his great effects on gameplay.
oh, and they definately should be able to repair each others structures, they are after all of the same species and presumably identical physiologies.
eh? ah? wha'ts this? an alien backstory? when'd I miss this? I don't recall rading about it @ rr.org... someone got a link to this for me?