The Harpy Chamber -> "The Harpillar"?
K-5000
Join Date: 2006-11-19 Member: 58659Members
Join Date: 2006-11-19 Member: 58659Members
<div class="IPBDescription">A different idea for a new Kharaa creature</div>TheOriginal10Round made a thread called The Harpy Chamber, to which I contributed as well. It was an idea for a new Kharaa chamber causing psycho-physiological harmful effects to marines close by. Also, there was the thread by WorthyRival on upgraded Parasite abilities, into which I threw the idea of a super "Para-Noia" ability that would exchange all of the marine models into Fade models in the eyes of the marine who got infected.
So, all of this got me thinking.
So far, psychological warfare (aimed to cause confusion, lessen the enemy's effectiveness etc) in multiplayer games has mostly been about taunts. You can growl or hiss in Aliens vs Predator 2. You can chuckle in Natural Selection. You can say "I can see you" or "Look up" with a haunting voice in the Source mod Hidden. Of course some attacks could be considered psychological - with a cloaked predator in AvP2 or a cloaked skulk in NS you could drop between a group of marines, have a slash/bite, vanish and possibly cause a poor marine to shoot his teammate allowing you to attack a weakened team afterwards. But nevertheless, psychological warfare isn't a very much used concept in games.
Enter: The Harpillar!
This lil' guy is a slithery, caterpillar-like bugger with the running speed and wallclimb ability of a Skulk. However, its attack power is non-existant and while very strong, its carapace is thin and really can't take many hits. But it's got another sort of strength, all right. It can make you see things in a different light! First of all, the guy's got a natural camouflage. It's reasonably easy to spot when moving or turning, but blends very well into the environment when still - even without the cloak ability. Then there's his attacks. His one hive abilities allow him to turn into a Skulk and a Fade - but in appearance only, and only in the eyes of the marines - it's a psychological attack. If the victims of said attack shoot at the "Fade" suddenly in front of their eyes, they won't be able to kill it unless they actually aim at the Harpillar - pretty much aim at the "Fade's" feet, that is. Turning - in the eyes of humans - into other aliens also affects the aural part of their brain, causing them to hear the Harpillar's footsteps as if they also had the feet and weight of the creatures it's taken the form of.
All of these attacks would last for a certain time, say, 10 seconds, and would have a cooldown period.
The second hive attack would be the ability to shoot the Para-Noia parasites described in the other thread mentioned above - causing marines to randomly hear alien footsteps and roars, chuckles etc. around them. Especially efficient in 3D audio mode, I might say! The third hive attack would allow the Harpillar to work as a mobile Harpy Chamber - however with less power. Enough, though, to maybe make a difference when marines are pushing through towards a hive or help a Skulk take out a marine guarding an outpost.
BTW, also in some other thread someone asked for a visual effect for the Fade's blink ability - like vanishing into "smoke" and then forming back from "smoke" form at the blink destination spot. Imagine this feature implemented and then have the Harpillar's Fade attack have the same effect. If you're a marine and you're not paying attention, a Harpillar staying still (but in your field of vision), launching the Fade attack would look just like a Fade that just blinked there. What's your reaction? To shoot at it, of course. And while you do that, the Harpillar's Skulk companion takes you down. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skulk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::skulk::" border="0" alt="skulk.gif" />
Of course, it would be a kind of special class. Worthless on its own, unless in the hands of a very skilled player (the possibility of diverting a marine team looking for hives - turn into fade, let marines see you, escape behind corner, use cloak ability. Marines go past, turn into fade, let them see you again etc...) If it were implemented and people actually found it fun to play, restrictions probably should be in order as to how many Harpillars would be allowed per amount of Kharaa players on server - you wouldn't want to have half of your team in a form with no actual physical attack, therefore having about half the punch you would have ordinarily.
So, here's my suggestion then. Thanks for this idea go to the guys behind the Harpy Chamber and Para-Noia suggestions, since it borrows from them. Actually I think all of these three ideas might support each other in adding a new element into NS. It might be quite a lot of work, but based on the limited experiences I've got on the matter - where ever possible, messing with other players' heads in multiplayer games is damn good fun. Plus if incorporated correctly, can make a real impact on the game! Of course, experienced players could get used to things like the Harpillar, but I'm pretty sure that in an already hot situation, a fade model seemingly appearing from nowhere might still have a player make a fatal mistake and aim at it instead of the Skulks lunging at them. Imagine that, twitch reflexes turning against the player. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
So, all of this got me thinking.
So far, psychological warfare (aimed to cause confusion, lessen the enemy's effectiveness etc) in multiplayer games has mostly been about taunts. You can growl or hiss in Aliens vs Predator 2. You can chuckle in Natural Selection. You can say "I can see you" or "Look up" with a haunting voice in the Source mod Hidden. Of course some attacks could be considered psychological - with a cloaked predator in AvP2 or a cloaked skulk in NS you could drop between a group of marines, have a slash/bite, vanish and possibly cause a poor marine to shoot his teammate allowing you to attack a weakened team afterwards. But nevertheless, psychological warfare isn't a very much used concept in games.
Enter: The Harpillar!
This lil' guy is a slithery, caterpillar-like bugger with the running speed and wallclimb ability of a Skulk. However, its attack power is non-existant and while very strong, its carapace is thin and really can't take many hits. But it's got another sort of strength, all right. It can make you see things in a different light! First of all, the guy's got a natural camouflage. It's reasonably easy to spot when moving or turning, but blends very well into the environment when still - even without the cloak ability. Then there's his attacks. His one hive abilities allow him to turn into a Skulk and a Fade - but in appearance only, and only in the eyes of the marines - it's a psychological attack. If the victims of said attack shoot at the "Fade" suddenly in front of their eyes, they won't be able to kill it unless they actually aim at the Harpillar - pretty much aim at the "Fade's" feet, that is. Turning - in the eyes of humans - into other aliens also affects the aural part of their brain, causing them to hear the Harpillar's footsteps as if they also had the feet and weight of the creatures it's taken the form of.
All of these attacks would last for a certain time, say, 10 seconds, and would have a cooldown period.
The second hive attack would be the ability to shoot the Para-Noia parasites described in the other thread mentioned above - causing marines to randomly hear alien footsteps and roars, chuckles etc. around them. Especially efficient in 3D audio mode, I might say! The third hive attack would allow the Harpillar to work as a mobile Harpy Chamber - however with less power. Enough, though, to maybe make a difference when marines are pushing through towards a hive or help a Skulk take out a marine guarding an outpost.
BTW, also in some other thread someone asked for a visual effect for the Fade's blink ability - like vanishing into "smoke" and then forming back from "smoke" form at the blink destination spot. Imagine this feature implemented and then have the Harpillar's Fade attack have the same effect. If you're a marine and you're not paying attention, a Harpillar staying still (but in your field of vision), launching the Fade attack would look just like a Fade that just blinked there. What's your reaction? To shoot at it, of course. And while you do that, the Harpillar's Skulk companion takes you down. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skulk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::skulk::" border="0" alt="skulk.gif" />
Of course, it would be a kind of special class. Worthless on its own, unless in the hands of a very skilled player (the possibility of diverting a marine team looking for hives - turn into fade, let marines see you, escape behind corner, use cloak ability. Marines go past, turn into fade, let them see you again etc...) If it were implemented and people actually found it fun to play, restrictions probably should be in order as to how many Harpillars would be allowed per amount of Kharaa players on server - you wouldn't want to have half of your team in a form with no actual physical attack, therefore having about half the punch you would have ordinarily.
So, here's my suggestion then. Thanks for this idea go to the guys behind the Harpy Chamber and Para-Noia suggestions, since it borrows from them. Actually I think all of these three ideas might support each other in adding a new element into NS. It might be quite a lot of work, but based on the limited experiences I've got on the matter - where ever possible, messing with other players' heads in multiplayer games is damn good fun. Plus if incorporated correctly, can make a real impact on the game! Of course, experienced players could get used to things like the Harpillar, but I'm pretty sure that in an already hot situation, a fade model seemingly appearing from nowhere might still have a player make a fatal mistake and aim at it instead of the Skulks lunging at them. Imagine that, twitch reflexes turning against the player. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Comments
Don't get me wrong i like this idea just needs a little tuning.
What would it cost to evolve ?
What kind of counters would the marines get to fight this beasty ?
Sorry it is a jumble.........i'm watching aqua teen hunger force.
But I love the idea of a total support unit.