<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> Wasn't there already a thread like this?
<!--quoteo(post=1621205:date=Apr 16 2007, 12:39 AM:name=the_x5)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(the_x5 @ Apr 16 2007, 12:39 AM) [snapback]1621205[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> Wasn't there already a thread like this? <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Perhaps, but since I havn't seen it I rather a new one start up and all new suggestions/ideas be thrown in along with everyone's old thoughts.
Maybe if there were more water/liquid areas/maps, there should be a sort-of amphibious evolution. Sort of like a skulk that moves as fast in water as if it had celerity on land (but moving normal or slightly slower land speeds)
There already was a thread like this, but it's been inactive.
I already suggested an underwater life form in that thread, called the leviathan:
It would be kinda of like an underwater, small dragon-like thing without wings, how i pictured it. It would only move fast while in the water, and would be a slow and fairly easy target on land.
Attacks: Slash: uses a claw to swipe at the enemy Charge: Kinda like the onos version, but only works underwater. Bite: Bites the enemy and constantly drains adrenaline. Marine that is bitten is near helpless, and is stuck in the mouth of the leviathan until its adrenaline is gone. (drowns the marine, ideally.) Capsize: (assuming marines have boats): If aimed properly, flips the marine boat and dumps the marines into the water, making them easy prey for the leviathan.
I dunno what the hive 3 move would be if no boats were there, but that was my idea for an underwater thing.
It depends on the level of environments in the game... Honestly, I doubt we'll see much larger scale than NS1, despite the pipe dream floating around about vehicles and larger creatures.
So, super specialized forms arn't terribly likely.
I would love to see more specialization down the tree for the aliens though.
Something like this
Skulk <-> "Heavy Skulk" say, Prowler (a stop gap between skulk and Fade, an earlier combat form, slightly slower skulk, with enhanced combat surviability and prowess.) Gorge <-> "Support Gorge" Mister (Say, provides a passive heal aura like DCs and earns Umbra at the third hive instead of bile bomb...) <-> "Super-builder gorge." (Similar to the standard, but support skills are replaced by building enhancing/anti-base abilities. Such as an anti-building acid rocket, a structure gel instead of spit allowing remote building & healing of chambers as well as decent anti-structure ability.)
And so on... True, my gorge ideas might make the vanilla gorge useless... and would require alot of balancing.
I would at least like to see an earlier combat form than the Fade, since Skulks are such exceedingly fragile specimens...
<!--quoteo(post=1621328:date=Apr 16 2007, 02:27 PM:name=Moving_Target0)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Moving_Target0 @ Apr 16 2007, 02:27 PM) [snapback]1621328[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> There already was a thread like this, but it's been inactive.
I already suggested an underwater life form in that thread, called the leviathan:
It would be kinda of like an underwater, small dragon-like thing without wings, how i pictured it. It would only move fast while in the water, and would be a slow and fairly easy target on land.
Attacks: Slash: uses a claw to swipe at the enemy Charge: Kinda like the onos version, but only works underwater. Bite: Bites the enemy and constantly drains adrenaline. Marine that is bitten is near helpless, and is stuck in the mouth of the leviathan until its adrenaline is gone. (drowns the marine, ideally.) Capsize: (assuming marines have boats): If aimed properly, flips the marine boat and dumps the marines into the water, making them easy prey for the leviathan.
I dunno what the hive 3 move would be if no boats were there, but that was my idea for an underwater thing. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Perhaps if no boats were present in the game the form would have sort of an UPGRADED 'Bite' of yours, perhaps 'Anchor' or 'Sink' or something of the sort, which pulls them literally to the very bottom of the bottom of water instead of just holding them under (as your description of bite made it sound for me)
<!--quoteo(post=1621418:date=Apr 17 2007, 06:26 AM:name=LiteFireDark)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LiteFireDark @ Apr 17 2007, 06:26 AM) [snapback]1621418[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Perhaps if no boats were present in the game the form would have sort of an UPGRADED 'Bite' of yours, perhaps 'Anchor' or 'Sink' or something of the sort, which pulls them literally to the very bottom of the bottom of water instead of just holding them under (as your description of bite made it sound for me) <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, the idea of bite was that it did initial damage and they were carried in your mouth until they drown, but yeah, pretty much. Perhaps hive three could make them planted into Dynamic Infestation if it was at the bottom of the water! Marines would have to have some kind of way to break out, of course, but it wouldn't be a fun process.
I would like to see a new kind of alien specializing in traps, A small / medium size. Im not sure what type of traps it could have but i would like it to depend on stealth for survival. Perhaps it could spawn with silence automaticaly.
a few skills it could have:
1. sporemines 2. Explosive mines (small scale xeno) 3. The ability to create some sort of sticky tar substance to slow players down. 4. parasite Mines ( 60% chance all marines in the area will be parasiteded) 5. Anything eles Yall can think about.
Speaking of aquatic lifeforms and boats... Why can't we have some water maps? The original NS never too advantage of water, most of the maps were always bone dry.
KassingerShades of greyJoin Date: 2002-02-20Member: 229Members, Constellation
It would be hard allowing for decent gameplay that includes it happening in water. What would you do to marines to make them able to fight there? They wouldn't develop much specific technology for it unless they expected most space stations to be salmon farms. :S
Who says NS2 will always be in space? And didn't the USS Bast have a lot of water in a hive even called "Feedwater"? Tanith, a high altitude station, has both reactor room and waste with water. Shiva? Water, and misty areas in hive rooms.
It does exist but only slighty. I'd like to see some underwater battles occur too. Air, land, and sea -- if you will -- in an epic fight for survival. And if it's in space, lets play a bit with zero gravity areas and vacuums.
And the marines? Would they not develop technology to combat in those water areas too? (I can't help but think of James Bond stuff here)
too map specific? idea: phyonic spider jellyfish thing role : (tactical) information garthing, disruption, transport,
has 'lerklift' for small creatures, enermy in view of this creature show up on hive sight
Ablities: Tentacale slash : slashing poison attack which also slows down enermy movement (poison by-passes armor)
Death Siren : create visual and audio distoration in enermies close to you, blurred sight and distorting sound.
Warp : You return to the last location you activated Warp (consums all energy) phase in time of 1 second
Conceal : Passive activated ablitiy drains adren constently; cloak and slience nearby slow moving (walking) aliens, ends when adren runs out (this will also cloak any one it's carrying)
Snare spray : Slightly slows affected targets for 10s, cumlative effect, area effect
it's a big ugry spider baby making machine, slow moving
Ablities: Slash: 100 damge
Spawn spiderlings: drops eggs of small spider like creatures which will follow the queen's sent upon hatching and attack any nearby enermy (max 8)
Spawn swarmlings: drop eggs which hatch into small insect flyers which will follow the queen's sent (max 8)
Mark: mark the target/location with a special sent which drives all underlings to attack it or any thing near it's location (marking fades with time)
Infest: spwan a infested egg, which hatches into a parasite. If target is infested it rechives 50 damage every time it is healed, if that creature dies while it is infested, a infested parasite will spawn form it's host's chest and try infest the nearist living non-alien target (it is destoryed upon infestation) if it does not find a host with-in 10 seconds. it dies.
it's a big ugry spider baby making machine, slow moving
Ablities: Slash: 100 damge
Spawn spiderlings: drops eggs of small spider like creatures which will follow the queen's sent upon hatching and attack any nearby enermy (max 8)
Spawn swarmlings: drop eggs which hatch into small insect flyers which will follow the queen's sent (max 8)
Mark: mark the target/location with a special sent which drives all underlings to attack it or any thing near it's location (marking fades with time)
Infest: spwan a infested egg, which hatches into a parasite. If target is infested it rechives 50 damage every time it is healed, if that creature dies while it is infested, a infested parasite will spawn form it's host's chest and try infest the nearist living non-alien target (it is destoryed upon infestation) if it does not find a host with-in 10 seconds. it dies.
these eggs can be carryed around via 'lerk lift' <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Kinda like an ant lion guard eh? Personally I'd like to see her have a super version of the fade's acid rocket. A good anti-vehicle lifeform to counter marine tanks, dropships, etc... And like a marine tank, should be controlled by two people. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />
<!--quoteo(post=1623609:date=Apr 28 2007, 01:56 PM:name=the_x5)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(the_x5 @ Apr 28 2007, 01:56 PM) [snapback]1623609[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Kinda like an ant lion guard eh? Personally I'd like to see her have a super version of the fade's acid rocket. A good anti-vehicle lifeform to counter marine tanks, dropships, etc... And like a marine tank, should be controlled by two people. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Like you sugested in another thread? Ok, here's my take on it. I'll use the name / 1st tech of hazy's.
Hive queen 100 res 1 allowed on the team. Very high HP and armor.
Slash: Deals 100 damage. Close range.
Infestation spray: Deals no actual damage. If the marine is on the Dynamic infestation and is hit, attracted parasites leap from the infected walls, floor, and ceiling, dealing 10 damage per parasite. Parasites can miss. Lasts for about...say, 5 seconds, with about 5 coming per second. (250 max damage, assuming EVERY PARASITE hits.) Can avoid parasites (some) by moving quickly, (Jetpack) or getting away form the D.I.
(For the_x5) Queen Rocket (for lack of a better name.): Fires a ball of biomass and acid at a target that deals massive damage to vehicles and armor. Deals 30 damage per second to vehicles / marine armor for 5 seconds. Vehicles fall apart if destroyed by this. Heavy Armor, if reduced to 0, is lost until replaced. If marines have no armor, this deals 2 damage for the remainder of the time every second.
Sacrifice: Drains the Hive Queen's HP at a rate of 50 per second to heal the nearest hive by 50 per second. During this time, the hive queen may not be healed by gorges, hives, or defense chambers.
<!--quoteo(post=1623664:date=Apr 28 2007, 04:54 PM:name=Moving_Target0)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Moving_Target0 @ Apr 28 2007, 04:54 PM) [snapback]1623664[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Like you sugested in another thread? Ok, here's my take on it. I'll use the name / 1st tech of hazy's.
Hive queen 100 res 1 allowed on the team. Very high HP and armor.
Slash: Deals 100 damage. Close range.
Infestation spray: Deals no actual damage. If the marine is on the Dynamic infestation and is hit, attracted parasites leap from the infected walls, floor, and ceiling, dealing 10 damage per parasite. Parasites can miss. Lasts for about...say, 5 seconds, with about 5 coming per second. (250 max damage, assuming EVERY PARASITE hits.) Can avoid parasites (some) by moving quickly, (Jetpack) or getting away form the D.I.
(For the_x5) Queen Rocket (for lack of a better name.): Fires a ball of biomass and acid at a target that deals massive damage to vehicles and armor. Deals 30 damage per second to vehicles / marine armor for 5 seconds. Vehicles fall apart if destroyed by this. Heavy Armor, if reduced to 0, is lost until replaced. If marines have no armor, this deals 2 damage for the remainder of the time every second.
Sacrifice: Drains the Hive Queen's HP at a rate of 50 per second to heal the nearest hive by 50 per second. During this time, the hive queen may not be healed by gorges, hives, or defense chambers. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ooh! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wow.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":0" border="0" alt="wow.gif" /> I like.
Primary attack could be some sort of melee attack. (Tail whip / impale?)
Infestation spray I like but if I could make one suggestion: could we make the hitpoints drained vampirically heal nearby allies? (not the queen herself though, that could be exploited too easily) That would also encourage the little aliens to stay close and protect the Queen when she decides to go on a rampage.
I'm instead of Queen Rocket, how about making it similar to those Nemacyst things from those locust things in <i>Gears of War</i>. Only a lot faster and cooler looking (and fitting into the NS artistic theme). Perhaps they should be homming projectiles as well, or perhaps guided, like the HL2 rocket launcher. Actually come to think of it guided would be a cool way to add additional skill to that role. Be careful when FF is on! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Sacrifice might seem silly for such a hard to create being, perhaps you could give that to the royal spacecow-- I mean onos. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> Or even the gorge. It's not a good trade off for the aliens in my mind. This being is the kind of thing that could make for an alien comeback in late game. Its death would likely be the end for the alien team if they hadn't used the time to collect enough resources.
It is controlled by two players, right? Ok, assuming you have three hives still in NS2... That means you could have FOUR abilities per person!
Do I hear an example desired? Wish granted dear NSF forumgoers:
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><i>"<u>Driver</u>?"</i><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--> (Role: does the moving; most concerned about getting around and keeping you both alive)<ul><li><b><!--coloro:#33CC00--><span style="color:#33CC00"><!--/coloro-->H0<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Bite</b> (ouch)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#FFCC00--><span style="color:#FFCC00"><!--/coloro-->H1<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Devour</b> (Yum, yum, but now we can eat "more"?)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#FF6600--><span style="color:#FF6600"><!--/coloro-->H2<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Defensive Stance</b> (very slow movement but highly resistant: damage reduction, reduces all attacks to a certain value, attacks cannot be reduced more than that value)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#CC0000--><span style="color:#CC0000"><!--/coloro-->H3<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Rage</b> (an improved charge that bolsters allies and/or causes some debuff in enemies... thinking of something "Bard-like", secondary fire does a lunge?)</li></ul> <!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><i>"<u>Gunner</u>?"</i><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--> (Role: does the aiming; most concerned about killing enemies as efficiently as possible)<ul><li><b><!--coloro:#33CC00--><span style="color:#33CC00"><!--/coloro-->H0<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Tail impale </b> (a marine shish kabob, don't forget your veggies! If marine dies from attack they are impaled, practically useless against structures or armored vehicles)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#FFCC00--><span style="color:#FFCC00"><!--/coloro-->H1<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Tail whip </b> (*whap* *whap* can whip or grab objects, grabbed objects can be thrown)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#FF6600--><span style="color:#FF6600"><!--/coloro-->H2<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: "Queen Rocket"</b> ("Nemacyst" guided rocket things which deal more damage than the mere acid rocket and are ideal for taking out aircraft or tanks, but not as good as killing marines)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#CC0000--><span style="color:#CC0000"><!--/coloro-->H3<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Infestation Spray </b> (as described by Moving_Target0 above, possibly plus my addendums)</li></ul> Upgrades: We could either have the two players get independent upgrades (not sure how that'd work though), shared upgrades (makes most sense to me), or vote on a single upgrade each for their Hve Queen. Defense is obviously important, movement and sensory upgrades are critical to the "gunner". If combined ugrades were used, you could invest your mutual "points" in carpace and regeneration for example, then with movement chambers, get adrenaline and silence or celerity depending on whether the "driver" prefers stealth or speed. Adrenaline obviously would be handy to the "gunner". Sensory? Well focus and scent of fear would be awesome for the "gunner", cloaking <i>could</i> be handy I guess, but not as much since you'll both be seeing a lot of action.
And before you all whine that this seems a bit too strong, remember: it's a counter to <i>deadly</i> marine tanks, dropships, or other aircraft/land/water vehicles. It will likely have to take on multiple vehicles and perhaps the entire marine team when rushing base. The other aliens would <i>have to</i> give support much better than would be expected of an onos or fade.
I can't help but think what a HUGE ammount of innate teamwork such a class would add to the Kharaa team in-game. The two players that manned this alien "vehicle" would need to really work together. A truely awesome commadory experience could develop. The "gunner" is absolutely helpless when it comes to getting out of harm's way without the "driver", and the "driver" can't really attack much with out the "gunner". You MUST trust the other player. That alone would change how aliens are played. Not to mention the need to protect the large being would cause a natural alien squad formation.
Very rough thinking here: As far as requirements of such a being, I think it should cost 100 res for both players and one hive. Yes, one hive. The hive would become the Hive Queen (makes sense), but no worries a new hive would automatically start growing in its place. However, note the time sensitive risk. I hive would take time to regrow and clever marines would desperately try to rush one of your other hives as soon as they knew this had happened. This is where a clever alien team would create traps and try to hide the Hive Queen until the time was right. (or they were forced too) Or you could just make a new hive regrow completely in a few seconds, just depending on what was needed. I just think it makes sense from a body mass, nomenclature, risk, and just a damn cool morphing animation point of view. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Oh, wait, multiple people controlling that monster?! Sweet!
I shall now update my concept, and include the ideas of the_x5.
How it is formed: Two aliens, either elected or by first come, first serve basis, go to a hive that has been notified as "Ready" by an icon by the hive status bar. When this happens, the first two aliens to go to that hive and use 100 res to start the gestation process will become the hive queen, destroying the nearby hive, but instantly starting the construction of another. The gunner is the first to start gestation, the driver the second.
Abilities:
Driver:
H0: Bite. Attacks a nearby, close enemy with high damage. H1: Devour, but better! Can eat up to 2 marines at once, receiving health as it is drained from the marine. H2: Trample. Like charge, but better! Can kill marines if stepped on, a glancing blow dealing the same as charge. H3: Harden Carapace. The hive queen sacrifices movement speed to resist attacks from tanks and other heavy fire, reducing speed by X% and damage by X%. Resists extra damage from vehicles.
Gunner:
H0: Impale. The queen uses her tail to stab marines quickly. Deals little damage to structures and a bit more to vehicles. H1: Tail whip: Is able to grab a marine and use him as a projectile. (primary to grab, secondary to throw.) Does moderate damage to buildings and can make vehicles go off-balance. H2: Queen Rocket: Deals devastating damage to armor and vehicles, making marine armor and vehicles alike easy prey. Deals low damage to marines. H3: Parasite spray. See above post, but perhaps skips armor? This IS a tank, after all. Little damage dealt to non-organic units. The damage dealt is given to nearby players, excluding the queen.
Upgrades: Three upgrades, right? How about this?
The driver chooses the movement upgrade. The gunner chooses the defensive upgrade. The two decide on a sensory upgrade. If they cannot agree, one of the two is selected randomly.
<!--quoteo(post=1623887:date=Apr 29 2007, 08:29 PM:name=Moving_Target0)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Moving_Target0 @ Apr 29 2007, 08:29 PM) [snapback]1623887[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Oh, wait, multiple people controlling that monster?! Sweet!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Now you're getting the idea. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The gunner is the first to start gestation, the driver the second.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Nah make it synchronous. The two player's bodies go away and the hive does this creepy morphing thing. I'll see if I can draw it out what I'm thinking for that animation. For reference keep this anatomical overview picture in mind: <img src="http://www.xzianthia.net/images/hive.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /> The hive's transformation starts with a kind of Inuyasha's transformation into a full-blooded demon. What I mean by that is that when both players are a go, all the aliens get this psychic blast wave and are given a boost of energy, like when in range of a MC. (to do this both players are next to the hive they choose the evolution and spend their resources, the first player becomes the driver and waits for the second to become the driver. The resources aren't spend and the hive doesn't "sacrifice" until both are set to ready) 1. Psychic blast wave giving aliens distorted vision (red hue tinted?) for a split second, also gives entire alien a MC's tick of energy boost (or just sets energy to 100%) 2. Hive falls from ceiling and the two players have their models' death animations and sounds play (perhaps unique ones?) 3. The legs retract and grow down as the bioduct seals up and begins to grow narrow. 4. The eye splits into two and the hive gains a black coloration 5. Dynamic infestation starts to grow rapidly now over hive as it enters it's full gestation 5. The top tissue has a symbiote grow out, like the fade's only bigger and meaner. (for added creepiness make it rise up for a second and hiss like a cobra) 6. The vertabrae are now easily visible and the legs are starting to appear more pronounced 7. The tail comes out of the biomass well formed and hardening into it's razor sharpness and diamond-like strength on the tip 8. suddenly from within the now slowly retreating biomass of the DI the eyes light up in a sudden glow and with that the Hive Queen rises up tearing free of the supportive dynamic infestation, bares her predatory teeth, and gives a ###### of roar which shakes the screen of nearby players and gives the in-range aliens the ability of primal scream momentarily.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The driver chooses the movement upgrade. The gunner chooses the defensive upgrade. The two decide on a sensory upgrade. If they cannot agree, one of the two is selected randomly. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> If anything the driver should choose the defensive, the gunner choose the sensory, and they collaborate on the movement.
Meh I'd like it if they could get two of each that way you'd have no conflicts. Almost as if bringing in a fun aspect of combat into NS.
Lets say we had MC and SC with two hives and the marines were about to drive their vehicles into a hive. You're team is counting on you and you do have gorges. The gunner is like well, I need to do a lot of attacking; chooses adrenaline and then focus. The driver is like well I need to know where they are and may have to do a little hit & run if they are too strong; he chooses celerity and cloaking. Marines come in and get ready to set up a seige. The phasegate drops and a marine goes to build it but it suddenly impaled by the Queen's tail. Now the focus fades blink in and start attacking. All hell breaks loose. A fade goes down to Heavy Armor with a HMG, who gets grabbed and thrown back into the hive room where a bunch of the fades and gorges are. Another heavy gets eaten. Suddenly a tank shows up. It's gunner is an insane shot and nails a fade in mid-air with the main cannon. Lucky the replacement hive is back online and the Queen's driver goes into a defensive stance / hardened carpace and negates the tank gunner's second shot. Seeing most of it's support gone the tank's driver goes to retreat but now the Queen's gunner returns fire with the queen rocket while the Queen's driver takes the opportunuity to rush the tank. Now in close range the Queen's driver bites the tank while the Queen's gunner continues shooting at the tank. The Queen's health gets low but due to the rest of the alien team taking care of the tank's support and now ganking the tank too, the tank goes down. The commander beacons. Now the marines come with a dropship thinking to ninja the other hive. But the Hive Queen is waiting cloaked and her gunner nails the dropship causing it to crash. Those that do not die in the crash are now eaten by the Hive Queen.
PS: The queen rocket needs to be Hive #2 because that way can enjoy the combat between vehicles in mid-late game. Otherwise we won't get to see these cool and fun abilties except in the very, very rare game. Tail whip needs to be hive #1 because that should reason as a basic attack which requires only the skill granted by one hive to have an agile grab and throw. It would be nice if say the Hive Queen could knock over a marine light vehicle with it (like rocketing a Halo Warthog) or use it to toss a marine into a deep pit. Yaaaaah!
<!--quoteo(post=1623933:date=Apr 30 2007, 04:39 AM:name=the_x5)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(the_x5 @ Apr 30 2007, 04:39 AM) [snapback]1623933[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Meh I'd like it if they could get two of each that way you'd have no conflicts. Almost as if bringing in a fun aspect of combat into NS.
PS: The queen rocket needs to be Hive #2 because that way can enjoy the combat between vehicles in mid-late game. Otherwise we won't get to see these cool and fun abilties except in the very, very rare game. Tail whip needs to be hive #1 because that should reason as a basic attack which requires only the skill granted by one hive to have an agile grab and throw. It would be nice if say the Hive Queen could knock over a marine light vehicle with it (like rocketing a Halo Warthog) or use it to toss a marine into a deep pit. Yaaaaah! <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Actually, now that I think about it, maybe if they each got one, both upgrades would take effect? For instance, if the driver chooses Carapace, both have it, but the gunner chooses regeneration. Both have it. Etc...
I'll update my post and change the order.
I already said tail whip could knock over small vehicles!
Also, just wondering, what does the hive end up looking like? I picture a scorpion thing with 4 legs, but...I didn't exactly get a clear idea from your description.
<!--quoteo(post=1624265:date=May 1 2007, 04:45 PM:name=Moving_Target0)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Moving_Target0 @ May 1 2007, 04:45 PM) [snapback]1624265[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, just wondering, what does the hive end up looking like? <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Obviously it's still up in the air and there should be a number of sketches made before selecting a design.
I'd like to see her evolution look like a hive that took upon the fade's design and made it super deady and anti-vehicle as well. Still a quadruped, but now a bit more prone (pehaps the movement style more akin to a silverback gorilla; half running on two legs, half running on four) and actually has "hands" with opposable thumbs enabling her to climb large obstables. And she has and <i>extremely</i> deadly tail again enemy infantry depending on the skill of the "gunner". I'd love to see her grab and throw objects (or push them) into cocky marines and their turret farms. As I said she should be the ideal comeback weapon, something that costs aliens dearly to create but can really wreak hell. Eating marines, throwing car-sized objects, tearing up destructabes in the environment, impaling "invincible" rambo jetpackers, etc. Enough to give the aliens a fighting chance.
A tail, more like a Xenomorph queen's, but with an artistic theme <i>definitively</i> NS rather than that of Hans Ruedi Giger. Inspiration sure, but we need to find our own artistic theme. But same overall structure and fludity of movement. Almost snake like in it's agility and burst speed. The impale's action should be fast like a rattle snake (although have a pre-strike-get-ready subtle motion.
The skin is black like a fade's, but more robust with layered armor pieces like the onos or an insect's carapace. Perhaps getting the carapace upgrade can actually give her a spiked armor or something my point is that she should be a wicked black armored killing machine much like the fade. In fact the Hive Queen and the Fade should have the highest numbers of kills/frags and destroyed vehicles in the game.
Her over all appearing is definitively vertabrate, but little bit larger than an onos and less massive (more lean like a fade or skulk, not at all bulky like a gorge or onos). In fact she should act a bit more like a fade as far as being agile despite her size. Of course she moves slower but still fast enough to catch up with any marine infantry or vehicles except for the really fast marine vehicles, perhaps more like the speed of a walker fade with celerity. The reason for this is that she needs some aspect of hit & run. Of course she can be a lot more bold than most classes but she shouldn't be able just stand there and take shot after shot multiple marine heavy stationary weapons. (ie: seiges with the new "strider cannon" like effect? The reasoning is that it is because she is still part "hive")
Keep in mind the gunner can aim anywhere in the 360 horizontal as long has he has room (like how DoD guns account for the barrel being obstructed from moving through a wall or window pane). So even though the Queen's "driver" may be facing a Heavy Armor marine in an attempt to devour him, don't be suprised if the "gunner" impales you. As such no one marine can take her on. I don't care how good of a jetpacker you are. You MUST work as a team if you want to bring her down. Numeric superiority. And as the two players controlling the team, you have to realize that you need your own support.
Here's how I see impale working: Remember the TFC sniper rifle? You hold down to charge the attack. Holding down longer make your attack's release velocity (and consequently penetration damage) higher to a maximum. It would only peck at vehicles and structures, but infantry and especially the relatively exposed flesh of a light armored marine or jetpacker would get run through. HA could still be run through but only it the tail would do enough damage in it's blow to finish them off (ie: they've lost most of their armor). With the factor of damage being show on models it would basically up to the gunner to make a quick decision about who to attack.
Here's how I see the tail whip working. If you move the tail while whipping your mouse side to side you create a slashing action in those direction. In other you start moving from upper left to lower right and as you move your press your left mouse button (MOUSE1) and make a slash with the angular momentum and direction of your movement. If you move too fast you don't get enough range and damage, too slow you'll have range but not enough momentum means not damage. <b>Damage in this sense is calculated at torque.</b> It's the velocity of the endpoint on the tip that counts, which is highest when it's both decent range, hitting near the sweet-spot (like baseball batting), and decent velocity. It should be smooth, moderate speed, lashing motion. The clicking secondary fire (MOUSE2) will reach out and grab an in-range object that is being aimed at by wrapping the tail around it. It needs a closer range but can be used to grab objects or grab a marine infantry that was stupid enough to get close. To release the object simply tap the seconday fire again, or press MOUSE1 while using the same whipping technique to lob the object in the desired direction. Much like throwing a pitch, a good lob will send the object flying.
Here's how I see "queen rocket" working: Much like the fade's acid rocket it causes a bigger rocket to be fired but this time it's guided. No laser of course, but rather where you "will" the rocket to go. Marines can't see what's being aimed at, nor do they need to. Seconday fire? Hmm. Perhaps fire something else?
schkorpioI can mspaintJoin Date: 2003-05-23Member: 16635Members
how about a creature which starts off kind of like a skulk, but every kill it gets longer - like in that snake game on most older phones where you eat the fruit and your snake gets longer. The catch being that the lenght that is added from eating rines, is that its bullet proof and grenades only do 1/4 damage - making it a nice meat shield. Imagine a long snake type creature swirling around walls and poles and ceilings, creating a confusing mess of flesh for which the other aliens can use as an ambush point Perhaps
attack abilites could be 1 bite 2 onoscharge type ability (making it be able to close the distance between rines) 3 grapple tongue - grabs marines and pulls them towards the mouth 4 electrify (the entire snakes body becomes electrified for 5 seconds, if any rines are touching it then they start losing health)
<!--quoteo(post=1624334:date=May 2 2007, 01:54 AM:name=schkorpio)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(schkorpio @ May 2 2007, 01:54 AM) [snapback]1624334[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> how about a creature which starts off kind of like a skulk, but every kill it gets longer - like in that snake game on most older phones where you eat the fruit and your snake gets longer. The catch being that the lenght that is added from eating rines, is that its bullet proof and grenades only do 1/4 damage - making it a nice meat shield. Imagine a long snake type creature swirling around walls and poles and ceilings, creating a confusing mess of flesh for which the other aliens can use as an ambush point Perhaps
attack abilites could be 1 bite 2 onoscharge type ability (making it be able to close the distance between rines) 3 grapple tongue - grabs marines and pulls them towards the mouth 4 electrify (the entire snakes body becomes electrified for 5 seconds, if any rines are touching it then they start losing health)
would cost 100 res i'd say <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
would also be neigh invincible. Immune to bullets and 1/4 nade damage? That would take forever to kill...
I personally want a 50 res creature i call Stalkers. Their entire set-up is movement where you don't expect it. First ability should be a swipe like thing - less damage than fades - that couples with the second ability to move through walls (it's a blink ability, but there's no real movement - you start at one wall, click the button and are on the other side). the third ability should be something called black out - it's two seconds where your vision or hearing (pick only one please) is completely removed and the commander gets no warning that you're under attack. This requires a really high energy drain, say 50%. The fourth ability could be dragging, which allows you to pick up marines for a few seconds so you can split up their groups.
walking down a hallway in a group of 10, feeling completely safe from everything around you, suddenly your screen goes black and everything comes back - you're all alone in a completely different hallway. Well, you're not entierly alone.
schkorpioI can mspaintJoin Date: 2003-05-23Member: 16635Members
edited May 2007
<!--quoteo(post=1624347:date=May 2 2007, 12:58 PM:name=Moving_Target0)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Moving_Target0 @ May 2 2007, 12:58 PM) [snapback]1624347[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> would also be neigh invincible. Immune to bullets and 1/4 nade damage? That would take forever to kill... <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
sorry forgot to mention that the head was a weak point - i always leave out the important details :S
I've always thought it would be cool to have a creature which can walk in and out of shadows, as if they were portals, but i doubt thats technologically possible. Also i'm not quite sure how it could be done so thats its actually playable, like how would you pick which shadows to come out and switch between them quickly enough.
I guess when you walk into a shadow it would be like walking into a dark hallway - then when you get to the other end of the hall way it goes to 3rd person / cam view and you use your strafe left and strafe right keys to select which shadow you want - obviously the amount of shadows there could be would make it confusing as hell
Marines wouldn't be safe ever! you'd forever be paranoid about watching where your shadow is.
I would like to suggest that one of the latest additions to the Kharaa cadre of creatures be (drum roll please):
<b>The TSA Marine</b>
Or more specifically, a very infected and doomed TSA Marine. Let's use their precious organic matter against them and turn an enemy into an ally ... then send them off to brutally slaughter their former friends.
We need to soak them in our essence, cleanse them of any of the "individual mind", so our hive mind is in command. I suggest we use Onos' belly, then plop out an egg into the Dynamic Infestation, which one of the Kharaa has the option of getting in and popping out as a take no prisoners Kharaa Marine. Or maybe we just pump them so full of parasites that they come on over to our side. Maybe we don't even have to control their corpse, it just stands around looking for a chance to scare the bejesus out of them.
Though, this won't actually stop them from "re-spawning", it will be more like a very Kharaa infested copy of them running around looking to make their stay on our map a very short one.
schkorpioI can mspaintJoin Date: 2003-05-23Member: 16635Members
<!--quoteo(post=1626755:date=May 15 2007, 09:09 AM:name=CanadianWolverine)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CanadianWolverine @ May 15 2007, 09:09 AM) [snapback]1626755[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> I would like to suggest that one of the latest additions to the Kharaa cadre of creatures be (drum roll please):
<b>The TSA Marine</b>
Or more specifically, a very infected and doomed TSA Marine. Let's use their precious organic matter against them and turn an enemy into an ally ... then send them off to brutally slaughter their former friends.
We need to soak them in our essence, cleanse them of any of the "individual mind", so our hive mind is in command. I suggest we use Onos' belly, then plop out an egg into the Dynamic Infestation, which one of the Kharaa has the option of getting in and popping out as a take no prisoners Kharaa Marine. Or maybe we just pump them so full of parasites that they come on over to our side. Maybe we don't even have to control their corpse, it just stands around looking for a chance to scare the bejesus out of them.
Though, this won't actually stop them from "re-spawning", it will be more like a very Kharaa infested copy of them running around looking to make their stay on our map a very short one.
I suppose they could be that if they were just drones ... or maybe they could be much, much more. Perhaps the infection would be not obvious, like they could infiltrate without us knowing.
Level 1 ability - Infiltrate: The Kharaa looks like us and spoofs the AI routines on our Graphical Interfaces, for a short while they go undected among us, fooling us and our equipment into thinking they are friendly.
Maybe, just maybe it gets worse and they can use any of our dropped equipment! Then, it shows its true colors!
Level 2 ability - Feral: The Kharaa Marine claws with fingers and bites at the unsuspecting prey its disguised itself as! Lowest attack damage but ... ignores armor? Parasites? Something bizarre and unexpected from a marine?
Level 3 ability - Grapple: The Kharaa Marine sacrafices himself, this time to paralyze a TSA marine until either they die or he does.
Level 4 ability - Xeno: The Kharaa Marine explodes with much fan fare ... in a crowd of his former buddies.
Of course, this only a bunch of suggestions. How do you think the Kharaa would affect a marine who is infected?
<!--quoteo(post=1626782:date=May 15 2007, 02:24 AM:name=CanadianWolverine)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CanadianWolverine @ May 15 2007, 02:24 AM) [snapback]1626782[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Level 4 ability - Xeno: The Kharaa Marine explodes with much fan fare ... in a crowd of his former buddies. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> if this was added then it would seriously be too similar to the infested terran from start craft, and theres already way to many starcraft rip-off ideas in these forums.
i really like the idea of controlling a mutated marine, but it would be pretty hard for the devs to implement without any sort of copyright infringement.
Comments
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> Wasn't there already a thread like this?
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Perhaps, but since I havn't seen it I rather a new one start up and all new suggestions/ideas
be thrown in along with everyone's old thoughts.
Maybe if there were more water/liquid areas/maps, there should be a
sort-of amphibious evolution. Sort of like a skulk that moves as fast in
water as if it had celerity on land (but moving normal or slightly slower land speeds)
I already suggested an underwater life form in that thread, called the leviathan:
It would be kinda of like an underwater, small dragon-like thing without wings, how i pictured it. It would only move fast while in the water, and would be a slow and fairly easy target on land.
Attacks:
Slash: uses a claw to swipe at the enemy
Charge: Kinda like the onos version, but only works underwater.
Bite: Bites the enemy and constantly drains adrenaline. Marine that is bitten is near helpless, and is stuck in the mouth of the leviathan until its adrenaline is gone. (drowns the marine, ideally.)
Capsize: (assuming marines have boats): If aimed properly, flips the marine boat and dumps the marines into the water, making them easy prey for the leviathan.
I dunno what the hive 3 move would be if no boats were there, but that was my idea for an underwater thing.
So, super specialized forms arn't terribly likely.
I would love to see more specialization down the tree for the aliens though.
Something like this
Skulk <-> "Heavy Skulk" say, Prowler (a stop gap between skulk and Fade, an earlier combat form, slightly slower skulk, with enhanced combat surviability and prowess.)
Gorge <-> "Support Gorge" Mister (Say, provides a passive heal aura like DCs and earns Umbra at the third hive instead of bile bomb...) <-> "Super-builder gorge." (Similar to the standard, but support skills are replaced by building enhancing/anti-base abilities. Such as an anti-building acid rocket, a structure gel instead of spit allowing remote building & healing of chambers as well as decent anti-structure ability.)
And so on... True, my gorge ideas might make the vanilla gorge useless... and would require alot of balancing.
I would at least like to see an earlier combat form than the Fade, since Skulks are such exceedingly fragile specimens...
There already was a thread like this, but it's been inactive.
I already suggested an underwater life form in that thread, called the leviathan:
It would be kinda of like an underwater, small dragon-like thing without wings, how i pictured it. It would only move fast while in the water, and would be a slow and fairly easy target on land.
Attacks:
Slash: uses a claw to swipe at the enemy
Charge: Kinda like the onos version, but only works underwater.
Bite: Bites the enemy and constantly drains adrenaline. Marine that is bitten is near helpless, and is stuck in the mouth of the leviathan until its adrenaline is gone. (drowns the marine, ideally.)
Capsize: (assuming marines have boats): If aimed properly, flips the marine boat and dumps the marines into the water, making them easy prey for the leviathan.
I dunno what the hive 3 move would be if no boats were there, but that was my idea for an underwater thing.
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Perhaps if no boats were present in the game the form would have sort of an UPGRADED 'Bite' of yours, perhaps 'Anchor' or 'Sink' or something of the sort, which pulls them literally to the very bottom of the bottom of water instead of just holding them under (as your description of bite made it sound for me)
Perhaps if no boats were present in the game the form would have sort of an UPGRADED 'Bite' of yours, perhaps 'Anchor' or 'Sink' or something of the sort, which pulls them literally to the very bottom of the bottom of water instead of just holding them under (as your description of bite made it sound for me)
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Well, the idea of bite was that it did initial damage and they were carried in your mouth until they drown, but yeah, pretty much. Perhaps hive three could make them planted into Dynamic Infestation if it was at the bottom of the water! Marines would have to have some kind of way to break out, of course, but it wouldn't be a fun process.
a few skills it could have:
1. sporemines
2. Explosive mines (small scale xeno)
3. The ability to create some sort of sticky tar substance to slow players down.
4. parasite Mines ( 60% chance all marines in the area will be parasiteded)
5. Anything eles Yall can think about.
It does exist but only slighty. I'd like to see some underwater battles occur too. Air, land, and sea -- if you will -- in an epic fight for survival. And if it's in space, lets play a bit with zero gravity areas and vacuums.
And the marines? Would they not develop technology to combat in those water areas too? (I can't help but think of James Bond stuff here)
idea:
phyonic spider jellyfish thing
role : (tactical) information garthing, disruption, transport,
has 'lerklift' for small creatures, enermy in view of this creature show up on hive sight
Ablities:
Tentacale slash : slashing poison attack which also slows down enermy movement (poison by-passes armor)
Death Siren : create visual and audio distoration in enermies close to you, blurred sight and distorting sound.
Warp : You return to the last location you activated Warp (consums all energy) phase in time of 1 second
Conceal : Passive activated ablitiy drains adren constently; cloak and slience nearby slow moving (walking) aliens, ends when adren runs out (this will also cloak any one it's carrying)
Snare spray : Slightly slows affected targets for 10s, cumlative effect, area effect
it's a big ugry spider baby making machine, slow moving
Ablities:
Slash: 100 damge
Spawn spiderlings: drops eggs of small spider like creatures which will follow the queen's sent upon hatching and attack any nearby enermy (max 8)
Spawn swarmlings: drop eggs which hatch into small insect flyers which will follow the queen's sent (max 8)
Mark: mark the target/location with a special sent which drives all underlings to attack it or any thing near it's location (marking fades with time)
Infest: spwan a infested egg, which hatches into a parasite. If target is infested it rechives 50 damage every time it is healed, if that creature dies while it is infested, a infested parasite will spawn form it's host's chest and try infest the nearist living non-alien target (it is destoryed upon infestation) if it does not find a host with-in 10 seconds. it dies.
these eggs can be carryed around via 'lerk lift'
Hive Queen (100 res)
it's a big ugry spider baby making machine, slow moving
Ablities:
Slash: 100 damge
Spawn spiderlings: drops eggs of small spider like creatures which will follow the queen's sent upon hatching and attack any nearby enermy (max 8)
Spawn swarmlings: drop eggs which hatch into small insect flyers which will follow the queen's sent (max 8)
Mark: mark the target/location with a special sent which drives all underlings to attack it or any thing near it's location (marking fades with time)
Infest: spwan a infested egg, which hatches into a parasite. If target is infested it rechives 50 damage every time it is healed, if that creature dies while it is infested, a infested parasite will spawn form it's host's chest and try infest the nearist living non-alien target (it is destoryed upon infestation) if it does not find a host with-in 10 seconds. it dies.
these eggs can be carryed around via 'lerk lift'
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Kinda like an ant lion guard eh? Personally I'd like to see her have a super version of the fade's acid rocket. A good anti-vehicle lifeform to counter marine tanks, dropships, etc... And like a marine tank, should be controlled by two people. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />
Kinda like an ant lion guard eh? Personally I'd like to see her have a super version of the fade's acid rocket. A good anti-vehicle lifeform to counter marine tanks, dropships, etc... And like a marine tank, should be controlled by two people. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />
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Like you sugested in another thread? Ok, here's my take on it. I'll use the name / 1st tech of hazy's.
Hive queen
100 res
1 allowed on the team.
Very high HP and armor.
Slash: Deals 100 damage. Close range.
Infestation spray: Deals no actual damage. If the marine is on the Dynamic infestation and is hit, attracted parasites leap from the infected walls, floor, and ceiling, dealing 10 damage per parasite. Parasites can miss. Lasts for about...say, 5 seconds, with about 5 coming per second. (250 max damage, assuming EVERY PARASITE hits.) Can avoid parasites (some) by moving quickly, (Jetpack) or getting away form the D.I.
(For the_x5) Queen Rocket (for lack of a better name.): Fires a ball of biomass and acid at a target that deals massive damage to vehicles and armor. Deals 30 damage per second to vehicles / marine armor for 5 seconds. Vehicles fall apart if destroyed by this. Heavy Armor, if reduced to 0, is lost until replaced. If marines have no armor, this deals 2 damage for the remainder of the time every second.
Sacrifice: Drains the Hive Queen's HP at a rate of 50 per second to heal the nearest hive by 50 per second. During this time, the hive queen may not be healed by gorges, hives, or defense chambers.
Like you sugested in another thread? Ok, here's my take on it. I'll use the name / 1st tech of hazy's.
Hive queen
100 res
1 allowed on the team.
Very high HP and armor.
Slash: Deals 100 damage. Close range.
Infestation spray: Deals no actual damage. If the marine is on the Dynamic infestation and is hit, attracted parasites leap from the infected walls, floor, and ceiling, dealing 10 damage per parasite. Parasites can miss. Lasts for about...say, 5 seconds, with about 5 coming per second. (250 max damage, assuming EVERY PARASITE hits.) Can avoid parasites (some) by moving quickly, (Jetpack) or getting away form the D.I.
(For the_x5) Queen Rocket (for lack of a better name.): Fires a ball of biomass and acid at a target that deals massive damage to vehicles and armor. Deals 30 damage per second to vehicles / marine armor for 5 seconds. Vehicles fall apart if destroyed by this. Heavy Armor, if reduced to 0, is lost until replaced. If marines have no armor, this deals 2 damage for the remainder of the time every second.
Sacrifice: Drains the Hive Queen's HP at a rate of 50 per second to heal the nearest hive by 50 per second. During this time, the hive queen may not be healed by gorges, hives, or defense chambers.
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Ooh! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wow.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":0" border="0" alt="wow.gif" /> I like.
Primary attack could be some sort of melee attack. (Tail whip / impale?)
Infestation spray I like but if I could make one suggestion: could we make the hitpoints drained vampirically heal nearby allies? (not the queen herself though, that could be exploited too easily) That would also encourage the little aliens to stay close and protect the Queen when she decides to go on a rampage.
I'm instead of Queen Rocket, how about making it similar to those Nemacyst things from those locust things in <i>Gears of War</i>. Only a lot faster and cooler looking (and fitting into the NS artistic theme). Perhaps they should be homming projectiles as well, or perhaps guided, like the HL2 rocket launcher. Actually come to think of it guided would be a cool way to add additional skill to that role. Be careful when FF is on! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Sacrifice might seem silly for such a hard to create being, perhaps you could give that to the royal spacecow-- I mean onos. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> Or even the gorge. It's not a good trade off for the aliens in my mind. This being is the kind of thing that could make for an alien comeback in late game. Its death would likely be the end for the alien team if they hadn't used the time to collect enough resources.
wait...! <!--coloro:#FFFF33--><span style="color:#FFFF33"><!--/coloro-->*lightbulb*<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
It is controlled by two players, right? Ok, assuming you have three hives still in NS2... That means you could have FOUR abilities per person!
Do I hear an example desired? Wish granted dear NSF forumgoers:
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><i>"<u>Driver</u>?"</i><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
(Role: does the moving; most concerned about getting around and keeping you both alive)<ul><li><b><!--coloro:#33CC00--><span style="color:#33CC00"><!--/coloro-->H0<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Bite</b> (ouch)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#FFCC00--><span style="color:#FFCC00"><!--/coloro-->H1<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Devour</b> (Yum, yum, but now we can eat "more"?)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#FF6600--><span style="color:#FF6600"><!--/coloro-->H2<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Defensive Stance</b> (very slow movement but highly resistant: damage reduction, reduces all attacks to a certain value, attacks cannot be reduced more than that value)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#CC0000--><span style="color:#CC0000"><!--/coloro-->H3<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Rage</b> (an improved charge that bolsters allies and/or causes some debuff in enemies... thinking of something "Bard-like", secondary fire does a lunge?)</li></ul>
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><i>"<u>Gunner</u>?"</i><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
(Role: does the aiming; most concerned about killing enemies as efficiently as possible)<ul><li><b><!--coloro:#33CC00--><span style="color:#33CC00"><!--/coloro-->H0<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Tail impale </b> (a marine shish kabob, don't forget your veggies! If marine dies from attack they are impaled, practically useless against structures or armored vehicles)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#FFCC00--><span style="color:#FFCC00"><!--/coloro-->H1<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Tail whip </b> (*whap* *whap* can whip or grab objects, grabbed objects can be thrown)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#FF6600--><span style="color:#FF6600"><!--/coloro-->H2<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: "Queen Rocket"</b> ("Nemacyst" guided rocket things which deal more damage than the mere acid rocket and are ideal for taking out aircraft or tanks, but not as good as killing marines)</li><li><b><!--coloro:#CC0000--><span style="color:#CC0000"><!--/coloro-->H3<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->: Infestation Spray </b> (as described by Moving_Target0 above, possibly plus my addendums)</li></ul>
Upgrades: We could either have the two players get independent upgrades (not sure how that'd work though), shared upgrades (makes most sense to me), or vote on a single upgrade each for their Hve Queen. Defense is obviously important, movement and sensory upgrades are critical to the "gunner". If combined ugrades were used, you could invest your mutual "points" in carpace and regeneration for example, then with movement chambers, get adrenaline and silence or celerity depending on whether the "driver" prefers stealth or speed. Adrenaline obviously would be handy to the "gunner". Sensory? Well focus and scent of fear would be awesome for the "gunner", cloaking <i>could</i> be handy I guess, but not as much since you'll both be seeing a lot of action.
And before you all whine that this seems a bit too strong, remember: it's a counter to <i>deadly</i> marine tanks, dropships, or other aircraft/land/water vehicles. It will likely have to take on multiple vehicles and perhaps the entire marine team when rushing base. The other aliens would <i>have to</i> give support much better than would be expected of an onos or fade.
I can't help but think what a HUGE ammount of innate teamwork such a class would add to the Kharaa team in-game. The two players that manned this alien "vehicle" would need to really work together. A truely awesome commadory experience could develop. The "gunner" is absolutely helpless when it comes to getting out of harm's way without the "driver", and the "driver" can't really attack much with out the "gunner". You MUST trust the other player. That alone would change how aliens are played. Not to mention the need to protect the large being would cause a natural alien squad formation.
Very rough thinking here:
As far as requirements of such a being, I think it should cost 100 res for both players and one hive. Yes, one hive. The hive would become the Hive Queen (makes sense), but no worries a new hive would automatically start growing in its place. However, note the time sensitive risk. I hive would take time to regrow and clever marines would desperately try to rush one of your other hives as soon as they knew this had happened. This is where a clever alien team would create traps and try to hide the Hive Queen until the time was right. (or they were forced too) Or you could just make a new hive regrow completely in a few seconds, just depending on what was needed. I just think it makes sense from a body mass, nomenclature, risk, and just a damn cool morphing animation point of view. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
What do you think?
I shall now update my concept, and include the ideas of the_x5.
How it is formed:
Two aliens, either elected or by first come, first serve basis, go to a hive that has been notified as "Ready" by an icon by the hive status bar. When this happens, the first two aliens to go to that hive and use 100 res to start the gestation process will become the hive queen, destroying the nearby hive, but instantly starting the construction of another. The gunner is the first to start gestation, the driver the second.
Abilities:
Driver:
H0: Bite. Attacks a nearby, close enemy with high damage.
H1: Devour, but better! Can eat up to 2 marines at once, receiving health as it is drained from the marine.
H2: Trample. Like charge, but better! Can kill marines if stepped on, a glancing blow dealing the same as charge.
H3: Harden Carapace. The hive queen sacrifices movement speed to resist attacks from tanks and other heavy fire, reducing speed by X% and damage by X%. Resists extra damage from vehicles.
Gunner:
H0: Impale. The queen uses her tail to stab marines quickly. Deals little damage to structures and a bit more to vehicles.
H1: Tail whip: Is able to grab a marine and use him as a projectile. (primary to grab, secondary to throw.) Does moderate damage to buildings and can make vehicles go off-balance.
H2: Queen Rocket: Deals devastating damage to armor and vehicles, making marine armor and vehicles alike easy prey. Deals low damage to marines.
H3: Parasite spray. See above post, but perhaps skips armor? This IS a tank, after all. Little damage dealt to non-organic units. The damage dealt is given to nearby players, excluding the queen.
Upgrades:
Three upgrades, right? How about this?
The driver chooses the movement upgrade.
The gunner chooses the defensive upgrade.
The two decide on a sensory upgrade. If they cannot agree, one of the two is selected randomly.
Now you're getting the idea. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
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Nah make it synchronous. The two player's bodies go away and the hive does this creepy morphing thing. I'll see if I can draw it out what I'm thinking for that animation. For reference keep this anatomical overview picture in mind:
<img src="http://www.xzianthia.net/images/hive.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
The hive's transformation starts with a kind of Inuyasha's transformation into a full-blooded demon. What I mean by that is that when both players are a go, all the aliens get this psychic blast wave and are given a boost of energy, like when in range of a MC. (to do this both players are next to the hive they choose the evolution and spend their resources, the first player becomes the driver and waits for the second to become the driver. The resources aren't spend and the hive doesn't "sacrifice" until both are set to ready)
1. Psychic blast wave giving aliens distorted vision (red hue tinted?) for a split second, also gives entire alien a MC's tick of energy boost (or just sets energy to 100%)
2. Hive falls from ceiling and the two players have their models' death animations and sounds play (perhaps unique ones?)
3. The legs retract and grow down as the bioduct seals up and begins to grow narrow.
4. The eye splits into two and the hive gains a black coloration
5. Dynamic infestation starts to grow rapidly now over hive as it enters it's full gestation
5. The top tissue has a symbiote grow out, like the fade's only bigger and meaner. (for added creepiness make it rise up for a second and hiss like a cobra)
6. The vertabrae are now easily visible and the legs are starting to appear more pronounced
7. The tail comes out of the biomass well formed and hardening into it's razor sharpness and diamond-like strength on the tip
8. suddenly from within the now slowly retreating biomass of the DI the eyes light up in a sudden glow and with that the Hive Queen rises up tearing free of the supportive dynamic infestation, bares her predatory teeth, and gives a ###### of roar which shakes the screen of nearby players and gives the in-range aliens the ability of primal scream momentarily.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The driver chooses the movement upgrade.
The gunner chooses the defensive upgrade.
The two decide on a sensory upgrade. If they cannot agree, one of the two is selected randomly.
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If anything the driver should choose the defensive, the gunner choose the sensory, and they collaborate on the movement.
Meh I'd like it if they could get two of each that way you'd have no conflicts. Almost as if bringing in a fun aspect of combat into NS.
Lets say we had MC and SC with two hives and the marines were about to drive their vehicles into a hive. You're team is counting on you and you do have gorges. The gunner is like well, I need to do a lot of attacking; chooses adrenaline and then focus. The driver is like well I need to know where they are and may have to do a little hit & run if they are too strong; he chooses celerity and cloaking. Marines come in and get ready to set up a seige. The phasegate drops and a marine goes to build it but it suddenly impaled by the Queen's tail. Now the focus fades blink in and start attacking. All hell breaks loose. A fade goes down to Heavy Armor with a HMG, who gets grabbed and thrown back into the hive room where a bunch of the fades and gorges are. Another heavy gets eaten. Suddenly a tank shows up. It's gunner is an insane shot and nails a fade in mid-air with the main cannon. Lucky the replacement hive is back online and the Queen's driver goes into a defensive stance / hardened carpace and negates the tank gunner's second shot. Seeing most of it's support gone the tank's driver goes to retreat but now the Queen's gunner returns fire with the queen rocket while the Queen's driver takes the opportunuity to rush the tank. Now in close range the Queen's driver bites the tank while the Queen's gunner continues shooting at the tank. The Queen's health gets low but due to the rest of the alien team taking care of the tank's support and now ganking the tank too, the tank goes down. The commander beacons. Now the marines come with a dropship thinking to ninja the other hive. But the Hive Queen is waiting cloaked and her gunner nails the dropship causing it to crash. Those that do not die in the crash are now eaten by the Hive Queen.
PS: The queen rocket needs to be Hive #2 because that way can enjoy the combat between vehicles in mid-late game. Otherwise we won't get to see these cool and fun abilties except in the very, very rare game. Tail whip needs to be hive #1 because that should reason as a basic attack which requires only the skill granted by one hive to have an agile grab and throw. It would be nice if say the Hive Queen could knock over a marine light vehicle with it (like rocketing a Halo Warthog) or use it to toss a marine into a deep pit. Yaaaaah!
Meh I'd like it if they could get two of each that way you'd have no conflicts. Almost as if bringing in a fun aspect of combat into NS.
PS: The queen rocket needs to be Hive #2 because that way can enjoy the combat between vehicles in mid-late game. Otherwise we won't get to see these cool and fun abilties except in the very, very rare game. Tail whip needs to be hive #1 because that should reason as a basic attack which requires only the skill granted by one hive to have an agile grab and throw. It would be nice if say the Hive Queen could knock over a marine light vehicle with it (like rocketing a Halo Warthog) or use it to toss a marine into a deep pit. Yaaaaah!
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Actually, now that I think about it, maybe if they each got one, both upgrades would take effect? For instance, if the driver chooses Carapace, both have it, but the gunner chooses regeneration. Both have it. Etc...
I'll update my post and change the order.
I already said tail whip could knock over small vehicles!
Also, just wondering, what does the hive end up looking like? I picture a scorpion thing with 4 legs, but...I didn't exactly get a clear idea from your description.
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Obviously it's still up in the air and there should be a number of sketches made before selecting a design.
I'd like to see her evolution look like a hive that took upon the fade's design and made it super deady and anti-vehicle as well. Still a quadruped, but now a bit more prone (pehaps the movement style more akin to a silverback gorilla; half running on two legs, half running on four) and actually has "hands" with opposable thumbs enabling her to climb large obstables. And she has and <i>extremely</i> deadly tail again enemy infantry depending on the skill of the "gunner". I'd love to see her grab and throw objects (or push them) into cocky marines and their turret farms. As I said she should be the ideal comeback weapon, something that costs aliens dearly to create but can really wreak hell. Eating marines, throwing car-sized objects, tearing up destructabes in the environment, impaling "invincible" rambo jetpackers, etc. Enough to give the aliens a fighting chance.
A tail, more like a Xenomorph queen's, but with an artistic theme <i>definitively</i> NS rather than that of Hans Ruedi Giger. Inspiration sure, but we need to find our own artistic theme. But same overall structure and fludity of movement. Almost snake like in it's agility and burst speed. The impale's action should be fast like a rattle snake (although have a pre-strike-get-ready subtle motion.
The skin is black like a fade's, but more robust with layered armor pieces like the onos or an insect's carapace. Perhaps getting the carapace upgrade can actually give her a spiked armor or something my point is that she should be a wicked black armored killing machine much like the fade. In fact the Hive Queen and the Fade should have the highest numbers of kills/frags and destroyed vehicles in the game.
Her over all appearing is definitively vertabrate, but little bit larger than an onos and less massive (more lean like a fade or skulk, not at all bulky like a gorge or onos). In fact she should act a bit more like a fade as far as being agile despite her size. Of course she moves slower but still fast enough to catch up with any marine infantry or vehicles except for the really fast marine vehicles, perhaps more like the speed of a walker fade with celerity. The reason for this is that she needs some aspect of hit & run. Of course she can be a lot more bold than most classes but she shouldn't be able just stand there and take shot after shot multiple marine heavy stationary weapons. (ie: seiges with the new "strider cannon" like effect? The reasoning is that it is because she is still part "hive")
Keep in mind the gunner can aim anywhere in the 360 horizontal as long has he has room (like how DoD guns account for the barrel being obstructed from moving through a wall or window pane). So even though the Queen's "driver" may be facing a Heavy Armor marine in an attempt to devour him, don't be suprised if the "gunner" impales you. As such no one marine can take her on. I don't care how good of a jetpacker you are. You MUST work as a team if you want to bring her down. Numeric superiority. And as the two players controlling the team, you have to realize that you need your own support.
Here's how I see impale working:
Remember the TFC sniper rifle? You hold down to charge the attack. Holding down longer make your attack's release velocity (and consequently penetration damage) higher to a maximum. It would only peck at vehicles and structures, but infantry and especially the relatively exposed flesh of a light armored marine or jetpacker would get run through. HA could still be run through but only it the tail would do enough damage in it's blow to finish them off (ie: they've lost most of their armor). With the factor of damage being show on models it would basically up to the gunner to make a quick decision about who to attack.
Here's how I see the tail whip working.
If you move the tail while whipping your mouse side to side you create a slashing action in those direction. In other you start moving from upper left to lower right and as you move your press your left mouse button (MOUSE1) and make a slash with the angular momentum and direction of your movement. If you move too fast you don't get enough range and damage, too slow you'll have range but not enough momentum means not damage. <b>Damage in this sense is calculated at torque.</b> It's the velocity of the endpoint on the tip that counts, which is highest when it's both decent range, hitting near the sweet-spot (like baseball batting), and decent velocity. It should be smooth, moderate speed, lashing motion.
The clicking secondary fire (MOUSE2) will reach out and grab an in-range object that is being aimed at by wrapping the tail around it. It needs a closer range but can be used to grab objects or grab a marine infantry that was stupid enough to get close. To release the object simply tap the seconday fire again, or press MOUSE1 while using the same whipping technique to lob the object in the desired direction. Much like throwing a pitch, a good lob will send the object flying.
Here's how I see "queen rocket" working:
Much like the fade's acid rocket it causes a bigger rocket to be fired but this time it's guided. No laser of course, but rather where you "will" the rocket to go. Marines can't see what's being aimed at, nor do they need to. Seconday fire? Hmm. Perhaps fire something else?
Imagine a long snake type creature swirling around walls and poles and ceilings, creating a confusing mess of flesh for which the other aliens can use as an ambush point
Perhaps
attack abilites could be
1 bite
2 onoscharge type ability (making it be able to close the distance between rines)
3 grapple tongue - grabs marines and pulls them towards the mouth
4 electrify (the entire snakes body becomes electrified for 5 seconds, if any rines are touching it then they start losing health)
would cost 100 res i'd say
how about a creature which starts off kind of like a skulk, but every kill it gets longer - like in that snake game on most older phones where you eat the fruit and your snake gets longer. The catch being that the lenght that is added from eating rines, is that its bullet proof and grenades only do 1/4 damage - making it a nice meat shield.
Imagine a long snake type creature swirling around walls and poles and ceilings, creating a confusing mess of flesh for which the other aliens can use as an ambush point
Perhaps
attack abilites could be
1 bite
2 onoscharge type ability (making it be able to close the distance between rines)
3 grapple tongue - grabs marines and pulls them towards the mouth
4 electrify (the entire snakes body becomes electrified for 5 seconds, if any rines are touching it then they start losing health)
would cost 100 res i'd say
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would also be neigh invincible. Immune to bullets and 1/4 nade damage? That would take forever to kill...
walking down a hallway in a group of 10, feeling completely safe from everything around you, suddenly your screen goes black and everything comes back - you're all alone in a completely different hallway. Well, you're not entierly alone.
would also be neigh invincible. Immune to bullets and 1/4 nade damage? That would take forever to kill...
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sorry forgot to mention that the head was a weak point - i always leave out the important details :S
I've always thought it would be cool to have a creature which can walk in and out of shadows, as if they were portals, but i doubt thats technologically possible.
Also i'm not quite sure how it could be done so thats its actually playable, like how would you pick which shadows to come out and switch between them quickly enough.
I guess when you walk into a shadow it would be like walking into a dark hallway - then when you get to the other end of the hall way it goes to 3rd person / cam view and you use your strafe left and strafe right keys to select which shadow you want - obviously the amount of shadows there could be would make it confusing as hell
Marines wouldn't be safe ever! you'd forever be paranoid about watching where your shadow is.
unless you turn on ultrabright :S
<b>The TSA Marine</b>
Or more specifically, a very infected and doomed TSA Marine. Let's use their precious organic matter against them and turn an enemy into an ally ... then send them off to brutally slaughter their former friends.
We need to soak them in our essence, cleanse them of any of the "individual mind", so our hive mind is in command. I suggest we use Onos' belly, then plop out an egg into the Dynamic Infestation, which one of the Kharaa has the option of getting in and popping out as a take no prisoners Kharaa Marine. Or maybe we just pump them so full of parasites that they come on over to our side. Maybe we don't even have to control their corpse, it just stands around looking for a chance to scare the bejesus out of them.
Though, this won't actually stop them from "re-spawning", it will be more like a very Kharaa infested copy of them running around looking to make their stay on our map a very short one.
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hive5.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::hive::" border="0" alt="hive5.gif" /> + <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/marine.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::marine::" border="0" alt="marine.gif" /> = <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
I would like to suggest that one of the latest additions to the Kharaa cadre of creatures be (drum roll please):
<b>The TSA Marine</b>
Or more specifically, a very infected and doomed TSA Marine. Let's use their precious organic matter against them and turn an enemy into an ally ... then send them off to brutally slaughter their former friends.
We need to soak them in our essence, cleanse them of any of the "individual mind", so our hive mind is in command. I suggest we use Onos' belly, then plop out an egg into the Dynamic Infestation, which one of the Kharaa has the option of getting in and popping out as a take no prisoners Kharaa Marine. Or maybe we just pump them so full of parasites that they come on over to our side. Maybe we don't even have to control their corpse, it just stands around looking for a chance to scare the bejesus out of them.
Though, this won't actually stop them from "re-spawning", it will be more like a very Kharaa infested copy of them running around looking to make their stay on our map a very short one.
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hive5.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::hive::" border="0" alt="hive5.gif" /> + <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/marine.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::marine::" border="0" alt="marine.gif" /> = <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
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zombie marines - awesome <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
zombie marines - awesome <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
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I suppose they could be that if they were just drones ... or maybe they could be much, much more. Perhaps the infection would be not obvious, like they could infiltrate without us knowing.
Level 1 ability - Infiltrate: The Kharaa looks like us and spoofs the AI routines on our Graphical Interfaces, for a short while they go undected among us, fooling us and our equipment into thinking they are friendly.
Maybe, just maybe it gets worse and they can use any of our dropped equipment! Then, it shows its true colors!
Level 2 ability - Feral: The Kharaa Marine claws with fingers and bites at the unsuspecting prey its disguised itself as! Lowest attack damage but ... ignores armor? Parasites? Something bizarre and unexpected from a marine?
Level 3 ability - Grapple: The Kharaa Marine sacrafices himself, this time to paralyze a TSA marine until either they die or he does.
Level 4 ability - Xeno: The Kharaa Marine explodes with much fan fare ... in a crowd of his former buddies.
Of course, this only a bunch of suggestions. How do you think the Kharaa would affect a marine who is infected?
Level 4 ability - Xeno: The Kharaa Marine explodes with much fan fare ... in a crowd of his former buddies.
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if this was added then it would seriously be too similar to the infested terran from start craft, and theres already way to many starcraft rip-off ideas in these forums.
i really like the idea of controlling a mutated marine, but it would be pretty hard for the devs to implement without any sort of copyright infringement.