Building Upgrades
Kittamaru
Join Date: 2006-09-18 Member: 58017Members
Join Date: 2006-09-18 Member: 58017Members
<div class="IPBDescription">To add some variety</div>Marines:
Res Node:
-Defensive Grid - 30 resources, 45 seconds. Allows the res node to "lockdown" when under attack. Resource node provides NO resources while under attack, but it takes only x% damage (say 25%) from attacks.
-Nano Pumps - 50 resources, 60 seconds. Allows the res node to double its production rate at the expense of 75% of its HP. This makes it very vulnerable to blitzkreig style attacks, but are very profitable IF you can keep it alive.
Infantry Portal:
-Enhanced Transporters - 100 resources, 120 seconds. Gives a 25% increase to the rate of respawn for new marines. (eg, the upgraded transporter can "reset" after a spawn and spawn a new marine 25% faster). The infantry portal is INACTIVE while upgrading.
Observaory:
-Flux Capacitors - 25 resources, 30 seconds. Doubles the total energy storage of the Observatory.
-Gravimetric Scanning Array - 15 resources, 30 seconds. Allows the Observatory to detect and uncloak cloaked aliens (yes, it would no longer be able to do so from the get go)
Armory:
-Enhanced Ammo Dispensers - 15 resources, 30 seconds. Doubles the rate at which the armory dispenses ammo.
-Monomolecular plating - 30 resources, 15 seconds. Gives the armory 20% more HP. Great for forward armories.
Turret Factory:
-Additional Turret Slot - 5 resources, 1 second. Allows the turret factory to support an extra turret (default limit 4, max limit, 12)
-Gravity Capacitor Upgrade - 30 resources, 60 seconds. Allows the turrets to continue to operate for 160/number of turrets seconds after the turret factory has been destroyed.
Aliens
Offense Tower:
-Hardened Spikes - 5 resources, instant- offense tower deals double damage to anything that touches it (eg, 2x melee damage)
-Explosive Elements - 15 resources, 5 seconds - offense tower launches a burst of spikes upon destruction that effect a sphere around it, everything in it's normal range.
Sensory Chamber:
-Telepathic Link - 15 resources, instant - allows the Sensory Chamber to link with the hive mind more intimately, allowing it to show the location of all enemies it can see to all aliens in range.
-Telekinetic Rage - 30 resources, 5 second build time - the Sensory Chamber inflicts damage upon a target in range once every 5 seconds equal to half the damage it has taken between bursts.
Defense Chamber:
-Extended Carapace - 10 resources, 20 second build time - the Defense Chamber extends a set of hardened carapace leaves, granting a 25% damage reduction and giving cover to aliens hiding behind them
-Increased Regeneration - 30 resources, 15 second build time - the Defense Chamber heals twice as much HP per tick.
Movement Chamber:
-Bio-Nutrient Mash - 5 resources, instant - the movement chamber refills 10% adren for any alien in range per tick
-Teleportation - 10 resources, 5 seconds - the movement chamber can teleport allies to any hive under attack
What do you guys think? A little rough I know... but eh.
Res Node:
-Defensive Grid - 30 resources, 45 seconds. Allows the res node to "lockdown" when under attack. Resource node provides NO resources while under attack, but it takes only x% damage (say 25%) from attacks.
-Nano Pumps - 50 resources, 60 seconds. Allows the res node to double its production rate at the expense of 75% of its HP. This makes it very vulnerable to blitzkreig style attacks, but are very profitable IF you can keep it alive.
Infantry Portal:
-Enhanced Transporters - 100 resources, 120 seconds. Gives a 25% increase to the rate of respawn for new marines. (eg, the upgraded transporter can "reset" after a spawn and spawn a new marine 25% faster). The infantry portal is INACTIVE while upgrading.
Observaory:
-Flux Capacitors - 25 resources, 30 seconds. Doubles the total energy storage of the Observatory.
-Gravimetric Scanning Array - 15 resources, 30 seconds. Allows the Observatory to detect and uncloak cloaked aliens (yes, it would no longer be able to do so from the get go)
Armory:
-Enhanced Ammo Dispensers - 15 resources, 30 seconds. Doubles the rate at which the armory dispenses ammo.
-Monomolecular plating - 30 resources, 15 seconds. Gives the armory 20% more HP. Great for forward armories.
Turret Factory:
-Additional Turret Slot - 5 resources, 1 second. Allows the turret factory to support an extra turret (default limit 4, max limit, 12)
-Gravity Capacitor Upgrade - 30 resources, 60 seconds. Allows the turrets to continue to operate for 160/number of turrets seconds after the turret factory has been destroyed.
Aliens
Offense Tower:
-Hardened Spikes - 5 resources, instant- offense tower deals double damage to anything that touches it (eg, 2x melee damage)
-Explosive Elements - 15 resources, 5 seconds - offense tower launches a burst of spikes upon destruction that effect a sphere around it, everything in it's normal range.
Sensory Chamber:
-Telepathic Link - 15 resources, instant - allows the Sensory Chamber to link with the hive mind more intimately, allowing it to show the location of all enemies it can see to all aliens in range.
-Telekinetic Rage - 30 resources, 5 second build time - the Sensory Chamber inflicts damage upon a target in range once every 5 seconds equal to half the damage it has taken between bursts.
Defense Chamber:
-Extended Carapace - 10 resources, 20 second build time - the Defense Chamber extends a set of hardened carapace leaves, granting a 25% damage reduction and giving cover to aliens hiding behind them
-Increased Regeneration - 30 resources, 15 second build time - the Defense Chamber heals twice as much HP per tick.
Movement Chamber:
-Bio-Nutrient Mash - 5 resources, instant - the movement chamber refills 10% adren for any alien in range per tick
-Teleportation - 10 resources, 5 seconds - the movement chamber can teleport allies to any hive under attack
What do you guys think? A little rough I know... but eh.
Comments
Res Node:
-Defensive Grid - 30 resources, 45 seconds. Allows the res node to "lockdown" when under attack. Resource node provides NO resources while under attack, but it takes only x% damage (say 25%) from attacks.
-Nano Pumps - 50 resources, 60 seconds. Allows the res node to double its production rate at the expense of 75% of its HP. This makes it very vulnerable to blitzkreig style attacks, but are very profitable IF you can keep it alive.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'd prefer a choice between electrification and add-ons to making resnodes harder to kill, but I like the general idea of defensive vs economy upgrades, such as <b>anytime</b>'s thread:
<!--quoteo(post=1729609:date=Sep 29 2009, 02:03 PM:name=locallyunscene)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (locallyunscene @ Sep 29 2009, 02:03 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1729609"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->One thing I noticed looking at your suggested images:
You would want to make the kharaa enhancers immune or resistant to projectiles. If a skulk has to climb on top of the rt to kill the enhancers and be more vulnerable(which I think is a good intention), there should be a similar decision for the marines attacking a node. It would make attacking nodes more interesting if you had to chase down the glowies/enhancers surrounding it.
Similarly, there could be a mini game with the marine enhancers where they are only vulnerable on an "upswing" or "downswing" of the RT with some type of visual indicator. It would be a little like whack-a-mole except half of the enhancers would be vulnerable at a time.
Either that or marines could use weld bots as their enhancers(where they just float around it) so it would be similar to the kharaa version.
And about the above "always better to build an expander" you should make holding a new rt always preferable to building an expander. Otherwise marines would have very little reason to be aggressive and push past their base node. There should also be a max number or at least diminishing returns to encourage comms to use it on front lines and not just in secure areas.
Finally, it would be interesting if you reduced the cost(and maybe the effectiveness) of electrification and made it a binary decision between defense and economy expansion. Better yet, give the RT a set of hardpoints(maybe 3) that can be used to add electric generators or enhancers.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1732467:date=Oct 16 2009, 10:50 AM:name=Kittamaru)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kittamaru @ Oct 16 2009, 10:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1732467"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Infantry Portal:
-Enhanced Transporters - 100 resources, 120 seconds. Gives a 25% increase to the rate of respawn for new marines. (eg, the upgraded transporter can "reset" after a spawn and spawn a new marine 25% faster). The infantry portal is INACTIVE while upgrading.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Interesting tradeoff.
<!--quoteo(post=1732467:date=Oct 16 2009, 10:50 AM:name=Kittamaru)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kittamaru @ Oct 16 2009, 10:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1732467"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Observaory:
-Flux Capacitors - 25 resources, 30 seconds. Doubles the total energy storage of the Observatory.
-Gravimetric Scanning Array - 15 resources, 30 seconds. Allows the Observatory to detect and uncloak cloaked aliens (yes, it would no longer be able to do so from the get go)
Armory:
-Enhanced Ammo Dispensers - 15 resources, 30 seconds. Doubles the rate at which the armory dispenses ammo.
-Monomolecular plating - 30 resources, 15 seconds. Gives the armory 20% more HP. Great for forward armories.
Turret Factory:
-Additional Turret Slot - 5 resources, 1 second. Allows the turret factory to support an extra turret (default limit 4, max limit, 12)
-Gravity Capacitor Upgrade - 30 resources, 60 seconds. Allows the turrets to continue to operate for 160/number of turrets seconds after the turret factory has been destroyed.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't think these are terribly useful. Also FYI there is no more TFac according to the twitter. The closest analogue would be the MASC Lab, but your suggestions don't make much sense for that.
<!--quoteo(post=1732467:date=Oct 16 2009, 10:50 AM:name=Kittamaru)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kittamaru @ Oct 16 2009, 10:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1732467"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Offense Tower:
-Hardened Spikes - 5 resources, instant- offense tower deals double damage to anything that touches it (eg, 2x melee damage)
-Explosive Elements - 15 resources, 5 seconds - offense tower launches a burst of spikes upon destruction that effect a sphere around it, everything in it's normal range.
Defense Chamber:
-Extended Carapace - 10 resources, 20 second build time - the Defense Chamber extends a set of hardened carapace leaves, granting a 25% damage reduction and giving cover to aliens hiding behind them
-Increased Regeneration - 30 resources, 15 second build time - the Defense Chamber heals twice as much HP per tick.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Extended cara sounds cool, like a stationary onos boneshield. Increased regen is probably redundant with gorge and (I assume)khamander healing. Melee damage for the OC is likewise redundant because you're not going to want to run towards it anyway. I like the idea of OC having an upgrade to a small AoE, but I would make it cheaper and reduce the damage it does.
<!--quoteo(post=1732467:date=Oct 16 2009, 10:50 AM:name=Kittamaru)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kittamaru @ Oct 16 2009, 10:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1732467"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Sensory Chamber:
-Telepathic Link - 15 resources, instant - allows the Sensory Chamber to link with the hive mind more intimately, allowing it to show the location of all enemies it can see to all aliens in range.
-Telekinetic Rage - 30 resources, 5 second build time - the Sensory Chamber inflicts damage upon a target in range once every 5 seconds equal to half the damage it has taken between bursts.
Movement Chamber:
-Bio-Nutrient Mash - 5 resources, instant - the movement chamber refills 10% adren for any alien in range per tick
-Teleportation - 10 resources, 5 seconds - the movement chamber can teleport allies to any hive under attack<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We're not sure what the state of these chambers is because, from the twitter, gorges drop chambers but only can drop OCs and DCs. Whether the kham will be able to build MC or SC-like buildings is unknown.
I like the idea of instant uses of these chambers by players on the ground. I don't think you need to make tele to hive under attack cost res, but giving the Kham a beacon(BACON!) ability for Kharaa in range of the chamber would be cool. It would be like a reverse obs.
cept! Where is the twitter about the TF dieing xD I may of missed it.
Interesting tradeoff.
I don't think these are terribly useful. Also FYI there is no more TFac according to the twitter. The closest analogue would be the MASC Lab, but your suggestions don't make much sense for that.
Extended cara sounds cool, like a stationary onos boneshield. Increased regen is probably redundant with gorge and (I assume)khamander healing. Melee damage for the OC is likewise redundant because you're not going to want to run towards it anyway. I like the idea of OC having an upgrade to a small AoE, but I would make it cheaper and reduce the damage it does.
We're not sure what the state of these chambers is because, from the twitter, gorges drop chambers but only can drop OCs and DCs. Whether the kham will be able to build MC or SC-like buildings is unknown.
I like the idea of instant uses of these chambers by players on the ground. I don't think you need to make tele to hive under attack cost res, but giving the Kham a beacon(BACON!) ability for Kharaa in range of the chamber would be cool. It would be like a reverse obs.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The premise of increasing the individual structure enhancements is interesting, generally speaking.
Also, as far as alien enhancements go, There should be a tier level applied to individual structure enhancements based on the number of hives. There could also be a proximity factor involved, such as, in proximity to a RT or Hive, allows for certain types of upgrades.
I would include & alter as followed,
Offensive Chamber: [Requires 1st Hive to upgrade]
-Saving Grace - 10 resources, 30 seconds. Upon Death, Offensive Chamber emits umbra gas over a large area, lasting 3 to 6 seconds (unpredictability factor).
(proximity effect: When within 150 range (x,y, or z), to hive or RT, umbra duration x 2)
Defensive Chamber: [Requires 1st Hive to upgrade]
-KAAaaaBOOOoom!! - 10 resource, 30 seconds.
1st Hive effect: Upon Death, Defensive Chamber emits spores over a large area, lasting 5 to 10 seconds.
2nd Hive effect: Upon Death, Defensive Chamber xenocides. [stacks 1st hive effect]
(proximity effect: When within 150 range (x,y, or z), to hive or RT, spores duration x 2)
The notion behind this is the enhancement is adverse to what the chamber does, is, or represents. In turn, you can expect the learned behavior or marines to change. Such as how they approach a dc near an rt. If they kill it before the RT, then they will likely require meds from the commander while building the frontier rt, or they can wait for the spores to dissipate, slowing their advance and progression. So they would most likely attack the rt first, which allows lifeforms to gain the benefit of a dc while defending the rt. Of course, the rt regains hp while the dc is alive as well, so it takes longer for the rt to die than usual. So in either case, dropping a dc next to an rt and enchancing it as so would prove beneficial to slowing the progression of the marines advancements.
Consider the scenerio of an OC & DC, with these respective enhancements, next to an RT, while looming aliens patiently await their oppurtunity --- talk about an obstacle.
I no liky armourys, they're cheap and desposeable
I Really like the TF Capacitors thing, kind of a back up generator incase they strike out the TF
IDK if its not going to make it in tho the game that is a golden medal idea
But I like the Starcraft method where you can only pick one upgrade. I also like the idea of upgrades to give commander-activated abilities to buildings. That can enforce the desire for multiple commanders to deal with them.
If a building costs so much, and an upgrade is only an additional 15% more, than it's a a great idea to get the one upgrade, but to get both that means getting a whole 'nother building that you don't need, spending 5.6_ times more, which adds more depth to the strategy.
I don't care too much what the upgrades do, what the numbers are, as long as the buildings that have one have two or more possible upgrades. My only concern is that it makes you choose, and makes you think (As in, the upgrades should be something you choose based on what the enemy is doing. They should be consequential to strategy. They should make you scout before you decide on them.).
I do not like the idea of a ton of building upgrades for each building. The the chambers exploding and such. That just makes a new player go "wtf happened?" when they've been killing chambers all day and suddenly one explodes on them. It also is so many things to memorize. I think modifying evolves on Kharaa and weapons on Marines from upgrades is better, you have some visual queues and from playing each side you see these changers.
Depths doesn't really mean having a ton of things.
<u>The game of memory has a ton of cards, but that doesn't give it depth</u>. In fact, it's an extremely simple game, it just makes you have to remember everything.
Things like choosing between better armor(or maybe 360 degree turrets on it would be even nicer?) for resource collectors, or faster extraction, is nice. But a lot of players would get upset at the commanders choosing to armor it when they want more resources for themselves.
I also think of +20% HP to a building no different than invisible modifiers. Turrets are there to give a building more defense. Though, for some reason I think of resource collecting buildings of an except. But they need some visible indicator. Adding an HP buff upgrade to lots of buildings just feels like fluff and not substance to me.