Absorb
Floodinator
[HBZ] Member Join Date: 2005-02-22 Member: 42087Members, Reinforced - Shadow
[HBZ] Member Join Date: 2005-02-22 Member: 42087Members, Reinforced - Shadow
<div class="IPBDescription">An new evolution</div>My idea is an upgrade for the Crag. It is called absorb.
What it does is easy to explain, it absorbs the first DMG done to an Alien and then hast the same cooldown like regen has till it's reactivatet.
So if a skulk has absorb he wouldn't get DMG from 1 LMG shot, 1 SG shot, 1GL hit, 1mine and 0 against Flamer.
The idea behind this upgrade is to beef Skulks in late game but not OP the other lifeforms. Because 1 LMG shot on the onos and his protection is gone.
The Lifeforms that get beefed by Absorb are are only the fast agile ones Lerk/Skulk/Fade (if facinng SGs).
In early game it would only help against mines, because every marine wears a LMG --> 20 R/s, it doesn't matter if he needs 9 or 10 shots.
The only real contra is that SG early game will need 2 shots for Skulks and the Fade could survive 1 more SG shot if he faces a lone marine.
What it does is easy to explain, it absorbs the first DMG done to an Alien and then hast the same cooldown like regen has till it's reactivatet.
So if a skulk has absorb he wouldn't get DMG from 1 LMG shot, 1 SG shot, 1GL hit, 1mine and 0 against Flamer.
The idea behind this upgrade is to beef Skulks in late game but not OP the other lifeforms. Because 1 LMG shot on the onos and his protection is gone.
The Lifeforms that get beefed by Absorb are are only the fast agile ones Lerk/Skulk/Fade (if facinng SGs).
In early game it would only help against mines, because every marine wears a LMG --> 20 R/s, it doesn't matter if he needs 9 or 10 shots.
The only real contra is that SG early game will need 2 shots for Skulks and the Fade could survive 1 more SG shot if he faces a lone marine.
Comments
Seriously though, I like this idea. Just a little difficult to ensure that a wayward LMG bullet doesn't own your upgrade.
I think it is a good idea, certainly far superior to carapace on skulk, which is near useless imo.
It lets you survive bad aim from a shotgun, and slightly longer from anything else, and possibly an indirect hit from a mine. But seriously, not worth the res, might as well save for a higher lifeform.
Instead of species specific buffs, why not species specific upgrades? The only reasons why I like species specific upgrades more is the fact that it adds a new dimension to the evolution menu.
"should I go carapace?"
or
"should i go skulk specific reactive armor?"
decisions decisions etc etc.
Edited for grammer >.<
This would be only a problem if you walk alone with a SG, as soon as you have a buddy with you that also fires on the Skulk things change. It could be a good counter for the first SG rines, but as soon as they know about your upgrade they just switch back to LMG or finally start walking in a mixed weapons group.
It would also give a Skulk a chance to kill a lone armor 3 marine with SG.
The upgrade is weak against Tier 0 weapons (LMG, Pistol, Axe and rifle but) and sentrys.
Also if you consider that every GL also has a LMG the marine could first shoot of a GL and then spray some bulets to get 1 hit before the nade explodes (+1 for tactical field desicions from marines).
But can be strong against Tier 1/2 not 3 weapons.
A Skulk is a 1 hit kill for tier 1/2/3 weapons (beside the flamer), thats ok because he is a tier 0 unit.
The result is that skulks are fresh meat in late game and only usefull if the marines are dumb and don't know how to aim.
This up gives a little chance to avoid the 1 hit kill but does not grant it for 100%, because you never know if you will be hit by a ricochet. Also if a sentry is nearby it will be usless also.
It is more a scout upgrade in early game and a little 1 hit kill protection for late game that depends on situation awarnes and a bit of luck.
Maybe it would fit better to the kahm as a AoE cast on infestation that grants this ability to all ents in the area--> possible counter to 1 ARC.
At the moment I'm thinking that this ability is too weak and nobody would use it. I don't think its powerful at all.
+1
Edit: Oh, I just read the OP, and I see how it works. That explains it. Recharges a few seconds out of combat.
Why not make it more intuitive:
"First damage you got with full health/armor only drains one HP. No matter how high the damage would be."
So after a fight, all you have to do is get healed up again. And have the benefit of the upgrade again. No invisible cooldown timer involved.
"First damage you got with full health/armor only drains one HP. No matter how high the damage would be."
So after a fight, all you have to do is get healed up again. And have the benefit of the upgrade again. No invisible cooldown timer involved.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Good idea, but it would still need some kind of cool down for at least some seconds. Think of a gorge heal spray spamming a skulk or even himself.
encrust: healspray will "overheal" the target and grant additional armor.
now this is not exactly the same as the absorb upgrade, but it overlaps a bit in my opinion. the upgrade is interesing, but i see carapace (which would be replaced with that?) more interesting and easier to balance
Oberheal that stays or does it go back slowly to normal HP? So the OH isn't really clear.
Nah it shouldn't replace cara, it's more a reverse redemtion. Instead of last chance it's now first hope.
yeh that's the real interesting part about it. but i don't like that it's usefulness varies so much (early vs mid game, life form dependant). carapace is more universal and it helps every life form.
i was talking about "replacing" because we have only 2 upgrades per chamber, for now.
A Skulk with cara can resist 4 additional lvl 0 LMG shots and partial GL/Mine DMG thats it.
"Absorb" would fit better to the skulk than cara looking from early-late game. Cara only helps in early game IMO.
Same for the Lerk.
For the Fade it wouldn't really change alot because 50 AP from cara are exactly 1 PB shot from the SG ( 20 x 10 x 4 = 200), so it would be the same if you absorb the 1. hit or if you have 50 additional AP from cara. But it makes Fades weaker for lower tier guns, because they have a fast firingrate with low DMG.
So sorted by class: (early to lategame)
Skulk/Lerk Absorb > Cara
Fade Cara ~= Absorb
Gorge/Onos Cara > Absorb
About the visual:
The absorb shield could be explained as bacteria (what else?) covering your skin, and when you get hit, it will float down to the ground like some kind of slime creating a patch of infestation (scaling with size of the alien) for some time. Don't need to make it visual when it's on the skin, but it would be nice to know that your hit didn't do any damage.
We shouldn't talk about visuals, not know. I just want go get an upgrade that works from early to late game for all clases.
Cara can't do it for 100%, because of DMG upgrades and stronger 1 hit weapons and the low HP of lower lifeforms.
Blocks 1 incoming damage source and the CD is only 25sec.
If the game gets railgun and it 1hits the SKULK ( like GL do atm ) this "Absorb" can counter atleast 1 attack, so SKULK and LERK still have a chance end game.
<b>Should not work for Onos/Fades!</b>
Seems... Annoying to fight against.
Especially as it just means you have to fire a shot at long range to disable the shield.
Dunno, just seems like a really unintuitive skill. When you shoot something it takes damage, there shouldn't be any reason why something doesn't take damage from being shot.
Unless it's the onos and it's using bone shield and that makes it move slowly and has a highly obvious visual effect to explain it and it only works from one direction, but any other alien should just get hurt when shot.
Would have the same effect that smaler lifeforms are protected from 1 Explosive hit that normally is a 1 hit kill.