Chambers and hive evolution
thefonz
Join Date: 2011-06-22 Member: 105847Members
Join Date: 2011-06-22 Member: 105847Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Should hives be able to de-volve so aliens can change strategy?</div>From briefly looking over the alien tech tree I see that the mature version of a chamber will require a second hive evolved to that type of chamber. So for the aliens to have all options available they would need 6 hives. That is an impossible situation. I understand that for most matches and certainly for competitive play this is not a problem. However, I find that it makes the aliens far too rigid in their tech tree. Aliens are supposed to be the more flexible team from my understanding. By using up hive locations, they become locked into certain tech paths unless the marines kill a hive and the aliens redrop it. Why not make it so a hive can change its specialization for a tres cost? Tres spent on previous tech is a sunk cost, those structures would become dormant. The aliens could always switch back when another chnage in strategy becomes appropriate.
Comments
(ie, choice based on start locations, whether initial rush succeed or fail, etc, etc)
(ie, choice based on start locations, whether initial rush succeed or fail, etc, etc)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like this. Always bugs me to have to wait to pick crag/shade.
I hope the Mature upgrades won't be tied to Hive 2, since it would further reduce the emphasis and dependance on it. I say let the Alien Comm. decide if he wants to spend the TRes to get better abilities from a Mature chamber (how it works currently), or save up for a Hive to get more lifeform abilities + advance tech.
+1, I always wait to see if they're next to my hive or on the opposite side of the map for me. Crag if they're far, Shade if they are close and my allies can keep the cloaking for the distance.
I hope the Mature upgrades won't be tied to Hive 2, since it would further reduce the emphasis and dependance on it. I say let the Alien Comm. decide if he wants to spend the TRes to get better abilities from a Mature chamber (how it works currently), or save up for a Hive to get more lifeform abilities + advance tech.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh, just having any second hive is the requirement? So having three hives gives full access to tech just like NS1. cool.
Also, I agree it would be nice to have basic capabilities like cysts and drifters with out having to choose a tech path right away. Letting the khamm determine the marine location before becoming locked into a tech path just makes sense strategy wise.
...and I think I approve it the same way i approve of recycle.
(you should also get some minimal res back)
The real reason I approve of recycle is that it encourages experimentation.
You build a building ...
...that is not a building you want now
...not a building you ever want
...not positioned right
You can't really choose <i>for the situation</i>, though. When the game starts, you pick a hive type because you want to have drifters available. You can quickly debate it with your teammates, given the spawn you got, players on the other team and whatnot..but you generally choose it as fast as you can because otherwise you're giving the marines a big edge in the resource-acquisition part of the game.
NS1 was the exact same way, though. Some time in the future when the game is much more complete, all 3 hives types will be viable choices for any starting hive. The shift will dominate because movement is strictly more powerful than defence or trickery (assuming the game is balanced more toward player skill than rock-paper-scissors games with gimmick mechanics like cloak), but they will all be decent. Part of the aliens' design is that you have to work within the scheme you create for your team - if you go shade first, you better come up with a shade-based strategy to make that pay off. If you can't, it's either because your opponents outplayed you or you played badly (or both). It's never because you <b>absolutely had to</b> change hive types and didn't.
I'm fine with this idea at first glance, but I don't think it's really as necessary as people might have you believe.
Getting more hives after that will just allow you to get more upgrades from the different tech paths.
(ie, choice based on start locations, whether initial rush succeed or fail, etc, etc)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This. For the love of god, this.