Suggestions to make Blabblers useful (Awesome Suggestions)

paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
edited March 2013 in Ideas and Suggestions
Blabbler Eggs should be like alien landmines, they do not hatch unless manually 'used' ( press E ), also it hatches when a target comes into close range, then spawns Blabblers and attacks the target.

like this guy's suggestion-
Kindread wrote: »
Here are some ideas on how I think the Babblers could have been implemented.

- Babblers have higher movement speed to always
keep up with a none-belly sliding gorge.

- A completed Babbler Egg must be manually 'used' ( press E ) after they are built
to pop* the egg and spawn the babblers that will then attach/follow whichever
player 'used' the egg
allowing for easier babbler assignment.

- Un-popped eggs act as 'land mines' and are activated by passing marines,
causing the babblers to spawn and attack.

- Babblers cannot be guided but instead follow/attach to a player and blindly attack
any target that comes into close range. After engaging a target the babbler is no
longer bound to the player, but still counts towards the gorges maximum amount.

- Babblers can be encouraged with the Spit attack to focus on a specific target from
any Gorge.

- Babblers could have a higher resource cost (2-3 maybe) in order to justify smarter
and more violent AI with higher damage output.

I really like the idea of babbler eggs working like Landmines and would make for some cool 'OH SHIT' moments in multi-player when you get some sneaky-rambo-marines accidentally triggering all three eggs.

Blabbler Eggs would really be useful if they were an abush unit, the eggs should be placeable on walls and ceilings and hatches when enemies are in close proximity.
sanobrew wrote: »
How awesome would it be if you were just walking down a corridor as a marine and babblers popped out of an egg right on top of you.

also, it might be good if a blabber dies or is killed, it explodes a spray of acid in a small radius. Similar to a Snark in Half-Life.

Some of the ideas here were from members in the forum that liked the idea as well.

Comments

  • TinkerTinker Join Date: 2003-03-11 Member: 14395Members
    Something needs to happen. Right now they are a novelty not a tool.
  • paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
    Blabblers might be really useful if this was implemented. :)
  • sHawke_NativesHawke_Native Join Date: 2012-12-20 Member: 175650Members
    http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/126609 this is an old thread but if used with babblers it may be very effective :), marines have 3 AI units MAC,ARC,Sentry, aliens have whips,hydras and drifters. hydras are useless when shot they keep getting staggered/stunned,whips attack slowly and drifters attack for 10 damage or so, the Alien ARC will be a mobile unit but has to be stationary to use its ability which is a cloud of spores and can be easily countered well read the thread for more details..
  • paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
    http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/126609 this is an old thread but if used with babblers it may be very effective :), marines have 3 AI units MAC,ARC,Sentry, aliens have whips,hydras and drifters. hydras are useless when shot they keep getting staggered/stunned,whips attack slowly and drifters attack for 10 damage or so, the Alien ARC will be a mobile unit but has to be stationary to use its ability which is a cloud of spores and can be easily countered well read the thread for more details..
    nice idea, this might be useful too.
  • AkimotoAkimoto Norway Join Date: 2013-03-03 Member: 183642Members
    Bomb babblers. Suicidal babblers would be more useful than what they are now.
  • paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
    Akimoto wrote: »
    Bomb babblers. Suicidal babblers would be more useful than what they are now.
    yeah, that would be useful too. marines would panic like hell and shoot these things up...
  • sHawke_NativesHawke_Native Join Date: 2012-12-20 Member: 175650Members
    the bomb babblers could be researchable as an upgrade to them
  • KamamuraKamamura Join Date: 2013-03-06 Member: 183736Members, Reinforced - Gold
    I liked an idea circulating here before, that the babblers would attach to their targets permanently, doing small damage over time, perhaps obscuring FOV with some effect. A fellow marine could shoot/weld them off, and visiting an armory would kill them off too. That would mitigate their poor ability to connect their attacks.
  • the9thdudethe9thdude Join Date: 2007-08-02 Member: 61753Members
    I think Babblers would be better off by attaching themselves to Marines and doing X damage over Y seconds first to armor and then to health. My $0.02
  • sanobrewsanobrew Join Date: 2007-05-04 Member: 60801Members
    I agree with the landmine idea. How awesome would it be if you were just walking down a corridor as a marine and babblers popped out of an egg right on top of you.
  • xen32xen32 Join Date: 2012-10-18 Member: 162676Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Xenocide babblers.
  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    NS2 Banelings here we go!
  • CyberKunCyberKun Join Date: 2013-02-02 Member: 182733Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    They are useful now. People tend to forget that they are only 1 res each, and for 3 res in total, you can distract the enemy a decent amount and do decent damage to static structures. Just blocking one shotgun blast as well can easily be worth the res. I do agree that their AI is incredibly durpy and should be fixed, but saying they are useless is just wrong.
  • paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
    CyberKun wrote: »
    They are useful now. People tend to forget that they are only 1 res each, and for 3 res in total, you can distract the enemy a decent amount and do decent damage to static structures. Just blocking one shotgun blast as well can easily be worth the res. I do agree that their AI is incredibly durpy and should be fixed, but saying they are useless is just wrong.
    I agree, but still blabblers should atleast be abit useful not only for distraction, I am not going to spend each of my res just to waste them on getting killed by time... marines could even melee these thing up. :/
  • paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
    edited March 2013
    sanobrew wrote: »
    I agree with the landmine idea. How awesome would it be if you were just walking down a corridor as a marine and babblers popped out of an egg right on top of you.
    Just what I was thinking! wouldn't it be awesome if you placed an egg on the ceiling and on a dark corner of the map then a marine walks up near that area, blabblers hatches on top of him, then panics like "HOLY SH*T!!! F*CK! F*CK! F*CK!!". XD
  • ritualsacrificeritualsacrifice Join Date: 2012-11-14 Member: 171148Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    +1 to op. I'm all for babblers attaching and doing DoT, that's what I've been suggesting since before they came out, but the landmine idea is great too. I really hate that they auto hatch.
  • CowMeatCowMeat Join Date: 2013-03-02 Member: 183557Members
    I think babbler eggs should be fired in a line and if hit should cost one personal res. If they hit a friendly structure then they should provide armor. If they hit an enemy they should do damage. In either case there should be a delay as the babble egg hatches.

    These changes would get rid of the babbler pathfinding and slowness negating their usefullness. Oh and the babblers could still jump around and looks cool!

    I like the idea of babbler mines as an upgrade!
  • KopungaKopunga Join Date: 2013-01-10 Member: 178764Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Sorry, but from my pov there's only one way to make babblers usefull and that is remove them and give us web instead....
  • soccerguy243soccerguy243 Join Date: 2012-12-22 Member: 175920Members, WC 2013 - Supporter
    babbler bombs nice.

    Kinda like the eggs from the Aliens movies!
  • Rich_Rich_ Join Date: 2012-11-05 Member: 167152Members
    bump cost to three res per babbler egg, bump the damage to 20 per bite, lower the attack rate to once per second. Wanna be care free around an egg of babblers and let them get close? Minus 60 health, now waste ur magazine killing the things before you lose 120 health. 6-9 res (2 eggs) of babbler = marine has to kill some before they get him, or he dies. Might have to take away or keep reduced structure damage though or marines would lose RT's right and left.
  • OutlawDrOutlawDr Join Date: 2009-06-21 Member: 67887Members
    edited March 2013
    Just do this to start off with.

    Spit / Bilebomb - babblers attack the target spit/bb hits.
    Healspray - babblers attach to friendly target receiving heals (including the gorge himself if no other friendly target present. Its a good way to transport and corral the little buggers, and get some extra armor).

    This alone will make babblers a hell of a lot easier to use and increase their effectiveness without buffing any stat. But the landmine idea is win
  • meatmachinemeatmachine South England Join Date: 2013-01-06 Member: 177858Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    edited March 2013
    +1 to landmine idea.


    GUYS. GUYS. Has anyone noticed that babblers, while sucking at attacking pretty much anything that isn't huge/ immobile... Actually do quite a bit of damage to HUGE+IMMOBILE structures like, oh, I dont know... Marine comm chairs? ;)

    Seriously get a gorge or two to set their babblers loose on a comm chair and watch how fast that shit goes down, it's beautiful.


    Babblers suck as armour currently. They should be better at that too.
  • paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
    edited March 2013
    +1 to landmine idea.


    GUYS. GUYS. Has anyone noticed that babblers, while sucking at attacking pretty much anything that isn't huge/ immobile... Actually do quite a bit of damage to HUGE+IMMOBILE structures like, oh, I dont know... Marine comm chairs? ;)

    Seriously get a gorge or two to set their babblers loose on a comm chair and watch how fast that shit goes down, it's beautiful.


    Babblers suck as armour currently. They should be better at that too.
    Yeah, I agree that babblers could tear down marine structures very fast if they attack in numbers, but it doesn't remove that fact that its still pretty weak and kinda useless if you can't even get near an enemy structure..

    Btw, Babblers has pretty weak health that even one marine could wipe out all of babblers you spawned with a melee weapon. The babbler must have increased movement speed and the their AI movement system should be improved...
  • meatmachinemeatmachine South England Join Date: 2013-01-06 Member: 177858Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    Tbh I feel like babblers should probably be able to crawl up walls and ceilings too, it doesnt make sense that a little bug-like creature wouldnt be able to do little bug-like things. Or even imagine building eggs on a ceiling for them to hatch when marines pass underneath, showering them with bitey ouchies!
  • paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
    Tbh I feel like babblers should probably be able to crawl up walls and ceilings too, it doesnt make sense that a little bug-like creature wouldnt be able to do little bug-like things. Or even imagine building eggs on a ceiling for them to hatch when marines pass underneath, showering them with bitey ouchies!
    Yeah, who wouldn't want that? Hatching eggs overhead, filling screen with green acid-like goo..
  • FLuXFLuX Join Date: 2002-12-30 Member: 11633Members, NS2 Playtester, Subnautica Playtester
    edited March 2013
    Much of this entire thread is basically what I had originally pushed for their original implementation to be during our initial testing, however another path was decided by the time of gorgeous release. But seeing this, I am glad to see some others have wanted to see an implementation much closer to my original vision/thoughts I campaigned for.

    One major difference as they are important as a shield though, I would still maintain the ability to be manually opened by gorge holding "E" key, (much like you can manually burst a clog as a gorge) that way they can still be utilized as meat shields and gorges can place them amongst other aliens via the pheromone ball or again use them aggressively by aiming their pheromone ball directly at marines and marine structures.

    That being said, I do believe they serve much more potential purpose if they also functioned much like my original "alien landmine" idea where they would burst open upon proximity.

    However as part of the original "alien landmine" idea I had, my suggestion was as they were killed off they would do "burst damage" at a given radius (much like a mine), requiring marines to maintain a minimal strategic distance. This would of course greatly increase their other intended purpose as a distraction unit.
  • RohanStanthejellymanRohanStanthejellyman Join Date: 2013-03-26 Member: 184445Members
    I want winged blabbers with death nova plox!
  • paologerochipaologerochi Join Date: 2010-04-25 Member: 71534Members
    edited April 2013
    FLuX wrote: »
    Much of this entire thread is basically what I had originally pushed for their original implementation to be during our initial testing, however another path was decided by the time of gorgeous release. But seeing this, I am glad to see some others have wanted to see an implementation much closer to my original vision/thoughts I campaigned for.

    One major difference as they are important as a shield though, I would still maintain the ability to be manually opened by gorge holding "E" key, (much like you can manually burst a clog as a gorge) that way they can still be utilized as meat shields and gorges can place them amongst other aliens via the pheromone ball or again use them aggressively by aiming their pheromone ball directly at marines and marine structures.

    That being said, I do believe they serve much more potential purpose if they also functioned much like my original "alien landmine" idea where they would burst open upon proximity.

    However as part of the original "alien landmine" idea I had, my suggestion was as they were killed off they would do "burst damage" at a given radius (much like a mine), requiring marines to maintain a minimal strategic distance. This would of course greatly increase their other intended purpose as a distraction unit.
    You my friend are indeed a genius... you deserve an awesome button.
    The devs should also think like we do.
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