Alien Growth
chiss
Join Date: 2008-06-05 Member: 64395Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2008-06-05 Member: 64395Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">Kill benefits for the skulk.</div><img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skulk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::skulk::" border="0" alt="skulk.gif" />
Okay, so to start, i would like to point out that this idea is only for a skulk, other lifeforms would not have anything like it.
I think it'd be cool to see some kind of skulk... dynamic growth.
It would work somewhat like combat; in that you get experience, and get upgrades.
The way itd work, is every time you bite a marine (not heavy armor), you get 1 'growth' so to speak.
With a number of bites, increasing exponentially, you would level up and your skulk would 'grow'.
ie. x^1.4
1st at 4 bites
2nd at 7 bites (11 total)
3rd at 15 bites (26 total)
4th at 44 bites (70 total)
5th at 200 bites (270 total)
Each growth level, your skulk model would actually increase in size, hit points, armor points and decrease in speed and even its attacks effects may vary.
You could expect the level 5 skulk to be about twice the size (volume) than a regular skulk.
This could make being a skulk more interesting, as well as giving a chance to give skulks multiple roles in the game (via changing its attacks slightly).
For example, perhaps each level will change parasite, so ontop of its inital effect, it will make marines unable to fire their gun for (0.5 x growth level), but would take up more adrenaline. So a maximum growth skulk would be able to stop marines from firing for 2.5 seconds with parasite (it would have a high adrenaline cost, so you could not spam it). This would give skulks a chance for a more supportive role.
Leap could also vary between lifeforms, making its damage increase a substancial amount due to the gain in mass, size and strength of the skulk. But perhaps launching the skulk at a slower speed.
So in a way, leveling up a skulk turns you into a more dangerous creature, but you are also more vulnerable in that you are slower.
And of course, when you die, you start over :].
Not the best idea, i dont think it should be implemented, but i just thought it was kinda cool, and would just like to see what others thought.
Thanks!
Okay, so to start, i would like to point out that this idea is only for a skulk, other lifeforms would not have anything like it.
I think it'd be cool to see some kind of skulk... dynamic growth.
It would work somewhat like combat; in that you get experience, and get upgrades.
The way itd work, is every time you bite a marine (not heavy armor), you get 1 'growth' so to speak.
With a number of bites, increasing exponentially, you would level up and your skulk would 'grow'.
ie. x^1.4
1st at 4 bites
2nd at 7 bites (11 total)
3rd at 15 bites (26 total)
4th at 44 bites (70 total)
5th at 200 bites (270 total)
Each growth level, your skulk model would actually increase in size, hit points, armor points and decrease in speed and even its attacks effects may vary.
You could expect the level 5 skulk to be about twice the size (volume) than a regular skulk.
This could make being a skulk more interesting, as well as giving a chance to give skulks multiple roles in the game (via changing its attacks slightly).
For example, perhaps each level will change parasite, so ontop of its inital effect, it will make marines unable to fire their gun for (0.5 x growth level), but would take up more adrenaline. So a maximum growth skulk would be able to stop marines from firing for 2.5 seconds with parasite (it would have a high adrenaline cost, so you could not spam it). This would give skulks a chance for a more supportive role.
Leap could also vary between lifeforms, making its damage increase a substancial amount due to the gain in mass, size and strength of the skulk. But perhaps launching the skulk at a slower speed.
So in a way, leveling up a skulk turns you into a more dangerous creature, but you are also more vulnerable in that you are slower.
And of course, when you die, you start over :].
Not the best idea, i dont think it should be implemented, but i just thought it was kinda cool, and would just like to see what others thought.
Thanks!
Comments
Though changing/enhancing the skulk for kills would make the early game more interesting ;]
I'll mull over it a bit and maybe post some ideas on how to do this better.
Also, thanks for saying 'mull', its one of my favorite words.
Just to add a little bit, a level 5 skulk would be considerably strong, and a pretty decent threat to marines. What is has lost in its stealthy, speedy smallness, it has gained in hitpoints and armor and support abilities. A level 5 skulk would have about 180hp and 60ap. Making it a formidable opponent if you underestimate it, i could see a single one of these taking down 3 marines without too much effort.
Mind you, it would be rare to even see a level 3 skulk in game (26 bites is ~10 kills), let alone a level 5 (270 bites = 100 kills?!). Obviously these figures would need to be given more thought if any implementation was even considered. (Also, you also see single skulks in NS 3.2 take down a whole team of marines, so you know...)
Also, the main reason i wanted to post this idea, was that i saw a lack of active support units. Most people don't lerk, because they are often killed quickly which makes it a waste of 30 resources, resulting in a bad lerk experience. Gorges on the other hand, are useful, but a lot of alien players dont really work together too much, so battle gorges / support gorges often die as soon as the one skulk they are supporting dies. The point im making is, on the forefront of battle, you only really see skulks and fades, it would be nice to see something supporting them a bit.
This idea would dynamically bring in new support units. The changes to the skulk could be changed more to make it evem more support based;
- Lower its bite damage each step, and give it even more health or armor.
- Slowly evolve leap down into a completely different skill, which i call Squeal. Basically the skulk lets out a deafening high pitch squeal, which removes hearing from nearby marines for a set amount of time with an ear ping kind of sound (basically exactly the sound effect of a flash back in CSS). The further away, the lesser the effect. The way leap could evolve into this, each level leap could go a shorter distance, and it would start squealing a bit. Leap would be fully removed and squeal would be very loud by level 5.
The more i think about this, the more i think it could actually be a good addition to the game. If a player didnt like it, they could choose to ignore it, and play a skulk just like they always have and go on suicidal killing spree's.
What if killing spree is rewarded? Say a skulk gets ups after every third frag. I think only health should increase otherwise this would take the role of the chambers. So after every third frag the max HP of a skulk increases by 15 points. When the skulk dies it loses the upgrade and spawns with 70 HP again.
It would also incite people not be suicidal and feed the marines or they will lose their up.
Hmm... this reminds me of leeching =]
What if killing spree is rewarded? Say a skulk gets ups after every third frag. I think only health should increase otherwise this would take the role of the chambers. So after every third frag the max HP of a skulk increases by 15 points. When the skulk dies it loses the upgrade and spawns with 70 HP again.
It would also incite people not be suicidal and feed the marines or they will lose their up.
Hmm... this reminds me of leeching =]<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Its not optional, it happens. I was pointing out, it would encourage some players to live, as opposed to dying a lot. Within a current NS play style, aliens wouldn't even really hit level 2. Also, i dont see how forcing a player into a support role is any different that forcing them into an stealth assault role by making them spawn as as skulk.
Hmmm, a health only option could work. But its really just dumbing down the whole concept.
One down side i have with the WHOLE thing, is that it will encourage players to hide and not help the marines, as they are scared to die and lose their progress.
if i'm an awesome skulk and im getting lots of kills - then my reward is to grow bigger and become an easier target to shoot?
if i'm an awesome skulk and im getting lots of kills - then my reward is to grow bigger and become an easier target to shoot?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes and no.
You will result in a slower, easier to hit lifeform. But an onos is also slower and easier to hit than a skulk, does that mean its worse? No.
The upgraded skulk will be better, in assault and support. It will just be different.
So I lose an MC to gain 3 more bullets until death. I'm not sure how much good this would do though?
EDIT: Plus I get bigger, so it's actually going to end up to be probably less than 3 bullets.
So I lose an MC to gain 3 more bullets until death. I'm not sure how much good this would do though?
EDIT: Plus I get bigger, so it's actually going to end up to be probably less than 3 bullets.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Each step would be a little bit, maybe 30 hitpoints are 10 armor each level. For a loss of 8% speed.
So at max level a skulk would have 220hp and 60 armor with 40% less sped.
A key thing to note is, this would be played differently to a skulk, you would not rely on speed.
The parasite will stop marines from shooting for a short time, that will alone make up for the time it take to get to them.
Yeah, it could just be balanced to be every 12 bites you level up.
Anyway, i dont think 220hp 60 armor is a mini onos? Infact its hardly stronger than a gorge.
But yes, i agree, it would obviously need proper fine tuning, testing and modifications.
As to the actual growth, it's a neat idea, but do you really think it fits the gameplay of a skulk?
As to the actual growth, it's a neat idea, but do you really think it fits the gameplay of a skulk?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I noted that as you leveled up, parasite would use more energy. At level 5, one parasite would probably use 60% adren, so you could do 2 kind of close together.
The main point of this is to allow skulks to become less like skulks. It wouldnt happen often but yeah.
I already have a button for that. I usually end up pushing it roughly when the second hive is going up. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hive5.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::hive::" border="0" alt="hive5.gif" />
Unlike fading, becoming a better skulk isnt extremely expensive.
And on that note, say you were a level 4 skulk early game. You would probably have a lot of resources, that you are not using, and you could help your team. Gorging, then changing back to skulk would not lose your levels. Skulk levels are kept till death, regardless of evolutions.
Of course.
By the way, we've been discussing back and forward for a bit now. Just incase you missed it, i dont think this is a great idea by any means, nor do i think it should be implemented.