Swarm

schkorpio

<div class="IPBDescription">kind of like killer wasps (flying swarm of parasites?)</div>I was trying to think of alien abilities, something that could even be similar to babblers - and well i came up with a swarm! i guess it could be a gorges ability, a commander spell, or even a trap, a swarm pod laid by a gorge which is triggered by marines close by - 100 stingers floating through the air.

Now the cool thing about a swarm would be that you CANT shoot it - they are too small - maybe the shotgun could do a little bit of damage or disruption because of the shear spread and power. and a soft counter attack would be grenades and grenade launcher. but really the only effective way to kill a swwarm would be the flamethrower <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

also i think it would be less stress on the game if instead of having multiple swarms - the swarms combine into a bigger swarm and get smaller as they are damaged.

animation wise it would jsut be a bunch of black and green, with the occasional glowing orange pixel so probably not too hard for the game to do - depending on the physics engine you could even make them volumetric <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

schkorpio

not quite the swarm or replies i was hoping for <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

locallyunscene

It would look cool, fit in with the gorge's new support/trap layer role, and make use of Max's nifty particle animator. This is good.<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pudgy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::gorge::" border="0" alt="pudgy.gif" />

How do you make it <i>awesome</i><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->*<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> though?

<!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->*<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->for <b>locallyunscene</b>'s definition of awesome it should:
<ul><li> Have a balanced and interesting drawback</li><li> Be geared towards a common but specific scenario</li></ul>
Bonus Points™ for:
<ul><li> Uses a skill the player can get better at </li><li> Is more effective with cooperation</li></ul>
Is this something the gorge would use on the run, or is it a sneaky trap? Should the gorge be able to camouflage(minigame) it? Is it automatic like a mine or should the gorge be required to detonate?

M00_cow

I like the idea of a gorge laying down a swarm hive, but not just laying, webbing the hive to areas. I see it like a bee's hive.

--The Swarm Hive - New Gorge ability--

So, your gorge walks into a room, notices a nice dark corner, needs some light protection and a little bit of damage. Something to deter an approaching marine, but not strong enough to kill them in the short term. A hive is planted via webbed shot, allowing gorges to plant swarm hives on roofs.

The swarm is activated via proximity. When a marine walks into the swarm hives area, the swarm attacks. Damage dealt is small at first, but grows quite substantually as a marine draws closer to the swarm hive.

--The effects--

Lets say:
10 yards, 1 dmg/s and 5% vision decreased.
9 yards, 2 dmg/s
8... all the way down to 1 yard dealing 10 dmg/s and 20% vision decreased.

A swarm hive affects all marines in proximity. While in proximity of the hive, vision is decreased (as above) (Because the swarming creatures are zooming past your face, and biting your eyes). The affects of a swarm persist for 2 - 3 seconds after successfully getting out of range of the swarm hive, dealing 1 dmg/s and also leaving vision decreased by 5%.

--How do you stop a swarm hive?--

There are two methods. You can either shoot at it, or knife it.

Shooting at a swarm hive doubles the damage of the swarm hive till the hive is killed. 100dmg.
Knifing a swarm hive instantly kills it. One hit of the knife.

Once a swarm is killed, the swarm persists for 2 - 3 seconds with 5% decreased vision.

Swarm hives cannot be placed within 20 yards of each other or aliens become effected (Because the swarms attack each other over territory, and because your in the way, you get hit)

Swarm hives take 5 seconds to cast, and 5 seconds to activate.

This makes me excited lol.