harvester
Racer1
Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9615Members
Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9615Members
<div class="IPBDescription">make it more aware</div>The harvester node should "follow" nearby marines, turning slowly to face them (not a full 360 degrees, but maybe 90-180 degrees).
If the marine gets close enough, it should lunge at them (not too far) and push them away, perhaps even doing a small amount of damage.
If the marine gets close enough, it should lunge at them (not too far) and push them away, perhaps even doing a small amount of damage.
Comments
If the marine gets close enough, it should lunge at them (not too far) and push them away, perhaps even doing a small amount of damage.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's not a bad idea. The alien RT could have some kind of slightly defensive capability. The only downside is that it will be difficult to knife unless it can't hurt crouched marines.
Do they explode when you destroy them? How about when you use a gl?
It fits into the theme of the game very well. The marine depend on technology (electrified RTs) and aliens depend on living organisms. It also makes the RT seem much more like an alien creature.
Do they explode when you destroy them? How about when you use a gl?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ya i like that... The RT could have an integrated OC or long octopus tentacles for whipping marines lol... this would free up the gorge from having to build a bunch of OCs to protect vital RTS. Think of it as the equivalent to the marines being able to electrify rts (which isn't that useful... marines should have weapons on the rts instead which could help protect nearby marines (plus some sort of electrical defense for killing skulks at angles that the guns cant hit).
Also i hope marines don't need to knife (or axe-chop) down enemy rts in NS2... That's what we have a flamethrower for isn't it?? To provide the long range (longer then a knife and more destructive then a gl) so marines can take out enemy OC and other structures (which INCLUDES heavily fortified areas.... whoosh! and so much for the mountain of ocs... or gorges healing hive :P).
And yes, knifing RTs just conserved ammo. In competitive games it was more common to just shoot it down since its faster that way.
You just described the gorge a little bit there lol. Maybe we should let gorges go over to uncapped resource nodes and suck up some res :P
Except the gorge moves about, is not only responsible for keeping resource towers built up, but also building hives, healing teammates, strategic placing of offensive towers, and possible other actions we aren't aware of. I'm sorry but I'm not really sure what you're trying to get at here (or ever). Plus, the gorge does have spit, and I know plenty of players enjoy luring marines into traps.
If the marine gets close enough, it should lunge at them (not too far) and push them away, perhaps even doing a small amount of damage.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I love the look around bit. Make it unobtrusive/slow (as you suggested). There's such a thing as too much atmosphere when people play the game over and over and over again. Then again, maybe not. It would definitely make killing Harvesters much more creepy (the thing knows you're killing it).
The lunging should be minimal; it would get VERY annoying very fast if every RT pushed you away. All that would do is give us more carpal tunnel syndrome by making us walk back to an RT every five seconds.
Tangent: Perhaps the AComm could upgrade an RT (for 15 or 30 resources) to make it an attacking RT. Makes it similar to Marine RT's. Since electrifying Marine RT's makes them skulk proof, a similarly powerful thing should be done for Alien RT's. I'm thinking lerk spores get ejected upon sustaining damage or jutting spikes or lunging as you suggested.
Well to be mindless and defenseless aren't looked upon very favorably by the by the forces of "natural selection."
:)
<!--quoteo(post=1753540:date=Feb 16 2010, 10:19 PM:name=yourbonesakin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (yourbonesakin @ Feb 16 2010, 10:19 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1753540"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The lunging should be minimal; it would get VERY annoying very fast if every RT pushed you away. All that would do is give us more carpal tunnel syndrome by making us walk back to an RT every five seconds.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
True it's annoying, but I don't see it as being any more annoying than trying to kill a res tower covered in damaging electricity.
<!--quoteo(post=1753545:date=Feb 17 2010, 01:37 AM:name=Hybridclaw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Hybridclaw @ Feb 17 2010, 01:37 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1753545"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Well to be mindless and defenseless aren't looked upon very favorably by the by the forces of "natural selection."
:)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
But the aliens have other means of "defending" these towers, just like they have means of defending gorges (which are relatively non-offensive by nature). If you think of the aliens as one race and not separately evolved life-forms it makes perfect sense in the idea of "natural selection." By the above definition, if taken to a bit of an extreme, gorges should move more quickly, attack as strong as skulks or fades, and have a lot more health.
Well if its taken to that far of an extreme all the animals on this planet should be vicious poison spewing creatures covered in protective bone plates and with a mouth full of fangs.
But it's really the "defenseless" part of your statement that gets me. All living things have some kind of defense, in fact many plants (if they don't have some external defense) are poisonous. Which is why I like the idea of the RT being able to somewhat defend itself.
Off topic:
By the way I'm not kidding about many plants being poisonous, but they are usually only poisonous when eaten. So if you have small children and pets keep them away from household plants.
:)
The marine res tower has a means of defending itself while the alien res tower does not.
What I especially like about the idea of the res tower's ability to push a marine away is that it accomplishes the same goal as an electrified RT while still being unique enough that it does not feel like both types res towers have the same feature.
Honestly, with the aliens getting their own commander, the line is getting blurred enough as it is, so great pains should be taken to be careful when it comes to giving them more "similar" properties or abilities.
Also I think this could end up being really annoying in the middle of a firefight with aliens, getting knocked back from alien bites and then RTs and then jumping away from aliens to get knocked around from the RT again, etc...
The whole point of this is to make the harvester look more alive and aware, not to <i>significantly</i> change gameplay.
Same here BUT, compare to the marine electric thing, maybe the harvester can be upgraded to attack?
Or maybe its automatic updated after dynamic infestation is around it.
Then all infestation would cause decreased marine movement and that'd make hive assault more difficult. However, it's a good idea if hive assault is too easy.
<!--quoteo(post=1753730:date=Feb 17 2010, 05:05 PM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Align @ Feb 17 2010, 05:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1753730"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't think slowing players down while in enemy territory is conducive to the kind of gameplay we want...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I meant just in the immediate vicinity of the Harvester. 5 radius around the Harvester causes slowed movement for Marines.
The whole point of this is to make the harvester look more alive and aware, not to <i>significantly</i> change gameplay.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That sounds reasonable.
Maybe instead of a pain sound it would wiggle and struggle when attacked.
what if you can upgrade it to let out a SCREAM when it spots marines, and when it is getting attacked make it look scared
:[ We don't know what the gameplay currently is.
I support this idea. I'd love to see a Freshoftheboat NS1 player begin to knife an alien resource tower, only to get bopped away by the pulsating, angry phallus.
Maybe have it simply push them away a meter or so without any damage. Upgrading it, on the other hand, will give it spikes! >:D
Then again, I kinda dislike blurring the lines in the gameplay between the two races. Planting an OC is cheaper and does close to the same thing in NS1, can't see why not in NS2. Plus it's ranged. Marines need a TF to do that.
It's not logical for the harvester's infestation to do this and not other alien structures. Infestation is infestation.
If the Harvester has some spikes under the infestation that could strike a marine's foot, that might be another alternative.
If the Harvester has some spikes under the infestation that could strike a marine's foot, that might be another alternative.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You're making an argument appealing to rationality about space bacteria in a developing video game. Just make it special infestation. The Harvester makes the bacteria around it sticky. Whatever you want to make up will do fine for rationalizing it, really.
The spike thing sounds pretty cool, actually. I'd like for the spike attacks to be somewhat telegraphed; that way marines have something to do when they're knifing and can practice some jumping skills. Makes it a bit more exciting. Upgrades could make the spike attack not telegraphed so marines won't be able to knife without using an HA or lots of medpacks. In any case, marines wouldn't be able to hide next to harvesters or play ring around the rosie.
Perhaps we should make it part of the balance that marines must expend ammunition when killing Harvesters. I'm not sure if I like that, though.
It's not magic, it's space germs... <i>special </i>space germs. Sorry for the sarcasm, but we can't say that the main infestation around the hive can't do what the subordinate infestation field around the RT can do. My gas/spores idea is the best of all worlds and it's 100% logical. The bump idea is good too. If you really want the slowing down effect, you need the RT to sneeze out some goop that is visibly different from infestation (possibly in defense and it covers nearby marines).