Combining others' best Lerk weapon ideas :-)

Tophet

<div class="IPBDescription">One possible Lerk weapons selection profile...</div>I would suggest the often-used server MOD feature "SPORE MINE" as the alt-fire for the Lerk "SPORE" attack. However, the "SHROUD" idea proposed in this NS2 Forum is just too good to pass up. I also had an idea of my own, called SHRIEK. If, however, "UMBRA" can still be implemented, it would still need a viable Alt-Fire alternative. I would also suggest that all ALT-FIRE attacks become available only after specific upgrades and that the Lerk weapon selections be implemented in the following way (just my opinion, of course).


Lerk main attack 1: Spike shooter (Greater damage with upgrade)
Lerk alt-fire attack 1: Pierce attack (Zoomed spike-shooter with damage upgrade - see below)

* I like the idea that the PIERCE attack upgrade makes the alt-fire zoomed attack do more damage and pin dead marines to the wall. :-)


Lerk main attack 2: Spore gas attack (More toxic with upgrade)
Lerk alt-fire attack 2: Spore mine attack (More toxic with upgrade)

* Popular on some servers, SPORE MINE should be a sticky blob that sticks to most surfaces (like the UT bio-gun projectiles) that explodes when a marine is within a specific range, after which it becomes a regular spore cloud (or more toxic with upgrade).


Lerk main attack 3: Umbra gas defense (More dense and bullet protective with upgrade)
Lerk alt-fire attack 3: Shroud gas defense (Works like Umbra, more protective with upgrade, but is opaque - see below)

* SHROUD as an ALT-FIRE should work just like UMBRA except be like ink in the air. Parasite-vision and scent of fear should be completely unaffected, but visual will be impaired for both sides (90% for marines, 70% for aliens). This is okay because, as an upgrade, most alien players will likely have scent of fear by this time and those that don't can still rely on parasites to see enemies enshrouded in the cloud.


Lerk main attack 4: Primal Scream (does what Primal Scream does for nearby alien players in NS1, adrenaline boost)
Lerk alt-fire attack 4: Shriek Attack (focused sonic attack directed forward at marine target in close to medium range - see below)

* SHRIEK as an ALT-FIRE would muffle all sounds for any marine (same effect as a marine in an Onos stomach) hit within a far range of 30 meters for a period of time. This focused attack has no area effect but can affect any marine along a direct sight line. The effect time would be 30 seconds at point blank range and decrease by one second for each meter distance the victim is from the originating SHRIEK attack, leading to a one second effect at 30 meters and no effect on marine players beyond this. For effect, perhaps it could also do 3 points of health damage out to 10 meters, 2 points of health damage between 10 and 20 meters, and 1 point of health damage between 20 and 30 meters. Also, the serious tactical impairment of marine victims demands a severe drain of adrenaline for a Lerk to focus a burst SHRIEK attack, leaving the Lerk unable to flap wings or attack for a couple brief vulnerable seconds. Otherwise, the alien team might switch to all Lerks later in the game and you would quickly find yourself with a perpetually deaf marine team. :-)


What do you think of this as a potential weapons configuration?

Xiphias

I think that a meele infection would be better than a sniper attack, for for spore secondary.

In my opinion it fits better into the theme of the lerk, to poison and wait from a distance, than to place mines.
The infection would do <u>some or all</u> of the following:
<ul><li>Damage over time.</li><li>Be cured by medpack.</li><li>Infect other players</li><li>Cause episodic coughing (noise + small shake of screen)'</li><li>Add marine to alien sense-grid</li></ul>

Underwhelmed

People suggesting infecting other players obviously haven't played enough TFC. It was just a retarded mechanic because people would just hang around spawn and repeatedly grab medpacks so they wouldn't die, in the process infecting anybody who spawned in at that time.

Tophet

Sorry, Underwhelmed. I kind of like the melee INFECTION idea as an alternate for the SPORE attack better than the SPORE MINE I suggested. One of my very favorite things to do in the old TFC was to change to the Medic player, go find that enemy Sniper that just killed me, sneak up behind him with the medical tricorder, and infect the hell out of him while he looked around with his scoped rifle, de-zoomed, swapped weapons to the light machine gun, and finally mowed me down. By then, the Sniper would usually suicide because he'd be more than halfway to dead with his infection. Good times! ;-)