Gremlin
Vladimir Van Vodka
Sexy Beast Join Date: 2010-07-30 Member: 73364Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Sexy Beast Join Date: 2010-07-30 Member: 73364Members, Reinforced - Shadow
<div class="IPBDescription">Alien Suggestion</div><b>Gremlin</b>, new alien class idea.
Quick description:
Good:
+does alot of damage against anything mechanical; including Buildings, Macs, Siege Cannons, Power Nodes and any armor.
+disables buildings momentarily while he attacks them continuously (one at a time, obviously.)
+relatively small and/or quick
+turn sentries against marines.
+turn armories friendly so they heal aliens.
Bad:
-Has limited direct combat capabilities
-Does little to no direct damage to marines
-Has less or same health as a skulk
-Is left helpless without teammates to kill marine players
Long description:
One of the most painful things as a group of aliens is destroying a fortification of buildings with sentries and marines,
if you and your team try hard enough, eventually you'll kill most or some of the marines, then get behind the sentry nests or power node and start to chew, but it takes a while to chew through all the buildings they put down, even after you cleared the defenses.
most of the time your a quarter way through destroying the buildings and the marines had more then enough time come back to finish your team off while your back is turned. Then they tend to rebuild in a matter of one maybe two minutes from the buildings that where left and you need to start over again since you didn't really clear anything.
I just thought there should be an alien species/class (whatever you want to call it) that would specialize in building destruction, or anything mechanical in particular, like macs or power nodes. (similar in the sense that marines have a grenade launcher, and a flamethrower that specializes in destroying alien buildings and growths.)
the downside of this alien is that it would be similar to the gorge in combat abilities, but with even less health then a skulk, it would do almost no damage to marines: this thing would have to move in after the marines are cleared out by its teammates to chew and shred through buildings, or unless it gets lucky enough to infiltrate on its own...
maybe it could infest buildings with some sort of Dynamic infestation or parasite, disabling them when it's chewing on them, but would clear when it stops attacking or gets off them.
I thought of an idea of infesting sentry guns and armories, causing the sentries lose friend/foe tracking, and fire at buildings, marines, aliens, and growths alike, and causing armories to dispense health to the gremlin and its friends/foes alike. But only while the gremlin is next to it chewing/infesting it.
I'm not really sure about this idea however, might be overpowered, but fun as hell.
Quick description:
Good:
+does alot of damage against anything mechanical; including Buildings, Macs, Siege Cannons, Power Nodes and any armor.
+disables buildings momentarily while he attacks them continuously (one at a time, obviously.)
+relatively small and/or quick
+turn sentries against marines.
+turn armories friendly so they heal aliens.
Bad:
-Has limited direct combat capabilities
-Does little to no direct damage to marines
-Has less or same health as a skulk
-Is left helpless without teammates to kill marine players
Long description:
One of the most painful things as a group of aliens is destroying a fortification of buildings with sentries and marines,
if you and your team try hard enough, eventually you'll kill most or some of the marines, then get behind the sentry nests or power node and start to chew, but it takes a while to chew through all the buildings they put down, even after you cleared the defenses.
most of the time your a quarter way through destroying the buildings and the marines had more then enough time come back to finish your team off while your back is turned. Then they tend to rebuild in a matter of one maybe two minutes from the buildings that where left and you need to start over again since you didn't really clear anything.
I just thought there should be an alien species/class (whatever you want to call it) that would specialize in building destruction, or anything mechanical in particular, like macs or power nodes. (similar in the sense that marines have a grenade launcher, and a flamethrower that specializes in destroying alien buildings and growths.)
the downside of this alien is that it would be similar to the gorge in combat abilities, but with even less health then a skulk, it would do almost no damage to marines: this thing would have to move in after the marines are cleared out by its teammates to chew and shred through buildings, or unless it gets lucky enough to infiltrate on its own...
maybe it could infest buildings with some sort of Dynamic infestation or parasite, disabling them when it's chewing on them, but would clear when it stops attacking or gets off them.
I thought of an idea of infesting sentry guns and armories, causing the sentries lose friend/foe tracking, and fire at buildings, marines, aliens, and growths alike, and causing armories to dispense health to the gremlin and its friends/foes alike. But only while the gremlin is next to it chewing/infesting it.
I'm not really sure about this idea however, might be overpowered, but fun as hell.
Comments
First off, any ability that can continuously disable a players ability to attack leads to player frustration. Momentary stuns and such are ok because they're momentary and usually come at some cost. However, having an alien that can disable attacks continuously by just attacking is not good game design and will be very frustrating for marine players.
I do like your idea of an anti-building class, but I feel like this can be rolled into the gorge, just like NS1 and bile bombs. Give gorges bilebomb that does heavy damage to armor and buildings and spreads infestation on explosion, which shuts down buildings momentarily, and your gremlin class is unneeded. As an added bonus, the gorge finally has some real use. Where ever the bilebomb hits, a postule can grow and spread infestation until it runs out of health. This forces marine players to either kill the postule quickly or focus on the gorge and let the infestation disable there buildings for a little while.
Also, no one wants to play a class that can't do any real damage. Even people who play healer classes like to know that if played properly they can stand up against an enemy.
First off, any ability that can continuously disable a players ability to attack leads to player frustration. Momentary stuns and such are ok because they're momentary and usually come at some cost. However, having an alien that can disable attacks continuously by just attacking is not good game design and will be very frustrating for marine players.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I wrote that it disables the primary weapon, not your pistol or switch axe, so all the marine needs to do is switch to his pistol or switch axe, and he gets an easy kill against you. That, and since doing continuous melee damage is extremely hard, you probably wont be able to do it for long.
remember that this thing is weaker then a skulk when it comes to health and weaker the a gorge when it comes to damage, its just a pathetic way of defending yourself, but with teammates you could be effective as an offensive/support role.
<!--quoteo(post=1846137:date=May 14 2011, 09:51 AM:name=l3lessed)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (l3lessed @ May 14 2011, 09:51 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1846137"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I do like your idea of an anti-building class, but I feel like this can be rolled into the gorge, just like NS1 and bile bombs. Give gorges bilebomb that does heavy damage to armor and buildings and spreads infestation on explosion, which shuts down buildings momentarily, and your gremlin class is unneeded. As an added bonus, the gorge finally has some real use. Where ever the bilebomb hits, a postule can grow and spread infestation until it runs out of health. This forces marine players to either kill the postule quickly or focus on the gorge and let the infestation disable there buildings for a little while.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I do agree that the gremlin idea does not really need a class by itself, after thinking about it, but I think it's abilities could be rolled into the skulk instead of the gorge, as the gorge is already dreadfully useful in healing and keeping a strong hold in defenses. (I usually play gorge and I can tell you right now he is far from useless...) the gremlin was supposed to be an offensive/support role, instead of a defensive/support role like the gorge. but both can be used and have perks useful in securing an area.
I was thinking of maybe turning this suggestion into some anti-structure upgrades for the skulk, since the skulk becomes basically obsolete when the marines develop the shotgun. the skulk is the shock troop of the game and should be kept that way, if not against the marines, against their buildings <i>atleast</i>.
<!--quoteo(post=1846137:date=May 14 2011, 09:51 AM:name=l3lessed)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (l3lessed @ May 14 2011, 09:51 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1846137"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, no one wants to play a class that can't do any real damage. Even people who play healer classes like to know that if played properly they can stand up against an enemy.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I find infesting sentries to shoot for you would be fun as hell, being a mischievous bugger against marine fortifications would give me alot of satisfaction, but this is my opinion, this class was designed to rush in with teammates that would take the aggro while you disable buildings and power nodes to help them in combat, I cant really see myself as a pudgy gorge clumsily trotting in and helping my friends destroy buildings by farting on them, I see myself more of a stealthy wall climbing saboteur that does hit and runs on buildings, just like the grenade launcher is a hit and run weapon.
So, maybe the skulk could get anti-structure/mac/armor upgrades?
This is still unintuitive and annoying. One, how will they know to switch weapons. Most players are going to think if there attack is disabled it will be disabled for all weapons. Two, I don't understand the point then. You run in, disabled their first weapon, they switch to pistol and kill you because you have no real health playing this class. It seems like an odd class which is way to specialized, and as a result, only useful is very specific situations which will barely ever arise in a real game. Again, you can just give gorges back their web, like the devs have already hinted at, and this ability becomes useless. Also, you have a more balanced alternative. Any game designer will tell you that players hate to feel not in control of their character, and the gremlin class would do that. It is the same reason they have removed onos devour. Because it sux for most people to sit watching their screen for 30 seconds completely helpless to do anything but slowly die.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->the gremlin was supposed to be an offensive/support role<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
A gorge with the proper abilities and played properly can easily fit into this role. Especially if they give him back web and bilebomb; if bilebomb and gorges explode into DI and heal aliens like people, including devs have mentioned, then he becomes even more offensive. Add those with forward hydra drops and possibly other new abilities and again you have a much more universal class that can fill the gremlins specialized roll while still being useful in other situations.
Specialized classes are great if and only if they can be used throughout the game. The gremlin would only be useful is very specific situations.
Something like stitch?
<img src="http://www.metalsucks.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/17_lilo_und_stitch_500_375_The_Disney_Channel.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Preferably dark colored but with big glowing eyes or something.
Yeah, I saw what you meant the first time, and I should have written that I was thinking about removing it anyways. TF2â„¢ had the same problem with the scout's sandman and it made me rage. I'll remove it from the OP if it makes you feel any better.
I don't understand why you want to buff the gorge all the time however, he's dreadfully useful and fun already.
<!--quoteo(post=1846414:date=May 16 2011, 12:10 AM:name=l3lessed)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (l3lessed @ May 16 2011, 12:10 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1846414"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->A gorge with the proper abilities and played properly can easily fit into this role. Especially if they give him back web and bilebomb; if bilebomb and gorges explode into DI and heal aliens like people, including devs have mentioned, then he becomes even more offensive. Add those with forward hydra drops and possibly other new abilities and again you have a much more universal class that can fill the gremlins specialized roll while still being useful in other situations.
Specialized classes are great if and only if they can be used throughout the game. The gremlin would only be useful is very specific situations.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I do not understand however, why instead of giving me suggestions about this Gremlin concept, you would want to give the gorge abilities to take on fortifications, how healing people and buildings, giving crippling cover fire from afar and constructing defensive buildings, would not be specialized and dreadfully useful enough as a defensive/support role for the gorge.
The gorge is supportive since it... well... <i>heals</i> your team, and defensive since he places<i> stationary buildings</i> that cause damage over time.
If a gorge would have the abilities to be an offensive/defensive/support role, he would be far too versatile, as he could destroy marine fortifications, heal players and buildings, defend locations with hydras and with his own cover fire. his only downside would be diminished mobility.
does the gorge really look like an all-out frontline tank that fires an extremely volatile goo of chaotic destruction?
I'm not really sure, but the whip seems to have similar ability called bombard.
As for the Gremlin being not versatile enough, I already alleviated this problem with the idea of implementing these abilities to the Skulk, as the skulk at this moment is only useful as a beginning-round shock troop, and later only as a scout (as soon as the marines get shotguns he becomes obsolete as a threat to anything.)
I hope you understand that my original concept was a small quick moving thing that would disable and destroy buildings with hit and runs. Which is the concept I'm still holding on to and trying to achieve, The ideas of mortar-like bile bombs that destroys buildings, albeit good in its own right, seem out of context.
It's like if I would be talking about motorcycles and trying to build one, then you tell me what you think of my plans for it, which is great! but then as a solution you tell me to build a car, but since I still want to build a motorcycle: I can't take your suggestion.
<!--quoteo(post=1847916:date=May 22 2011, 10:29 PM:name=Rulgrok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rulgrok @ May 22 2011, 10:29 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1847916"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Going back and thinking about this I like the idea more and more but only as long as it looks cute
Something like stitch?
[...]
Preferably dark colored but with big glowing eyes or something.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was thinking that instead of the gremlin class; the skulk would get some researchable anti-building buffs, he could once again become useful and versatile, if not against the marines with shotguns, at-least against their buildings.
since:
1. the skulk, like the Idea of the gremlin, is quick and nimble.
2. like the gremlin concept, the skulk has low health.
3. he is also relatively small.
4. the skulk can crawl on walls, fitting perfectly the idea of a mischievous little bugger.