Cysts

Racer1

<div class="IPBDescription">Make them look different</div>Right now, all cysts appear to look and act exactly the same. I'd like to see them be more varied, perhaps with 5 or more different types. The reason behind this is two-fold. First, it adds a bit more variety to the game. Second, and more important, it adds potential for aliens to use this variety to their advantage. To take it a bit farther, the variety of cysts could even be based on what upgrade chambers have been built.

For example, if a specific cyst is larger, it might be usable as cover for skulks and gorges.
Or a more oblong cyst with "legs" might look like a skulk from a distance, providing a kind of decoy.
Or a cyst with moving parts might distract a marine just enough to allow a surprise attack.
Or a vocal cyst that periodically makes various (alien) sounds, which might fool a marine into hiding/running.
Or just vary the size, shape, and color of the normal cysts, making it slightly harder to dismiss that unusual shape in the corner of the room.

Kurrine

While I'd love for Cysts in particular to have a bit of art variation, given it's easily the most common entity in game right now, it sounds like you want Phantasm more than anything, or the Hallucinations from the Prototype mod, which I found quite interesting actually.

Edit: If you're curious of the Prototype Mod it's nearly always sitting at the top of the modding section of the NS2 forums, and if you're already aware of where it is, sorry for assuming.

killer monkey

the current model isnt final its really just the crag with out the shell or skinny legs the final will be the one in the concept art

BarerRudeROC

<!--quoteo(post=1875074:date=Sep 17 2011, 12:04 AM:name=killer monkey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (killer monkey @ Sep 17 2011, 12:04 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1875074"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->the current model isnt final its really just the crag with out the shell or skinny legs the final will be the one in the concept art<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I never noticed, scandalous!

Kurrine

Hm, so that's why they looked the same upside-down..

Though that still doesn't address the fact it might be nice that the most common model in the game could use at least a bit of minor variance to keep things from looking copy/paste. I just hope it'll be under consideration, at the polish stage, at least.

twiliteblue

Cysts also suffer from their low health, for they stand out from their environment, crying out "shoot me!".

Ironsoul

The cysts are a great gameplay aspect right now, and will possibly even serve as nodes for determining the direction dynamic infestation grows in when it's fully implemented(dynamic infestation grows between cysts first, then when a third cyst is placed to make a triangle, the infestation will then consume the area.

anyway, more variation is a good idea, perhaps just have it visual, and base them on real life fungi.

So it's only cosmetic, based on fungi, and randomised for the most part. Mini cysts should have their own unique visual style though, and probably no randomness in mini cysts.

I would also love for more cysts to grow spontaneously even without commander or gorge placement... obviously this would happen slowly (one per minute per hive across the entire map), but it would add a dynamic aspect to the game.