Infestation and Power Ideas

thefonz

<div class="IPBDescription">A more natural spread and flow</div>So this idea has been on the back burner of my mind for awhile. With the recent changes to the power system a fair portion of this the idea has become irrelevant. however, the parts pertaining to infestation are not lost their relevance IMO. So I'm uploading it in its partially unfinished/outdated state. Life is eating more of my time every day, better to get it out here than leave it to rot.

-Synopsis-

I don't like the cyst system.
Let the alien comm grow tendrils out of the hive. these tendrils give a more natural flow to the spread of infestation.
Let aliens gain control of rooms by infesting power points with cysts via drifter (or gorge? give him an important role?)
tendrils can be destroyed by any weapon, but also regrow if directed by the comm.
flamers "burn" tendrils, they cannot regrow unless healed by a gorge (or after a certain time)

suggestion
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?2mg78kxcm4um6w2" target="_blank">http://www.mediafire.com/?2mg78kxcm4um6w2</a>
terrible drawing of the tendrils principle
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=cedb3hcmqcnlcnl&thumb=4" target="_blank">http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?qui...cnl&thumb=4</a>

Broseidon

I like this tendril idea but I have gotten a bit attached to the cyst "cystem"
How about a combination of both cysts and tendrils?
In wich the cysts mainly spread infestation and the tendrils provide connection between the cysts?

thefonz

Well, eventually cysts will have connecting tendrils. That's where I got the idea to ditch cysts. Awhile back it was state that the alien comm would be a sort of gardener/grower. i felt that growing tendrils seemed more appropriate that just poofing cysts everywhere. Having tendrils grow through the map just is a better fit for the alien team. It really adds the 'infest' to infestation.

Additionally, reconnecting tendrils feels more appropriate than poofing a cyst back down to reconnect everything.

A downside is that this idea would further slow alien expansion. Unless the tendrils had a crazy fast growth rate. Perhaps if this gets toyed around with, the gorge should keep its mini cysts. They could last longer when unconnected and automatically connect to nearby tendrils. That would make the gorge critical to fast expansion. Drop a cyst near an resource point to get the harvester up. let the tendril connect the area when it get there.

I really like the idea of cysting power nodes to infest a whole area. But with the new changes I don't know if that idea still has a place. The one thing REALLY am glad to see is the glow given off by alien structures. That was part of my infested power node idea, to make the room glow errily. And brighter emergency lights, which are planned too.

What the hell UWE??? you hacking me? j/k its just funny and awesome, wish I had posted sooner.

Vladimir Van Vodka

we could call them....

...CYST-STEMS!...
hohohohoho!

...I... in-cyst...
hohohohoho!

I'm such a f***ing genius.

Egad!

<!--quoteo(post=1881962:date=Oct 25 2011, 02:55 PM:name=thefonz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (thefonz @ Oct 25 2011, 02:55 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1881962"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Well, eventually cysts will have connecting tendrils. That's where I got the idea to ditch cysts. Awhile back it was state that the alien comm would be a sort of gardener/grower. i felt that growing tendrils seemed more appropriate that just poofing cysts everywhere. Having tendrils grow through the map just is a better fit for the alien team. It really adds the 'infest' to infestation.

Additionally, reconnecting tendrils feels more appropriate than poofing a cyst back down to reconnect everything.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I agree. But there does need to be some obvious weak point in the infestation for people to target. Some thick "knot" or something.

I do think that cysts should remain with gorges. The tendrils would advance out from the hive at a steady rate, but then the gorge can set up cysts elsewhere to start the infestation there. It makes the gorges more useful, rather than redundant, in spreading infestation.

thefonz

<!--quoteo(post=1882027:date=Oct 25 2011, 05:04 PM:name=Egad!)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Egad! @ Oct 25 2011, 05:04 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1882027"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I agree. But there does need to be some obvious weak point in the infestation for people to target. Some thick "knot" or something.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

The cysted power sockets (updating to new lingo) would be your knots. Think of tendrils like rope hanging from a hive, cysted sockets like knots that 'hold up' a room. As marines you simply need to cut the rope. The closer to the hive, the better. The cysted room will start to fall (die).

Or to simply uninfest the room, kill the cyst(aka your 'knot'). Marines will still need to take out the tendrils within the room since they are still connected to the hive. They don't die of unless the connection is broken

Aditionally I would like to expand of the idea of rooms existing in 3 states to clear it up a bit.

Powered (Marine controlled) - Pretty much as it is now/will be in B188. All available lights on

Un-powered/Un-activeated Socket (neutral ground) - Ambient lights, some regular lights. Kinda of a normal room with the light switch off. Props like screens and machinery emit light. some but not all normal lights are on.

Infested (Alien controlled) - Lights out, infestation covers sources of ambient light. i.e. Infestation covering windows. infestation gives a soft/weak glow. Tendrils/cysts give moderate glow. Alien structures provide most glow. Even with glow, still quite dark. Must provide advantage to aliens.


Edit : Forgot to mention killing the cyst.

Destroid

What about an inversion of the existing system - dynamic infestation spreads from hives (proportional to number of hives?), and marines build a 'nano scrubber' that removes infestation in an area of effect. This conforms more to the way the factions play, with marines expanding and consolidating before moving on, while aliens tend(ed) to do what they wish with their ability to move around the map very quickly. Or perhaps simply powering an area runs filtration systems that kill infestation in that room.