Making Infestation Buffs/Debuffs More Strategically Interesting
MuYeah
Join Date: 2006-12-26 Member: 59261Members
Join Date: 2006-12-26 Member: 59261Members
<div class="IPBDescription">in a manner thats probably really easy to implement</div>Applying blanket buffs and debuffs to players on infestation is strategically boring.
But! I really do enjoy the basic idea behind buffs in a certain areas like we saw in NS1 with chambers in vents etc. It definitely added something special and dynamic to the battlefield.
I see what the current implementation of infestation is trying to do but I dont think is has long term viability.
The first problem is that infestation is required to both build and to buff. This introduces a contradictory element to the commander's role: to build across the map it must be able to spread quite quickly but the idea is to have to choose where and how you spread it.
The second problem is that because you must have infestation in an ae
rea to build, the debuffing part of infestation becomes synonymous with alien territory. There's no meaningful decision for the alien comm regarding this any more and blanket territory buffs are stalemate inducing gameplay mechanics in most places.
The third issue pertinent to my idea is that chambers which provide AoE buffs are often too valuable to be placed in forward positions and dont see much in the field use because of it.
My solution to these problems is:
1. Remove the blanket slow debuff and auto parasite from infestation. Regular hive infestation as we have it now is only used for building.
2. Instead of building whips, crags and shades anywhere on infestation you must now select a cyst to transform into that chamber.
3. The chamber's AoE buff now applies to all infestation in the cyst's radius. This makes more sense than current 'aura' as a buff delivery system lore wise, too!
4. Bonus points: for a lower amount of res, the chamber can now spawn a cyst within its radius that mimics the aoe effect, allowing the alien team a little better protection for their upgrade structures. ( or any mini-cyst in the area could provide the AoE buff at a similar cost to a gorge in Pres as a hydra.)
The strength and effects of each chamber's AoE ability could then be retuned for balance and autoparasite could be moved back to the shade, while 10% auto slow could be moved to the shift.
But! I really do enjoy the basic idea behind buffs in a certain areas like we saw in NS1 with chambers in vents etc. It definitely added something special and dynamic to the battlefield.
I see what the current implementation of infestation is trying to do but I dont think is has long term viability.
The first problem is that infestation is required to both build and to buff. This introduces a contradictory element to the commander's role: to build across the map it must be able to spread quite quickly but the idea is to have to choose where and how you spread it.
The second problem is that because you must have infestation in an ae
rea to build, the debuffing part of infestation becomes synonymous with alien territory. There's no meaningful decision for the alien comm regarding this any more and blanket territory buffs are stalemate inducing gameplay mechanics in most places.
The third issue pertinent to my idea is that chambers which provide AoE buffs are often too valuable to be placed in forward positions and dont see much in the field use because of it.
My solution to these problems is:
1. Remove the blanket slow debuff and auto parasite from infestation. Regular hive infestation as we have it now is only used for building.
2. Instead of building whips, crags and shades anywhere on infestation you must now select a cyst to transform into that chamber.
3. The chamber's AoE buff now applies to all infestation in the cyst's radius. This makes more sense than current 'aura' as a buff delivery system lore wise, too!
4. Bonus points: for a lower amount of res, the chamber can now spawn a cyst within its radius that mimics the aoe effect, allowing the alien team a little better protection for their upgrade structures. ( or any mini-cyst in the area could provide the AoE buff at a similar cost to a gorge in Pres as a hydra.)
The strength and effects of each chamber's AoE ability could then be retuned for balance and autoparasite could be moved back to the shade, while 10% auto slow could be moved to the shift.
Comments
The current system is annoying because you always have to stop and kill DI; there's not much choice involved. Even with the paucity of buffs it already has, it's not worth fighting on it most of the time. It's better to kill the cysts.
A fully infested area will be so beautiful when DI is complete, but as marine you would never get to experience it when you have to kill it. So I like ideas which don't make it necessary to kill DI all the time. Especially the idea of no hivesight on DI.
How would this work in combination with some of the cyst network or DI growth ideas as discussed in the UWE vid?
The current system is annoying because you always have to stop and kill DI; there's not much choice involved. Even with the paucity of buffs it already has, it's not worth fighting on it most of the time. It's better to kill the cysts.
A fully infested area will be so beautiful when DI is complete, but as marine you would never get to experience it when you have to kill it. So I like ideas which don't make it necessary to kill DI all the time. Especially the idea of no hivesight on DI.
How would this work in combination with some of the cyst network or DI growth ideas as discussed in the UWE vid?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I know we as a team ignore the Cysts many times, because other targets are way more valuable, such as harvesters, chambers and hives.
Also, killing them doesn't remove the infestation right away, and it's not really an option to sit there and wait for it to go away.
Also, killing them doesn't remove the infestation right away, and it's not really an option to sit there and wait for it to go away.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I agree. At this moment there's not much point killing the infestation in organized games after the very early game.
Im wondering if the idea of *pumping* something (health regen, health for whips/crags/harvesters) wouldnt make them more of a target.
Plus the 'thickness' of the vine could be the limit of the 'pipe' (ie, if you spread out too fast, then the health pipe is too thin and can be easily cut by marines, but if you lay lots of 'pipes' then it can pump health downstream and keep things alive longer).
I really like the cysts as 'eggs' for structures idea too.