Bring back second Hive importance, strategy and variety play

GodofThunderGodofThunder Join Date: 2011-12-13 Member: 137815Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Also put end game tech where it should be</div>Firstly I think UWE's idea of focusing on having more command center's and hive's is a great way to go, but I feel with virutally unlimited resources and the ability to get absolutely everything early regardless of how many you have, has destroyed the game. It takes away the fact you need to earn your tech and the early, mid, late game feel. The game was, in my opinion, fantastic when there was the second hive importance. It also meant you had to be more strategic with your team, as some people had to save their resources to go fade, other's had to go gorge or lerk to help get the second hive up.

Although yes it was a bit unbalanced and usually meant either a win or a loss for the aliens, it's now in a position to be brought back.

In the old version you couldn't get fades till the second hive was up, and Onos till the third, and the aliens were limited on their abilities till these were up. This at least gave the game early, mid, late game, and the lower life form aliens had to really work hard to make sure they got a second hive up. This meant more early game time which is really half the enjoyment of the game with lmg's vs skulks.

Currently it's just "here is everything", "go slog it out".

Now with the fact you can research all alien abilities and get all lifeforms from one hive, we could bring back second hive importance(to a degree).

My suggestion's are

<b>Second Hive Importance</b><u></u>

-Onos and all Onos abilities to only be available from second hive.

Reason being that, as many have said, having Onos as fast as the 6 minute mark just doesn't seem right. This is surpose to be the alien's end game, big tank machine, and they almost become trival and uninspiring when every alien can, or is forced to get them early on. And at least you could still get fade's to help secure the second hive, or if things are going badly. This means it wouldn't be unbalanced like before.

<b>Strategy, Variety and End Game Tech</b><u></u>

-Double Hive's and each Hive be unique with their own look

Have each hive be unique and have there own abilities, and also give extra special abilities for having 2 of the same sort. This would bring no end of strategy and fun as you could build aliens very differently and give a huge variety of gameplay. Also this would really bring end game tech for aliens, which let's be honest has never really existed. It would also mean Marine's would have to actually scout the alien Hive's to see what build they are going and counter accordingly, or push hard to stop them from getting there.

<b>Crag Hive</b><u></u>

-Crag Hive's have more armour and HP. Crag Hive's also cost more. Could look like a big armour spikey shell.
-Double Crag Hive gives all aliens automatic carapace lvl 1, and gives the option for lvl 2 carapace. This would be a real tank build for aliens. All aliens would have very high armour.

-Counter's would be Flame Thrower's to bypass armour. Shotgun's would need to be used early to fight the armoured alien's. Give an armour piercing round for LMG's as a late game research tech.

<b>Shade Hive</b><u></u>

-Shade Hive's have normal HP and armour same as current. Could keep same model as current Hive.
-Double Shade Hive gives all aliens automatic cloak which stay's on until they attack, or get scanned. This with silence would mean the aliens have a very stealthy army.

-Counter's would be to build observatories at multiple locations around the map to show up the aliens. Also the commander would have to be kept on his toes with constant scanning.

<b>Shift Hive</b><u></u>

-Shift Hive's would have less HP and armour. Shift Hive also costs less. Could look like some purple glowing tentacle thing(ideas?).
-Double Shift Hive gives all alien's celerity automatically. Also aliens spawn time is halved. This build would be designed for faster setup and overwhelming the marine's with number's. Add in hypermutation and it would be a fast build, that can deploy alien's very quickly.

-Counter would be leveling weapon's as fast as possible as though the aliens will be fast and constantly coming, they will be weak without carapace.

<b>Third Hive and Late Game Tech</b><u></u>

With this setup you could really bring late game tech to the aliens for the first time. With a free upgrade already given from the second hive, with a third hive, you would have the ability to get 4 upgrades. Imagine what you could do with 4 Hive's!!!!!!!!!!.

-Example
Double Crag Hive, with a Shift Hive means an Onos would have lvl 2 carapace, celerity, silence and regen. Now that's a brutal Onos. This would really bring in the late game for alien's and would mean they don't just spend 30 minutes trying to break into the last marine base, if they won the map control.

-Counter. Exo suit PLZ. Exo suit with jetpack combo with HMG.(what ever's in the pipeline)

<b>Double Command Center</b><u></u>

-Second Command Center give's you a free armoury to be deployed next to it. This would help with marine's expanding and holding outpost's.

<b>Nano Shield</b><u></u>

Keeping with the theme of the more command center's/Hive's you have the more rewards you get.

I think that each command center should be able to always have 1 nano shield up, but only one. This means it stops it from being spammed, but also means you can more importantly keep a Resource Tower alive for alot longer. It also means when you get a second Command Center you can always have 2 nano shield's up or 3 etc etc. That way actually making multiple command center's has a point, and if you want to do a major push into an alien base, having 3 CC's would greatly help.

<b>Summary</b><u></u>

-Extend early game time
-Bring in Importance of Second Hive/Command Center
-Reward Multiple Command Center's/Hive's
-Bring strategy and different gameplay to every game
-Bring in End Game tech when it should be

Just my thoughts.

Comments

  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    Charlie has already said they're going to require hive 2 ability research to actually have 2 hives, so wish granted.
    <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=119165&view=findpost&p=1947059" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index....t&p=1947059</a>
  • wattswatts Join Date: 2002-11-18 Member: 9204Members
    That's nice, but i think there needs to be more emphasis on hive locations. I also think that being able to expand out without any aliens around as alien commander is not a good play. I think gorge needs to somehow become important on building other structures again.

    Having the aliens all focused on one part while the commander builds stuff blindly on the other side of the map seems like too much of a disconnect.
  • botchiballbotchiball Join Date: 2003-04-24 Member: 15810Members, Constellation
    There are a lot of crazy ideas in there : ), some of them definitely seem too powerful to me. One that I think is really cool is the idea of making the various Hive upgrades different res costs. Definitely a suggestion I haven't seen before - and could be just the promotion needed to make Carapace not so obvious a starting choice.

    If, as in your example, a Shift Hive upgrade costs less, this would increase both the temptation of quicker access to upgrades, as well as promote the ability of the team to get to the next hive location.

    The same can't quite be said for Shade, but having a decreased cost could still promote its use.
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