6:56 PM - sewlek: btw the melee attack change, full damage zone is much bigger now
6:55 PM - Ｃｙｂｅｒ－Ｋｕｎ!: Then I will tell people
6:56 PM - sewlek: before it was 1.1 meters in width (25 dmg zone)
6:56 PM - sewlek: now its 0.7 for 75 dmg
This is not a nerf. This is consistency and is a bit of a buff overall. I am happy with the change.
*Edit*
- experimental: swipe attack speed 120%, damage down by 16% (3/3/4/4 hits to kill a marine). this should make fades less powerful early game, but can kill marines late game faster
It's pretty much just a nerf if those numbers are accurate. 84% damage at 120% speed is a 0.8% increase in DPS. So basically no increase, just more swipeswhereas an increase in the number of swipes required is a significant nerf.
6:56 PM - sewlek: btw the melee attack change, full damage zone is much bigger now
6:55 PM - Ｃｙｂｅｒ－Ｋｕｎ!: Then I will tell people
6:56 PM - sewlek: before it was 1.1 meters in width (25 dmg zone)
6:56 PM - sewlek: now its 0.7 for 75 dmg
This is not a nerf. This is consistency and is a bit of a buff overall. I am happy with the change.
*Edit*
- experimental: swipe attack speed 120%, damage down by 16% (3/3/4/4 hits to kill a marine). this should make fades less powerful early game, but can kill marines late game faster
Fade nerf/buffs, yayyyy!
Ah, interesting. When I glanced at the code the cylinder size didn't look different to me. Apparently I am an idiot and I live in a world of confirmation bias.
The removal of scaling bite damage is awesome. Its harder to hit, but you always do full damage which makes counting bites easier.
Also, the current version of Blink stinks. When you stop Blinking in the air, you feel like you have an Onos riding you and a quick tap of Blink will do nothing while you are still moving through the air. Please revert it .
The removal of scaling bite damage is awesome. Its harder to hit, but you always do full damage which makes counting bites easier.
Also, the current version of Blink stinks. When you stop Blinking in the air, you feel like you have an Onos riding you and a quick tap of Blink will do nothing while you are still moving through the air. Please revert it .
Did blink change? Losing all of your momentum "instantly" doesn't feel good, hence why the skulk being able to keep ground accel feels a bit nicer, losing it shortly after feels alright
Seems like Sewlek finally got some order into the changelog. It also seems like he started on making first calls on what stuff will be definitely included in the game and left the rest of experimental changes with a leading "?"
general
- team resources when no RT active (counts as 0.5 active RTs)
-? disabled gradual melee attacks
- added additional 6 second respawn time when rejoining a team, suiciding or when killed by a death trigger
- movement code rewritten
- added supply limit for specific units, 100 supply per captured tech point
- MACs and Drifters are no longer able to attack
-? increased resource income and cost by 10 for better fine tuning
- resource towers and command structures will now block re-creation for 5 seconds after destruction (enemy team is allowed to drop something)
- increased starting team resources to 750
- increased resource tower costs to 150
- removed "no res while dead" rule
- reduced personal resource income per RT from 1.25 to 1
marine
-? added nano armor research to Command Station (marines regenerate 0.75 armor per second when out of combat
-? nano shield requires research at Command Station
-? removed medpack cooldown
Exosuit:
-? reduced exo armor to 310, down from 400
-? reduced exo armor upgrade to 35, down from 40
-? JP and Exo are now available at 1 command station
-? reduced exo cost to 400 (600 for dual minigun)
-? exos can now be nano shielded
- exosuits can now use their thruster horizontal (use shift)
- reduced exo thruster cool down to 2.5 seconds (was 4)
- exosuits require now a robotics factory
- increased exo base speed to 5.5 m/s, up from 5
- reduced claw damage to 30
- reduced exosuit research cost by 50
- fixed exo weapon not profiting from weapon upgrades
- toned down minigun damage to 16 (was 25)
- toned down railgun damage to 40+120 (was 50+150)
Flame Thrower:
- increase flame thrower clip size to 50 (was 30)
- removed flame thrower damage ramp up
- reduced flamethrower cost to 200 (was 250)
- reduced flamethrower weight and increased range slightly
- flamethrower can now burn up bile/whip bombs and disables enemy structure functions
Grenade Launcher:
- reduced grenade launcher cost to 150 (was 250)
- increased grenade launcher reserve ammo to 28
- increased grenade fuse time to 3 seconds
- whips will now cause whacked grenades to detonate within 0.45 seconds
Shotgun:
- reduced shotgun damage per pellet to 10 (was 11)
- adjusted shotgun spread
ARC:
- reduced ARC build time from 10 to 7
- reduced robotics factory upgrade time from 40 to 20
- reduced ARC movement speed by 50%
- fixed ARC not being properly affected by ink clouds
- multiple MACs are no longer able to weld the same target
-? reduced armslab health/armor to 1700/50 (was 2200/225)
- arms lab no longer requires an armory
- amories no longer heal armor
- welders no longer require a research
- reduced welder cost to 40
- increased medpack cost to 15 (was 10)
- marines now always see when something is damaged (yellow wrench icon)
-? all marines structures can now be build on infestation, but 25% slower than usual
- added ability for marine commander to temporary power individual structures)
-? reduced health/armor of Phase Gates to 2500/300 (down from 2700/450)
- increased jetpack cost to 150 (was 100)
- IP spawn time increased to 8 seconds (was 7)
- removed MAC EMP
- reduced vision obscurring effect from bilebomb on exo HUD
- extractors and command stations can now be parasited
alien
Alien Spawn:
- each alien has individual spawn timer (11 seconds)
- an egg is generated every 10 seconds ( 5 seconds for 12 player)
- hives can have max of 4 eggs (8 for 12 players)
- hives have now the hatch ability (2 eggs for 10 t.res like shift)
Alien Tech Tree:
- added bio mass, upgrade at hive. each hive can provide 3 bio mass (1 default, 150 + 350 res for upgrading 2 times)
- each bio mass level increases the base health of all life forms and is requirement for ability researches
- scaleable upgrades (for example build a maximum of 3 shells to get maximum efficiency for carapace, regeneration), 200 res per structure
- celerity works now in combat and increases max speed by 2 m/s
- regeneration works now in combat
- adrenaline increases max energy and regeneration rate by 10% per level
- merged camouflage and silence into one upgrade (called 'Phantom' for now)
- added new shade upgrade (called Aura for now) shows enemies and their health (color changes)
- reduced hive specialization upgrade time to 10 seconds (down from 20)
Fade:
-? swipe attack speed +16%, damage down by 16% (3/3/4/4 hits to kill a marine). this should make fades less powerful early game, but can kill marines late game faster
- fade: swapped blink and shadow step (shadow step is now the upgrade)
- blink: fades are a bit easier to see during blink
- shadowstep: does not add any momentum anymore instead moves you at high speed 6 meters in the desired direction (-> dodging), works also vertical
- fade vortex ability is now created as a seperate object in the world and block all attacks if no valid target has been hit
- disabled fade double jump
Lerk:
- spores are now tier 3 and bigger / cheaper to use.
- umbra is now tier 2 and blocks 1 out of 3 bullets (was 1 out of 2)
Onos:
-? changed stomp to affect marines in a radius rather than being a shockwave
-? stomp causes miniguns to overheat
- reduced gore range to 1.7
- reduced gore damage to 100
- added experimental onos ability to absorb damage for energy (6 biomass). basic onos is now weaker
Gorge:
-? gorges move now 20% faster on infestation
- doubled heal spray construct effectiveness
-? hydras are now flamable
Skulk:
- xenocide cant be cancelled anymore
- when dying by xenocide, skulk respawn time is reduce by 6 seconds
Infestation:
- cysts will block recreation in the area when destroyed for 4 seconds
- removed cyst cool down
- cysts will autobuild once their parent is contructed
- increased cyst build time to 4 seconds to compensate for lack of cool down
- increased cyst range, infestation radius
- reduced cyst cost to 5
- infestation receding is now twice as fast than growing
- gorge tunnel entrances create now infestation when the other side is infested
Drifter:
- Drifters can now be created during the hive is researching
- increased drifter cost to 40 (was 30)
- reduced drifter cloud costs to 10 (was 20)
- drifters unlock passive abilities depending on hive type (shade: camouflage, shift: celerity, crag: regeneration)
- drifters unlock triggered abilities (whip: enzyme cloud, shade hive: hallucinate, shift hive: storm cloud/movement speed, crag hive: mucous membrane/heals armor)
- moved hallucinations from shade to drifters: every alien in effect range generates a hallucination, controllable by the alien commander
-? crag shift and shade can now always be build
-? crag, shade and shift can now move
-? increased cost of crag, shade and shift to 125 (was 100)
-? utility chamber abilities require now the correct hive type
-? fade and onos eggs require now bio mass three
-? allow aliens to change upgrades (min gestation time 5 seconds)
-? shifts increase the movement speed of nearby crags and shades
- rupture can now be cast directly on infestation
- added echo harvester to shift
- added echo gorge tunnel to shift (only on infestation)
- whips will now root and unroot automatically
- enemies are outlined with parasite only
- the normal gestation time is applied when using a pre-evolved egg instead of just 2 seconds
- crags no longer stack their healing with each other and can heal a maximum of 3 targets at once
- shift energize no longer stacks
- shift echo ability no longer requires maturity
So to extract the unclear ones:
general
-? disabled gradual melee attacks
-? increased resource income and cost by 10 for better fine tuning
marine
-? added nano armor research to Command Station (marines regenerate 0.75 armor per second when out of combat)
-? nano shield requires research at Command Station
-? removed medpack cooldown
Exosuit:
-? reduced exo armor to 310, down from 400
-? reduced exo armor upgrade to 35, down from 40
-? JP and Exo are now available at 1 command station
-? reduced exo cost to 400 (600 for dual minigun)
-? exos can now be nano shielded
-? reduced armslab health/armor to 1700/50 (was 2200/225)
-? all marines structures can now be build on infestation, but 25% slower than usual
-? reduced health/armor of Phase Gates to 2500/300 (down from 2700/450)
alien
Fade:
-? swipe attack speed +16%, damage down by 16% (3/3/4/4 hits to kill a marine). this should make fades less powerful early game, but can kill marines late game faster
Onos:
-? changed stomp to affect marines in a radius rather than being a shockwave
-? stomp causes miniguns to overheat
Gorge:
-? gorges move now 20% faster on infestation
-? hydras are now flamable
-? crag shift and shade can now always be build
-? crag, shade and shift can now move
-? increased cost of crag, shade and shift to 125 (was 100)
-? utility chamber abilities require now the correct hive type
-? fade and onos eggs require now bio mass three
-? allow aliens to change upgrades (min gestation time 5 seconds)
-? shifts increase the movement speed of nearby crags and shades
Thus far a pretty reasonable selection. Most of the remaining disputes have clear reasons for being disputed.
- Resx10 should be included, just add a decimal point so that it doesn't look that much different to players compared to vanilla.
- Nanoshield should be included. More options are always good. But I would move it back to the Arms Lab, to increase the opportunity costs since it would be a no-brainer at the start otherwise. And it takes research time off other upgrades that way.
- Undecided on the Exo changes. Fighting against Exos with plenty of marine and MAC support is frustrating and boring as hell. Being doomed to certain death against just a few aliens as Exo is no fun either, though. It probably boils down to how much tolerance to being "out of position" is allowed and how early we want them in the game.
- More vulnerable Arms Lab helps in lategame turtles. However, it also makes it pretty easy to take out for just an individual Skulk early on, since it's almost as vulnerable as an Obs. Maybe find a middle ground with 2000/100 ?
- Unleashed Khammander should definitely be in vanilla. It adds so much to early game strategies.
- Moving chambers should also be in there. Simply because they are awesome, alien-like and actually make up for misplacing a structure as khammander due to a lack of radius indicators during the placement and his lack of a recycling ability.
- Being able to change traits as alien should be possible in vanilla as well. Whether or not it should only be possible at the Hive is another thing.
I like most of the 'questionable' changes (at least in principle) but there's definitely some good reasons to not implement them hastily. The only ones I really would be sad not to see implemented are nanoarmour, aliens changing upgrades, and moving chambers. I like cheaper exos but as long as there's good reasons to use either exos or JPs then it's fine.
This should at least still be tried as a method of balancing out armories, as I still believe establishes bases within a tech point should offer a larger margin of safety compared to that of a contested area of a map. Much like an alien retreating to a hive to heal both his health and armour.
*edit* added some stroke for ironpony (not for Kouji)
Isn't that the same font that Ns2 uses for like... everything?
I think that the idea in the picture makes sense, but also feels like an unnecessary complication to a rather simple and elegant system. Maybe just make advanced armories repair armor if we really need armor healing from armories? (i'm almost 100% sure someone else has suggested this by now.) An advanced armory is kind of a lot of res to drop onto the front lines, and it has to be upgraded which takes time... so the marines would have to successfully defend it in order to get armor from it. Would accomplish the same sort of thing, but with a little less complexity and a little more depth imo.
Isn't that the same font that Ns2 uses for like... everything?
I think that the idea in the picture makes sense, but also feels like an unnecessary complication to a rather simple and elegant system. Maybe just make advanced armories repair armor if we really need armor healing from armories? An advanced armory is kind of a lot of res to drop onto the front lines, and it has to be upgraded which takes time... so the marines would have to successfully defend it in order to get armor from it. Would accomplish the same sort of thing, but with a little less complexity and a little more depth imo.
Yeah same font as the UI font, whatever I was working on last I guess I was using the UI font, but uh yeah same general idea, marine bases still need to be a point of safety (moreso then contested areas) much like an alien can circle around the hive a few times to recoup from a battle or in aid to defend it's own hive) so yeah general idea, either one could work, I just don't see how it's complicated to build within the ring, you already have to build the infantry portals within the same ring.
This should at least still be tried as a method of balancing out armories, as I still believe establishes bases within a tech point should offer a larger margin of safety compared to that of a contested area of a map. Much like an alien retreating to a hive to heal both his health and armour.
This still promotes the marine turtle problem where it takes decades(exaggeration) to assault a marine base in the end game.
It would be better off if Armories didn't heal armor at all, you can buy a welder at any armory, and if a player tries to get around the issue by either suicide or going to the ready room, they'll still be losing some res.
Also as a side note, I'd love to see Welders take up the 4th slot like mines do, it's a support tool that shouldn't be taking up the spot of the basic marine melee. Plus marines can drop it at any time to get their axe back so it doesn't make too much sense.
Was Phantom intentionally removed? I hope not. It is still mentioned as confirmed feature in the changelog.
Right now we have Camouflage, Silence and Aura as three individual Shade traits to choose from. I really hope Phantom stays, since Camouflage alone is never really a good way to go on the majority of lifeforms and will just be outclassed by the other traits.
It's also a bit sad to see so many of the promising marine changes being reverted:
- Nanoarmor got removed again.
- Nanoshield is not researchable but tied to 2 CCs again.
I am fine with the Prototype Lab only being available on 2 CCs, since the buffed Jetpacks would otherwise be a nightmare for most Skulks and other lifeforms. The Exos not so much.
turtling is still more often than not a lack of coordination to push into a base where an entire team is alive and choosing poor targets in the process of rushing into the base. A larger portion of importance should always be during the actual course of the game not when a winner has been established. Just to simply make things easier for an uncoordinated group of aliens to finish the game at the cost of balance during the game where the outcome is being yet decided is not a proper route. Turtles are also vastly over exaggerated in their actual occurrence as time has gone on as well as difficulty of breaking them up. As time has gone on and players have matured they've quickly learned how to close out games a lot faster than in prior time were people could still be seen running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
turtling is still more often than not a lack of coordination to push into a base where an entire team is alive and choosing poor targets in the process of rushing into the base. A larger portion of importance should always be during the actual course of the game not when a winner has been established. Just to simply make things easier for an uncoordinated group of aliens to finish the game at the cost of balance during the game where the outcome is being yet decided is not a proper route. Turtles are also vastly over exaggerated in their actual occurrence as time has gone on as well as difficulty of breaking them up. As time has gone on and players have matured they've quickly learned how to close out games a lot faster than in prior time were people could still be seen running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
That's not the only reason either. Having an armory in base that completely fixes everything encourages passive play with marines constantly retreating to base every time they stub a toe. Requiring welding is a huge driving force in encouraging teamwork.
I just don't see how it's complicated to build within the ring, you already have to build the infantry portals within the same ring.
It's complicated because it's an arbitrary rule that changes how a building functions based on its location within a room, and there is no real reason to do it that way. I think the restriction on IP's is complicated in the same way, tbh. The better way of solving that, imo, would've been to tie it to the tech point power node... if there's an occupied tech point in the room and the power is on, then the infantry portals work. That would allow you to place IP's in ways to provide for a more optimal firing position for spawners... so that way if you're getting base rushed, spawners don't have to navigate between the obs and the arms lab and the armory and the com chair which all tend to be bunched up in the same spot in the room.
turtling is still more often than not a lack of coordination to push into a base where an entire team is alive and choosing poor targets in the process of rushing into the base. A larger portion of importance should always be during the actual course of the game not when a winner has been established. Just to simply make things easier for an uncoordinated group of aliens to finish the game at the cost of balance during the game where the outcome is being yet decided is not a proper route. Turtles are also vastly over exaggerated in their actual occurrence as time has gone on as well as difficulty of breaking them up. As time has gone on and players have matured they've quickly learned how to close out games a lot faster than in prior time were people could still be seen running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
That's not the only reason either. Having an armory in base that completely fixes everything encourages passive play with marines constantly retreating to base every time they stub a toe. Requiring welding is a huge driving force in encouraging teamwork.
again vastly over exaggerated with the "stub the toe" comment, and aliens also retreat to hives to recoup would you say hives now encourage passive alien play? No, I wouldn't expect you to say that. There should be a somewhat higher expectation of safety within an established tech point, much like aliens can circle around hives as their being shot at by marines and regain health and amour. There is an inherent advantage when you're defending your own tech point that should have to be overcame by the opposing force.
I don't think armories promote passive play... I think they just make it too easy to set up an aggressive position. You can walk into a hive room and build an armory, and you've instantly got a place to get more ammo, health, and armor, for essentially no effort. Requiring welders for offensive armor healing means that in order to have full armor, you have to have someone put their gun away and become a support unit for a second. It's like how skulks need gorges in order to heal in combat.
I don't think armories promote passive play... I think they just make it too easy to set up an aggressive position. You can walk into a hive room and build an armory, and you've instantly got a place to get more ammo, health, and armor, for essentially no effort. Requiring welders for offensive armory healing means that in order to have full armor, you have to have someone put their gun away and become a support unit for a second. It's like how skulks need gorges in order to heal in combat.
exactly
that's the main issue with balance right now in regards to greatly effecting the hit and run nature of aliens.
Phantom has been removed, giving Shade path now Camo/Silence/Aura.
I feel like that was not a proper thing currently. Both Phantom and Aura had strong uses and it gave the Shade path a good use. They both suffer from the fact that they are the worst base breaking abilities. Now With Silence and Camo being back to their current state, they are the weakest upgrades arguably. Aura is still a very strong use of the Shade Hive though.
I can see the idea of reworking it, but I liked where Phantom was.
Phantom has been removed, giving Shade path now Camo/Silence/Aura.
If that's the way they want to take it, perhaps now is the time to consider allowing 2/3 upgrades. Would allow for more variation between aliens and more research choices for the khamm.
The current camo I've found can be incredibly FUN with celerity + silence + camo, you just need to train yourself to not jump all the time, would be a pity to lose that.
Only problem then is deciding what 3rd upgrade to give shift and crag, dual crag upgrades could be completely OP though but I suppose you could balance that with scaling pres costs, more upgrades, more pres cost.
Edit: MAybe tie allowed upgrades to biomass or number of hives? Meaning you couldn't get Cara+regen right away.
Silence is a good upgrade by itself. Camouflage isn't. If they're not going to be merged, I'd rather see Camouflage removed entirely and replaced by something that complements the other two better.
Silence and Aura would be broken. An person you will never hear and never see due to dodging your view with wallhacks.
Silence and Camo was good, Camo with Aura would be durp, Silence with Aura would be OP.
I really enjoyed the mesh of silence and cloak that stalker provided. cloaking by itself is just one of those things that will be underwhelming or overpowered, and it's nice to see the underwhelming form of cloak being melded together with silence to make something a lot more viable in combat.
Comments
6:56 PM - sewlek: btw the melee attack change, full damage zone is much bigger now
6:55 PM - Ｃｙｂｅｒ－Ｋｕｎ!: Then I will tell people
6:56 PM - sewlek: before it was 1.1 meters in width (25 dmg zone)
6:56 PM - sewlek: now its 0.7 for 75 dmg
This is not a nerf. This is consistency and is a bit of a buff overall. I am happy with the change.
*Edit*
- experimental: swipe attack speed 120%, damage down by 16% (3/3/4/4 hits to kill a marine). this should make fades less powerful early game, but can kill marines late game faster
Fade nerf/buffs, yayyyy!
Ah, interesting. When I glanced at the code the cylinder size didn't look different to me. Apparently I am an idiot and I live in a world of confirmation bias.
We all do.
I've seen studies that prove it, but I've known it all along.
Also, the current version of Blink stinks. When you stop Blinking in the air, you feel like you have an Onos riding you and a quick tap of Blink will do nothing while you are still moving through the air. Please revert it
Did blink change? Losing all of your momentum "instantly" doesn't feel good, hence why the skulk being able to keep ground accel feels a bit nicer, losing it shortly after feels alright
So to extract the unclear ones:
Thus far a pretty reasonable selection. Most of the remaining disputes have clear reasons for being disputed.
- Resx10 should be included, just add a decimal point so that it doesn't look that much different to players compared to vanilla.
- Nanoshield should be included. More options are always good. But I would move it back to the Arms Lab, to increase the opportunity costs since it would be a no-brainer at the start otherwise. And it takes research time off other upgrades that way.
- Undecided on the Exo changes. Fighting against Exos with plenty of marine and MAC support is frustrating and boring as hell. Being doomed to certain death against just a few aliens as Exo is no fun either, though. It probably boils down to how much tolerance to being "out of position" is allowed and how early we want them in the game.
- More vulnerable Arms Lab helps in lategame turtles. However, it also makes it pretty easy to take out for just an individual Skulk early on, since it's almost as vulnerable as an Obs. Maybe find a middle ground with 2000/100 ?
- Unleashed Khammander should definitely be in vanilla. It adds so much to early game strategies.
- Moving chambers should also be in there. Simply because they are awesome, alien-like and actually make up for misplacing a structure as khammander due to a lack of radius indicators during the placement and his lack of a recycling ability.
- Being able to change traits as alien should be possible in vanilla as well. Whether or not it should only be possible at the Hive is another thing.
*edit* added some stroke for ironpony (not for Kouji)
[-(
edit: ty for editing it to a less eye bleeding format
I think that the idea in the picture makes sense, but also feels like an unnecessary complication to a rather simple and elegant system. Maybe just make advanced armories repair armor if we really need armor healing from armories? (i'm almost 100% sure someone else has suggested this by now.) An advanced armory is kind of a lot of res to drop onto the front lines, and it has to be upgraded which takes time... so the marines would have to successfully defend it in order to get armor from it. Would accomplish the same sort of thing, but with a little less complexity and a little more depth imo.
Yeah same font as the UI font, whatever I was working on last I guess I was using the UI font, but uh yeah same general idea, marine bases still need to be a point of safety (moreso then contested areas) much like an alien can circle around the hive a few times to recoup from a battle or in aid to defend it's own hive) so yeah general idea, either one could work, I just don't see how it's complicated to build within the ring, you already have to build the infantry portals within the same ring.
This still promotes the marine turtle problem where it takes decades(exaggeration) to assault a marine base in the end game.
It would be better off if Armories didn't heal armor at all, you can buy a welder at any armory, and if a player tries to get around the issue by either suicide or going to the ready room, they'll still be losing some res.
Also as a side note, I'd love to see Welders take up the 4th slot like mines do, it's a support tool that shouldn't be taking up the spot of the basic marine melee. Plus marines can drop it at any time to get their axe back so it doesn't make too much sense.
Right now we have Camouflage, Silence and Aura as three individual Shade traits to choose from. I really hope Phantom stays, since Camouflage alone is never really a good way to go on the majority of lifeforms and will just be outclassed by the other traits.
It's also a bit sad to see so many of the promising marine changes being reverted:
- Nanoarmor got removed again.
- Nanoshield is not researchable but tied to 2 CCs again.
I am fine with the Prototype Lab only being available on 2 CCs, since the buffed Jetpacks would otherwise be a nightmare for most Skulks and other lifeforms. The Exos not so much.
That's not the only reason either. Having an armory in base that completely fixes everything encourages passive play with marines constantly retreating to base every time they stub a toe. Requiring welding is a huge driving force in encouraging teamwork.
It's complicated because it's an arbitrary rule that changes how a building functions based on its location within a room, and there is no real reason to do it that way. I think the restriction on IP's is complicated in the same way, tbh. The better way of solving that, imo, would've been to tie it to the tech point power node... if there's an occupied tech point in the room and the power is on, then the infantry portals work. That would allow you to place IP's in ways to provide for a more optimal firing position for spawners... so that way if you're getting base rushed, spawners don't have to navigate between the obs and the arms lab and the armory and the com chair which all tend to be bunched up in the same spot in the room.
again vastly over exaggerated with the "stub the toe" comment, and aliens also retreat to hives to recoup would you say hives now encourage passive alien play? No, I wouldn't expect you to say that. There should be a somewhat higher expectation of safety within an established tech point, much like aliens can circle around hives as their being shot at by marines and regain health and amour. There is an inherent advantage when you're defending your own tech point that should have to be overcame by the opposing force.
exactly
that's the main issue with balance right now in regards to greatly effecting the hit and run nature of aliens.
I feel like that was not a proper thing currently. Both Phantom and Aura had strong uses and it gave the Shade path a good use. They both suffer from the fact that they are the worst base breaking abilities. Now With Silence and Camo being back to their current state, they are the weakest upgrades arguably. Aura is still a very strong use of the Shade Hive though.
I can see the idea of reworking it, but I liked where Phantom was.
If that's the way they want to take it, perhaps now is the time to consider allowing 2/3 upgrades. Would allow for more variation between aliens and more research choices for the khamm.
The current camo I've found can be incredibly FUN with celerity + silence + camo, you just need to train yourself to not jump all the time, would be a pity to lose that.
Only problem then is deciding what 3rd upgrade to give shift and crag, dual crag upgrades could be completely OP though but I suppose you could balance that with scaling pres costs, more upgrades, more pres cost.
Edit: MAybe tie allowed upgrades to biomass or number of hives? Meaning you couldn't get Cara+regen right away.
Silence and Camo was good, Camo with Aura would be durp, Silence with Aura would be OP.
I really enjoyed the mesh of silence and cloak that stalker provided. cloaking by itself is just one of those things that will be underwhelming or overpowered, and it's nice to see the underwhelming form of cloak being melded together with silence to make something a lot more viable in combat.