Biomass and hives
Emoo
Ibasa Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11198Members
Ibasa Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11198Members
So this has been brought up around the forums that 250 is really good for marines, they seem to have a real choice of tech paths and 1 base come backs are possible. Aliens seem to be by and large the same as always, biomass is just an extra time and res sink to slow down the economy.
I didn't play through all the iterations of the balance test, so if this has already been tried and is horrible shoot me down.
All abilities are researchable at 1 biomass but cost more. Extra levels of biomass give the health bonus and make all ability research cheaper. Putting off leap till late game for example would allow you to pick it up really cheap, picking up spores early game would be really expensive.
Biomass at the moment roughly costs 80 per 3 levels (hive + 2 upgrades), so say one biomass level is ~26. If an ability requires 4 biomass now then it's full cost (that is the cost with 0 biomass) should be less than it's current cost + 104.
Full cost < current cost + (biomass currently required * 26)
Cost ~ Full cost - biomass * 26
I doubt you'd be able to make each ability a linear cost reduction like this but following those guidelines allows the choice of do we save up for multiple levels of biomass then an ability (which will cost more overall but has the health benefits) or do we try and get an ability earlier (which will cost less and might reach faster if you have the income)
Given this decoupling of biomass level to abilities it then means an ability once researched is never lost, this is similar to how most marine teams never lose tech in a game till the very end.
Hives would still grant +1 biomass however one hive could keep upgrading it's biomass level at greater and greater cost. This would allow aliens to play off one base but at a large cost and risk of losing a lot in one blow. You'd still want to take extra hives to speed up spawning, give map presence and to make overall biomass upgrades cheaper.
I think this would firstly make alien comebacks and losses a bit more fun (tier 0 Skulks vs exos is really lame, W3/A3 marines with GLs vs onos can be kinda fun). It also opens up the tech tree a bit more, marines grouping up lots try and get early spores, ARC rush get fast bile, GL rush maybe it's the one use for vortex :P
Feedback?
I didn't play through all the iterations of the balance test, so if this has already been tried and is horrible shoot me down.
All abilities are researchable at 1 biomass but cost more. Extra levels of biomass give the health bonus and make all ability research cheaper. Putting off leap till late game for example would allow you to pick it up really cheap, picking up spores early game would be really expensive.
Biomass at the moment roughly costs 80 per 3 levels (hive + 2 upgrades), so say one biomass level is ~26. If an ability requires 4 biomass now then it's full cost (that is the cost with 0 biomass) should be less than it's current cost + 104.
Full cost < current cost + (biomass currently required * 26)
Cost ~ Full cost - biomass * 26
I doubt you'd be able to make each ability a linear cost reduction like this but following those guidelines allows the choice of do we save up for multiple levels of biomass then an ability (which will cost more overall but has the health benefits) or do we try and get an ability earlier (which will cost less and might reach faster if you have the income)
Given this decoupling of biomass level to abilities it then means an ability once researched is never lost, this is similar to how most marine teams never lose tech in a game till the very end.
Hives would still grant +1 biomass however one hive could keep upgrading it's biomass level at greater and greater cost. This would allow aliens to play off one base but at a large cost and risk of losing a lot in one blow. You'd still want to take extra hives to speed up spawning, give map presence and to make overall biomass upgrades cheaper.
I think this would firstly make alien comebacks and losses a bit more fun (tier 0 Skulks vs exos is really lame, W3/A3 marines with GLs vs onos can be kinda fun). It also opens up the tech tree a bit more, marines grouping up lots try and get early spores, ARC rush get fast bile, GL rush maybe it's the one use for vortex :P
Feedback?
Comments
I think scaling would probably not be linear if this were adopted (think about 1 min bile bomb or leap), but I do like the idea because it allows for choice in investment while someone could work the standard pattern (leap at X, stomp at Y, etc).
Might want something in the description of a trait however explaining the "recommended" level.
Second idea:
I like this LESS because getting that third biomass on a hive is currently 50res (on top of building the hive, most likely picking shade, crag or shift and 1 level of mass) is a rather hefty investment that could die very quickly... If aliens survive that and get more hives, they will still be handicapped with that pulsing death spot...
T.res at that point might be better spent on spurs or eggs or even dropping a hive.
I agree that putting too much biomass in a hive does create a weak point, but it gives you the option to tech up more on less hives if you can't quite secure a second/third that currently would be required. Also if you allow total biomass to go over 12 (at 12 health scaling would still stop) you can create redundancy by upping the biomass of a hive in preparation of losing another that's heavily contested.