Alien Classes
schkorpio
I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
<div class="IPBDescription">re worked for diversity</div>I know a lot of people are going to hate this because everyone wants lots of options, but I reckon it might be better to limit the options and focus on making the roles and main abilities stronger.
I was thinking it would be better for the aliens classes to be more diverse (from each other)and so that abilities wouldn't overlap. I'm not entirely sure how it could be done without taking away too the customization as this might go against the whole evolution idea. Perhaps certain aliens would get bonuses if they select abilites from chamber that complement their class. But I don't think too many people would mind as generally most people only pick those abilities for a specific class anyway.
I think it dividing the classes further away from each other would increase team play, as well as provide some nice intense moment - like below the onos is a 1/2 blind brute, you could get away if your lucky, but you would be better off hiding, as chances are it won't see you, unless a scout class alien spots you and notifies the onos - then you are dead <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> This would effectively give each alien a more specialized role.
For example :-
<u><b>Scout </b></u>
<i>lerk and skulk</i>
This class of alien would get a bonus from selecting certain SC and MC upgrades, namely the ones that help travel/sneak around map and spot marines to parasite and to alert other aliens. Wider Field of vision (FOV) and a better SoF system for better awarness.
<u><b>Soldier</b></u>
<i>Fade</i>
Great at taking out marines, especially in groups of 2 or 3, 1 at a time. So naturally would get benefits from speed and strenght style upgrades. But would have little benefit from detecting and sneaking upgrades.
<u><b>Siege </b></u>
<i>Onos</i>
Onos, should specialize in taking and dealing huge amounts of damage, but with the trade off of speed, and awarness (perhaps the FOV could be narrowed aswell, it would be like a charging bull, not very aware of things but once its got you in its sights ....). So i'm suggesting that an Onos would get very minimal, if any at all benefit from taking any of the SC upgrades, but would get a bonus from taking DC upgrades, and no change to MC.
<b>
<u>Support</b></u>
<i>Gorge</i>
Gorgies mostly benefit from non combat abilities, so they could get a bonus to upgrades like adrenaline, and cloaking, and even regenration, but would get no benefit from upgrades such as focus, fast walking, or SoF. perhaps even spit could be changed so it blinds rather than damages.
There are plenty of suggestions already both I&S forums to make the classes more unique also, so i won't go into those.
This might make the aliens seem more like a whole eco system as well rather than a bunch of mutating freaks, there would be harmony. Scouts detect, Soldier and Siege units attack and destroy, gorges take care of buildings and healing.
I was thinking it would be better for the aliens classes to be more diverse (from each other)and so that abilities wouldn't overlap. I'm not entirely sure how it could be done without taking away too the customization as this might go against the whole evolution idea. Perhaps certain aliens would get bonuses if they select abilites from chamber that complement their class. But I don't think too many people would mind as generally most people only pick those abilities for a specific class anyway.
I think it dividing the classes further away from each other would increase team play, as well as provide some nice intense moment - like below the onos is a 1/2 blind brute, you could get away if your lucky, but you would be better off hiding, as chances are it won't see you, unless a scout class alien spots you and notifies the onos - then you are dead <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> This would effectively give each alien a more specialized role.
For example :-
<u><b>Scout </b></u>
<i>lerk and skulk</i>
This class of alien would get a bonus from selecting certain SC and MC upgrades, namely the ones that help travel/sneak around map and spot marines to parasite and to alert other aliens. Wider Field of vision (FOV) and a better SoF system for better awarness.
<u><b>Soldier</b></u>
<i>Fade</i>
Great at taking out marines, especially in groups of 2 or 3, 1 at a time. So naturally would get benefits from speed and strenght style upgrades. But would have little benefit from detecting and sneaking upgrades.
<u><b>Siege </b></u>
<i>Onos</i>
Onos, should specialize in taking and dealing huge amounts of damage, but with the trade off of speed, and awarness (perhaps the FOV could be narrowed aswell, it would be like a charging bull, not very aware of things but once its got you in its sights ....). So i'm suggesting that an Onos would get very minimal, if any at all benefit from taking any of the SC upgrades, but would get a bonus from taking DC upgrades, and no change to MC.
<b>
<u>Support</b></u>
<i>Gorge</i>
Gorgies mostly benefit from non combat abilities, so they could get a bonus to upgrades like adrenaline, and cloaking, and even regenration, but would get no benefit from upgrades such as focus, fast walking, or SoF. perhaps even spit could be changed so it blinds rather than damages.
There are plenty of suggestions already both I&S forums to make the classes more unique also, so i won't go into those.
This might make the aliens seem more like a whole eco system as well rather than a bunch of mutating freaks, there would be harmony. Scouts detect, Soldier and Siege units attack and destroy, gorges take care of buildings and healing.
Comments
Example:
Rampaging Onos - cara/cel/scent
Sneaking Onos - Cloak/Regen/Silence
So i would rather have the ability to choose how i want my alien to be rather then have it degraded/enhanced because of the characteristics i have chosen for my alien.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Hmm, I'd go Carapace - Celerity - Focus for "Rampaging" personally, but you make a good point I agree with. Creating <i>more</i> options is a very good thing, if you are a skilled player you can tailor your abilities to that which would help you team most at accomplishing your mission.
Which is it?
Regardless, while the basics of the Kharaa system should remain in place, IMHO, Kharaa need to get more into personal tastes. That is the real game play strength of the Kharaa, the marines have being cookie cutter clones of each other down to an art form. The Kharaa should go the opposite way, and become as diverse and bizarre as possible.
This calls for more chambers, more life forms. If you want more teamplay, I suggest Kharaa gain symbiotic and parasitic relationships with each other, even more so than already exists. Personally, I wouldn't mind joining life forms together for all new life forms, so that one player is the "driver" and the other the "gunner".
If I am reading your idea right, I would most definitely vote "No".
<!--quoteo(post=1645319:date=Aug 25 2007, 03:59 PM:name=CanadianWolverine)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CanadianWolverine @ Aug 25 2007, 03:59 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1645319"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->This idea is not coming across as very clear to me. First it seems like limiting the the Kharaa life forms to "classes" and a call for less options. Then it seems you are asking for more options?
Which is it?
Regardless, while the basics of the Kharaa system should remain in place, IMHO, Kharaa need to get more into personal tastes. That is the real game play strength of the Kharaa, the marines have being cookie cutter clones of each other down to an art form. The Kharaa should go the opposite way, and become as diverse and bizarre as possible.
This calls for more chambers, more life forms. If you want more teamplay, I suggest Kharaa gain symbiotic and parasitic relationships with each other, even more so than already exists. Personally, I wouldn't mind joining life forms together for all new life forms, so that one player is the "driver" and the other the "gunner".
If I am reading your idea right, I would most definitely vote "No".<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I agree with CanadiaWolverine.
Not sure about the joining life forms though, to be honest.
Which is it?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You got the first part sorta right.
I'm discussing the idea of a larger difference between the lifeforms, and what their roles involve. You would choose a specific life form for a particular role say scouting - then enhance its scouting abilities to by evolving the relevant chambers - its more or less the same as it is now, only that when they choose chamber abilities specific to their role they get a bonus.
Like why would you choose an onos with invisiblity, silence? its fun in a game of combat, but in NS classic its silly.
This idea limits life forms more then they gain from it. Also, Kharaa strategies become cookie cutter, to the point that the names of the upgrades might as well be taken away and just call the creature scout life form level 1, scout life form level 2, scout life form level 3 and so on. Giving greater rewards for a particular play style diminishes others. And it also diminishes the tension, as marines will know without a doubt exactly what path the Kharaa biotech will take, instead of the current situation where even though it is most likely that a certain kind of enhancement may exist on that Kharaa team's skulks', one of those skulks may be silent instead of celerity, so while his buds may charge you head on, he takes you from behind.
The current method is good that way, its just unfortunate certain choices have been deemed "the right choice", to the point where teams F4 just because sensory or defensive chambers were dropped first and the offending player deemed a "noob" and a bannable offense. I'm sorry if this offends, but this is a horrible situation for NS to be in and definitely needs improvement, because even the current system has managed to become cookie cutter.
There is a need for further diversification to take place, so that no choice is the right choice, but all choices become fun options for the player to pick and choose from, suiting the play style they have a passion for. Passionate players are often some of the best team players, as they perform their roles on the team with gusto. Individualizing play experiences can hugely benefit team play.
Hopefully, Dynamic Infestation has some tricks up its sleeves for the Kharaa to improve their gameplay experiences. Let them become a force of nature to be reckoned with, not just marine classes with alien creature skins on them.
After you stay as a life form for X time or get X kills with it, then you can choose a special upgrade for that form. Such as, if you got 5 kills as a skulk, you can elect to give your sensory / movement / defensive abilities a boost. This opens more options, and adds more strategy. Perhaps it would work as a "leveling" system of the various upgrade categories, (def / sens / mov) and higher levels would allow special abilities to be used as well. For instance, a high-level sensory might give the ability to detect the remaining HP that a marine has, whereas a high-level movement might have a very high max movement speed. Or, balance them all out.
Marines, on the other hand, could have something of the same type with weapons. For instance, if a marine picks up an HMG for the first time, his aim could be a little shaky, he could pick up ways to use welders better as well, he could learn a proper way to throw a grenade a longer distance. This would give more of a specialized feel to the game, while at the same time still maintaining the basic feel that NS gives.
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skulk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::skulk::" border="0" alt="skulk.gif" /> base attack unit; scout unit, expendable; especially dangerous in a coordinated swarm
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pudgy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::gorge::" border="0" alt="pudgy.gif" /> healer & builder unit; siege unit when bile bomb is gained
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/lerk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::lerk::" border="0" alt="lerk.gif" /> support unit, suppressing fire (ie: gas primarly, but yes umbra and primal too)
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/fade.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::fade::" border="0" alt="fade.gif" /> assassin unit, expert marine infantry unit killer
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tiny.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::onos::" border="0" alt="tiny.gif" /> siege unit; riot shield, counter to turret farming, can remove key marines from battle for extended time (devour)
Now how NS2 wishes to alter this remains to be seen, but that's how those classes fit those roles.