Advanced Hive?
FurbiesAndBeans
Join Date: 2008-04-15 Member: 64080Members
Join Date: 2008-04-15 Member: 64080Members
First off all, this is my first post <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
K, so this is one of my ideas for NS2.
You could "advance" a hive that has been built. The advantages to doing that would be that which ever upgrade it has (for this example movement) you could now choose 2 movement upgrades, such as silence and celerity. You could only have one advanced thus not making it such an overkill, and it could cost a lot of res. Another thing is you can not advance a hive if there is another hive being built.
K, so this is one of my ideas for NS2.
You could "advance" a hive that has been built. The advantages to doing that would be that which ever upgrade it has (for this example movement) you could now choose 2 movement upgrades, such as silence and celerity. You could only have one advanced thus not making it such an overkill, and it could cost a lot of res. Another thing is you can not advance a hive if there is another hive being built.
Comments
The Advanced Hive can only be upgraded if no other hives are being built/upgraded.
An Advanced Hive will have 25% more health than a normal hive. (maybe raised 50% more?)
When an Advanced Hive is built, then the chamber that was built for that hive will be slightly upgraded.
Examples...
The Movement chamber: If a Hive is upgraded to Advanced Hive then the Movement chamber built for that hive will then increase Adrenaline regen by 15%, automaticly quietens nearby aliens, and increases nearby aliens speed by 10%.
Defence Chamber: Regen rate is increased by 10%, Gives aliens with Caprace a 15% armor increase, and increases the chance of Redemption by 10%.
Sensory Chamber: Increases the rate at which aliens become cloaked by 10%, Gives aliens with Focus and nearby aliens a 5% strength increase, and gives aliens with the Sent of Fear upgrade the ability to see marine structures.
That's what I think it should do...
But I wouldn't mind it if they added that option to choose which hive to spawn at aslong as they add the option to make it random.
Kind of like that? Gives the hive some addition abilities?
Hmm, interesting concept. I kind of like it, but I'll wait to criticisms to it before deciding for sure.
Ok, I still need more feedback before I can decide how I feel about this idea. (looking for pro's & particularly con's)
-Provides a new dimension for alien play while also giving aliens the possibility of pulling themselves out of a hole in they're a one-hive team (celerity+silence=golden)
-Hives need more HP in all honesty, and this gives a reason for them to get it
Cons
-With the original ideas listed in the first two posts (the increased effectiveness of chambers with each upgrade, specifically) i believe would cause an imbalance on the part of aliens. While i do think that as it stands now, aliens really don't stand much chance against a marine team that knows how to strafe jump and aim with a decent comm, adding more to their already impressive chamber abilities seems a little extreme and i believe would tip the balance
Idea- For each upgrade, the hive increases its self regeneration rate by 100% (up from the .25% HP regen to .5% then to 1.00%)
I could be for it, but it really depends on what the Aliens get from it. So, I'll copy x5 and not give a yes or no yet.
The extra dimension would have to give a boost to break a 2 Hive lock down, or to compensate for being turtled in. Of course, the payment would be you have to regain all the res you spent on upgrading an already existing Hive.
This would not be like RTS upgrading where the upgraded central bilding unlocks the next tier of upgrades, just an enhancement for an already existing central piece as a stepping stone, but NOT alternative, to dropping another Hive.
-Provides a new dimension for alien play while also giving aliens the possibility of pulling themselves out of a hole in they're a one-hive team (celerity+silence=golden)
-Hives need more <strike>HP</strike> <!--coloro:#FFFF00--><span style="color:#FFFF00"><!--/coloro-->regeneration<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> in all honesty, and this gives a reason for them to get it
Cons
-With the original ideas listed in the first two posts (the increased effectiveness of chambers with each upgrade, specifically) i believe would cause an imbalance on the part of aliens. While i do think that as it stands now, aliens really don't stand much chance against a marine team that knows how to strafe jump and aim with a decent comm, adding more to their already impressive chamber abilities seems a little extreme and i believe would tip the balance
Idea- For each upgrade, the hive increases its self regeneration rate by 100% (up from the .25% HP regen to .5% then to 1.00%)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Fixed something in your quote to make it from potentially problematic to absolutely brilliant. Remember, one of the advantages of alien structures is that they regenerate because they are living tissue instead of inorganic machinery like marine structures. It feels more in sync with the Kharaa's style that way. Plus, if you were to give hives just more HP straight up it could become a negative when balancing against marine weapons such as sieges cannons and grenade launchers and thus make those weapons not very useful (which translates into needing to lower the resource cost of those items, which of course will tend to promote spam which will lag servers and become an annoyance) It also alters the tactics marines need to employ to destroy a defended hive: pecking the hive to death with constant small arms fire vs. using high damage weapons to make a synchonized, determined singular/do-or-die punch (hitting it all at once with anything and everything). Both teams benefit from the tension of setting up for the attack and the frantic chaos in the frenzy of an active seige, as opposed to a static poke-poke-poke-to-death action. Just trust me on this one, increased regen for hives is better than increased HP.
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
i can agree with that, maybe even treat it as if there were a DC present on the hive each upgrade? (basically paying res to free up a healer gorge)
Overall, though, I agree better regen is the way to go. A small HP boost wouldn't be bad either.
Overall, though, I agree better regen is the way to go. A small HP boost wouldn't be bad either.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Nah, that's because your commander didn't make a coordinated strike with the team. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" /> Trust me. Ever done an successful early shotgun rush? If you camp then the aliens have time to match your offense with defense. (in fact, most alien attack class abilities are specifically anti-camper) If you blitz them with siege support and good squad formations, they get wiped out in a devastating fashion. (of course then you have to watch out for a counter-blitz on your base, but that's another story)
Of course, the cost of an advanced hive and it's regen will be balanced against the cost of marine offenses and their damage. That's what <i>playtesting</i> is for! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Yeah...I'd like to do that sometime before 2010 ;p
So to my experience...a Hive in NS heals ITSELF at a rate of .25% per "heal" phase (1 second?). If there were an advanced hive option, I'm thinking of something towards the range .5% then 1% and possibly 2% is there's a third level. Giving it way too much does make it tough for marines to take it down. Also, would this advanced hive also increase ALIEN regeneration (i guess building regen too while we're at it) as well? That in my mind would be a great gift for defense too, but would make fades/onoses/lerks VERY difficult to kill unless you managed to hammer them with shotties before they knew what happened
Ha, you and me both buddy!
(Of course, having a thoroughly well made product before testing is more important than to rush it. This <i>is</i> art after all!)
<!--quoteo(post=1679706:date=May 29 2008, 03:05 PM:name=GaussWaffle)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GaussWaffle @ May 29 2008, 03:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1679706"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->So to my experience...a Hive in NS heals ITSELF at a rate of .25% per "heal" phase (1 second?). If there were an advanced hive option, I'm thinking of something towards the range .5% then 1% and possibly 2% is there's a third level. Giving it way too much does make it tough for marines to take it down. Also, would this advanced hive also increase ALIEN regeneration (i guess building regen too while we're at it) as well? That in my mind would be a great gift for defense too, but would make fades/onoses/lerks VERY difficult to kill unless you managed to hammer them with shotties before they knew what happened<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh that's easy, just keep the structure and player objects separate. (i.e.: structure regen ONLY, and NOT player regen) Don't worry about even guesstimating those percentages at this point, silly GaussWaffle. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
(Of course, having a thoroughly well made product before testing is more important than to rush it. This <i>is</i> art after all!)
Oh that's easy, just keep the structure and player objects separate. (i.e.: structure regen ONLY, and NOT player regen) Don't worry about even guesstimating those percentages at this point, silly GaussWaffle. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I know it's easy, what i'm asking if IF there should also be a regen increase
anyhow...i don't really see this making it to the game anyways, seems like there'd be too much nitpicking balancing involved, and time = $$
This advantage, together with some of the previous ideas, would counter the fact that resources are now based on the power grid system and, therefore, geographic expansion (another hive) would be preferable over advancement (1 advanced hive), allowing aliens to choose from two (or potentialy more) specific strategies, making the game even more flexible.
Edit: There is just one major problem - this idea should have been suggested at Least 6 months ago, since it would have impact over the design of maps (being done) balance (lack of time/cash) and introduces new potencial for other aspects of the game (a little too late i guess).
This advantage, together with some of the previous ideas, would counter the fact that resources are now based on the power grid system and, therefore, geographic expansion (another hive) would be preferable over advancement (1 advanced hive), allowing aliens to choose from two (or potentialy more) specific strategies, making the game even more flexible.
Edit: There is just one major problem - this idea should have been suggested at Least 6 months ago, since it would have impact over the design of maps (being done) balance (lack of time/cash) and introduces new potencial for other aspects of the game (a little too late i guess).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
lol look at the times and it was posted over a year ago <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />