Lerk spore secondary attack idea

Moody · December 2010

Secondary attack should create spores on your location.

Many times when I'm retreating I really want to simply leave a spore trail behind. But shooting slightly ahead of you wasts precious time that you don't have the spore's cover to get away, and looking down at the ground quickly can risk an accidental landing which just screws you over.

So I suggest that pressing the secondary attack key with spores creates a <u>slightly</u> thicker/larger/more damaging spore cloud around you. Again, only slightly. Of course, it would use a large amount of your spore "ammo" (1/2-2/3 of it). Just thought this could be very useful to retreating lerks, and would make perfect sense for a secondary attack.

luns · December 2010

i've already made somewhat same idea.

lerks spores would be thicker, and visually hard to see through. This change does not increase damage but it does make it hard for marines to just see you clearly to shoot at you and this thicker spore clouds can help other aliens as well.

edit

you would need to pump 3 rounds of spores into one area to get this thick cloud, it can't work with one round of spores. So you must keep pumping spores into the room.

Papayas · December 2010

Although it is a good idea it can be easily abused.

The lerks could just fly in and use this spore cloud and then fly out.
I think a better version of this would be just a spore cloud is <u>Larger</u> and <u>Thicker</u> so it doesn't allow the marines to see through as well but it <u>does not damage the marines at all</u>. It just fogs up there view allowing the lerk to have an easier get-away.

luns · December 2010

If lerks had umbra, this cloud can be larger, and thicker. It will not do damage to anyone, and it will give cover to aliens and reduce damage while you're in it.

Or lerks can upgrade their spores to be larger/thicker making marines hard to see through. enhancing the spores for endgame content.

peregrinus · December 2010

Ideally I'd like to be able to <b>rotate the lerk's view to aim, without changing the direction of movement.</b> Having to look down at the ground to fire, thereby flying downwards is annoying. I saw on NS2HD's videos of lerk gameplay he flies around in a wave motion going up and down then up and down to maintain flight and be able to shoot the ground. It's overly complicated, unecassary and not fun.

Lerk smokescreen sounds fun but wouldn't it make the lerk overpowered? You would be invulnerable. The only way I can kill lerks sniping marine base is to jump out and surprise them, or to shoot with pistol from afar - smoke screen/umbra takes away the only tactics marines have to counter lerks.

luns · December 2010

Once marines get heavy armor, lerk spores become useless - he must either have some form offense or defense attacks for endgame content. And having good defense is good offense. Enhancing his spores to be larger, and thicker - making marines hard to see through. If they have heavy armor, it might not harm them but it sure won't be easy just walking through it.

some questions:

1. is this passive ability
2. do we have to upgrade to this ex. through hives or chambers
3.does it effect all his spores or just one type
3. if umbra came back, it better be suited to be smokescreen

I do believe having thicker clouds, making marines hard to see through lerks spores would create better tactical attacks.

twiliteblue · December 2010

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peregrinus @ Dec 23 2010, 11:12 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1818585"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'>Ideally I'd like to be able to <b>rotate the lerk's view to aim, without changing the direction of movement.</b> Having to look down at the ground to fire, thereby flying downwards is annoying. I saw on NS2HD's videos of lerk gameplay he flies around in a wave motion going up and down then up and down to maintain flight and be able to shoot the ground. It's overly complicated, unecassary and not fun.

Lerk smokescreen sounds fun but wouldn't it make the lerk overpowered? You would be invulnerable. The only way I can kill lerks sniping marine base is to jump out and surprise them, or to shoot with pistol from afar - smoke screen/umbra takes away the only tactics marines have to counter lerks.</div>

I agree that attacking while flying as Lerk is rather difficult. However, Lerks can move very fast, and allowing accurate aim while being able to avoid most of the bullets would make the Lerk too powerful. I remember one of the planned features Lerks will have is the ability to stick to ceilings, which I think will create lots of fun sniping positions.

As for a smoke screen that blocks vision, I think it could be implemented as a small puff of harmless smoke (similar to spore) radiating from the Lerk, while costing a lot of energy. This is so smoke bomb serves as a close range defense for the Lerk, which it currently lacks. If the Lerk does not move out of the smoke, the marines can assume the Lerk is inside, and continue to fire into the cloud.

Harimau · December 2010

I don't know that it'd make the Lerk more powerful, but it'd make the Lerk more useful, and scalable skill-wise. As it is currently, to fly and attack as a Lerk is incredibly difficult (read: only pros can do it, or else you fly straight at a marine as you spike them - coming in from behind works well though), and it's clumsy at best. Sitting back and shooting doesn't seem right either - that's the marine's job. With aiming while flying, even a new player can do it (but not necessarily be good at it), they'd just need to learn a simple, slightly different new skill: how to move and aim at the same time, and that's not a big ask.

darktimes · December 2010

it always struck me strange that the lerk can SHOOT gas balls which expand on contact.
realistically it would make much more sense if the lerk just presses the gas out directly from his mouth side tubes, and not launch them.

taking that in consideration, the secondary fire for Spore would be naturally a release of Spore on the lerks current location, which actually less energy drain, as the lerk has to be in proximity of the enemy, or open in a room, and doesn't need to fire spores across distances.

this could streamline Lerk flyby attacks, as you just have to press secondary attack to release a cloud on your location, IE, when you're flying near an enemy, or through a room.
this would allow the Lerk to focus on dodging bullets and navigating, instead of waving up and down and sideways to get a surface area to shoot at.

but primary, traveling spores would still have a valid place, as this method, while costing more energy, gives the lerk the ability to stay away from the battle and spore from a distance.

I don't know about the Fog, the dark cloud, the view obscuring, but it probably should be an endgame upgrade for both variants of spores.
also it shouldn't be totally dark, but simply obscure the vision a bit, darken the screen, not make blind.

Harimau · December 2010

He shoots balloons (or bubbles) of gas encased in a thin, fragile mucous membrane which break upon impact. Perfectly realistic.

louis cardinal · December 2010

the lerks secondary fire of gas will be umbra.

if this was thicker and blocked vision that would prove to be WAY TOO USEFUL and too powerful because:

it can be used for deception.. marines dont know if something is in there and they have no choice but to fire incase something is right over that and is comming for them.

it can be used for something very cheap like smoke screening a whole bunch of hydras... by the time the marine finds out what hit him hes already dead.

umbra=yes

OR

fury... like from the whip (primal scream)

darktimes · December 2010

and from what sources do you know that? Umbra is already a crag ability. no point giving it the lerk.

membrane... didn't think of that... but my point still stands, the Lerk could release the gas on his own position.
it would make a great secondary ability. as it isn't stronger than normal, just the way to deliver it is different.

louis cardinal · December 2010

how about the right click alternate fire of the lerk's spore gas fires the spore gas a 30 degree angle closest to the lerk's south downwards, so you can fly straight and shoot your spores on your way there as you come up close and so you dont want to have to look down to shoot.

what i stated above, i feel for it greatly

whos in?

Harimau · December 2010

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (darktimes @ Dec 25 2010, 12:08 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1819059"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'>membrane... didn't think of that... but my point still stands, the Lerk could release the gas on his own position.
it would make a great secondary ability. as it isn't stronger than normal, just the way to deliver it is different.</div>
But then he'd hurt himself!

Unless he's coated in the very same mucous, which is not unreasonable.

Hmm...

louis cardinal · December 2010

the lerk can drop bombs of spore... that completely solves the problem of having to aim down while flying which is annoying AND it also seems realistic and reasonable physically. These spore bombs could do extra damage if they impact on someone and could have a initial blast damage as well as the gas effect.

he could just spit out bombs that drop down infront of him. this would be great for both issues that people have with shooting spore while flying+having a secondary fire.

BOOM double kill! two problems solved? or do you not agree =0?

Lerk spore secondary attack idea

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