Corrupting power nodes.
kai-
Join Date: 2011-05-14 Member: 98679Members
Join Date: 2011-05-14 Member: 98679Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Replace</div>I think most of us have played enough of build 180 that cysts are hugely annoying to build and maintain - way too much micro involved.
Spreading cysts in a reasonably durable fashion feels more like a chore than anything else.
What I'm suggesting is reusing commander placed cysts in a different fashion.
By allowing the alien commander to 'corrupt' a power node, aliens can gain control over the entire room. This ability would not require an infestation link to the power node. In my head I see the hive shooting out an 'arm' of infestation to the node, like its reaching out and expanding its territory and in return, it's power.
Cory spoke a lot about the two sides (marine and kharaa) becoming more similar, and this is another way to showcase that. From a story based point of view, the kharaa firstly expose and power down the node and then twist it to their needs and purposes. Using them to spread infestation instead of power (LOLOL NANITES AMIRIGHT?)
This kind of system greatly simplifies the spread of infestation, and makes the idea of alien controlled and marine controlled rooms more distinct. The infestation would cover the entire room as opposed to the 'patches' we see currently, which allow marines to still build in small, un-infested parts in between infest.
Visually, the corrupted node would be covered in cysts, which would need to be killed before restoring power. killing the cysts would of course remove the infestation. Certain weapon limitations could be used to control what weapons damage the cysts - i.e cysts must be flamed or hacked off as opposed to shot at a distance. The health would have to be relatively high, I feel infestation is similar to a ferocious infection, shooting a 600hp cyst to cut off an entire system completely undermines this idea.
Now, the areas between power nodes - those of which have no power or are eternally powered are the grey areas of control, marines must build power packs to power structures and aliens would need a gorge to place cysts (as in the current system) to build there.
This creates a more robust, durable base for strongly controlled areas, and a more fluid, dynamic, back and forth of control in areas without power nodes.
With marines having a single, reasonably vulnerable structure for control, and aliens have multiple, even weaker ones.
EDIT: Ignore the description, accidently pressed enter ;)
Let me know what you guys think, either here or at <a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/topics/corrupting_power_nodes_replace_commander_placed_cysts" target="_blank">GetSatisfaction</a>.
Spreading cysts in a reasonably durable fashion feels more like a chore than anything else.
What I'm suggesting is reusing commander placed cysts in a different fashion.
By allowing the alien commander to 'corrupt' a power node, aliens can gain control over the entire room. This ability would not require an infestation link to the power node. In my head I see the hive shooting out an 'arm' of infestation to the node, like its reaching out and expanding its territory and in return, it's power.
Cory spoke a lot about the two sides (marine and kharaa) becoming more similar, and this is another way to showcase that. From a story based point of view, the kharaa firstly expose and power down the node and then twist it to their needs and purposes. Using them to spread infestation instead of power (LOLOL NANITES AMIRIGHT?)
This kind of system greatly simplifies the spread of infestation, and makes the idea of alien controlled and marine controlled rooms more distinct. The infestation would cover the entire room as opposed to the 'patches' we see currently, which allow marines to still build in small, un-infested parts in between infest.
Visually, the corrupted node would be covered in cysts, which would need to be killed before restoring power. killing the cysts would of course remove the infestation. Certain weapon limitations could be used to control what weapons damage the cysts - i.e cysts must be flamed or hacked off as opposed to shot at a distance. The health would have to be relatively high, I feel infestation is similar to a ferocious infection, shooting a 600hp cyst to cut off an entire system completely undermines this idea.
Now, the areas between power nodes - those of which have no power or are eternally powered are the grey areas of control, marines must build power packs to power structures and aliens would need a gorge to place cysts (as in the current system) to build there.
This creates a more robust, durable base for strongly controlled areas, and a more fluid, dynamic, back and forth of control in areas without power nodes.
With marines having a single, reasonably vulnerable structure for control, and aliens have multiple, even weaker ones.
EDIT: Ignore the description, accidently pressed enter ;)
Let me know what you guys think, either here or at <a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/topics/corrupting_power_nodes_replace_commander_placed_cysts" target="_blank">GetSatisfaction</a>.
Comments
^
It would be cooler if infestation spread on its own, in a slow rate. Then it would stop spreading where marine buildings are, and where the power nodes are. When the power nodes or buildings disappear, the infestation continues its adventures.
Forcing infestation to be dynamic just for bragging rights doesn't help anyone if the system doesn't work.
The idea I proposed still allows for dynamic infestation, read carefully ;)
I'm slightly against the 'infest spreads on it's own' as it removes player control, and you can't choose which side of the map you want to push more.
The idea is to give the player control, without having the player need to constantly tend to the cysts.
Players want to play the game, not sit there spamming cysts everywhere.
I posted almost the same idea <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=113290&view=findpost&p=1856117" target="_blank">Here</a> in I&S but it was ignored.
I hope you are able to generate some intelligent responses.
Once a commander infests towards a powernode, the cyst could infect that node and the infestation would start to spread all over that room on its own (dynamically). The power would go out of course and emergency lights would come on, the room would begin to take on a very alien feel which would create great scary environments that the marines would have to enter.
I currently am not impressed with the ease a whole arm of infestation can be killed off by taking out 1 or 2 cysts. Structures also seem to die way to fast once off infestation, would be nice if they went dormant, allowing a gorge or commander a chance to reconnect them, also forcing the marines to kill off the structures in the same manner that the kharaa have to kill the unpowered marine buildings or risk they all work again as soon as the node is repaired.
Aliens go into a place, destroy the power node. Gorge adds a bloated cyst over the destroyed power node which spreads infestation around the place.
Marines go into a place, destroy the bloated cyst. The infestation withers away, and the marines repair the power node and power the place.
That way you can have one dual featured game mechanic instead of two asymmetrical game mechanics. The cysts and portable power nodes are pretty similar already.
Infestation could stay dynamic, but would greatly benefit from connecting to Power Nodes.
Aliens go into a place, destroy the power node. Gorge adds a bloated cyst over the destroyed power node which spreads infestation around the place.
Marines go into a place, destroy the bloated cyst. The infestation withers away, and the marines repair the power node and power the place.
That way you can have one dual featured game mechanic instead of two asymmetrical game mechanics. The cysts and portable power nodes are pretty similar already.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Correct! this is exactly how i pictured it in my head, although you expressed it slightly more eloquently.
I'm still adverse to the use of cysts in their current form, UWE wants to make the game easier and currently has significant performance issues. BUT they want to add additional structures that you need to 'spam' to use correctly, usually in a complex network if you want any durability.
Just the other day someone identified that cysts are noted as entities and actually add to the structure count in a room. Lowering the total amount of useful structures able to be placed.
It also greatly reduces the amount of energy you can use from the hive as it is used to spread infest. This slows the game down even more as aliens take forever to expand properly.
Dynamic has nothing to do with automation and nothing to do with user placed cysts.
It's generally used to describe energy or the non-static nature of something.
I can see the take over of a power node to be extremely 'dynamic', sounds animations and the speed of infest spurt to that node.
Slowly growing cysts in a network does not feel dynamic at all.
Having said that, I have doubts about any system other than cysts being implemented, the devs don't exactly have the luxury of development time.
Hell, maybe the additional energy from infested power nodes may work ;)
Spreading cysts in a reasonably durable fashion feels more like a chore than anything else.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't agree with this. I think it's pretty fun with a well coordinated team. I'm not dishing on your idea or anything because it sounds interesting, but I don't agree with this blanket statement on the current fun factor.
<i>"Yo Marines, you <b>know</b> ######'s gonna go down when them aliens get all up in your nanites."</i>
I don't understand why they released these Cysts.
They remove the dynamic feel to the game (Even though they are flat textures).
I know they made them so Infestation could be dealt with early game but I have had no problems with Infestation until late game. That is when Flame-throwers are out any way so it doesn't matter.
Feel free to dish on my idea as much as you like, if there's tonnes of well based crits then my idea is ###### ;).
I played a few more games and the cysts CAN work decently, either through teamwork or lack of marines intelligent enough to kill the right cysts. But, considering how much trouble servers have maintaining as little as 30 ticks I can't see the justification of loading another 50 entities without a damn good reason to.
The only downside with the idea is essentially the removal of ninjaing phase gates since there will be no gaps in infestation. One of my favourite strats :(.
I suppose some sort of backdoor could implemented to circumvent this, I.e temporarily removing infest from a small area by burning it or something.
Using a drifter to corrupt the node would be cool too, although I imagined the hive stretching out an arm of infest first, almost as if it's reaching out to grasp the node, knowing the tactical advantage it would give.
Maybe the hive uses the drifter to scout out the location first?
Remember,If you like the idea, You can +1 here: <a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/topics/corrupting_power_nodes_replace_commander_placed_cysts" target="_blank">Corrupting power nodes</a> for more exposure.
Build 180 was a test build, I think the 'Corrupt Power Nodes' idea is worth trying at least.