I've "gathered" any/all ideas I've posted on the NS boards that were pertinent to this thread, some balance, some enhancement (I promise nothing too stupid/wild), and placed them below:
Topic One: Build Radius
Summary:
I think current marine building radius is a little too high, not much, but maybe needs to decreased a small amount. I really think the radius should just be removed for turrets. That's the biggest trouble. .
Example:
On Caged, if you place one turret in the back by the CC, it can take up the entire side of the CC build area.
Topic Two: Different Upgrade Path, Multiple Chambers Per Hive (Conditional) (Just to test)
Summary:
Allowing multiple chambers, which have the same effect as they do now (use movement to hive, cloaking sensories, healing defense), but limiting upgrades to number of hives (i.e. one hive = one upgrade from one chamber ONLY, such as if defensive upgrade used, cannot get sens or movement upgrade until 2nd hive). This will give much diversity, and allow for interesting packs of aliens. Yes, the marines will need to be more aware, but the res cost to do such a thing prohibits this from being overpowering. Let's say the aliens want to have Lvl 2 of all three chambers at start, so those who choose each chamber get one lvl 2 upgrade. That's 60 res. Plus the initial ten to gorge for each player. Have the remaining players drop nodes and that depletes your starting res pool, i.e. no higher lifeforms for a while and/or no hive for a longer period fo time. Therefore, for building more chambers in early game, you are still sacrificing majorly, and depending on more nodes to survive.
Example:
The Pros:
Early Game: you can cloak key choke points, have DC's healing, and have a MC at hive in case of attack. Gorges also have the ability to drop a MC quickly if starting hive under attack.
Mid Game: If an alien team chose not to build extra chambers to start, but instead focused on map control, they would have the ability to drop multiple chambers quickly and "tech up" much faster. This will help out by allowing aliens to push on marines strongly in mid game, making a hive two alien somewhat of a match to a lvl 2 marine by keeping him guessing on what upgrades aliens are using.
Late Game: In late game, by not locking a chamber to a hive, should the marines take hive location(s), the aliens can still have the diversity of dropping different chambers to build/use. Since the marines are fully teched, this should not be an overwhelming advantage, it should only level the playing field slightly if the marines are not effectively moving forward.
The Cons:
Early Game: You can have any chamber you want from game start, but building enough to make an upgrade useful will consume a good bit of res, especially if you choose to drop all three. And since you are spending so much on the chambers, you will not have much res for OC's or other defense. Also ever res spent takes away from res for nodes, higher lifeforms, and hives. Remember, to gorge and drop three of a certain chamber would cost 40 res. To drop thre of all chambers just for the aliens to have a choice would run you 120 res starting... That's 8 res nodes, or 3 hives...
Mid Game: If the alien team did NOT effectively keep control of the map, the poorly guarded structures in the field will be destroyed, and res flow will be very low, basically being wasted on chambers that have been destroyed or chambers that aliens do not have the resources to upgrade.
Late Game: Currently, if you HAD three hives and are down to one, you can choose all three upgrade chambers. If you attached amount of upgrades available to amount of hives, you can choose only one upgrade, limiting your power. Although you still have the ability to build sensory, movement, and/or defense, the lack of upgrades hinders ability (Disclaimer: I think any alien who had multiple upgrades at the time a hive went down, should keep all upgrades until he/she died).
In conclusion:
An alien team using this early game sacrifices res for higher lifeforms/earlier hives, and mid to late game gives slight offensive advantage and reward for map control. It seems to me when the aliens are defeated to one hive, the game lends to a quick end, due to the heavy limitations of the alien tech. However, marines can turtle until they can sufficiently attack. Allowing multiple chambers may give the aliens a better chance of returning, one of the things 1.04 made extremely satisfying.
Topic Three: Squad Commander
Summary:
The idea is to be able to select marines, then right click on a single marine, creating a small WP above his head signifying squad leader. This guy has no abilities above a normal marine, but the other marines know to stick with this guy. Then give individual WP's to the squad leader, showing on fellow marine HUD's if you'd like, but once the squad leader reaches it, it disappears (no more lingering WPs because the entire squad didn't make it).
I think this would allow those less familiar with maps and/or play style to follow and veteran player. This will also keep individual willed-people in the same group from fighting over authority. You know, where one wants to move on and another wants to hold location. The commander chooses the squad's leader, and if he turns out to be a poor one, it falls on the commanders shoulders.
This would be ultra simplistic to add to 3.0, give the expected influx of new players some added guidance, and allow the commander to rely on key marines to get the infantry where it's needed.
Clarifications:
1. This isn't a promotion in any sense of upgrades and advancement, it is instead a mobile waypoint instead of a static one. It in no way gives the marine "leader" any advantages over his teammates..
2. The current Guard soldier WP is buggy at best, and the marine with the WP on his head has obscured vision when he moves faster than the WP, and it's so big, it blocks any marine that gets near him's line of sight. We need a practical, efficient WP that's not too large.
3. If the squad "leader" dies, the rest of the team could still have the static waypoint for reference. Or, depending on how much Flayra wants to implement this, even an audible message for the commander, "Squad leader down", to signify for him to come to the squad's aid (if he's focused elsewhere).
Example:
We are recruiting many new players to NS due to 3.0. Most of these new guys really want to follow orders, but they don't know the maps, main chokepoints, favorite alien hiding spots, etc. Last night on veil, for instance, I asked the marines to go to a waypoint, some just took off running for it, some went the long route, and some grouped up and moved out. Only two made it. Some people have yet to truly learn how to properly move in groups.
