Development > Artwork
Some alien beasts (alien ghost + ... )
maackey:
I also like the jumping spider. I don't really think of it as scary though. It is very difficult to get "scared" properly in a turn based game.
Although I have thought about having a completely invisible alien. (bonus for the content devs, it doesn't require much work! :P) I'm thinking of a melee psy-blade monster with no indication its there except for your dead soldiers (and civilians ofc) It would be naturally weak to ground area incendiaries, perhaps it can block out smoke clouds? And of course it'd be visible to IR goggles -- to prevent complete frustration.
krilain:
--- Quote from: Anarch Cassius on December 12, 2012, 09:08:59 am ---These are pretty sweet ideas. The Ghost will take some AI work to happen and the jumping spider will take some new combat behavoirs but they seem in the scope of the game. I'm a big Aliens fan and like the spider idea particularly.
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Thanks, I'm just at early basis on the design work.
Just like you, I'm a fan of the great Aliens serie. The spider's behaviour and aspect for the head is due to that.
--- Quote from: Anarch Cassius on December 12, 2012, 09:08:59 am ---The Ghost is a nice concept but the regroup seems like an AI priority and not an ability per se. An ability would be something like making them turn to face the ghost's enemies at no TU cost when the cost is attacked. IE the Ghost's reaction fire is to coordinate the other aliens' RF rather than simply asking for help when attacked.
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My idea is also to make the necessity of killing first the weak but central ghost unit before you can seriously hope to kill the others. The concepts you describe are going on the same road.
--- Quote from: maackey on December 12, 2012, 10:14:47 am ---I also like the jumping spider. I don't really think of it as scary though. It is very difficult to get "scared" properly in a turn based game.
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I think it can be worrying at least. Imagine for instance that you wanted to hide soldiers at some large buildings flanks. If an alien was able to fall from the skies it should be really more tricky than when you just had to wait them coming from the buildings corners. More over due to the visibility of objects coming from the map z-levels, you would be really surprised. You probably would have to scan more regularily the z-levels than you do today at least.
--- Quote from: maackey on December 12, 2012, 10:14:47 am ---Although I have thought about having a completely invisible alien. (bonus for the content devs, it doesn't require much work! :P) I'm thinking of a melee psy-blade monster with no indication its there except for your dead soldiers (and civilians ofc) It would be naturally weak to ground area incendiaries, perhaps it can block out smoke clouds? And of course it'd be visible to IR goggles -- to prevent complete frustration.
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An invisible alien would really be a great problem. Your example reminds me the starcraft dark-templar, but the design I suggested for the jumping spider is also similar to the dragoon unit. Such an unit require some work anyway because I imagine we would be able to improve IR goggles in order to see them - as you have said yourself :)
Sandro:
--- Quote from: maackey on December 12, 2012, 10:14:47 am ---It is very difficult to get "scared" properly in a turn based game.
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Ever played the original X-COM? Entering terror mission just to find it is done by Snakemen and a horde of Chryssalids was scary.
maackey:
I'm not saying its impossible. I've even been quite startled in UFO:AI a few times. But its a lot different than say, playing Doom3 or Amnesia. I could not bring myself to finish the other two games because I was running out of clean pants :P
--- Quote ---I think it can be worrying at least. Imagine for instance that you wanted to hide soldiers at some large buildings flanks. If an alien was able to fall from the skies it should be really more tricky than when you just had to wait them coming from the buildings corners. More over due to the visibility of objects coming from the map z-levels, you would be really surprised. You probably would have to scan more regularily the z-levels than you do today at least.
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Yeah this is what I meant. In turn based thinking games you can have tough decisions and tricky enemies that are "scarily tough" but I was just alluding to the fact that the feelings are quite different to being actually so scared you have to stop playing.
--- Quote ---An invisible alien would really be a great problem. Your example reminds me the starcraft dark-templar, but the design I suggested for the jumping spider is also similar to the dragoon unit. Such an unit require some work anyway because I imagine we would be able to improve IR goggles in order to see them - as you have said yourself
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heh, Starcraft steals a bunch of good ideas from other places too ;) but yes there are similarities to the DT. I'm not sure IR goggles need "improving" so much, as is they are pretty powerful and it would be nice if they could perhaps be weakened slightly. eg. only display a red glow in the general area instead of displaying the unit model complete with what armor and weapons they are carrying. They would certainly need to be able to detect the unit, although I have no idea how they work currently. I can't imagine it would be more difficult than adding in jumping movement/pathfinding/AI ;)
Telok:
--- Quote from: maackey on December 12, 2012, 10:14:47 am ---It is very difficult to get "scared" properly in a turn based game.
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Chryssalids
The reason my squads always carried gear appropriate for levelling entire buildings. Once I saw a Chryssalid I stopped worrying about shooting civilians and started throwing explosives all over that area.
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