Secound movie

[Crusader99]

I think some things can be implemented from that movie namely the massive electric posts and the little mind control bugs.

The electric posts can be buildables for bases or in the vicinity of base. I know we got the small carryable posts and fences but this could be a buildable that is counted in base list but can be built in certain spots or walk ways to base allow even more defence. So they could be buildable grid small circles along walk ways or paths to base where they can be placed. It's another idea on how to further strengthen base walls and bunkers with out having to upgrade them. Permanent unlike the small carryable and less expensive than a fence would make these super useful and personally I think fences need to be more durable for they ore worth

The little mind control bugs would be interesting. Simply have them be around the map stalking the players hiding like the drones but make them quite small, smaller than bombardiers. They should be skittish if you catch and kill 1 then you get like 15XP or 30XP for it. The players bodies in case of death should be permanent like the bugs, the small little bugs inhabit the bodies essentially bringing them back to life but alters the uniform to look like a bot trooper. Players can make them follow like usual and they shoot bugs like usual (bugs dont attack them) but instead of reviving players downed instead when a player is low health <10% or downed it kills them further spreading chaos and adds another mind bug to their number. If brought back to base they path towards gates opening them when ARC slams. When killed the trooper body losses the head so another cannot inhabit it. The same can happen to the bot troopers as well if they are downed.

What's everyone's thoughts?

[Le Perv]

The electric posts should be added to the Engineer's ability. They could have a battery/generator they connect to keep them powered up, which would also serve as its main weakness but overuse could result in it powering down like in the movie IIRC.
They'd certainly be a lot more useful in stopping Bugs than the small walls currently are and could be extremely useful in controlling the flow of Bugs off base while completing objectives. Although I wouldn't expect it to happen, it would be fun and balanced if it also killed players trying to cross it while it was powered up.

The base already has electric fences so it would be no use there unless they were to replace them with the electric posts. Even if they were an added addition it wouldn't be too helpful considering how little use the electric fences get.

Shock beacons would still have their niche since they're just a weaker temporary defense item.

It's been nearly 20 years since I last saw the 2nd movie but didn't it require people to be alive in order to infect them? Also technically the mind control Bugs are in game, if you team kill enough and are labeled a traitor it's implied you're being mind controlled. Which is why they have that little alien like logo next to them.

Maybe we'll see an Infection/Among Us style PVP mode down the line.
I kinda hope not, but there definitely could be.

[Crusader99]

Originally posted by Le Perv:

It's been nearly 20 years since I last saw the 2nd movie but didn't it require people to be alive in order to infect them? Also technically the mind control Bugs are in game, if you team kill enough and are labeled a traitor it's implied you're being mind controlled. Which is why they have that little alien like logo next to them

Yeah they do require a alive host in the movie but I'm trying to gamefy the bug to be able to fit in with how the game is now and yeah I know about the traitor system, I just want to actually see the bug scuttling about and I doubt they would be able to take the us alive as we got helmets and knifes.

For the electric posts I did consider the engie ability but in the movie it was only erected around the makeshift base. I was thinking it should have spefic spots around the map where bases spawn, so the bases perimeter expands and they is circles where it can only go. It can be limited to Hard difficulty or hero in development where it would be broken before the end of the arc slam

I do agree about the small carryable electric posts having a niche for extracters or in the field.

The generators should also be added for electric fences as well, in the third movie the only time they was broken was when the electric was deactivated and they didn't stun but instantly fryed the bug. The fences feel just weak they need of some sort Tlc to be worth the ore they are. Most random games people would rather place auto turrets then start arc not bothering with electric fences.

In the end I think the more base defences we have, the more bugs we can have attacking the base

[Stein]

Why not just use the current NPCs/Recruits and have them occasionally be designated as "survivors", but randomly be a "trap to lure players" in and attack them?

They don't have to be the players.

I see many times that a single player goes looking for them, it would be really trollish if they suddenly attacked him all at once haha

I wish some of these guys had other weapons like the playable tutorial.

[Crusader99]

Originally posted by Stein:

Why not just use the current NPCs/Recruits and have them occasionally be designated as "survivors", but randomly be a "trap to lure players" in and attack them?

They don't have to be the players.

I see many times that a single player goes looking for them, it would be really trollish if they suddenly attacked him all at once haha

I wish some of these guys had other weapons like the playable tutorial.

Honestly didn't think of that, completely slipped my mind. It would make complete sense for it to be survivors NPCs

[Le Perv]

Originally posted by Stein:

Why not just use the current NPCs/Recruits and have them occasionally be designated as "survivors", but randomly be a "trap to lure players" in and attack them?

They don't have to be the players.

I see many times that a single player goes looking for them, it would be really trollish if they suddenly attacked him all at once haha

I wish some of these guys had other weapons like the playable tutorial.

Wouldn't that just discourage doing the recruit side objective entirely if there was always a risk they'd turn on you?

I've been thinking the Specialist AI trooper should have an EP rifle or something different than the Mk1 to make it a bit more unique from the regular AI recruits.

[Crusader99]

I wouldn't say discouraged, It don't have to be a whole squad compromised but 1 to 3, they can either kill the player when downed then other normal npcs can attack them or if brought back to base they path towards gates to open and disable turrets

The Npcs should have different weapons both pulse to hawkeyes to both mk1 and saw

[Crusader99]

The devs could also just make the small mind bug run around the maps like it's looking for a host just it would be a non combative adding ambience

Like it's pitch black then you hear scuttleling sounds run past you or near you type thing

[Stein]

I don't think that will demotivate players.
At least the way I imagine it would go is something like this:

- The usual "recruits" message appears, which needs saving, just as it is right now.

- Once you get close to them within a certain distance, if they are infected, they will attack; if they aren't, it's the usual.

Nothing too complicated; their icon on the map would probably change once they are detected as such.

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Another alternative would be a completely separate event.

- Where Phara warns of a "traitor" around, who isn't marked on the map, and who appears in a random area and shoots players.

Maybe one or two of these guys, nothing too impressive, just to give a twist to the script.
Maybe, I don't know.

It's not that they are especially strong or skilled.

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And the third, but arguably the most complex to develop, is the bugs that take control of the characters who are "Bleeding Out" and control them, basically killing you in the process.

(Although they should heavily balance the frequency of these, they may not take control instantly, and someone could kill them while they're trying to take control.)

[Le Perv]

Originally posted by Stein:

And the third, but arguably the most complex to develop, is the bugs that take control of the characters who are "Bleeding Out" and control them, basically killing you in the process.

(Although they should heavily balance the frequency of these, they may not take control instantly, and someone could kill them while they're trying to take control.)

I really like this idea! It could definitely work as a mutator, I don't think the majority of players could handle it as a full time addition, but maybe for HotF difficulties it could be.

Troopers who are bleeding out can be infected by Control Bugs lurking in the area.
If infected the player dies but their body returns as a "Traitor" but without the glowing outline and functioning similarly to the AI troopers but with less aimbot accuracy. So they'll catch the unaware by surprise.

The Control Bugs will have physical forms and thus can be killed before infecting troopers. (Although it could possibly work without them having a physical presence it wouldn't be as fun.) Maybe have it take roughly the same amount of time if not slightly less than the Bombardier takes to blow up to infect players so it's not too OP but also not completely irrelevant. The Control Bugs should be rare to appear though, maybe only spawning once a trooper is downed, and then hiding in the shadows or under corpses waiting to strike and/or retreating entirely after a enough time has passed without a possible host body to infect.

This could make squad wipes deadlier if there was a chance of them all returning as infected. Although I'm not sure what they'll do while waiting for players to kill. Would they just stand around like normal AI troopers or would they make their way over to the nearest living trooper? I considered the possibility of them returning to base but then auto turrets would just shred them instantly, unless them being "troopers" made them immune to the auto turrets targeting which could possibly work.

[Stein]

The possibilities are truly endless, and they're all very interesting. Honestly, it would be a lot of fun to see him try to hunt other players, able to walk among the insects like one of them and ignored by autonomous weapons since he has human form.

You could even make the "current traitor system" become this same NPC.