6.2.1.1 Flexible upgrades wrote:The non-advanced versions are the new base classes that dretch and granger can evolve into as long as they are on creep\footnote{Deliberately increasing the alien's dependency on their base and decreasing their speed and map control ability, since the distance to the enemy base has to be covered as the attack class.}. Evolving between base classes isn't possible anymore\footnote{This is a first step away from ordering classes in a hierarchy. Evos earned after being forced to use a cheaper class can be spent on upgrades as opposed to just using the class as a steppingstone.} but base classes can be upgraded for evos with a number of perks that are available to multiple classes. Perks get unlocked when the team progresses, just like stronger base classes. Their effect and price can vary per class.
Here are the perks that I'd implement for a start:
Strength. Works like evolving into an advanced class but without giving a special ability. Strength can be applied to all classes and combined with any other perk and will increase values such as health, damage, jump magnitude and attack rate. However, strength will increase the hitbox and model size of an alien. It gets unlocked early and is cheap (one evo for most classes).
Electricity. Adds a low range ability that is most efficient for attacking groups of humans or buildables. The marauder will get its zap attack. The basilisk will get the power-drawing bomb that I planned for its advanced version (see \ref{paralisk}).
Spikes. Adds a directed, ranged attack with a low or no area of effect, such as the snipe attack of the old advanced goon.
Fragmentation. Adds an undirected or imprecise attack with high damage output and risk of hurting teammates or friendly structures. The dretch gets a suicide attack (cf. \ref{suicide-class}).
All perks apart from strength (which already increases the model size) result in a texture change. It might make sense to just blend some color on the diffuse map as opposed to creating different textures for each possible combination of perks.
Speaking of combinations, the idea is to think of a fitting ability for each class/perk combination first. Once a class has access to two special abilities, a decisions has to be made whether the two exclude each other, can be acquired independently or, preferably, can be forged into a single combined ability.
Thanks to Norfenstein for the idea.
Ishq wrote:I dislike the idea of horizontally aligned, rigid classes that must be upgraded individually. I think the idea of diagonally aligned set of base classes. You can evolve between base classes, however, you can also upgrade them. Inherently, I think some classes need to have some sort of heirarchy for there to be a sense of achievement for reaching a certain class. Allowing the ability to upgrade a class gives a person the ability to specialize afterwards.
