Unvanquished Forum

Firstly, I should admit that I've not played Trem, or it's kin, for a few years (though my affection never died :)), so I may come out with some anachronisms, or be repeating ideas already stated and/or rejected; in which case, please bear with me.

That said, it has struck me that both the Aliens and Humans of Trem play pretty much the same, strategically speaking. Sure, the aliens are fast and mostly melee; while the humans are mostly ranged, but they both have the same objectives and rewards (points from kills, don't die, destroy enemy base).
So I was thinking how to make playing either team a completely different experience from the other:

Aliens are hungry; they exist to feed. But when their hive is threatened, their countless numbers gladly throw themselves at the enemy; sacrificing their lives to protect the hive, safe in the knowledge that the creep will eventually reabsorb their nutrients.

• No direct penalty (just a loss of any evos used) for dying - plenty more where that came from.
• Relatively fragile.
• Get evos/points/whatever only for killing (/injuring?) humans (buildings aren't tasty).
• More numerous than humans (ie. more player spots for aliens)

Humans are there to do a job: exterminate the alien infestation. They may be clones, but on the frontier they're not innumerable, and even clones have some sense of self-preservation. They strike out tactically, doing what damage they can before withdrawing, healing, and rearming to head out again.

• Death should be something to be avoided. A significant respawn timer (based on map/resources/???), or at the extreme scale, it could be like Counterstrike (you die; you're out), or even AvP (you die; you're now alien).
• Tough as old boots.
• Get resources/points/whatever only from destroying alien buildings (stepping on a few ants won't kill the anthill).

Consequences: It would obviously need heavy rebalancing (most aliens weaker, humans tougher), but I like the idea of having the two teams rewarded and punished for different things, even if the ultimate objective is the same (extermination).

• Humans have practically zero reason to camp (other than cowardice).
• Aliens have a significant motivation not to camp (humans can only get points if they get to the alien base)
• Zerg rush!
• Humans mowing down hordes of aliens like badasses.

...

Thoughts? :)

Now it feels like NS2. I have never played NS2 though, but if i'm correct, lots of the points there are similar to what NS2 has.
I like the idea, but maybe as a seperate game mode. Or maybe as a mod.

Sounds kinda like the Ambush mod (good thing).

I would also like a version where people can join the humans only, for every human that joins the party something like 4 bots spawn.

Would work best on maps like Siege and so.

How do aliens win?

E-Mxp wrote:

I would also like a version where people can join the humans only, for every human that joins the party something like 4 bots spawn.

I like the bot idea.

See 'F' server on tremulous 1.1. Basically has a similar rule: For every 4th human player, a player may join aliens.
It features 'wind' (apparently windy indoors as well), cubstom bot paths (do !help when you're alien), allows you to 'buy' a bot that follows you around unless you order it to go to your crosshair (i.e. a free suicider for you) or get it to attack on its own... whatever it earns, it passes to you, to give the bot stuff, you do !givebot and you give everything except your blaster to him (it).

The old F server was wackier though, you could by luci balls that fire automatically, (costs 200 creds each or so) and the aliens run at double speed :(

FWIW, I've not played any of the other games or mods mentioned, either. >_>

seana11 wrote:

How do aliens win?

I suggested that Aliens didn't get points for destroying buildings, not that they couldn't, or shouldn't. ;)