Random thoughts on infection

[KDR_11k]

Just some possibilities, infection is what happens when a unit is hit by a worm, obelisk or virus, if an infected unit dies before the infection timer expires a virus is spawned. Definitely shouldn't combine all of these, only pick one or two.

- Infected buildings turn into obelisks when killed, giving an easy way to establish the things on the frontline.
- Infected large units (byte, connection, worm) turn into large viruses that offer good anti-big firepower but won't infect stuff.
- DoS beams infect units to give them more of a purpose when no big units are around.

[Google_Frog]

DoS beams infect units to give them more of a purpose when no big units are around.

I don't like that one. You dilute the role by doing thins, DoS is good enough as is.

[Pxtl]

Honestly, the Evil faction is already complicated enough. I'd rather see more done with System. Bits are the only unit in the whole game with nothing special about them *at all*, and even ignoring that fact the System faction is disproportionately low-micro compared to the other two.

[KDR_11k]

The factions have different spam-special balances, e.g. the hacker focuses mostly on bugs with the other two things being special purpose while the system's special units are genuine monsters that you'd want in every battle.

[zwzsg]

- I like 1. Though I'm afraid it might be overpowered. It should be more difficult than having a virus in the attack group.
- I don't like 2. Large virus sounds like an oxymoron. But maybe large units should spawn more than one virus when infected.
- What DoS needs is something to counter flow, not spam.

[FireStorm_]

Yey, new ideas! resulting in new faction with different hacker MO; corporate spy? hactivist? cybercriminal?

But seriously, i agree with zwzsg on point two. Multiple viruses from a big unit makes more sense.

Also comes to mind:
1) DoS that can turn into badblock or logicbomb, (and shouldn't turn back)
2) Parasite Virus (or more than 1) latch on to bigger units and give (temporarily) control of it to virus owner.

Regarding kp, I like additions and variants better than changes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping for a new cool faction.

[KDR_11k]

Viruses aren't THAT easy to come by, you get them in combat and they die quickly so you won't easily get some to mingle with your forces and get them to the target building in one piece, remember that the infection expires after a few seconds.

- What DoS needs is something to counter flow, not spam.

That's easy, just allow it to track better (decrease beamtime, reloadtime and damage), that should increase the hit rate against flows. Possibly increase the AOE to make it more able to hit multiple flows at once (since they can pass through each other they're going to be more clumped than spam units). Alternatively give the worm more vertical range (heightmod or something like that) and add some REAL pain for flows.

[Godde]

Regarding kp, I like additions and variants better than changes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping for a new cool faction.

Touhou?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBpoIF0LmAs

[Godde]

- What DoS needs is something to counter flow, not spam.

That's easy, just allow it to track better (decrease beamtime, reloadtime and damage), that should increase the hit rate against flows. Possibly increase the AOE to make it more able to hit multiple flows at once (since they can pass through each other they're going to be more clumped than spam units). Alternatively give the worm more vertical range (heightmod or something like that) and add some REAL pain for flows.

predictBoost defaults to 0 and I think the reason that flows miss such alot is because of that. Making predictBoost=1 should make the DoS be alot more accurate.

[KDR_11k]

If that's what I think it is that's just the additional distance the unit can lead as it gains experience. Usually units have an infinite leading distance limit so it doesn't do anything.

[Godde]

If that's what I think it is that's just the additional distance the unit can lead as it gains experience. Usually units have an infinite leading distance limit so it doesn't do anything.

Thats Leadbonus which only matters if the unit has LeadLimit.

predictBoost works like targetMoveError except its 1-dimensional. predictBoost spreads the shoots in a line based on the direction of the target. TargetMoveError spread the shoots all around based on the movement.

[Pxtl]

Thought: destroying an infected building simply causes a large explosion that converts all nearby non-virus units into viruses.