Tunnel Rework

[SUPERMAN112]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary):
Change how the tunnel system works for hivelords
Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole):
Better tunnel crawling mechanics
Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc):
make it so that the tunnel system mirrors the new vent crawling system, maybe make it so that the whole is where the "vent" (tunnel) starts and then where the hivelord walks is where the piping (tunnel) gets laid down, then where is puts an end it the other exit, that and if the hivelord makes another tunnel system going across that one then the tunnels are connected.
This would result in more fun, as seen with the new vent system which is 200% more fun than what was there, and greater mobility for xenos with competent hivelords
Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it):

[immaspaceninja]

inb4 a hivelord digs a tunnel right into marine's FOB/superbclose to it and the whole hive just pops out of it behind marine's defences.

Having such a feature would be good, but it'd be easy to abuse and would require some balance tweaks, such as:
Maximal amount of xenos that can fit inside those tunnels at once
Minimal distance between 2 different tunnels to prevent hivelords from filling every tile on the map with their tunnels.
Something to prevent tunnel camping due to possibility of round delaying (Maybe we should count ayys inside those tunnels as dead)

[SUPERMAN112]

inb4 a hivelord digs a tunnel right into marine's FOB/superbclose to it and the whole hive just pops out of it behind marine's defences.

Having such a feature would be good, but it'd be easy to abuse and would require some balance tweaks, such as:
Maximal amount of xenos that can fit inside those tunnels at once
Minimal distance between 2 different tunnels to prevent hivelords from filling every tile on the map with their tunnels.
Something to prevent tunnel camping due to possibility of round delaying (Maybe we should count ayys inside those tunnels as dead)

get what you're saying but the first thing you listed can already be done with current tunnel system, same for the last one as with the new vent system aliens in vents dont count as alive, that second point is a decent one, maybe within... oh I dunno 40 tiles? 20 tiles?

[immaspaceninja]

get what you're saying but the first thing you listed can already be done with current tunnel system

I meant that hivelord could simply go BELOW the defence lines and finish his tunnel right inside the FOB while being unseen and untouched because he is, you know, underground.

[SUPERMAN112]

I meant that hivelord could simply go BELOW the defence lines and finish his tunnel right inside the FOB while being unseen and untouched because he is, you know, underground.

Inside FOB wouldn't work as tunnels can't be built off either cave ground or forest ground (I don't think this should change with this rework), so unless they make an FOB in the woods or caves no.

[tempchar]

This reminds me of the nydus worm from Starcraft:


I really don't know how this would play out on a normal LV-624 or Ice Colony round, so I can't give my thoughts on that... but if this were somehow implemented in Whiskey Operatives where hivelords could build tunnels behind enemy lines and bring the whole zerg rush with him (with the marines being given extra C4 for counterplay), then I can see some hilarious moments coming out of this suggestion and would give a +1. My only concern is the difficulty of coding this.

[Joe4444]

I....perhaps if its possible to make so the hivelord turns into a sort of pipe layer? that's the only way I can see this working without lagging the server and/or taking way to long to code.

[immaspaceninja]

Inside FOB wouldn't work as tunnels can't be built off either cave ground or forest ground (I don't think this should change with this rework), so unless they make an FOB in the woods or caves no.

There are always some ground/forest tiles inside the FOB/super close to it, behind the defence lines. So yeah, this can be abused with ease

[SUPERMAN112]

There are always some ground/forest tiles inside the FOB/super close to it, behind the defence lines. So yeah, this can be abused with ease

not anymore than it can with the current system

[NescauComToddy]

Hm, that would be interesting, still, It would need some limits to implement It. The server "capacity" Isn't really high so, something would need to be "modificated " to have this feature working. In any cases, +1.

[CrimsonAerospace]

inb4 a hivelord digs a tunnel right into marine's FOB/superbclose to it and the whole hive just pops out of it behind marine's defences.

Having such a feature would be good, but it'd be easy to abuse and would require some balance tweaks, such as:
Maximal amount of xenos that can fit inside those tunnels at once
Minimal distance between 2 different tunnels to prevent hivelords from filling every tile on the map with their tunnels.
Something to prevent tunnel camping due to possibility of round delaying (Maybe we should count ayys inside those tunnels as dead)

I'm not sure if he's saying that the Hivelord digs it while IN the tunnel, but it sounds like he's saying wherever they walk ABOVE ground is where he digs it...

And I DOUBT a Hivelord could get inside a FoB to lay a tunnel ,let alone near it. And even if they did, they can STILL dig tunnels normally and put it near the FoB.

[Swagile]

If you let a slow moving hivelord get anywhere near your FOB which has limited self defence abilities, then thats honestly your fault as a marine / command role of the marines.

This would also solve the "where does this tunnel go?" problem as you'd literally just take the tunnel to see where it goes. This would also allow for multiple tunnels as pipes can be connected, so it wouldn't be hard to duplicate that code into tunnels as your suggesting here.

[CrimsonAerospace]

If you let a slow moving hivelord get anywhere near your FOB which has limited self defence abilities, then thats honestly your fault as a marine / command role of the marines.

This would also solve the "where does this tunnel go?" problem as you'd literally just take the tunnel to see where it goes. This would also allow for multiple tunnels as pipes can be connected, so it wouldn't be hard to duplicate that code into tunnels as your suggesting here.

And maybe, just maybe, a side suggestion - We could allow combat castes of aliens the ability to do a tail stab that has like a 40/60 % chance of hitting.

Either way, this has my support, I'd love to see this system in place +1

[DementedKitty]

Rather than it getting abused and made instantly, it could take a couple seconds to make each "tunnel" tile so if the hivelord got shot, it could be interrupted.

Could still take some time to claw the openings of the tunnels still as well. +1