Benefits: Vast decrease of sodium in the atmosphere. More innovative nest designs from aliens, more technique to nest escapes from marines, generally less of a straight meta.
Details: Currently nesting falls into a specific pattern due to the fact that currently, checkerboard nesting is an ideal method of maximizing nesting space with very little downside. However there is some backlash against checkerboard nesting due to the fact that it is the path of least resistance - it is a tactic implemented due to sheer effectiveness. This suggestion aims to solve the following gameplay issues:
- Dependency on checkerboard nesting as a mass-pattern tactic
- Difficulty in escaping from checkerboard nesting regions
- The low risk and time cost of freeing other marines in nest areas
- Draw nest construction closer into line with Alien canon
This is how trapped humans are depicted in the Alien franchise. They are kept in standing cocoons, lining the walls of hive areas. To bring construction into similar line with this idea (I understand that alien canon is not required, however I feel it is worth noting with this concept) I have a proposal.
The primary component of this proposal involves the removal of the nest from the game, instead replaced with a cocoon wall, possibly under the term 'nest' to avoid confusion. The wall would be similar in strength and appearance to hive walls, with notable sprite difference to avoid confusion, of course. The cocoon would block movement and vision through itself. Instead of buckling, cocooning of a captured host would be achieved by grabbing and placing a marine similar to cryopods, and dead hosts would automatically fall from the nests to allow for efficient cycling. While inside a cocoon, marines have limited vision range, and their sprites are not visible to marines. Doors CANNOT be placed in tiles adjacent to cocoons.
Secondarily, alter the function of removing hosts from nests. While aliens are capable of simply right click > removing hosts without harm to the structure, marines and the hosts themselves would have to undergo more drastic means. Hosts in cocoons retain their resistance, able to thrash their way out of the cocoon and break down the tile entirely, with accompanying noise. Removing other hosts, however, undergoes a drastic change. Cocoons may be rigid enough to shatter from within, but it is difficult to get purchase from outside.
Attacking the cocoon from the outside with fists is loud and takes many strikes, similarly with weapon butts and other blunt devices, gaining the attention of nearby aliens but avoiding harm to the contained entity. Alternatively, a marine combat knife can be used to rapidly cut the cocoon in a shorter number of quiet strikes, but with a cost - each strike has a chance to wound the host inside, potentially killing your fellow marines. Bullets would penetrate the cocoon but not violate it's integrity, harming the occupant directly. If a host bursts, the cocoon releases their body and the larva, the latter of which is automatically hidden under the block, though not completely.
To conclude: New nest block with a solid sprite but no unbuckle mechanic. Makes checkerboard designs cumbersome, but also removes the threat of marines escaping and freeing all of their allies if not completely restrained. Aliens are required to build more unique hives to adapt to the terrain, while hosts become less of a threat, yet are no longer trapped in an endless network of inescapable doors. Ideally overall, aliens see less trouble with their hosts, no longer needing to worry about unbuckle timers or resisting-while-down, however hivebuilders and sentinels will need to remain attentive to avoid a single host breaking free a whole chamber, and the destruction of cocoons by host escape.
Thoughts?
