Tunnel snakes rule

[Arachnidnexus]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary): Allow hivelords to name their tunnels so that xenos can know where they lead without having new xeno players needing to spam hivemind with "where the fuck are these tunnels going to?" constantly. Make the tunnel description unreadable to marines similarly to how garbling words work when xenos read human writing.

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole): This will allow hivelords to use tunnels more often and also allow xenos the ability to use tunnels more effectively. It would make the hivelord feel less unloved as xenomorphs avoid their tunnels because they have no idea where they go. In general this would improve the ability for a hive to coordinate and move around like a hive.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc): Have a prompt pop up when a hivelord finishes a tunnel for it to name the tunnel. If any text gets entered into this prompt it would show up either in a label or in flavor text. So a tunnel might say like 'tunnel (hive to SE temple)' for xenos but would say 'tunnel (**********)' for humans. Or the xeno name could show up in the flavor text of the tunnel when examined.

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it): This would require coding.

[TopHatPenguin]

I like the idea of this as it effectively allows good use of tunnels and would encourage players to use them effectively. +1

Although I do believe that there might need to be an edit function afterwards incase the hivelord player enters some random name.

[Insanegame27]

I'd be in more favor if the flavor text for humans said 'This tunnel seems to initially head [direction]'

Whether or not the [direction] is the right one shouldnt matter, as I imagine the Hivelords are smart enough to dig decoy tunnels or snake them around a bit to confuse non-aliens.

[forwardslashN]

I'm not sure I understand the suggestion as you can already tell where tunnels go. Shift+click a tunnel to examine it. It will tell you where it goes as an alien. It will not tell you where it goes if you're a marine.

[Arachnidnexus]

I'm not sure I understand the suggestion as you can already tell where tunnels go. Shift+click a tunnel to examine it. It will tell you where it goes as an alien. It will not tell you where it goes if you're a marine.

It's more if you have multiple tunnels going to places that aren't mapped to specific areas. "It seems to lead to Wey-Yutani Compound" could be replaced with something more specific like "tunnel from west hive to NW of hydroponics".

[Burt]

+1 every time i see a tunnel i asks where it goes

[RadiantFlash]

The way it works, it displays the 'area" which functions as the room for power and APC's. Thats why a large portion is weyland yutani compound, is because it's the outside area around the colony.

Making it more specific would be a little time consuming, with not much reward. Not too hard to do though, and doesn't require much coding at all, other then making new areas.

[Arachnidnexus]

New areas would also work though there'd be an issue of where to establish the "boundaries" of each area. Also making new areas shouldn't be that hard unless new icons are made for each area since an area's just a quick couple of lines in the areas.dm file.

[TopHatPenguin]

Bump. Fairly sure this is still relevant and would be a nice touch.

[Joe4444]

why would you need to hide it to marines? not like they can go down there.+1 anyway

[Arachnidnexus]

So, I just had a couple rounds where hivelords were shouting out in comms where tunnels led because "Central Barrens" isn't the best descriptor and half of the planet tunnels are to the "Wey-Yu Compound" and the hive has to remind xenos which tunnels lead to where over and over again. I think this is still a relevant and useful suggestion for the alien players.

[Sad_Corn]

The description sometimes isn't accurate.

+1 if this thread still alive

[NoahKirchner]

As far as letting the hivelords name it goes, half of the damn map is named "Weyland-Yutani Compound", this would help a lot.

[apophis775]

Stickied for further discussion

[Jalleo]

Why not instead just do the same thing with ladders so you can see out the other end of the tunnel but if the tunnel collapses while you are "looking" down it you die

[Rocco Ward]

Why not instead just do the same thing with ladders so you can see out the other end of the tunnel but if the tunnel collapses while you are "looking" down it you die

THIS is really smart! +1 to this or the original idea.

[Liran343]

Why not instead just do the same thing with ladders so you can see out the other end of the tunnel but if the tunnel collapses while you are "looking" down it you die

Unlike ladders which is just climbing a step or two to get a peek at what topside/bottom side, tunnels are long with shifts and turns... you can't just pop your head at the other side to see what's there.

Now about the suggestion: I really like it and I think it should be implemented.

[shyshadow]

I don't play Xenos that much, but it would be really useful TBH. +1

[SUPERMAN112]

+1, another cool tunnel rework idea

[adamkad2]

this would be grand because the examine text is a bit too generalized, would be better if you knew exact location. +1

[Dapper Stache]

I like it, making tunnels less confusing generally gives Hivelord more of a reason to exist.

[Varnasis]

+1 this is a great idea, that way you don't basically gamble going through a tunnel because now they basically are a guessing game.

[genjufens]

+1 Especially with the new fog element in rounds I think the potential to add a descriptor more than "it goes to somewhere that could be anywhere on half the map" i.e. WY compound would be helpful. Beyond the start of the round I actually totally ignore tunnels as they are a huge gamble considering you don't know where exactly it goes and you cant see the other side and if you go through into conflict, your not getting back through before they kill you. Also really hate it when marines purposely leave a tunnel open so they can put a turret facing it or some other thing...its the equivalent of using an emitter on a ladder in my mind, just taking advantage of the z-mapping.

[SpaceFarer]

+1 it would help hivelords be more useful

[aphotic]

+1. Haven't seen tunnels used very much at all and I believe this is the reason.