TaO's fantasy pirates suggestion got me thinking, and I noticed in the 'design directions' thread that Azzer mentioned he'd like the third fantasy route to be themed on Aliens.
I realise that a new route is very low on the agenda right now, and that chances of this being implemented are zero. I'm just treating this as a thought exercise.
The route is very much aimed at taking out strikers, and at taking out the early rush units (PBs, PAs, Sorcs, Gargs). This centres very much around the 'NightReaper' unit, a stealthed armour killer, which is meant to be the 'main' unit of the route.
I've also tried to make the route an easy target for Rangers, which have it pretty tough at the moment.
The two things I particularly wanted to add were:
Another briber to the game, as people really do seem to enjoy bribing
An armoured stealth unit, which is severely lacking atm (F117s don't count )
---------
Serf/Acolyte - close NLT killer - same as before
Want to rename the unit so that it fits slightly better with the theme. Acolyte works for all three fantasy branches.
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"Trailblazer" - Stuns - R/M/C - NLT/LET - ETA 3 - middling initiative, between Ranger and Ninja **/*/***/** - cost in high 30s, low 40s
Intended to come out after officers, slightly before petrols
Intended as an early answer to PBs, and with an additional function as a sweeper-disabler
These scouts spread across the cosmos looking for worlds to colonise. Once a likely target is found they prepare the way for the horde by
supressing resistance and disabling military installations.
------------
"PredatorSwarm" - Kills - M/C - ALL/LET - ETA 4 - mid/late init, between SD and PB - */*/**/** - cost in high teens
Come out soon after Trailblazer around same time as shocks
Intended mainly as a flak killer, because Serfs + Trailblazers are *very* open to being flakked, with some use as LET flak too
The expendable foot soldier of the horde, they are conditioned to think nothing of their own life, but only of spreading pain and terror amongst
those who resist.
-----------
"NightReaper" - Kills - R/M/C - LET - ETA 4 {1} - low/mid init, between harrier and TL - ***/***/*/***** - STEALTH - cost in 70s
Come out after PA/Sorc, slightly before CW/Striker
Intended as beefed up assassin, able to take out strikers, PAs, Gargs, and Sorcs to a degree, but intentionally put after harrier to give harrier some targets.
Also wanted to give the game an armoured stealth unit, something which is lacking. Stealthed armour killers are also lacking, assuming TL gets a nerf.
*s very much open to debate here
Part space-craft, part alien; a melding of living tissue with Alien technology, evolved and perfected over countless interstellar wars.
-----------
"Z-Type" - Bribes - R/M - ALL - ETA 5 - high init, between Ranger and Apache - ***/**/***/** - cost in 80s/90s
A scaled down puppet, or a beefed up hypno
Again, intentionally between ranger and apache, to allow ranger to target this route, but to allow the Z-Type to sweep behind NightReaper and kill Apaches/Marines
The masterminds of the horde, able to direct their troops through thought alone. Their genius strength of mind and will is able to turn weaker minded foes against each other.
-----------
PUnit: Mothership - Kills - M/C - LET/ALL - ETA 5 - high init, after TD and puppet, before HW - *****/***/*****/***** - cost 150-200k
A cross between Dragon and TRex
Wanted to make the PUnit not a neccesary part of the route, although still useful.
Fills the Z-Type's sweeper role on the close tick.
Designed to protect the horde in transit at all costs, and able to reduce entire cities, nations and even planets with their collosal firepower.
If you survive it's waves of NightReapers, you won't survive this.
------------
If anyone can do a better job with names than I can, that might be good
Looking at those stats, I reckon this is how it will go down:
SpecOps SA have no trouble with this route, other than Motherships
---------Puppets will have trouble, tho they have trouble with everything, so...
Thugs have no trouble, TLs will rip it apart
Robots will have trouble, robos open to stealth rushes (hopefully TL get taken down a notch)
Fantasy Vamps should win against this route, tho might have trouble with motherships. Will have trouble without vamps.
--------Sorcs without dragons will have trouble, Sorcs with dragons should beat it easy
Military Strikers will have alot of trouble with this route
-------Rangers will tear up this route
-------RPGs will tear it up also
So only beats a few routes on it's own, although Motherships + Bribing ability will allow a solo to patch up some of the gaps.
NightReaper unit will be a big benefit to alliances, making up for the route's weaknesses elsewhere.
I realise that a new route is very low on the agenda right now, and that chances of this being implemented are zero. I'm just treating this as a thought exercise.
The route is very much aimed at taking out strikers, and at taking out the early rush units (PBs, PAs, Sorcs, Gargs). This centres very much around the 'NightReaper' unit, a stealthed armour killer, which is meant to be the 'main' unit of the route.
I've also tried to make the route an easy target for Rangers, which have it pretty tough at the moment.
The two things I particularly wanted to add were:
Another briber to the game, as people really do seem to enjoy bribing
An armoured stealth unit, which is severely lacking atm (F117s don't count )
---------
Serf/Acolyte - close NLT killer - same as before
Want to rename the unit so that it fits slightly better with the theme. Acolyte works for all three fantasy branches.
----------
"Trailblazer" - Stuns - R/M/C - NLT/LET - ETA 3 - middling initiative, between Ranger and Ninja **/*/***/** - cost in high 30s, low 40s
Intended to come out after officers, slightly before petrols
Intended as an early answer to PBs, and with an additional function as a sweeper-disabler
These scouts spread across the cosmos looking for worlds to colonise. Once a likely target is found they prepare the way for the horde by
supressing resistance and disabling military installations.
------------
"PredatorSwarm" - Kills - M/C - ALL/LET - ETA 4 - mid/late init, between SD and PB - */*/**/** - cost in high teens
Come out soon after Trailblazer around same time as shocks
Intended mainly as a flak killer, because Serfs + Trailblazers are *very* open to being flakked, with some use as LET flak too
The expendable foot soldier of the horde, they are conditioned to think nothing of their own life, but only of spreading pain and terror amongst
those who resist.
-----------
"NightReaper" - Kills - R/M/C - LET - ETA 4 {1} - low/mid init, between harrier and TL - ***/***/*/***** - STEALTH - cost in 70s
Come out after PA/Sorc, slightly before CW/Striker
Intended as beefed up assassin, able to take out strikers, PAs, Gargs, and Sorcs to a degree, but intentionally put after harrier to give harrier some targets.
Also wanted to give the game an armoured stealth unit, something which is lacking. Stealthed armour killers are also lacking, assuming TL gets a nerf.
*s very much open to debate here
Part space-craft, part alien; a melding of living tissue with Alien technology, evolved and perfected over countless interstellar wars.
-----------
"Z-Type" - Bribes - R/M - ALL - ETA 5 - high init, between Ranger and Apache - ***/**/***/** - cost in 80s/90s
A scaled down puppet, or a beefed up hypno
Again, intentionally between ranger and apache, to allow ranger to target this route, but to allow the Z-Type to sweep behind NightReaper and kill Apaches/Marines
The masterminds of the horde, able to direct their troops through thought alone. Their genius strength of mind and will is able to turn weaker minded foes against each other.
-----------
PUnit: Mothership - Kills - M/C - LET/ALL - ETA 5 - high init, after TD and puppet, before HW - *****/***/*****/***** - cost 150-200k
A cross between Dragon and TRex
Wanted to make the PUnit not a neccesary part of the route, although still useful.
Fills the Z-Type's sweeper role on the close tick.
Designed to protect the horde in transit at all costs, and able to reduce entire cities, nations and even planets with their collosal firepower.
If you survive it's waves of NightReapers, you won't survive this.
------------
If anyone can do a better job with names than I can, that might be good
Looking at those stats, I reckon this is how it will go down:
SpecOps SA have no trouble with this route, other than Motherships
---------Puppets will have trouble, tho they have trouble with everything, so...
Thugs have no trouble, TLs will rip it apart
Robots will have trouble, robos open to stealth rushes (hopefully TL get taken down a notch)
Fantasy Vamps should win against this route, tho might have trouble with motherships. Will have trouble without vamps.
--------Sorcs without dragons will have trouble, Sorcs with dragons should beat it easy
Military Strikers will have alot of trouble with this route
-------Rangers will tear up this route
-------RPGs will tear it up also
So only beats a few routes on it's own, although Motherships + Bribing ability will allow a solo to patch up some of the gaps.
NightReaper unit will be a big benefit to alliances, making up for the route's weaknesses elsewhere.
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