Spotlight: tyrant

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kharnov
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Spotlight: tyrant

Post by kharnov »

Today, the tyrant.

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Concept: Gregstein
Model: Dandoombuggy
Animation: gavlig
Status: complete

By far the largest alien form, the tyrant is a hulking behemoth that can both take and deal an enormous amount of damage. Unlike the other aliens, which are all mobile in their own special ways, the tyrant is mainly confined to the ground and has little vertical movement to speak of. Instead, it is capable of building up and using small bursts of speed, which can also be used to trample humans against walls. The tyrant also has two massive claws that can easily shred through armor and buildings alike, often proving lethal after the first blow or two. Of course, being such a large and slow-moving alien, the tyrant is an easy target, and will fall to sustained, focused firepower from large groups of humans. While powerful against single opponents, the tyrant has a great deal of trouble in taking down multiple sprinting humans without the aid of teammates to distract them. Unique to the alien forms, the tyrant has enough health to sustain the entire damage output of a single grenade or full-charged lucifer cannon blast and still fight on.

Image

Considering that the tyrant easily fills the niche of a huge tank, there isn't much else to do with the tyrant to make it interesting. For instance, there aren't any special movement types that we could give it, and the attacks it possesses are straightforward and self-explanatory. However, we might be open to giving it some other abilities. For example, a means of stunning surrounding humans in some way, like a sort of seismic roar or something involving pounding the ground in some way. Anything done to the tyrant would be to assist it against large groups of humans, where it does particularly poorly. Base attacks are mostly done by the other alien forms, and using a tyrant for them often leads to blocking the way of smaller teammates. Giving it some sort of support ability might help.

What are your suggestions for the tyrant?

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RustyNaps
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Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by RustyNaps »

I'd give it some form of Shock wave stomp to push humans aside if it's cornered, of course this attack would do only minor damage.Maybe the stomp could also bring about a slow healing aura that would heal 10 health over 10 seconds.

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Elmo
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Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by Elmo »

Whatever you give it if anything shouldn't be able to damage buildings, its already got enough straight forward power for that. A roar with small knock back all around the tyrant would be good.
My issue is the model, its so dark and spooky looking when it doesn't have to be, stealth isn't part of a tyrants repertoire, but with that skinny chest, and flimsy lims, it looks like a stealth beast rather then a tank.

The Tyrant doesn't need much gameplay change, if any. One balance suggestion from long ago was that if the Tyrant proves to be overpowered you can set a delay after the first pair of slashes, so two hits at current speed, next one slower, then slower.

Maybe you could change the trample, so that at the end you activate some small area knock back attack?

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kharnov
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Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by kharnov »

I would say it's mostly a result of the lighting and positioning of that shot. The tyrant looks much more imposing elsewhere. However, I definitely think the texture could be lightened, or perhaps the specular map played with.

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DwarfVader
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Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by DwarfVader »

the "roar thing" mentioned here could be a usefull addition not only knocking back enemies but teammates as well to overcome the blocking issue. especially when playing against and with bots, this is very annoying.
And the tyrant, well he's bully SO EVERYTHING has to make way for him :-)

Another approach could be to let at least dretches pass through under the tyrant. I think that was mentioned somewhere. don't know if that is technical possible though.

I almost like the tyant as it is now.

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ViruS
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Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by ViruS »

A super swipe attack that deals more damage but needs to be charged and with a cooldown.
Maybe make his big mouth and its jaws and tusks useful by lunging humans into the air or decapitating them or something. At least use it in the third-person animation.

Another possible ability is the well-loved acid spit idea from tremulous. Spits a barb full of acid, makes a large explosion but reload takes a long time, hence makes tyrants actually useful for rushing bases. Currently the tyrant's just a giant weak meatshield for me as it's charge feels even weaker than that of tremulous 1.1 unless you manage to corner someone, dishing out 50 damage on armoured.

Also, gibbing. We already have two parts, the arms. There's meaty stuff there so the arms can count as gibs. I don't see why we don't do gibs apart from buildables, as it at least keeps the whingers (8 year olds) out of the game due to gore.

Edit: I wouldn't call it slow-moving.

At the reply below this one: That's like 1.1's tyrant, and proved to be OP as aliens become good hallway-huggers without realising they heal fast next to tyrants.

Last edited by ViruS on Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:46 am UTC, edited 1 time in total.
rolandixor
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Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by rolandixor »

Let it heal nearby units and/or buildings.

james2841

Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by james2841 »

make it so when it is close there's an indicator, an arrow, or a alert when it is close by and moving

sds

Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by sds »

I suggest cloaking ability. It would be like those "oh snap" moments in Star Trek when 10 Romulan warbirds de-cloak around the Enterprise, and I don't think it would be particularly unbalancing, especially if any point-damage selectively "uncloaks" the tyrant. It's so large that it can't move far, and a spray of bullets would be enough to detect it. After that first "oops" moment, the humans will know its there, and I think fighting a half-invisible monster is interesting. Points:* any impact damage (radial areas around bullet hits, etc) selectively damage/uncloak the tyrant* remains from crushing humans remains visible* ability can be turned on/off* impact damage to cloak slowly regeneratesI think if you like this, the tyrant will have to be made an easier target: bulkier with less spindly legs (like the dragoon).

sds

Re: Spotlight: tyrant

Post by sds »

I'm against the roar. They tried it in UT3 (the darkwalker) and it was mainly annoying.

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