Hey, I've been looking all over for this and I can't find it anywhere, although I'm pretty sure it's already been suggested, but what the hey, maybe dig it up again eh.

Anyway, I've been playing NS even before it hit version 1 and the aliens still look pretty much the same. Ok, the gorge is pretty funny, and the fade is excellent, but the skulk I think is a pretty poor model -the legs especially.

My real point is about evolving. When a marine gets an HMG you can SEE it. He's got a jump-pack, and you can watch him dissapear in a puff of little blue smoke. Hell, even armour is shown extra.

Would it hurt so much to show some of the changes on the aliens? Like bigger teeth or something if you develop focus? I know it would mean doing some serious re-working, but maybe if they made the teeth "weapons" like a LMG it could just be replaced when you evolve..

Course, then you'd get loads of teeth lying around..

The reason for this, is that as a marine, you've got no idea what you're facing when you see a skulk or onos or whatever. If you see a skulk with slightly bigger teeth maybe you'd be more wary, or seeing an Onos with carapace might make you think again before trying to despatch it with a LMG.

Anyway, just an idea.. what does everyone think?

I quite like it, but the idea of "It ain't broken so don't fix it" comes to mind.

Its seems like a lot of work for little benefit apart from rines knowing that a skulk can kill you quickly.

A) Welcome to the forums..

B) There is a forum called Ideas & Suggestions, if you take a gander there, you will see that is where this post should have gone.

sorry about posting in the wrong place..

I know what you're saying about not very much benefit, and quite a bit of work, and in a lot of ways I agree with you.

Maybe I would like a bit more diversity amongst the aliens - see one skulk, seen em all. There's quite a lot of different types of marines. (Admittedly most are just different weapons). But if they could do a few different marine models, surely they could do just a slightly different skulk. Maybe they really DO all look the same though! I'm really happy they made it so the skulk model looked correct when running on walls - man, it was funny watching a skulk on the ceiling.

One other thing, why do skulks and lerks have thier eyes in thier mouth?

***Moved.***

Yea, it would be nice to see a bulkier unit if it has carapace, but again, this is more of the "polish" type suggestions. Would it be possible to add small extensions to each of the 5 models or does there have to be a model for each of the forms (1 for regen, 1 for focus, 1 for focus + regen, etc.)?

I have to check on this..

that's really a nicely thought idea! I never thought about that. But you're right, yes! It'd be cool to see what kinda upgrades an alien has. one good point against this suggestion is that if you don't see sorta things like that the aliens are more incalculably than they'd be with this feature think about it

That has been suggested quite often, imo.
But it got also denied...

Reasons:
a) Much work, no matter if you just realize it skin wise or model wise
b.1) Increases number of player models (some ppl say, we are already at maximum numbers)
b.2) Increases loadtime (especialy on slower machines), because the extra skins have to be loaded, plus it could lag (and again: ppl are saying that the system can't take more skins)
c) It gives away your upgrade. Sure, they can tell that you have i.e. carapace when you own them, but they can, with this suggestion, also tell it from far and choose to run away if they know you are overwhelming powerfull.
d) Weaponupgrades AND Armorupgrades DON'T show up at the model on Marineside


btw... I'd love to see a carapaced onos with this suggestion. Marines would have to color their pants brown....

Well, at this point there's no technical reason we couldn't.. (still looking into it) We just don't have the manpower to dedicate to a change like this right now.

So if some modeler was bored and came up with all of the needed models, and they were universally loved, then I could see the devs coding this in, in the future.

I don't see anything really wrong with the idea, but it's way too much work for a completely trivial benefit.

This would take a lot more work than you guys would think. Think how many models you would have to have.
Skulk
Skulk, Cara
Skulk, Regen,
Skulk, Redem
Skulk, Cele
Skulk, Adren
...
Skulk, Cara, Cele
Skulk, Cara, Adren,
...
Skulk, Cara, Cele, Cloak
...

That is literally hundreds of models, but even if you only show one upgrade its still, 5 Aliens * 10 Possible upgrades(counting nothing) = 50 Models. Plus, you have to take into account combat, where you could have Cara, Regen, Cele, Adren, Silence, Cloak, SoF...

Even if you could make it modular (Marines don't have to have 3 (JP,LA,HA) * 10(LMG,HMG,GL,SG,Pistol,Knife,Welder,Grenade,Mine,No weapon(i.e.building a structure) for 30 possibilities) it would still not be worth it. It would probably **** off a lot of people with older computers because of all the additional models and textures they would have to store in memory.

well we could start with small steps (only a modell for carapce) and then look forward another

so there are 5 modells for the beginning.

We could have shared models / skins. For exemple , Regen and SoF would have the same reskinned models , with visible pores (for absorbing bacteria or human pheromones) , Adren and Celerity would have bodybuilder models. Self-evident upgrades like Cloaking and Silence would need no custom models.

Carapaced models wouldn't be too hard to do , not sure how to make bright eyed focus life forms though.

Yeah, but what about combat?

The lvl10 super skulks would have 6 upgrades at the very least. You would have to support any combination of all 12 upgrades (3 choices for each chamber + 1 for nothing).

I still think it wouldn't be worth it.

or make each upgrade affect one body part...

carapace - turtle armor like drawings => picture
regen - ?
redemption - obvious
celerity - bigger legs
adrenaline - larger chest
silence - fur like paws / claws
cloaking - obvious
focus - larger eyes
scent of fear - larger noseholes
(everything meant for skulk)

appendix: turtle picture
Image here
I'm meaning that dark brown/yellow drawings in the middle of the armor

<edit: ehm... its scent of fear, not fire>

ok how about this:

instead of using the "hercules method" trying to implement all, just make cara visible...

here are two nasty suggestions how this could look on a skulk

from what is that?
godzilla, wh40k DOW, or is it a mutated caverat?