Ok, here's my idea: Armor is worth significantly more health than now, allowing the alien to survive for significant amounts of time.

Example: Each point of armor is worth 25 health. Also, each point of armor will absorb 80, 85 and 90% of damage, from hive 1 through hive 3. There is no longer a hive-increase to armor. This allows the aliens to still increase in damage with hives, but the increase is bigger, and doesn't requre the code that allows a larger amount of armor with each hive. Now, also, they can last a LONG time near hives.

So, the skulk could have something like 20/5. This raises the skulk's health quite a bit- the skulk now has 145 health. However, since the armor only absorbs some of the damage (80% with hive 1), the skulk is dead after 10 level 0 LMG shots, with about 2 points of armor left. At hive 3, the skulk can take 15 bullets, quite a difference. Maybe, with carapace, the skulk could gain .66 armor with each level, and 1% more damage is transfered to armor.


Now, the gorge could have 45/15 health (420 health, 180 more than now). At hive 1, this lets the gorge take 23 bullets. At hive 3, however, the gorge can take 42 bullets. This system truly allows the aliens to gain a bonus with more hives. With carapace, the gorge could gain 1.66 armor per level (for a total of 125 more health) and 1% more absorbance to armor.


The lerk could have something like 40/12 (340 health, 155 more than now). At hive 1, the lerk would die with just 20 shots, and 5.6 armor left. At hive 3, the lerk would die with 34 shots.

The fade could have 120/35 health. This would allow the fade to take 60 bullets at hive 1, 80 at hive 2, and 99.5 bullets at hive 3. The fade could gain 5 armor, and 1.5% more damage will go to armor, with each level of carapace.

The Onos, now, could have something like... 420/115 health. This means that at hive 1, the Onos can take 210 bullets, and end up with 47.5 extra armor. At hive 2, the Onos can take 280 bullets, and end up with 19.8 extra armor. At hive 3, the Onos can take 329.5 bullets, and end up with no extra armor (as of right now, the Onos takes 190 to kill at hive 1, 220 at hive 2, and 250 at hive 3). The onos could gain an extra 15 armor/level (375 health) and an extra 2% more damage to armor.


These are just examples, of course, and all numbers could be tweaked. This is just a restructure of the alien armor system requring less health, and making protecting a hive easier.