Mado's Concept Diary [Faction Overhaul - Infested 2.0: Making New Enemies And Updating Old Ones][Wip]

[Madotsuki]

(This is a Work In Progress. More enemy concepts, as well as images, will be coming later.)

 

Well I originally planned to just give up on writing these concept threads considering no one ever reads them anyway, but after reading this thread: https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/178662-infested-20-new-units-and-improvements-to-old-ones-wip/ I was inspired to write again, especially since school has restarted and I have idle time on my laptop again between (and during) classes.

 

 

I’ll be writing about the Infested this time. They’ve always been an under-developed faction compared to Grineer and Corpus, and now they’ve been ripped off the star map in favor of annoying-&#! “invasions”. But this thread isn’t to complain about how stupid the invasions currently are, it is to complain about how little variety the Infested possess despite being one of the most malleable factions that should allow for boundless creativity considering they’re biological with the potential for wild mutations.

 

 

Once again, before I begin, I’ll re-state my method of enemy classification.

Units are classified into one of 3 categories:

Basic: Typical cannon fodder, such as Lancers. They’re not meant to be threatening except in large numbers, and are supposed to be curb-stomp fuel.

Advanced: Tougher and less common enemies, such as Shield Lancers. Can actually be dangerous when combined with other advanced units and supported by basic grunts.

Elite: Toughest of mooks, few but powerful, such as Heavies. Meant to be an actual threat even on their own, and particularly lethal when supported by each other and lesser enemies.

 

 

Also, in this concept we are starting COMPLETELY fresh, nothing from the current state of the Infested is kept unless stated otherwise. If an enemy is not mentioned here, that means it’s removed.

 

Now, let’s begin~

 

 

Basic

Runners (Chargers 2.0, just re-named)

 

Appearance: The most standard of Infested infantry. Instead of the current dog-like Grineer Chargers (those will be applied elsewhere), Runners are upright bipedal Corpus personnel that are mildly infested.

 

Attributes: They have no abilities other than running towards players and using weak claw attacks. Weak both in terms of durability and attack power, they make up for it by swarming en masse. Basically, fast-dumb zombies.

 

 

Walkers

 

Appearance/Attributes: Grineer version of Runners. Due to the body armor, they move slower, but can take a greater beating and dish out more damage if they do manage to smack you.

 

Variants: There are two less common variants, Noxious and Nauseous, that either have a toxic cloud around them (cloud disperses when they die) or sprays paralyzing goo at close range respectively.

 

 

Fliers

 

Appearance/Attributes: Flying bat-like creatures that resemble Infested Ospreys, but has become more flesh than robot. They have long thorny tails, which they can use to fling piercing thorns at targets (albeit at a slow fire rate). The most common ranged unit of the Infested, they’re frail but agile.

 

 

Crawlers

 

Appearance/Attributes: Runners and Walkers with their lower bodies destroyed. Can be created by blasting the legs off of Runners and Walkers, and can spawn on their own (though uncommon). There are Fast and Slow Crawlers, depending on whether they were a Runner or Walker. Slow Crawlers have the same variants as Walkers.

 

 

Infestlings

 

Appearance: The small fungus-like growths found on infested ships, but with small spidery legs for mobility. Tiny (slightly larger than Latchers) and EXTREMELY frail (dies in one hit to about anything), they appear in large swarms of up to 15 at a time and can travel on walls and cielings (thankfully they don’t move too fast).

 

Attributes: Their only attack is to jump on to players and bite, dealing insignificant damage over time. However, each latched on Infestling will slow the target down by 5%, with up to 10 latched on at the same time. When at least 3 are latched on, the player won’t be able to roll or sprint, and instead will attempt to shake the Infestlings off (you’ll need to buttonmash). Fortunately Infestlings will die immediately after being shook/rolled off. Other players can also shoot them off for you. Basically, imagine Swarmers from Dead Space, with less damage.

 

Advanced

Cysts (Runners 2.0, just re-named)

 

Appearance: The evolution of Runners. Heavily Infested Corpus Crewmen, with large pustules growing out of the side of their necks, heavily disfiguring their upper body. They move at about the same speed as Runners and are about as durable.

 

Attributes: Instead of meleeing, Cysts will instead detonate themselves, dealing significant damage in an area and knockdown/stagger (depending on distance from explosion). To prevent cheap deaths, Cysts release a loud distinct sound and a second-long animation before detonation, giving players a chance to dodgeroll out of there even if one sneaked up behind them.

 

The pustules take 400% damage and if the killing blow lands on the pustule they’ll explode anyway. Landing the killing blow on other parts of the body will not detonate it instantly, though it’ll still explode on its own after a few seconds of death, giving players ample time to get away from it.

 

Note that the explosion from Runners CAN do damage to other Infested, as well as stagger/knockdown basic units, giving them a strategic purpose for smart players.

 

Variants: There is a less common Noxious variety that will also leave a toxic cloud behind after detonation.

 

 

Hounds

 

Appearance: Visually, they’re the currently existing Grineer Chargers, but their mechanics work differently.

 

Attributes: Hounds ALWAYS spawn in packs of 5-10. Faster and more agile (think the new Hyenas, though not QUITE as fast) with moderate durability, they deal significant damage with each melee strike and attack quickly.

Besides regular claw swipes, they can wall-jump, strafe-jump, pounce as a heavier strike (has a tell animation) and will also actively attempt to surround the target.

 

Unlike regular Infested, Hound packs share a strong Hive Mind-link, so if one is alerted, the rest of the pack will be too, and they will notice if a pack member is stealth-killed (even if the kill was out of their sight), becoming “alarmed” and will actively search nearby for enemies, though they won’t automatically know where you are. They also howl in unison if one of them spots a target before engaging in combat, which can alert other nearby Infested.

 

 

Spasms (Leapers 2.0)

 

Appearance: Infested Corpus Crewmen fused with robotic parts, with Infested Moa-like legs, electric sparks coursing over their bodies and looking like they have a constant seizure.

 

Attributes: Due to integration with the robotics, Spasms have gained the power of electricity. They move extremely fast, are decently durable due to the robotic parts acting as armor, and have both close and long ranged attacks.

 

For melee, they can overcharge their bodies with electricity (tell animation: stands still and seizures harder as the electric sparks grow stronger and cover them) before leaping forward at a target with lightning speed and heavy impact, both knocking down and proccing Shock on hit.

 

As a ranged attack, they can shoot streams of electricity over mid-distance, akin to the Synapse (the gun comes from researching Spasms), weak but hard to dodge.

 

AI-wise they tend to sprint around long-mid range of the players, stopping only to attack.

 

 

Golems

 

Appearance: An evolved Walker in advanced stages of Infestation. Bigger and bulkier, they resemble incredibly muscled humanoids with two oversized arms. Slightly faster than Walkers, but MUCH more durable.

 

Attributes: Besides basic melee attacks (which can stagger and deal massive damage), they can also ground-smash with both arms to create a frontal knockdown shockwave (can be jumped), and charge at players to run them over. Note that they have very little turning ability mid-charge, and CAN charge into bottomless pits, so in the right circumstances players can play matador to dispatch one easily. Golems also push aside other Infested in the way while charging, doing no damage but staggering them.

 

Variants: Bloated (evolved from Nauseous Walkers), which are, well, bloated Golems (think L4D Boomers). Can spew paralyzing goo along with all abilities listed above, and will explode into a puddle of goop that stays on the ground temporarily, significantly slowing any player that’s walking on it.

 

Toxic (evolved from Noxious Walkers), which are, well, toxic Golems. Surrounded by a toxic cloud at all times (this cloud stays for awhile even after the Golem’s death), and can lob toxic bio-grenades which also explode into toxic clouds, as well as all attributes of regular Golems.

 

Elite

Ancient Alpha

 

Appearance: Hounds that have survived and evolved. Looks like a larger, meaner version of normal Hounds. Imagine the current Phorid with a little bit of a makeover. They don’t spawn individually, and instead have a chance to spawn in addition to a Hound pack.

 

Attributes: On top of all abilities of normal Hounds, the howl of Ancient Alphas have buffing properties, increasing the damage and speed of the Hounds within its pack (regardless of distance due to their Hive Mind-link), though not itself (It already naturally has better damage and speed).

While its howl cannot buff itself, if all members of its pack dies except the Alpha, it will become enraged, which in turns buffs its already superior damage and speed.

 

 

Ancient Trauma (Disruptor 2.0)

 

Appearance: The next stage of evolution for Spasms. The base is the same as current Disruptors, but green parts become more dark blue. More glowing red veins, and some robotic parts infused into it. Looks a little more Corpus. Like Spasms, their body flows with electric sparks, but the seizures resulting from it is mostly controlled. Mostly.

 

Attributes: Traumas are aptly named, because they are what you’ll experience after fighting one for the first few times. Unlike Spasms, they don’t always move around at lightning speed, though they’re still decently fast. They retain the Spasm’s Lightning Beam, and can now shoot while moving. They also get regular melee attacks, swinging with their large arm to swat foes away.

 

What REALLY makes them dangerous is their Overcharge Mode. When activating Overcharge, they make a similar animation to the Spasm before they leap, but instead of discharging the power immediately for an attack, retains it for longer use.

 

When in Overcharge, they regain the Spasm’s lightning speed. Besides the Leap (now stronger due to the big arm), they can zoom in for a melee combo (each strike staggers to keep the target from escaping, so roll back before the first hit lands. It’s a 3-hit combo that ends with the Trauma smashing the target into the ground, and will immediately zoom back away after combo ends, so it won’t chain hit forever).

 

Upon ending Overcharge (which lasts about 20 seconds), Traumas release the electricity in an AoE Discharge around themselves, which can deal heavy damage and knockback players caught in it. The AoE isn’t that large though.

Traumas also have an electric aura around themselves at all times, which arc electricity at very close players, proccing Shock. All attacks dealt during Overcharge will Disrupt the player. While disrupted, the victim’s screen is fuzzled up, abilities are disabled (energy isn’t drained), shields are drained, and the controls are REVERSED (left is right, front is back, jump is crouch, fire is aim, etc.).

 

AI-wise, Traumas are very defensive, opting to stay just in lightning range when out of Overcharge, and zoom around using hit-and-run tactics when in Overcharge.

 

 

Ancient Plague (Healers 2.0)

 

Appearance: Mostly same as current Ancient Healers, but with some Grineer armor parts. Decent speed and durability.

 

Attributes: The healer of the Infested, they’re not the best at offense, but they provide dangerous support to other units, making them indirectly lethal. They are the only Infested to have natural self-regeneration, slowly healing themselves over-time.

 

Plagues can throw a special kind of Healing Spore Cluster that latches onto surfaces, other Infested and even players. These Clusters create Cursed Grounds around itself, areas that provide EXTREMELY rapid healing to any Infested within them. If the Cluster lands on an Infested or a player, it turns them into essentially mobile healing areas for other Infested. Unless you have high enough damage to one-shot the enemies, trying to out-DPS the healing becomes very difficult, especially since Cursed Grounds heals by PERCENTAGE, not by blunt value, so tougher enemies actually heal faster to match.

 

Thankfully, Clusters can be destroyed prematurely with damage, but can’t be rolled off if latched to a player. Clusters also expire on their own after 10 seconds, though the Plague can throw another one every 3 seconds. Plagues can’t be healed by Cursed Grounds neither, whether it be their own or a different Plague’s.

 

Aside from the Spore Clusters, Plagues can only use basic melee swipes, and tends to keep their distance. Upon death, Plagues also generate temporary Cursed Grounds around their corpse.

 

 

Ancient Skull

 

Appearance: Very advanced Infested entities that barely even resemble people. The appear as large squid-like creatures with heavy exoskeleton armoring the front, like a shield. 4 large tentacles protrude from below, ending in what used to be hands and feet, as well as some smaller tentacles. Behind the front exoskeleton is a large brain and a mess of Infested flesh. Skulls also levitate a few inches above the ground, though can’t actually fly high.

 

Attributes: Skulls are the most advanced in terms of intelligence, surpassing even humans in gaining psychic abilities, which keeps them afloat. Their exoskeleton armor on the front is completely impenetrable, though in turn their back is completely undefended. They are very fragile, long as you can get behind them. Thankfully, Skulls move slowly, including turning, so it’s not too hard to outrun their turning given no other distractions. However, there’s a catch.

Most of the time, Skulls have a Psychic Barrier around themselves, protecting against attacks from all directions. Bullets and other projectiles that hit the Barrier are instantly stopped, infused with energy to become Psychic Bolts, and launched back at the aggressor. Melee attacks are bounced back, sending the attacker sprawling backwards.

The Barrier goes down temporarily when it uses Brain Pulse, where it focuses its psychic energy into a forward pulse attack. On hit, it knocks back players and drains a chunk of their energy. Dodge it however and you’re presented with a chance to take the Skull down.

 

Physically, they can only swipe at players with their 4 major tentacles for quick but low damage.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Madotsuki

[Buldozers]

I like your concepts, Mado. I hope devs will find the time to think something about it or are working already on that.

I agree the infesteds need some more variety than putting different elementals on crawlers and call it a new enemy. The only problem is how adding new enemy types will affect the difficulty of Infested. Infested is the easiest faction to fight (they don't shoot back) so far.

There is no doubt that Infested will get new units once the new faction will make its appearance in the game and we might get even some events (like Fusion Moa and Informer).

[Paradoxbomb]

Hello! Just wanted to visit the thread really quickly, some good stuff so far. I can see the Fliers quickly becoming my least favorite enemy considering how annoying I find regular Shield Ospreys are, and I can only imagine how messed up the Spasm must look. Can't wait to see more down the road.

 

Also, I see dem Infestlings and Cyst runners ;)

Edited February 17, 2014 by Paradoxbomb

[Madotsuki]

Updated. Added Golems to the Advanced bracket and the Elite enemies, as well as formatted it a bit for easier reading.