Corpus are the most interesting foes

[MungFuSensei]

The Corpus present the most interesting challenge. The broad variety of enemies means you have to adjust what you're doing constantly (well, unless you're volt). We have squishy guys with guns/clubs that you can't headshot, walkers with shields/stomps/railguns, little flying things that either boost shields or slowly drain yours, peekaboo turrets and laser blockades.

The other factions need this kind of tactical variety. Grineer are close to this, but tend to stick to an "armoured phalanx", so any variation is diminished because even if the unit has different attributes, it behaves in the same way. The Infected are worse, with a more limited variety, some of which are inconsiquential, and they all just zerg.

I know this is beta, so I can't complain too much. However, each faction, and the units therein, really need to look, feel, and act unique. It's your enemies and the AI behind them that will stave off "the grind" so a lot of work done here will make this game great.

[Boffosaurus]

I totally agree. I think that the Infected are actually pretty close to being interesting though.

I made another thread saying they need jumpers, when they already have them, so I change that to "the jumpers need to not have a five second charge up for their jump attack". Make them use it more often and quicker, balanced with shorter knockdown times. Give them a unit with a (slowing?) ranged attack. Make the Runner's explosion cause more damage to shields to soften you up for the other guys.

[MungFuSensei]

The infected do have their own unique attributes, but the only standout mechanic there is poison. Everything else is just a tide of zerglings rushing at you (that, for some reason, often runs past you o_O?) where the only thing you can do is spray and pray, then melee like crazy. There is no real manuevering, taking cover, sneaking behind, sniping, etc. I think the Infected need to behave more like pack animals. Have the runners stay the same (even if they annoy the crap out of me), then have the normal guys seek to seperate and mob individual members. When the group is too tight, send in the Ancients. The poison guys should be sneakier, maybe add a short term invisibilty. Then they pop out and poison you. The crawlers are nice, but need to be more like traps. Maybe grab onto the player's leg or something. Puke as a stun mechanic is nice, but needs to be spread around a bit more. Disrupting looks like a really cool acid trip, but does nothing of consequence; add a stumbling/inaccuracy affect to the player. The healer ancients are a nice touch, but always end up by themselves, negating their purpose.

DE is on the right track, but needs to go further. There needs to be more of a challenge, and the player should be required to think more.

[Sealgaire]

You do know disruptors drain all your shields and energy, right? I'd call that a significant consequence. But yea, even with the most recent buff the Infected got, they could still use some work. Ancients didn't used to charge you, and now that they do they are most definitely a more significant threat. But because of how the Infected spawn, you still encounter them alone most of the time. The other issue I still have is that getting surrounded by a pack of runners/chargers/leapers isn't really a big deal. If they did more damage then I might get in trouble more when I don't pay attention and let them swarm me.

I do think the synergy of Infected units is getting close to Corpus, and they do present a unique challenge compared to the other factions.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Sealgaire

[Rusalki]

...

Giving Ancients their bull-rush was a brilliant move, since it gets them into combat much faster. It gave Disruptors a 1-2 punch that guaranteed shield and energy drain, and let Healers get into the thick of things. Mass Ancients are now a serious threat, which is great.

I think the issue with the Infested is that they're unfinished - right now, the only Infested we see are Infested Corpus crewmen. There's room for Infested Grineer, Infested Corpus Walkers, Infested Ospreys, and even Infested Tenno - and that's not even touching on their Ancient versions.

Even then, the Infested that are available now feel incomplete. The mechanics are there for Noxious Runners, Disrupting Runners, Nauseated Ancients, Leaper Ancients, etc.

On the topic of Grineer, I really feel like their AI needs tweaking. The Corpus can get away with being stupid, since they have ridiculous numbers on their side and they're not professional soldiers - the Grineer just don't strike me as a proper military force. It'd be nice to see them rolling into cover, or dropping down from ropes commando-style, or using smokescreens. The Grineer Commander also has so much potential; I'd like to see him using Switch Teleport when he's next to 3-4 allies, so the confused Tenno gets riddled with holes once teleported.

I'm not sure what I'd want to see out of the Grineer, since they seem so linear as is...they really are the blandest faction, despite being the coolest looking (in my opinion).

Edited January 10, 2013 by Rusalki

[Boffosaurus]

http://i.imgur.com/mmdJL.jpg

Then there's always this...

[Parabellum]

Yeah, I believe the Grineer could use some more variety... Say... A flamethrower and minigun Greenier along with smarter squad-like AI. Oh and what about exo suits that has rocket launchers and miniguns?

http://i.imgur.com/mmdJL.jpg

Then there's always this...

Haha good one.

[Rusalki]

Infested units are actually capable of jumping - I've seen them do it to get into that map part where you can get into a ventilation shaft thingy, and they'll try to get you if you're standing on one orange box. I wish they'd vault things like railings or ledges since it's way too easy to predict where they'll run, and corral them into a choke point.

On an unrelated note, I now want to see someone draw a cute Infested due to that screenshot...

Edit:

Yeah, I believe the Grineer could use some more variety... Say... A flamethrower and minigun Greenier along with smarter squad-like AI. Oh and what about exo suits that has rocket launchers and miniguns?

There is a Napalm Grineer, and I forget his name, but one with a Gorgon machinegun. True, the napalm is more like a Molotov launcher, but it's close enough (and more lethal, in my opinion). The exo-suit is worth considering, but...I dunno, I'm kind of bored of seeing huge hulking enemies in my games. They just wind up being really linear "shoot the pinata" fights.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Rusalki

[Dat_Girth]

Disrupting looks like a really cool acid trip, but does nothing of consequence; add a stumbling/inaccuracy affect to the player.

Actually you do get stumbled plus you lose all shields and energy

[Aste]

i dont see any reason for Greeniers to be infected.. as far i know virus is "nanites" or something that wich targets robo-stuff wich Corpus consists off while Greeniers just humans in armor

[Rusalki]

i dont see any reason for Greeniers to be infected.. as far i know virus is "nanites" or something that wich targets robo-stuff wich Corpus consists off while Greeniers just humans in armor

Interestingly, Corpus crewmen are humans wearing suits - Capture missions have you nabbing them with their helmets off. Additionally, Lotus mentions "bio-signals" when referring to the Infested. Neurodes are described as "Biotech sensor organ harvested from Infested entities". Also, the Golem's transmissions to the player seem to be about the player "consuming" the Infested.

That's about all I gathered from in-game information so it's just speculation, but I feel like it makes a compelling case. And even then, simply Infected Grineer armor can't be that impossible, can it?

I have a dream ;__;

Edited January 10, 2013 by Rusalki

[Aste]

you got a point there. i am not far in to game and yet to see that "Golem" you talking about yet from what found Corpus uses proxies(aka robots) instead of humans and i am still doubing if those box-heads humans or just good looking robot(after all Moa legs do looks mm well) also if my memory right i did capture mission on Grineer sector maybe later in game will be others faction with capture.. you got me here, then again nanites doest sound like organic thing and reminds me about nanotech(thought nanotech can affect both types) due to lack of lore i can just speculate like most of us here

that said i do not mind Grineers to be infected just cant find a reason for them to be after all we dont get infection while cleaving it left and right and breathing poison maybe humans are just immune to it? Grineers from earth and Tenno more likely humans again earth while Corpus from Neptune wich can be different race then humans then again we dont know how infection spreads either

mm Grineer infected armor.. it would be kinda weird really haha just imagine infected Skana if it can infect armor why not weapon? it might aswell make infect anything then probably so no i dont think it possible if it just hollow armor

[nanogenesis]

Who is the robot?

Kinda annoying when they keep repeating that, but well it gives away their position.

[Archazad]

Doesn't matter just kill them all. lol

[nzzero]

Make the infested run on walls! =)

Grineer are the most boring of the three, i agree. They all look almost the same and have similar abilities.