Let's come up with zany ideas for future combat missions against the rumored Thargoid ground units!
I read rumors that Thargoids are collecting escape pods- a creepy new development, which I think hints towards Thargoids zombifying captured humans and throwing them against us. Every shooter game's gotta have a Zombie-mode, right?
I have also heard of soldier units like the Regent, but not sure of their role or gameplay.
Nonetheless, I started this thread to share ideas with FDEV that will enhance the action and add comic relief options to the future battlefield. Some of these tricks can be added to the gameplay of human opponents in some circumstances.
Idea 1: The Clipboard trick.
Background: sometimes staff members think anyone with a clipboard (or badge) are supposed to be in the building so they just wave them on or ignore them.
Scenario: Thargoid "zombie human" guards a building by standing by the door.
Gameplay: Player takes out the "clipboard" and walks up to the guard then does the wave motion. Zombie human waves back and opens the door (due to force of habit). Player runs inside to begin the next phase of the mission. This works on the same guard once and only once by the same player. But can be used by every player or on every guard in the zone. However, once combat starts, the trick no longer works since the guard will be trying to kill (or eat) you.
Idea 2: The Magazine trick
Background: This is a goofy goodie from AI: The Solumium Files. Zombies/Aliens/Humans are easily distracted by pr0n mags.
Scenario: During a sneak mission or combat mission, enemies can be distracted and stopped from shooting by throwing a dirty mag at them. These only can be purchased on FC's weapons shops.
Gameplay: Player equips magazine like a weapon and presses fire key. Magazine falls 4m away. Enemies within 4m of magazine stop what they're doing to look down at it for 15 seconds. Humans will say things like "IS that the limited edition Hotsler magazine?!" and "Ohmygawd! Real n00ds of Princess Aisling!" thus giving the player time to escape or take out a real weapon to take out the group. The trick only works on the same group once. On the revenant drones, they are only distracted for 5 seconds.
IF the player hits enemy in the face with this, the magazine sticks to the face of the enemy and they have to pull it off or do a shaking motion for 20 seconds. Human enemies shout "It's stuck to my face! I can't see!"
Idea 3: The RC car trick.
Background: Enemies are distracted by movement. Take advantage of this.
Gameplay: If CMDR brings their Scarab or Scorpion to a CZ or infiltration mission, or finds one, a special option appears in the control panel for the CMDR (it's button 3 on my keyboard). The player can order the vehicle to drive itself in a loop around the base. The enemies will shoot at it until it is destroyed, thus giving the player time to complete their mission.
Idea 4: The 4th of July trick
Background: Enemies are distracted by flashy lights. Take advantage of this.
Gameplay: If CMDR brings their Scarab or Scorpion to a CZ or infiltration mission, or finds one, a special option appears in the control panel for the CMDR. The player gets a special option (at the cost of 2 Sulphur 2 Iron 2 1 Heat dispersion plate 1 Hybrid capacitors) to launch fireworks from the cannon. This option becomes active when vehicle is outside and player is out of the vehicle. Cannon fires for 30 seconds, distracting all NPC enemies until cannon stops firing (If this works on CMDRs, their names should go on a 'hall of shame' on Inara.). Player can sneak in and accomplish their mission while others are distracted by the shiny.
Idea 5: The Cruise Ship trick
Background: Tourists/civilians are usually not included in Odyssey missions- but now they can be!
Scenario: If CMDR has passengers in a cabin, when ship lands within 300m of a ground combat zone, passengers can be deployed to annoy/harange the base staff. Passenger NPCs will wear shorts on their spacesuits and carry big cameras and selfie-sticks. Some will wear cowboy hats on their helmets.
Gameplay: When pilot lands and presses Abandon button on the passenger mission, passengers immediately leave the ship and enter the base.
In human controlled base, they surround the guards and other employees, asking them inane questions and taking pictures. They continue this state until alarm is triggered or player engages in combat. When combat happens, tourists duck down to avoid being shot.
In Thargoid-controlled base, they start throwing things at the enemies, and they die in two hits.
Player takes advantage of the distraction.
To keep wings from clogging the battlefield with anaconda's full of passengers, the max amount of tourists in the base is 100.
Idea #6: The Buffet Table trick
Background: everyone's gotta eat, right? Use this to your own advantage.
Gameplay: Player needs to carry 1 unit of food or drink in backpack. When inside a building controlled by humans or Thargoid Regents, player gets an option called "Buffet table" and spends 2 iron 1 carbon to make a table. Food is placed on table. NPCs (except zombies) who see the table will ignore the player and start snacking. This distraction lasts for 2 minutes, making it one of the longer tricks available. Thargoid Regents will not eat the food but instead throw pieces of food on the floor. If shooting starts before time runs out, table is destroyed and NPCs change to combat mode.
Idea #7: The Onionhead Dart trick
Background: CMDR can incapacitate enemies quietly with a poison dart.
Gameplay: Player needs to carry 1 unit of Onionhead Gamma in their backpack. When player enters CZ, pilot gets an option on their control panel that says "Make Fun Dart". Spends unit of Onionhead plus 1 iron 1 carbon and 1 improvised components (this'll prevent spamming/stockpiling). Takes 20 seconds to make dart. Player throws dart with 10m range at enemy. When NPC human is hit, human faints and says things like "I see Mars, I see Uranus (said as Your-Ae-nus) I see my whole life in reverse!" with an excited voice. Player can kill stoned NPC or scan or ignore as NPC will be down for the next 5 minutes.
Causes Zombie humans to explode. Thargoid enemies will swat the dart away.
If a CMDR is hit with the dart, commander falls face up and images/GIFs of other Frontier games play sequentially for 30 seconds. After that, CMDR stands back up. Subsequent "stonings" will last 5 seconds shorter.
FDEVs! This is your chance to make the game even more special/hilarious!
I read rumors that Thargoids are collecting escape pods- a creepy new development, which I think hints towards Thargoids zombifying captured humans and throwing them against us. Every shooter game's gotta have a Zombie-mode, right?
I have also heard of soldier units like the Regent, but not sure of their role or gameplay.
Nonetheless, I started this thread to share ideas with FDEV that will enhance the action and add comic relief options to the future battlefield. Some of these tricks can be added to the gameplay of human opponents in some circumstances.
Idea 1: The Clipboard trick.
Background: sometimes staff members think anyone with a clipboard (or badge) are supposed to be in the building so they just wave them on or ignore them.
Scenario: Thargoid "zombie human" guards a building by standing by the door.
Gameplay: Player takes out the "clipboard" and walks up to the guard then does the wave motion. Zombie human waves back and opens the door (due to force of habit). Player runs inside to begin the next phase of the mission. This works on the same guard once and only once by the same player. But can be used by every player or on every guard in the zone. However, once combat starts, the trick no longer works since the guard will be trying to kill (or eat) you.
Idea 2: The Magazine trick
Background: This is a goofy goodie from AI: The Solumium Files. Zombies/Aliens/Humans are easily distracted by pr0n mags.
Scenario: During a sneak mission or combat mission, enemies can be distracted and stopped from shooting by throwing a dirty mag at them. These only can be purchased on FC's weapons shops.
Gameplay: Player equips magazine like a weapon and presses fire key. Magazine falls 4m away. Enemies within 4m of magazine stop what they're doing to look down at it for 15 seconds. Humans will say things like "IS that the limited edition Hotsler magazine?!" and "Ohmygawd! Real n00ds of Princess Aisling!" thus giving the player time to escape or take out a real weapon to take out the group. The trick only works on the same group once. On the revenant drones, they are only distracted for 5 seconds.
IF the player hits enemy in the face with this, the magazine sticks to the face of the enemy and they have to pull it off or do a shaking motion for 20 seconds. Human enemies shout "It's stuck to my face! I can't see!"
Idea 3: The RC car trick.
Background: Enemies are distracted by movement. Take advantage of this.
Gameplay: If CMDR brings their Scarab or Scorpion to a CZ or infiltration mission, or finds one, a special option appears in the control panel for the CMDR (it's button 3 on my keyboard). The player can order the vehicle to drive itself in a loop around the base. The enemies will shoot at it until it is destroyed, thus giving the player time to complete their mission.
Idea 4: The 4th of July trick
Background: Enemies are distracted by flashy lights. Take advantage of this.
Gameplay: If CMDR brings their Scarab or Scorpion to a CZ or infiltration mission, or finds one, a special option appears in the control panel for the CMDR. The player gets a special option (at the cost of 2 Sulphur 2 Iron 2 1 Heat dispersion plate 1 Hybrid capacitors) to launch fireworks from the cannon. This option becomes active when vehicle is outside and player is out of the vehicle. Cannon fires for 30 seconds, distracting all NPC enemies until cannon stops firing (If this works on CMDRs, their names should go on a 'hall of shame' on Inara.). Player can sneak in and accomplish their mission while others are distracted by the shiny.
Idea 5: The Cruise Ship trick
Background: Tourists/civilians are usually not included in Odyssey missions- but now they can be!
Scenario: If CMDR has passengers in a cabin, when ship lands within 300m of a ground combat zone, passengers can be deployed to annoy/harange the base staff. Passenger NPCs will wear shorts on their spacesuits and carry big cameras and selfie-sticks. Some will wear cowboy hats on their helmets.
Gameplay: When pilot lands and presses Abandon button on the passenger mission, passengers immediately leave the ship and enter the base.
In human controlled base, they surround the guards and other employees, asking them inane questions and taking pictures. They continue this state until alarm is triggered or player engages in combat. When combat happens, tourists duck down to avoid being shot.
In Thargoid-controlled base, they start throwing things at the enemies, and they die in two hits.
Player takes advantage of the distraction.
To keep wings from clogging the battlefield with anaconda's full of passengers, the max amount of tourists in the base is 100.
Idea #6: The Buffet Table trick
Background: everyone's gotta eat, right? Use this to your own advantage.
Gameplay: Player needs to carry 1 unit of food or drink in backpack. When inside a building controlled by humans or Thargoid Regents, player gets an option called "Buffet table" and spends 2 iron 1 carbon to make a table. Food is placed on table. NPCs (except zombies) who see the table will ignore the player and start snacking. This distraction lasts for 2 minutes, making it one of the longer tricks available. Thargoid Regents will not eat the food but instead throw pieces of food on the floor. If shooting starts before time runs out, table is destroyed and NPCs change to combat mode.
Idea #7: The Onionhead Dart trick
Background: CMDR can incapacitate enemies quietly with a poison dart.
Gameplay: Player needs to carry 1 unit of Onionhead Gamma in their backpack. When player enters CZ, pilot gets an option on their control panel that says "Make Fun Dart". Spends unit of Onionhead plus 1 iron 1 carbon and 1 improvised components (this'll prevent spamming/stockpiling). Takes 20 seconds to make dart. Player throws dart with 10m range at enemy. When NPC human is hit, human faints and says things like "I see Mars, I see Uranus (said as Your-Ae-nus) I see my whole life in reverse!" with an excited voice. Player can kill stoned NPC or scan or ignore as NPC will be down for the next 5 minutes.
Causes Zombie humans to explode. Thargoid enemies will swat the dart away.
If a CMDR is hit with the dart, commander falls face up and images/GIFs of other Frontier games play sequentially for 30 seconds. After that, CMDR stands back up. Subsequent "stonings" will last 5 seconds shorter.
FDEVs! This is your chance to make the game even more special/hilarious!
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