Domesticating Aliens

[oldag07]

As many of the complains about the game go, the fact that harmony can be just as ruthless when it comes to alien killing as any of the other affinities. I know there is a "quest" when it comes to domesticating aliens, but harmony players should be able to tame the "barbarian" aliens to use as soldiers and/or workers. Maybe the player could build a nest tile that would pump out friendly aliens every 10 turns or something, or maybe it could even act like a city. I guess someone could say this was op, which is true.

Maybe supremacy could assimilate the aliens like the Borg in Star Trek. Big cyborg aliens. Purity is tough. Maybe purity could use the alien nests to clone humans really fast.

 

[MistroPain]

From what I have gathered about Harmony, they are not actually evolved to become aliens themselves, but bioengineered humans who have adapted to the world... Not the aliens.
Sooo... technically they can be as ruthless as they would like.

We are humans, we are adapted to this world, yet we are the greatest destroyer of our environment, and its many other inhabitants, alongside being among the top most ruthless killers of our own race.

About the idea itself though, I think Harmony do this already. Have you not built the unique Harmony units?

 

[oldag07]

Yea, I have. However, there should be more alternatives to dealing with "barbarian" aliens rather then leaving them alone or killing them. Actually capturing them and using them as troops or workers would be cool, admittedly hard to balance with the other affinities.

 

[MistroPain]

Maybe if they ever introduce another affinity such as a Psionic-type affinity it would make. However, give players a massive negative for each alien they control to all other aliens (IE the aliens go into the red); especially if its the worms/krakens.

Alternatively:
The aliens seem to have a link to the planet in their current state, so how do you capture something that has a connection to the whole world? Maybe they could introduce a later tech-web tech tech which figures out the connection and gives you a selection of new troops based on it; and possible give you one troop variant for each affinity (2 for harmony).

 

[T Glenhaber]

Maybe Harmony could have a unique unit that "converts" alien units? At lower levels, all they could do is convert wolf beetles and drones, but as the harmony levels rise, you could convert more powerful units, such as a sandsiege worm or kraken. You would have to find a way to balance this, though. Possibly you could make their marine units weaker to balance it out as well as harmony would have a reason to convert them.

 

[Gaian Jen]

I used to love playing as the Gaians in SMAX where I would pump-up my Planet rating to maximize my chance of capturing Mind Worms for my armies.

Sadly, the fact that this option was not included in BE is just one of the reasons why I was left a little disappointed in the game.

To expand upon T Glenhaber's idea, in order to create a Harmony unit such as a Xeno Swarm or Xeno Calvary, you send out a "rangler" unit upon reaching the required affinity level to find, capture and merge with the appropriate alien life form? This way, players would have a reason not to plunder nearby alien nests so as to always have a source for new stock.

 

[T Glenhaber]

Maybe the wrangler unit could turn into different types of units depending on what it merges with. Wolf Beetles or raptor bugs would be Xeno Calvary, but Siege worms could turn into Dune-like worm riders. Drone-riders could turn into a helicopter-like unit, with high maneuverability.

 

[oldag07]

Harmony taming "barbarian aliens" makes sense.
Supremacy having "borg aliens". Mixing cybernetic components with the alien parts would be really cool.
Maybe Purity could get some production bonus for capturing aliens and then killing them. More tanks and/ or workers.

 

[LORD ORION]

Alien Ops panel

You get to assign friendly nests missions

"I know you told that Alien to eat my trade convoy mofo!"