Factorio Forums

!!Greetings Factorians!!

Concept: Add a late-game technology tree named Xenobiology
Prerequisite: Distractor Capsule, Alien Tech, Alien Science Pack
Purpose:

- Level 1 Xenobiology
Enables 'Subversion capsule': When thrown, creates cloud [similar to poison cloud] that deals damage over time to Biters and Worms. When Biter / Worm reaches 1 health, they instantly regenerate back to 2/3rds their maximum health, health bar tints purple, and they now fight for the player, immediately attacking other biters in range. Effect lasts 30s or until they perish. If biter / worm survives, they once again turn hostile and attack the player.

- Level 2 Xenobiology
Enables 'Enhanced Subversion capsule': Performs all functions as above except Biter / Worm regains 100% of HP & they perish once the duration of the subversion lapses.

- Level 3 Xenobiology
Enables 'Breeding Ground': 'Enhanced Subversion capsules' can capture enemy spawners [in the same method as biters / worms but it would take multiple capsules unless you reduced the spawner's HP before applying]. Spawner is neutral to player for 30 seconds [does not spawn biters]. If player builds a roboport close enough to the spawner so it falls within the construction radius, the construction bots will periodically re-apply 'Enhanced Subversion capsules'. After 30 seconds elapses, biters spawned will be friendly to player and hostile toward non-allied biters.

Enables 'Biter's Call': A beacon [similar to the effect transmission beacon] can be built and placed within a very large radius of the allied spawners. Any hostile biters within said radius will be considered within the allied-biter's aggro-range and will be attacked [similar behavior as if the player walked into the aggro range of a biter nest]. Respawn rates for allied biter nests would be slower than non-allied biter nests. Beacon is self-powered.

Thoughts?

This would have to be coupled with a major rebalancing. Currently, there is no need to enslave the aliens in the late game since its easier to ring your complex with lasers and walls or just steamroll them with Destroyers. I like the idea of having a resource intensive defense system that would collapse into disaster as soon as the special potion stopped being produced though.

That's a good point. Perhaps it would be better suited for the first two levels to be accessible early / mid game (relatively speaking) and the third unlocked mid / late game. You can use the third tier to continuously harass biter camps in future expansion areas until you're ready to deal with them directly, and a scenario where you overextend your power grid could result in a Jurassic Park-like situation.

There could even be a side scenario that leverages this tech akin to "Biter Wrangler" or "Biter Rancher", where the whole point of your factory is to produce new and evolved types of Biter and use them to exterminate the natives.

better something for removing polutions and give something needed

I generally like your idea but I would change it a bit.
Instead for these capsules to temporarily turn biters in to your alies why not simply make them to attack any nearest entities wheter it is another biter, biter nest, biter turret, you aorany other structure of your.
This way use of these would still be a bit risky so they wouldn't be overpowered.