For starters, this is a continuation of http://www.halowars.com/forums/thread/109042.aspx. However, I have a policy against drastically editing my topic post with updates for this kind of thread, because those whom asked questions might seem to newcomers to have be answered in the topic post when they really were not at the time.

Moving on, I would like to re-iterate that this thread is in no way suggesting that the Flood should be in single player. It suggesting that the flood be multiplayer only.

We'll start with the basics:

The Flood is a suggested third faction for the skirmish mode of Halo Wars. The premise is that skirmish is not bound by timeline canon, and two factions can become quite boring over time, while three factions can double or triple replay value. Further, the Flood would be a very unique RTS faction of the like we have likely never quite seen before. That's right, the Flood will not be notably comparable to the Zerg. There might be a similarity here or there, but it ends there.

Because of the nature of the Flood, they only have one real structure. This structure is called the Central Intelligence, and has three tiers (yes, I am aware that the Zerg have this too, but like I said, there would be one or two similarities, and none of them are that major). The first tier is the Proto-Gravemind phase. The second tier is the Gravemind phase. And the third tier is the Super Gravemind phase.

Also due to the nature of the Flood, the Flood do not actively seek any sort of mineral. There are no gatherer units and no mining structures. The Central Intelligence will pull minimal amounts of Calcium out of the ground automatically. Calcium is required to upgrade the Central Intelligence and later for Pure Forms. The only other way for the Flood to obtain Calcium is to sacrifice any Flood unit, whether it be an Infection Form or a Juggernaut Form, to the Central Intelligence. Depending on the unit, the player will receive a certain amoung of Calcium.

As more Calcium is pumped into the Central Intelligence, it will grow (this does not affect tier) and the Biomass (warped Flood-infected ground that can be compared to Creep, which is probably the biggest Zerg similarity of the faction) will spread with radial symetry.

From the Central Intelligence, upgrades may be purchased, the phase upgraded, and walls built. Calcium Buildups (walls) are built in a similar fashion to those in Red Alert 2. There is no worker unit. You just click and drag, and the appropriate amount of Calcium will be spent to cause the Biomass to bulge into a wall. Gates are free and can be added by clicking on a section of wall and turning it into a gate. However, one downfall to the Flood gate is that it opens for anyone. However, Calcium Buildups are among the most resilient of walls, because they are tough and will grow back unless completely destroyed.

In the Proto-Gravemind stage, a sqaud of Infection Forms will automatically spawn (one squad of Infection Forms is 7 Infection Forms) on the Biomass every fourteen seconds. Combat Forms are more likely to rush and melee than fire their weapons. Infected vehicles will drive eratically and often try to splatter opponents rather than using the main weapon. Carrier Forms will automatically charge at any enemies in the area.

In the Gravemind stage, two squads of Infection Forms will automatically spawn on the BIomass every fourteen seconds. One Stalker Form (more on Pure Forms later) will automatically spawn on the Biomass every sixty seconds. Combat Forms are just as likely to rush as they are shoot and will advance slowly on enemies while shooting until close enough to lunge. Infected vehicles will have low accuracy, but will take better advantage of the main weapon. Carrier Forms will automatically charge at enemies within a smaller radius.

In the Super Gravemind stage, four squads of Infection Forms will automatically spawn on the BIomass every fourteen seconds. One Stalker Form will automatically spawn on the Biomass every thirty seconds. Combat Forms will fire from stationary positions and only charge when enemies come close. Infected vehicles will act just like normal vehicles. Carrier Forms will have a setting that tells them not to automatically charge, but will still have the option of automatically charging. Also, Combat Forms may be converted into Secondary Intelligences, which are Proto-Graveminds that cannot be upgraded but that spawn Infection Forms (much like infected buildings).

When an Infection Form jumps on an unshielded enemy (or reanimates a corpse), it infects that enemy. If the infected unit was a Human or Elite (or Brute if they end up in the game), a Combat Form is created. If the infected unit was a Grunt, a Carrier Form is created. Otherwise, the unit is simply killed and cannot be infected (Jackals and Hunters).

Infection Forms can also infect vehicles. To do so, the vehicle must be either stopped or moving slowly (or dead, but not destroyed). To infect a vehicle, the rule of thumb is to get the same number of Infection Forms on it as there are crew. Thus, to infect a Warthog or Scorpion, you need two (the Warthog in the game doesn't appear to have a passenger). In fact, most vehicles require only one or two Infection Forms. Scarabs, however, require thirty, who must all successfully climb up the legs. If a transport is killed and had units in it, those that die must also be infected and require additional Infection Forms.

Infection Forms can also infect buildings. To do this, you must get as many Infection Forms into the building as the building has Hit Points divided by two. When a building is infected, it acts as a Proto-Gravemind that cannot be upgraded. Further, if there were any active build queues, the Flood player gets those units, but infected (exception: Jackals and Hunters).

Infection Forms are prone to chain reaction popping. This occurs when one dies and is in a cluster of others, causing a chain reaction of death. There is an upgrade available that causes Infection Form AI to automatically spread so that chain reaction popping doesn't occur as much.

Combat Forms, when infected, will use whatever weapon they had at death. If a Combat Form is killed, it can be reanimated. However, each time it is reanimated, the chance of it coming back as a Carrier Form due to damage to its body becomes greater and greater until it finally must become a Carrier Form. Combat Forms have high resistance to snipers, whose rounds pass right through them. Combat Forms can lunge into the air for air damage (they can also shoot into the air), though it is minimal.

A Carrier Form carries a single squad (that's 7) of Infection Forms. However, it can be upgraded to carry two (that's 14).

Pure Forms will compose a large portion of the Flood's later game strategy. They come in three types: Stalker Forms, Tank Forms, and Turret Forms. The Stalker Form is a fast scout and also kills infantry in a single attack (exception: Spartans and Hunters). Tanks Forms are slow, but have a high melee damage attack (that can also kill infantry easily, though not as a special ability) and high health, and can also spew Infection Forms, either as a mobile spawn point or as an anti-air measure. Turret Forms are stationary, but have a ranged attack that does high damage to aerial vehicles and will curl into defensive balls when under fire for a huge defense bonus. Pure Forms may be morphed into other types of Pure Forms for a small cost of Calcium.

Juggernauts are part of my idea, but exactly how is to be announced (I will edit this in when I've decided). Juggernauts are the strongest of the Flood units, easily able to take on tanks (who do surprisingly little damage, since their rounds pass right through the Juggernaut. Juggernauts may also target aerial units and do very high air damage.

Most Flood units can travel across impassible terrain types. Infection Forms and Stalker Forms can scale cliff faces (and Turret Forms can attach to cliff faces). Combat Forms and Juggernauts can lunge across chasms or up/down cliffs.

When any unit is infected, the Flood player's minimap is updated with all areas that unit has been (however, structures seen on the minimap will only be as recent as when the unit was last there).

If a unit dies on the Biomass, it will slowly be consumed for Calcium. An upgrade is available that will cause Biomass to release deadly spores so that when enemy units stand on it, they will slowly lose health and die.

In the event that a Flood player loses the Central Intelligence, it is not game over. The Central Intelligence will begin rebuilding itself at a place the player selects (the player must have a direct line of sight to build there, and it may not be within a reasonable distance of an enemy base). However, during this stage (called the Feral stage), the player has no control over any of his units. If the player has Secondary Intelligence(s), Flood units within a certain radius of each Secondary Intelligence will be controllable, and the player may choose to rebuild there, which will speed up the rebuilding process. The player can also rebuild at an infected building, though the player does not get the control benefit of Secondary Intelligences from these.

The Flood, like the other factions, has powers that can be used as sort of super weapons. These include Dominate Will, Dispersal Pods, Tentacle Strike, and Omniscience. Dominate Will is a timed area of effect attack that will cause ground-based units to freeze, aerial units to crash, and enemy Flood units to simply change teams. Dispersal Pods fall from the sky and release Combat Forms with randomized weapons over a specified area. Tentacle Strike is a simple area of affect attack that does a certain amount of damage (and is comparable to the UNSC's Orbital Bombardment). Omiscience temporarily lifts the fog of war over a specific area.

When a Flood player fights against another Flood player, the focus will be on infecting ambient life as quickly as possible and then taking Combat Forms back to the Central Intelligence. Infection Forms can reanimate Combat Forms that have died, but they can also take control of enemy Combat Forms before they have died. Once a player moves into the Gravemind stage, things get interesting. When both players are in Gravemind, the game becomes a strategic version of rock paper scissors. The beauty is that it is almost all strategy. Both players have the exact same capabilities and a small pool of units to choose from, so the one that wins is usually going to be the one with the most skill.

Several additions to other factions to help combat the Flood that should be considered are flamethrower units for the UNSC (flame throwers and plasma can be used to target Biomass and destroy it temporarily) and closed helmet systems for the UNSC and Covenant (to protect against spore).

Glad you made a new one, this should help with new member questions. I thought I'd through in my old post as well. Rotaretilbos ideas are more thought out and focus on the gameplay. Mine are less of both but maybe we can learn from each others ideas. I know I have from yours. And BTW hope I'm not "stealing your thunder".

The Flood

   The Flood, a parasitic species, infects individual organisms and causes them to undergo different stages of organized transformation into various "forms". A Flood's chosen form depends on the species of creature infested, and the usefulness of the infected body. All Flood biomass is made up of the differentiable Flood Super Cell. The sole known pathway for Flood reproduction and survival is by the infestation and assimilation of other species. Infection forms selectively target other species that possess sentient intelligence and are of sufficient biomass, and can infest living or dead bodies. Infection forms have long tendrils that pierce the skin of the host and find their way to the spinal cord. From here they synchronize with the host, matching frequencies with the host's nervous system and taking over brain functions, completely rewriting the psychology of the creature to the ravenous and voracious psyche of the Flood, although retaining higher-level cognitive abilities, such as combat techniques and technical knowledge which may be useful. However, resistance of the host is completely destroyed, as the original mind's memories are systematically erased, leaving only a simplistic and animalistic hunger to assimilate other species and destroy them.

   Higher-level species capable of combat, such as Humans or Elites, are selectively infected to become Combat Forms. Combat forms retain the general profile of their original species, although they are significantly mutated. Organ-based systems physiology is corrupted, and organ-specific functions are decentralized and body cavities are decayed, making hit box-selective incapacitation impossible: since organ functions are decentralized, decapitation does not down a combat form. Furthermore, highly area-specific munitions, such as sniper rifle projectiles, are completely ineffective, as picking off selective areas of a combat form leads to no wide-scale physiological impediments, and the projectile will punch through the decayed flesh rapidly, punching through and exiting the other side of the combat form without consequence. Combat forms also generate tentacles very quickly without regard for the skeletal structure of the host, with tentacles protruding from the combat form at odd locations, typically localized to the chest axial regions, such as the neck, armpits, or torso. A single arm is oftentimes mutated to a claw like or tentacle-like structure that multifaceted at its terminus, with strange multiple angular hand-like entities replacing the hand. The musculature of the combat form dramatically changes as well, and the combat form is given prodigious arm and leg strength, allowing for heavy blows with its arm-like structures and for incredible speed and jumping height with its legs. The Flood evolves in three phases. Each phase takes a progressively longer time to complete. All in all there are Infection, Combat, Carrier, Juggernaut and Pure Forms in addition to the Photo Gravemind and Gravemind.

Flood Phase's 1-3:

• Phase 1: Flood Spore Pod Phase: Players start with one of these at their respective base. It produces Infection Forms for the player at no cost to them, thus eliminating the traditional and monotonous resource gathering common to RTS's. Your first Spore Pod is fully grown but any additional ones placed will need time to reach their individual production phase. Players can create more of these at their will, up to fifteen. However, to balance, there is a downside. The more you place, the slower they grow. Since the Flood absorbs nutrients found in the ground, calcium mostly, you can see how this side effect would tie in. Each Spore Pod, to protect from early game rushes, has several defense tentacles. While weak they can protect it long enough for the infection Forms to do their job on the attackers. Once the player has accumulated five functioning Spore Pods, they can move onto the next stage. At this stage Infection, Combat and Carrier Forms are accessible by the player.
• Phase 2: Photo Gravemind Phase: Now as a collective intelligence, the Flood can make more headway in the game. To develop a Photo Gravemind, a suitable host is needed. Several Combat Forms must be combined together with a Spore Pod. Thus the Photo Gravemind Form is born. It has no defenses what so ever and it’s highly vulnerable. This is a crucial step in Flood progress and the player should divert their attention to protection of the form at all costs. When completed all Flood under the player control immediately gain a boost to their AI system and damage resilience. Then the real work begins. Players may now get Juggernaut Forms.
• Phase 3: Gravemind Phase: The utter pinnacle in Flood evolution, the Gravemind form is now the players mobile base, able to move just about anywhere on the map. It spews out infections forms twice as fast as the Spore Pods and can tackle tougher adversaries. Approach these as you would a Scarab. To create one is about the same process as making a Photo Gravemind, combining several Combat Forms together into the form and keeping it safe. Once this Phase is complete, the player now must focus on two things, keeping the Gravemind alive and continued production of Infection Forms and Spore Pods. The Gravemind doubles Flood damage attacks and Flood health in addition to the boosts already added by the Photo Gravemind. At the final phase, players gain access to the powerful and versatile Pure Forms.

Flood Forms:

·         Infection Forms: The bases to Flood life, Infection Forms are produced from three sources, Spore Pods, Gravemind Forms and Pure Tank Forms. Spore Pods constantly produce them at a rate of twenty a minute. Gravemind Forms produce them at thirty a minute while Pure Tank Forms produce them at random. Infection Forms can infect Humans and Elites and convert them into Combat Forms. When a Grunt is infected it becomes a Carrier Form. Fallen Combat Forms can be brought back by moving Infection Forms over them. However enemies can destroy the bodies before hand. Infection takes about three seconds and multiple attempts may be needed to infect Elites, due to their energy shields. Hunters are immune to infection.

·         Carrier Form: A bulbous sack just waiting to explode, Carrier Forms are the result of an infected Grunt or Jackal. Carrier Forms explode when near enemies and shower the survivors with Infection Forms. Carrier Forms, when added to a Spore Pod, are the equivalent of three Combat Forms.

·         Combat Form: Carrier Forms come in two types, Human and Elite. Both wield the weapons or drive the vehicles of their former selves. However the infected cannot use their special abilities or powers of the unit it once was. They are quick and punch hard but can’t take a lot of damage.

·         Juggernaut Form:  A massive towering Flood warrior, the Juggernaut is created by combining several Flood forms into a Spore Pod. The Juggernaut has two long tentacles which it can use to swipe away infantry and smash vehicles. It cannot be re-animated once killed but has a large amount of health.

·         Pure Forms: Raw Flood, Pure Forms are fast, durable and versatile. They can change form between three basic types. They are produced from Gravemind forms.

o        Stalker Form: A fast, crawling form, the Stalker earns its name by being hard for enemies to hit and kill and being able to hide in shadowy areas on the map.

o        Ranged Form: An immobile turret like form, the Ranged Form can fire on enemies from long distances and has a considerable amount of health. Their solid calcium spikes can deal out a severe punishment to all types of units, air or ground. It is the only AA unit other than the Gravemind.

o        Tank Form: Having more health than a Juggernaut Form and dealing a powerful melee blow, the Tank Form can destroy vehicles and turrets in a single swipe. It is slow moving but can spit of Infection Forms for added defense.

·         Gravemind Form: The final and most powerful Flood, the Gravemind can instantly kill just about any unit but is the slowest moving. It has a massive amount of damage resistance and can also target air units. The Gravemind Form can produce Pure Forms and Infection Forms. Pure Forms come out as Stalkers about once every minute.

Whoo! You guys finally posted it!

I'm busy, so I'll have to review it later. 

EDIT: Since the forum hates me and didn't let me enclose your text in a box, I'll put my comments in italics. 

Rotaretilbo:

Because of the nature of the Flood, they only have one real structure. This structure is called the Central Intelligence, and has three tiers (yes, I am aware that the Zerg have this too, but like I said, there would be one or two similarities, and none of them are that major). The first tier is the Proto-Gravemind phase. The second tier is the Gravemind phase. And the third tier is the Super Gravemind phase.

Okay, that’s fine.

Rotaretilbo:

Also due to the nature of the Flood, the Flood does not actively seek any sort of mineral. There are no gatherer units and no mining structures. The Central Intelligence will pull minimal amounts of Calcium out of the ground automatically. Calcium is required to upgrade the Central Intelligence and later for Pure Forms. The only other way for the Flood to obtain Calcium is to sacrifice any Flood unit, whether it is an Infection Form or a Juggernaut Form, to the Central Intelligence. Depending on the unit, the player will receive a certain among of Calcium.

As more Calcium is pumped into the Central Intelligence, it will grow (this does not affect tier) and the Biomass (warped Flood-infected ground that can be compared to Creep, which is probably the biggest Zerg similarity of the faction) will spread with radial symmetry.

From the Central Intelligence, upgrades may be purchased, the phase upgraded, and walls built. Calcium Buildups (walls) are built in a similar fashion to those in Red Alert 2. There is no worker unit. You just click and drag and the appropriate amount of Calcium will be spent to cause the Biomass to bulge into a wall. Gates are free and can be added by clicking on a section of wall and turning it into a gate. However, one downfall to the Flood gate is that it opens for anyone. However, Calcium Buildups are among the most resilient of walls, because they are tough and will grow back unless completely destroyed.

 

I agree completely with the calcium from the ground and Flood units bit. That’s how I have it set up. The way it grows is interesting. The walls are rather...unfitting, in my opinion. The Flood are all about fast moving and ambushes. Walls and gates don't really fit. This isn't (sorry) Starcraft or whatever it’s called. The idea is good but again it doesn't really fit.

Rotaretilbo:

In the Proto-Gravemind stage, a squad of Infection Forms will automatically spawn (one squad of Infection Forms is 7 Infection Forms) on the Biomass every fourteen seconds. Combat Forms are more likely to rush and melee than fire their weapons. Infected vehicles will drive erratically and often try to splatter opponents rather than using the main weapon. Carrier Forms will automatically charge at any enemies in the area.

 

No problems here. Just a question though. Where exactly do the infection forms come from on the biomass? The egg sacs like seen in Halo 3?

Rotaretilbo:

 In the Gravemind stage, two squads of Infection Forms will automatically spawn on the Biomass every fourteen seconds. One Stalker Form (more on Pure Forms later) will automatically spawn on the Biomass every sixty seconds. Combat Forms are just as likely to rush as they are shooting and will advance slowly on enemies while shooting until close enough to lunge. Infected vehicles will have low accuracy, but will take better advantage of the main weapon. Carrier Forms will automatically charge at enemies within a smaller radius.

 

Good but how does the tier level affect the Pure Forms?

Rotaretilbo:

 In the Super Gravemind stage, four squads of Infection Forms will automatically spawn on the Biomass every fourteen seconds. One Stalker Form will automatically spawn on the Biomass every thirty seconds. Combat Forms will fire from stationary positions and only charge when enemies come close. Infected vehicles will act just like normal vehicles. Carrier Forms will have a setting that tells them not to automatically charge, but will still have the option of automatically charging. Also, Combat Forms may be converted into Secondary Intelligences, which are Proto-Graveminds that cannot be upgraded but that spawn Infection Forms (much like infected buildings).

 

Here I still like except for the last sentence. One Combat Form into a PhotoGravemind? You'd need at least ten. There should be a power that allows you to call in or up a biomass and then add Combat Forms.

Rotaretilbo:

 When an Infection Form jumps on an unshielded enemy (or reanimates a corpse), it infects that enemy. If the infected unit was a Human or Elite (or Brute if they end up in the game), a Combat Form is created. If the infected unit was a Grunt, a Carrier Form is created. Otherwise, the unit is simply killed and cannot be infected (Jackals and Hunters).

Infection Forms can also infect vehicles. To do so, the vehicle must be either stopped or moving slowly (or dead, but not destroyed). To infect a vehicle, the rule of thumb is to get the same number of Infection Forms on it as there are crew. Thus, to infect a Warthog or Scorpion, you need two (the Warthog in the game doesn't appear to have a passenger). In fact, most vehicles require only one or two Infection Forms. Scarabs, however, require thirty, who must all successfully climb up the legs. If a transport is killed and had units in it, those that die must also be infected and require additional Infection Forms.

 

Jackals should be able to be used in some way. The bodies have valuable Calcium. Perhaps they can be dragged away or placed in piles. (Like in the Halo: CE level Keyes) I know that’s micro but the bodies wouldn't real go to waste. For Hunters, yeah leave them there. The infection about vehicles part is good but it seems like it would be to easy to infect a Scarab unless it had heavy anti-infantry support, which I suppose Covenant players would have think about when fighting the Flood.

Rotaretilbo:

Infection Forms can also infect buildings. To do this, you must get as many Infection Forms into the building as the building has Hit Points divided by two. When a building is infected, it acts as a Proto-Gravemind that cannot be upgraded. Further, if there were any active build queues, the Flood player gets those units, but infected (exception: Jackals and Hunters).

 

I like that. Good.

Rotaretilbo:

 Infection Forms are prone to chain reaction popping. This occurs when one dies and is in a cluster of others, causing a chain reaction of death. There is an upgrade available that causes Infection Form AI to automatically spread so that chain reaction popping doesn't occur as much.

Combat Forms, when infected, will use whatever weapon they had at death. If a Combat Form is killed, it can be reanimated. However, each time it is reanimated, the chance of it coming back as a Carrier Form due to damage to its body becomes greater and greater until it finally must become a Carrier Form. Combat Forms have high resistance to snipers, whose rounds pass right through them. Combat Forms can lunge into the air for air damage (they can also shoot into the air), though it is minimal.

A Carrier Form carries a single squad (that's 7) of Infection Forms. However, it can be upgraded to carry two (that's 14).

 

A few issues here. First, Infection Forms don't real chain explode it’s the fact that when fighting them the player tends to use high ROF weapons. Only Grunts can become Carrier forms, no matter what. The Carrier form is like it is because the Grunts methane tank has expanded the biomass around the Flood. This hollow space has provided the Flood with an excellent incubation chamber for infection Forms. Combat Forms shouldn't be able to attack air units, only Ranged, Juggernaut and Gravemind (if applicable).

Rotaretilbo:

Pure Forms will compose a large portion of the Flood's later game strategy. They come in three types: Stalker Forms, Tank Forms, and Turret Forms. The Stalker Form is a fast scout and also kills infantry in a single attack (exception: Spartans and Hunters). Tanks Forms are slow, but have a high melee damage attack (that can also kill infantry easily, though not as a special ability) and high health, and can also spew Infection Forms, either as a mobile spawn point or as an anti-air measure. Turret Forms are stationary, but have a ranged attack that does high damage to aerial vehicles and will curl into defensive balls when under fire for a huge defense bonus. Pure Forms may be morphed into other types of Pure Forms for a small cost of Calcium.

 

Good except why does having Infection Forms provide AA?

Rotaretilbo:

Juggernauts are part of my idea, but exactly how is to be announced (I will edit this in when I've decided). Juggernauts are the strongest of the Flood units, easily able to take on tanks (who do surprisingly little damage, since their rounds pass right through the Juggernaut. Juggernauts may also target aerial units and do very high air damage.

Most Flood units can travel across impassible terrain types. Infection Forms and Stalker Forms can scale cliff faces (and Turret Forms can attach to cliff faces). Combat Forms and Juggernauts can lunge across chasms or up/down cliffs.

 

No issues here.

Rotaretilbo:

When any unit is infected, the Flood player's minimap is updated with all areas that unit has been (however, structures seen on the minimap will only be as recent as when the unit was last there).

 

The Flood seem rather OP as it is. Giving them this makes them God like.

Rotaretilbo:

If a unit dies on the Biomass, it will slowly be consumed for Calcium. An upgrade is available that will cause Biomass to release deadly spores so that when enemy units stand on it, they will slowly lose health and die.

 

Perfect. I love it.

Rotaretilbo:

In the event that a Flood player loses the Central Intelligence, it is not game over. The Central Intelligence will begin rebuilding itself at a place the player selects (the player must have a direct line of sight to build there, and it may not be within a reasonable distance of an enemy base). However, during this stage (called the Feral stage); the player has no control over any of his units. If the player has Secondary Intelligence(s), Flood units within a certain radius of each Secondary Intelligence will be controllable, and the player may choose to rebuild there, which will speed up the rebuilding process. The player can also rebuild at an infected building, though the player does not get the control benefit of Secondary Intelligences from these.

 

Hmmm, okay yeah that seems reasonable, but then how does one beat the Flood?

Rotaretilbo:

The Flood, like the other factions, has powers that can be used as sort of super weapons. These include Dominate Will, Dispersal Pods, Tentacle Strike, and Omniscience. Dominate Will is a timed area of effect attack that will cause ground-based units to freeze, aerial units to crash, and enemy Flood units to simply change teams. Dispersal Pods fall from the sky and release Combat Forms with randomized weapons over a specified area. Tentacle Strike is a simple area of affect attack that does a certain amount of damage (and is comparable to the UNSC's Orbital Bombardment). Omniscience temporarily lifts the fog of war over a specific area.

 

Interesting. But where do the dispersal pods come from and will Gravemind himself deliver the “Tentacle Strike"?

Rotaretilbo:

When a Flood player fights against another Flood player, the focus will be on infecting ambient life as quickly as possible and then taking Combat Forms back to the Central Intelligence. Infection Forms can reanimate Combat Forms that have died, but they can also take control of enemy Combat Forms before they have died. Once a player moves into the Gravemind stage, things get interesting. When both players are in Gravemind, the game becomes a strategic version of rock paper scissors. The beauty is that it is almost all strategy. Both players have the exact same capabilities and a small pool of units to choose from, so the one that wins is usually going to be the one with the most skill.

 

If ES did add the Flood, I think that Flood Vs Flood battles would be disabled but it’s an interesting idea.

Rasq'uire'laskar:

Whoo! You guys finally posted it!

I'm busy, so I'll have to review it later.

Righto.

BBJynne:

this is much improved over the original post in the other thread good job!

Thanks.

Jetey1:

EDIT: Since the forum hates me and didn't let me enclose your text in a box, I'll put my comments in italics.

Copy paste the whole post into Notepad, copy paste it back in, and then reapply any code.

Jeteye1:

Okay, that’s fine.

Kk.

Jeteye1:

I agree completely with the calcium from the ground and Flood units bit. That’s how I have it set up. The way it grows is interesting. The walls are rather...unfitting, in my opinion. The Flood are all about fast moving and ambushes. Walls and gates don't really fit. This isn't (sorry) Starcraft or whatever it’s called. The idea is good but again it doesn't really fit.

The thing is, the Flood is about fast attacks and about protecting thier Central Intelligence. You'll notice that they put the Proto-Gravemind in Halo CE at the heart of their captured ship while Gravemind chooses to grow within the confines of High Charity. Further, walls only hinder three of the Flood units' movement, and one of those three is a stationary unit (Turret Form). Tank Forms and Carrier Forms are the only units that would actually have to use gates. Tank Forms can be morphed outside of the wall, meaning Carriers are essentially the only ones that are hindered in any way by walls. But since Carrier Forms are rarely inside the base to begin with, it doesn't matter too much. Thus, the wall adds to the defense of the Central Intelligence (since it must be built on the Biomass) while not hindering Flood movement at all.

Jeteye1:

No problems here. Just a question though. Where exactly do the infection forms come from on the biomass? The egg sacs like seen in Halo 3?

Yes, they will come from the Infection Pods seen in High during Halo 3.

Jeteye1:

Good but how does the tier level affect the Pure Forms?

Stalker Forms spawn twice as quickly in the Super Gravemind phase. That is all.

Jeteye1:

Here I still like except for the last sentence. One Combat Form into a PhotoGravemind? You'd need at least ten. There should be a power that allows you to call in or up a biomass and then add Combat Forms.

Captain Keyes is noted as the only Combat Form used to form the Proto-Gravemind in Halo CE. The rest is just a build up of Biomass. The idea, thus, is that a single Combat Form would be required to build a Secondary Intelligence, but it would cost high amounts of Calcium and would take time to funnel the Calcium over (meaning it would take a long time to be fully built). However, Flood Forms can be added to the partially built Secondary Intelligence to directly add Calcium and speed up the build process.

Jeteye1:

Jackals should be able to be used in some way. The bodies have valuable Calcium. Perhaps they can be dragged away or placed in piles. (Like in the Halo: CE level Keyes) I know that’s micro but the bodies wouldn't real go to waste. For Hunters, yeah leave them there. The infection about vehicles part is good but it seems like it would be to easy to infect a Scarab unless it had heavy anti-infantry support, which I suppose Covenant players would have think about when fighting the Flood.

Actually, the Jackal's body has significantly fewer bones than even Grunts, and what bones it has are hollow, resulting in incredably low Calcium levels. For Scarabs, an Infection Form has a 70% chance of popping when making an attempt on a leg.

Jeteye1:

I like that. Good.

Thanks.

Jeteye1:

A few issues here. First, Infection Forms don't real chain explode it’s the fact that when fighting them the player tends to use high ROF weapons.

Oh no, trust me, they chain explode. I know this because I usually melee Infection Forms (something that I can't seem to do in Halo 3), and when a bunch are in my face, a bunch die at once. Infection Forms are also described in Halo: The Flood as popping with a force that caused others around them to pop.

Jeteye1:

Only Grunts can become Carrier forms, no matter what. The Carrier form is like it is because the Grunts methane tank has expanded the biomass around the Flood. This hollow space has provided the Flood with an excellent incubation chamber for infection Forms.

Not necessarily true. A Combat Form that is too damaged to continue serving this purpose will swell up into a Carrier Form. However, Grunts are much more likely to be Carrier Forms, since they can't be Combat Forms.

Jeteye1:

Combat Forms shouldn't be able to attack air units, only Ranged, Juggernaut and Gravemind (if applicable).

We see Combat Forms jump quite high to attack Sentinels on many occasions. Combat Forms wouldn't do a great deal of air damage in their melee attack, but they can.

Jeteye1:

Good except why does having Infection Forms provide AA?

The idea is that if an aircraft suddenly ran into a stream of Infection Forms, all popping on impact, it would almost act like a sort of flak that would cause the aircraft to crash. Its a one-hit kill attack that has a serious cool down.

Jeteye1:

No issues here.

w00t.

Jeteye1:

The Flood seem rather OP as it is. Giving them this makes them God like.

Not necessarily. Players could actually use this against the Flood by purposely walking units past an opening in their defenses, sending them out, and then heavily fortifying the area and placing ambush teams. However, it would require a smart player to do so. Further, regardless of all efforts, the Flood still have a weakness to air that is not fully balanced by Turret Forms, Juggernauts, Tank Forms, and Combat Forms.

Jeteye1:

Perfect. I love it.

Thanks.

Jeteye1:

Hmmm, okay yeah that seems reasonable, but then how does one beat the Flood?

By destroying the Central Intelligence, one must only stop it from rebuilding (if it is destroyed before being fully rebuilt, game over) to win. Or, one could eliminate all of the aimlessly wandering Flood units, since they will not be controlled by anything other than very basic AI.

Jeteye1:

Interesting. But where do the dispersal pods come from and will Gravemind himself deliver the “Tentacle Strike"?

While I believe in starting from square one, game mechanics that we know of suggest that we are starting from the premise of a ship orbitting overhead (supply depots, Orbital Bombardments, ODST Drop Pods, etc). While I am not sure where exactly Dispersal Pods come from, for now we will just say there is an infected ship orbitting overhead with all of its weapons disabled. As for the Tentacle Strike, the Gravemind would deliver this attack itself, but from anywhere on the map. The idea is that some of the Graveminds tentacles reach for miles, and many of them can travel underground. The tentacles will pop up from the ground and attack any enemies nearby.

Jeteye1:

If ES did add the Flood, I think that Flood Vs Flood battles would be disabled but it’s an interesting idea.

You can't just disable players from choosing the same faction like that. It is unethical.

Rot, if you can find my population solution please bring it here. i forgot where i put it.

and heres an example of a warthog looking for any left over flood after a battle."Click Here!"

when all central and secondary intelligences are gone. All of the units are removed from the players control. An AI will choose a point not to close or not to far from the enemy base and try to make a gravemind there.If all of those units are destroyed then you lose,but if the AI is lucky another gravemind is built and start all over again. 

Rotaretilbo:

To infect a vehicle, the rule of thumb is to get the same number of Infection Forms on it as there are crew. Thus, to infect a Warthog or Scorpion, you need two (the Warthog in the game doesn't appear to have a passenger).

 

I believe the warthog does have a passenger in the demo.

OK, Rot. I went through it, and theres a few things you missed.

1. Remember us discussing how Infection Forms should hide in shrubs and destroyed vehicles? I think we also agreed that they would only be visible when aerial units were nearby.
2. You forgot the NBC suits as a counter to the Flood. 

They should become visible when a unit sees them.  Snipers and aerial unit have high vision capabilities, while marines have low vision capabilities.is

This doesn't mean they are visible within LOS, but when units are close enough to see them, then they will appear.

They arent cloaked they hide only units with senors should be able to detect them (air units,Defenses or any other detector unit)

Ok then great overview rot ive got my gametype ideas below

Containment:

This game mode contains 2+ players 1 of them must be flood. the players will begin the match as normal the flood player is isolated behind a walled in forruner research center.

The flood will slowly build until they decide to break out. players can choose to free the flood early if they feel its nessesary by destroying the containment wall(HARD) or destroying the research center witch is connected to the sheilding system and light bridge controls that keep the flood fenced in.

The flood players objective is to infect all other players(and possibly turn them to his side). The regular players objectives are to 1. ally up and destroy the flood, 2. or destroy all his enemies including the flood.

if the flood evolves into a Pure Gravemind and alters the environment enough spore will form in patches all over the map in addition to the spore alreadfy formed by the player. at this point in the game weak infantry would become a huge problem becuase of there high risk of spore inhalation and infection.

If the flood players super gravemind is killed all players allied to the destroyer will receive a victory(CONDITION ONLY ACTIVE IN CONTAINMENT MODE)

Outbreak:

A game of 1+ players. and 1 computer player.  A computer control flood force will randomly spawn after a certain amount of time in the match. the humans players are all allied at the start(can be a team game or ffa also). the flood will slowly grow in numbers and obtain a gravemind after the first player has fallen.

The point of the game is survival of the fittest players can choose to defend there base to the last inch from the flood or go out and assist other players. the computer player will try to defeat all the players the players mearly have to survive for a set amount of time or be the last one standing.

The flood will start by sending infection forms. the infection forms will infect local wildlife and random spawn corpses or a players armies. the infection forms will grow in number until a combat forms will start spawning and there number will increase downed combat forms will mutate into carrier forms after a short while until a flood base is established. the spawn will slow down to a small infection form spawn as the computer now has a photogravemind. The flood will continue to take bases unless its stopped/held off the more bases the flood capture the more powerful and larger there armies will become until its to the point of a massive swarm.

 Players can go it alone and abandon there fellow humans or choose to help them, their actions will determine the fate of the match.

Players can also be fighting each other if its a team match or ffa.

ok i hope your eyes arent bleeding to bad ill update and edit if needed

(i also am sorry for any grammer/spelling errors)

Rotaretilbo:

The thing is, the Flood is about fast attacks and about protecting their Central Intelligence. You'll notice that they put the Proto-Gravemind in Halo CE at the heart of their captured ship while Gravemind chooses to grow within the confines of High Charity. Further, walls only hinder three of the Flood units' movement, and one of those three is a stationary unit (Turret Form). Tank Forms and Carrier Forms are the only units that would actually have to use gates. Tank Forms can be morphed outside of the wall, meaning Carriers are essentially the only ones that are hindered in any way by walls. But since Carrier Forms are rarely inside the base to begin with, it doesn't matter too much. Thus, the wall adds to the defense of the Central Intelligence (since it must be built on the Biomass) while not hindering Flood movement at all.