Mode Discussion - Synapse

[Ozymandias]

So far people have only listed the balance ratios as normal tactical space marines vs. whatever tyranids. But surely the marines are going to have access to the bigger badder weapons too?

What if some of the space marines were in terminator armour for example? And surely heavy weapons like flamers, missle launchers and heavy plasma guns are going to come into it? This sort of equipment would hike up the cost and strength of the marines.

[Ozymandias]

Now that I think about it, will the marines have access to vechiles? Creatures like the carifex and lictor are the tyranid equivalents of vechiles afterall.

[JEBUS]

Yes every marine has a set of grenades also.

So I'm sure combat will be 4 marines vs 1 nid and the marines will throw almost or all their nades at the nid. Then the nid comes chargin and the 4 marines open their bolter,heavybolter,rockets.

The nids need to be REALLY strong. Or it will be one bug killin fest.

It should be 4 marines for every nid. And the AI nids will pretty much be there for distracting the marines or killing weak/hurt marines.

So before you say OMG NIDS WILL BE TO STRONG! Think about all the grenades marines have, Rockets, heavybolter, laserguns, bikes, and any other weapon I forgot about.

Plus I'm sure the marines will Respawn, throw nades, shoot, die and then repeated over and over again till the Nid or Nids are dead.

[blackt]

i think if there are carnifexes and tyrants there should also be terminators and maybe even a cybot :-D *wishfulthinking*

[migb]

Yes, the problems about Tyranids being too strong surely means that heavy weapons and Terminators should be available to the Marines.

[Razielk]

heavy weapons yes, but so far we have not planned to include terminators.  we were going along the lines of a tactical squad as they are very flexible

[Wolf]

so far the main weps for marines are bolter, heavy bolter, melta gun and last is a inferno pistol and chainsword combo, all of them have nades and knives and pistols to help um, but thats all i see that is needed tbh, yea carnys r big, lictors r scary, warriors r ugly and thropes have big heads, dnt mean the marines need vehicles or termys to ebat them, any1 here ever tried winning on skill and not giant suit of armor called termy armor

[migb]

any1 here ever tried winning on skill and not giant suit of armor called termy armor

No, never

What I was saying were, the reason the Terms were pulled out was because they would beat the crap out of the Tyranids.
Now it seems like it's the SM that are going to get their ass kicked, so sending A FEW Terms back in might balance the fact that SM are facing a nid group that both outnumbers them and are lead by scary Synapse-creatures.

There are three ways to balance the point-problem, so marines still are outnumbered and all nids players are playing Synapse-creatures.
1. Have very few nids players - about 1 per 5 marines
2. Let marines have Terminators
3. Make Synapse creatures weaker than in the books

But of cause a way to do it was to wait and see, if team-balance OK do nothing, SM always loose -> Terminators.

[Wolf]

the only reason their i remotely like is making the synapses a bit weaker then TT, which i think will be the case, as a SM i like being outnumbered and i have never liked termys tbh
marines arnt that weak comapred to big nids, ur not going to be standing in the middle of a road reloading while a carny runs up to u r ya? its a city citys with ruins and outposts, marines move from building to buildings ambushing the synapse creatures so the broods are left hive mindless

[Ozymandias]

Personally I think some of the chunkier weapons are in order for the marines, if the teams are going to have equal numbers of human players. Terminators are one possibility, but they're not the only one. Vehciles are another, as are exotic wargear. Also, I believe some marines can carry a device called an auspex, which works much like a motion sensor ala the movie Aliens. That could give the marines an edge.

I'll add one thing to migb's list:

4. All maps greatly favour the marine players...

Wolf has brought up an interesting point: what happens to a synapse creature's underlings when it dies?

[Wolf]

they either dispear when no1s looking, run off or maybe another synapse creature with a half alive brood can take them and make his brrod full again

[migb]

Let's have some natural behavior.
When they see an enemy there should be equal chances that they flee, attack or stand and look stupid. If they stand still, they will make their mind up once the SM starts shooting at them. They should also wander about.
A Synapse creature should be able to "redirect" the creature, no matter how many minions it already have. There is a risk that someone could collect a huge army of gaunts then, but as they should be relatively easy to kill, I don't think that will be a problem.

[Razielk]

and there is always the chance that the marine who killed the synapse creature doesnt want any critters to live so continues to kill the remaining gaunts...i know i wouldnt give them mercy!

[zenarion]

This is quite a problem actually. Personally, i'd rather see myself as a Nid warrior/fex with 20 followers: gaunts and rippers. When i march through the ruined city i see my pets swarming around me, jumping ontop boxes, climbing walls to some extent. Then, i see 10 marines walking out of a dark alley. The first thing i do, is i make my pets charge the marines, and attach them with a Venomcannon or whatever Chrome feels like giving me. The marines divide their attacks on me and the bots. after a few marines are slaughtered, but also my swarm is, i fold out my whip, my sword and my scythe tail. And take on the marines.

Yes definetly, there would be many marines versus not so many tyranid players. but i think that it's worth it. marines could get expensive classes and follow bots too. a servoscull suicide bomber would be nice to have around. and nifty powersword + combat shield combo to fight nids in CC.

[Wolf]

this is a situation where the nids survive but the synapse nid dont
the carni is walking down the street with his lil niddy mates, then atop the church tower, a dark figure emerges, he leaps from the buildings onto the carny the carny struggles to get the amrine off, the marine unloads his bolter into the carny's skull, jsut before the carny blacks out for good it swipes at the marines bolter hand taking off the marines hand the marine stumbles and falls of the back of the carny, the carny black out and falls backwards, the marine goes smush
in the end marine smushed under carny, lil gaunts standing there going wtf?