Thoughts on possible gameplay for Predator
[Thoughts: Gameplay][Thoughts: Marine][Thoughts: Alien][Discuss in Forums]
Your hunt start right after the marine and in the middle of the alien campaign. You are young hunter who is part of a great clan that is bent on chasing the humans from the “Taboo planet” which houses the crashed remains of a predator greatship that succombed to an alien infestation and still houses the hive to this day. That is until the Marine hero decided to go down there and terminate the queen, killing a few of your brothers in the process and paving the way for his brethren to get their greedy hands on your technology. But trying to follow the human fool into the damaged taboo zone, you and your brethren have got ambushed by aliens that somehow managed to survive the explosion inside the hive. Now you must free yourself from the collapsed hive, get back to your ship and let the hunt begin.
Sample missions:
· Collect trophies: Sometimes it’s that simple. Just go deep into ennemy territory and collect the skulls of your prey (including, maybe, specific targets). This objective is always active no matter what your mission is.
· Get back to ship: Captured by the aliens and brought deep inside the hive, your primary objective is to head back to your ship, which is camouflaged on the surface. Only there will you be able to extract that “thing” from you…
· Sabotage human experiments: The humans have gotten a hold of predator technology! You must end their sacreligious attempts and bring their experiments to a halt while destroying any documents they might have.
· Get the coordinates: Hack the human computers to get a hold of the position of their other outposts. Of course, destroy the opposition in the process.
· Aliens vs you: The xenomorphs have somehow gotten inside your ship! Kick them out!.
· The Hunt is on: The aliens have brought some of your kind into their hive and created a monster. The thing is now ripping humans apart inside the colony. What it doesn’t know is that you are on it’s trail and wont rest until it is dead.
Stats and stat modification:
The predator has four stats that can be augmented through level up. Whenever you start a new character (at the beginning of the game or in VS matches) you will be given 20 points to spend on those stats. You must at least have a score of 1 in each stat.
Each level gives you one extra point to spend on any of those stats. The maximum for each stat is 30. In VS matches, since there is no experience, you can pre-set the level, and thus the number of points, each player will have to generate his or her character.
Here are the four stats for pred:
· Skill: each point adds a little to your rate of attack as well as damage from combos. It also makes you run/climb/weapon change/collect trophies faster. Makes for great close range fighters
· Precision: each point adds a little to your weapons damage, auto-targeting speed, and hacking speed. Longhunters should spend a lot of points here.
· Endurance: each point adds a digit to your health meter (each digit is about 12 points in marine health). It also makes you jump a little higher, able to sustain long-distance falls, and dodge better in close combat. If you want your pred to be a walking tank, this is where to spend.
· Wisdom: each point adds a digit to your energy meter. It doesn’t mean your energy pack actually has more energy, simply that you know how to use it more efficiently. Also if you ever find AI Preds, they will act more efficiently when following you. Makes for great clan leaders and high-tek hunters.
Predator Weapons:
Now the pred''s equipement doesnt function quite the same way as the marine''s...
first of all, the pred gets his weapon either from his ship or from the pred ruins.
Second, there is no encumberance for the pred''s equipement because it is all specially designed to take the less space possible on the user. In it''s place, there is a weapon restriction system that works with stats. This works like the following:
- Each of the pred''s weapon and item is restricted to a stat’s score, only upon reaching that score can the weapon be handled.
- In addition, every weapon only gives the pred a specific percentage of his prey''s total exp. value (for instance, killing a prey with claws will give you 100% of its exp. value, while using the shoulder canon will only give you 30%)
Primary weapons:Wristblades: All preds have this regardless of their specialty. It is the basic weapon of their culture, the tool of the trade. Throughout the game, the blades can be somewhat upgraded with either offensive (laser-heated blades) or defensive (deploying shield) capacities. When equiped, these claws can allow the predator to climb (ableit very slowly and only vertically) onto some surfaces simply by running or jumping onto them. Pressing the L button while standing over a body while the wristblades are equipped will collect a trophy. They can also be used as a secondary weapon.
Requirements:You have this weapon at the begining
Skill 9 to use it as a secondary weapon
Skill 12 for laser-heated
Wisdom 15 for shielded
Exp. 100%
Can be used as a secondary weapon. Allows to climb walls. allows to collect trophies.
Combi-Stick: The hunter spear. The next step for close combat fighters. Allows for a great deal of combos. you may collect trophies with it and you may use it as a javelin if you select it in the secondary weapons menu.
Requirements: Skill 10, Endurance 8
Precision 18 for Javelin Function
Exp: 90%
can collect trophies. Secondary weapon: javelin
Naginata: The evolution of the combi-stick. This halberd is definately made for close encounters with large groops. Its large swings and long reach can take out many ennemies at the same time. you can collect trophies with it.
Requirements: Skill 20, Endurance 14
Exp: 70%
can collect trophies
Side blade: A curved blade that extends from the end under the arm. It makes for good silent kills as pressing the L button while standing next to an ennemy will slice it''s throat. You can collect trophies with it. Also, once you reach a certain level, you can equip one on each arm. It can be used as a scondary weapon, but only when equiped on one arm.
Requirements: Skill 8, Precision 8
Wisdom 12 to use as secondary weapon
Skill 16 for twin-blades
Exp: 80% (120% for a throatslice)
can collect trophies. can be used as secondary weapon.
Elder sword: A plasma heated reversed-blade sword that is the ultimate honour amongst hunters. Only the most skilled and most respected members of the clan can have access to such a prestigious weapon. Its basic attack mode is deadly enough, but its true power lies in its defensive counter-attack moves that bypass ennemy defense. The most skillful fighters tend to use it as a secondary weapon in one hand while wielding a naginata in the other (not a simple feat indeed). You can collect trophies with it.
Requirements: Skill 15, Wisdom 25
Skill 22 to use it as secondary weapon
Exp. 45% (60% for kills made in counter-attack)
Mark of respect! other predators will sometimes follow you if they see you with it! can collect trophies. Can be used as a secondary weapon.
Dartgun: This small pistol like weapon shoots little spines that present a cocktail of toxins and alkaline substances that drains a victim over a long period of time, weakening it before you go in for the kill.
Requirements: Precision 8
Exp. 0% (death from poison isnt a very honorable kill, use it to weaken your ennemy)
Netgun: Similar to the Dartgun except that it shoots an incapacitating metal-wire net that pins its victims into the nearest wall and start''s digging into its flesh (reducing it''s health). Not very efficient on aliens (which can claw their way out) but marines have to struggle. use a close combat weapon as secondary weapon for maximum effect.
Requirements: Precision 6, Wisdom 7
Exp. 0% (once again, made to weaken)
Speargun: The predator sniper''s definitive tool. It functions like the marine''s sniper rifle but is much more powerful. The spears kick the prey back several feet and sometimes rip their limbs off. This deadly weapon can be made even more deadlier for the patient hunter who learns to use it''s "powered up shot" (earned after a while) which uses up a little of your energy pack to accelerate the projectile to incredible speed. Press and hold be to charge the shot, and upon release, the spear will destroy wathever creatur it hits.
Requirements: Precision 8
Precision 16 for power up
Exp. 100%
Wrist rocket: A wrist mounted energy blaster that is used normally to repel foes. Not as powerful as the speargun but definately better at stopping charges.
Requirements: Precision 12, Endurance 8
Exp. 80%
Pistol: A small compact device located under the predators wrist that deploys into his palm. It shoots small grenade-like bursts of electro-static that are attracted to the nearest surface. It completely scrambles the marines electronical equipement but also your cloak if you''re not carefull. A direct hit will easily dismember a victim. It also is possible to upgrade its range. It consumes a whole lot of power.
Requirements: Precision 12, Wisdom 14
Wisdom 19 for range upgrade
Exp. 35%
Skinner: A combat version of the predator''s skinning device, it shoots a bundle of razor like wires that flail the air wildly in a short range in front of the pred. Anything caught in the storm is shredded alive. The problem with this weapon is that it hinders the preds mobility, as quickly turning around would send the wires flying in his direction.
Requirements: Endurance 12, Skill 12
Exp. 20%
Smart disc: This, in predator society, is known as a last restor weapon. Only when the pred has been utterly disabled that he resorts to using this. The disk hardly requires aiming at all! Once thrown it will run after watever prey it finds until it hits a wall (it can then be recalled back by pressing the R button). It can also be used in close combat (which is a more frequent use) by selecting it as a secondary weapon.
Requirements: Precision 15, Wisdom 9
Skill 7, Wisdom 13 to wield it as a secondary weapon
Exp. 10%
Can be used as a close combat secondary weapon
Secondary weapons:Plasma caster: The basic caster type. It is the preds primordial ranged weapon. Pressing and holding the R button will make the Plasma caster auto-tracks a target. Once locked-on release R to send a blast of plasma flying in your prey''s direction. You have access to the caster early on but its power increases as you get more experienced.
Requirements: Precision 5
Precision 12 for power upgrade
Wisdom 15 for another power upgrade
Exp. 30%
Hunter caster: More of a virtuose''s weapon, the huntercaster is actually less powerfull than the plasma caster, but it makes for far more honorable kills. It is always one damage category under the Plasma caster.
Requirements: Precision 5, Wisdom 12
Wisdom 18 for power upgrade
Exp. 50%
Hotbombs: Hotbombs are micro-fusion explosives that are use to litterally melt some doors or walls. You throw them using the R button , and then detonate holding the L button and pressing the R button at the same time. They dont blow as wide as the marines grenades, but their damage is tremendous.
Requirements: Skill 13, Precision 13
Exp. 40%
Wiretrap: The wiretrap is a small net of monofilaments that is almost invisible to any but the pred. Once deployed, it is like a spiderweb hanging from the ceiling (ideal to get those wall walking aliens). When a creature steps it it, the wires violently refract essentially slicing an unarmored prey to bits. It is best used in narrow passageways.
Requirements: Skill 17, Endurance 9
Exp. 65%
Special predator weapons:Self-destruct (only available in multiplayer): When things go wrong, at least you can die honorably while taking a couple of ennemies with you. The self-destruct device is directly linked to your energy storage; to more energy you have, the wider and more powerful the explosion. In VS match, this counts as a suicide, so be sure to kill as many foes as you can with it, otherwise you’ll be awarded a negative point.
Requirements: you have this at the beginning
Exp: 100% (assuming you manage to kill some)
Fists (only available when in “Honor mode”): Honor mode is a special combat mode that cand be turned on in the “Equipe” window of the menu. What this does is that the predator takes off his mask, shuts off all of his equipement and goes after his ennemie mano a mano. Needless to say you don’t wanna stay in that mode very long. However, kills made in this mode will earn you TWICE the normal experience you would get for the kill! That’s assuming you make the kill…
Requirements: Honor mode is available at the beginning
Exp: 200% (woohoo!)
Predator items:Mask vision 1: Although not quite as complex as the ones seen in the PC version of avp, the preds vision mode do have some sort of presence in AvP advance. When this item is picked it allows you to outline human ennemies, see in the dark and follow your prey’s trail.
Use: makes humans stand out and allow you to follow their movements. See in the dark.
Mask vision 2: Upon finding your dead elder’s mask, you get access to a whole new vision mode that allows you to see breakable walls, eggs containing face huggers, as well as outline aliens. It’s a key item in finding the secret part of the hive.
Use: makes aliens stand out and allows you to see breakable walls. Key item.
Sterilizing daggers: the predators have a quite violent pick on medicine. Those sharp daggers are meant to inject doses of healing substances into the preds body, while triggering a surge of adrenaline.
Use: Heals Five digits, then discarded.
Small medikit: For personnal use. Find this as soon as possible as it is a life saver; it will allow you to heal your wounds at medium rate.
Use: Heals a digit for every energy digit spent every second (sped up with Skill).
Large meditkit: In case you or a colleague are missing an arm, you can always use this supper efficiet healing device. Keep the R button held to administer treatment.
Use: Heals 3 digits for every energy digit spent every second (sped up with Skill)
Hacking device: Those puny humans try to keep you out of their paws with their primitive electronics, but you’ll show em whose got the technological edge in this corner of the galaxy!
Use: allows you to get past unopenable doors and disable various human circuits. Key Item
Skinning tool: Hmmm… if you ever encounter those “biometrically locked” doors in the research compounds, you might just need “a piece” of a scientist to open em. Otherwise you can just make skinned bodies and hang em, just for the fun of it ( and to gross out those ever-so-fragile scientists :p )
Use: capture “tissue samples” in order to pass biometric security. Can be used to create the traditionnal skinned/hanged bodies (gives you a small amount of Xp). Key Item
Energy sift: This complex device is linked to the predator’s traditionnal “wire netting” which creates a relay for all of the pred’s tools. It litteraly drains the surrounding atmosphere of it’s electrical pulses in order to replenish the energy pack. A few seconds is all it takes.
Use: fully recharge your energy pack in a matter of seconds.
Energy hook: Sorta like the grapplin hook of AvP 1, this magnetic wire allows the pred to swing over large gaps and climb with blinding speeds. It uses up a bit of your power though.
Use: swing to new locations, climb faster. Requires about one digit a second. Key item
Equipable predator items:Cloaking device: Trademark predator gadget, this thing will make you all but invisible to humans (except if they have those pesky motion trackers) but not as much to aliens. It doesn’t use up energy until you decide to attack. Then attacks that normally don’t take any energy will burn up small amouts, while attacks that do goble up energy will take up twice as much. You can “quick activate” the cloaking by pressing L and Select simultaneously.
Body Armor: You begin with a broken up body armor that you fix up once you get to your ship. It doesn’t protect anything while it is broken, but it reduces all damge by 5% once it has been. Throughout the game, you will find two other upgrades to your armor, one will upgrade it too 25% damage reduction. The other will deflect 90% of environmental damage.
Honor mode: You can activate this mode as soon as you begin playing. As mentioned in the weapons section, you can let loose of all your high-tek equipement and go at your foes primal style. Be aware that you are pretty much “naked” while this mode is active, you cannot use items.
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