Base species of ants level up compared to gene thief

[The vegetarian ant]

as said in the title, I think the "basic" species would need to be upgraded because they are way less effective than gene thief, so in the long term, by exemple if you guys end up adding multiplayer of if we make fight two colonies, it would add diversity to make normal species a bit more of a challenge to gene thief, by example you could add a benefit in the food efficiency, like they cost less or harvest more, or they could have by default the bonuses we add in the formicarium (like having a solider being meatwall or dangerous despite not being in a gene thief colony)

 

[Buffalo981]

If there was multiplayer, I think the best two options would be gene-thief vs gene-thief, and then the other mode would give the player the choice of any species except for gene-thief.

 

[HofNerd]

If there was multiplayer, I think the best two options would be gene-thief vs gene-thief, and then the other mode would give the player the choice of any species except for gene-thief.

Perhaps future colony vs colony could also feature non-gene-thief vs non-gene-thief? The non-gene-thief species should be roughly on-par with each other?

 

[Mr_Ced]

Two out of the three species already have an advantage over the ereptor ants. Leafcutters have access to a different food source. Wood ants, or formica rufa, have the tanks.

 

[HofNerd]

Leafcutters have access to a different food source.

Unfortunately for leafcutters, they have a significantly slower economy than other ants.

The same amount of leaf (40) in small 20 leaf saplings would be: 15-5-15-5 by a media ant, giving 10 as average. (minors would have 7-7-6-7-7-6)
The woodlice would give 13 + 1/3 as average, as it takes one fewer run.
If you compare the cost in food gathered / tilecost you get:

ant / gathering rate gained per food invested / calculation
black ant soldier: 0.266 (= 13.33333 / 50)
black ant worker: 0.666 (= 13.33333 / 20)
wood ant ranged: 0.222 (= 13.33333/ 60)
leafcutter media: 0.125 (= 10 / 80)
leafcutter minor: 0.333 (= 6.66666 / 20)

(Whoa! I did not expect the gap to be that wide.)
As you can see, the black ants would have double the gathering rate gained per food invested compared to leafcutter media. Also keep in mind there are woodworms that give 25 food in one run.
Just out of curiosity I am doing the optimal gathering rates too:

black ant soldier: 0.3 (= 15 / 50)
black ant worker: 0.75 (= 15 / 20)
wood ant ranged: 0.25 (= 15/ 60)
leafcutter media: 0.1875 (= 15 / 80)
leafcutter minor: 0.35 (= 7 / 20)

For leafcutter media with 20 base gather it would be: 0.25 (= 20 / 80) getting close to soldiers of the formica ants. with carry only leafcutter workers would bring in 15 each if a media cuts for them resulting in: 0.75 (= 15 / 20) Making their gathering rate the same as that of other worker ants if you don't compensate for the media's tile cost. If you were to make media cut 20 it gives: 1.00 (= 20 / 20), but workers are significantly slowed down. So each worker's gather rate is significantly lower.

(The difference is a bit more than I expected here too.)

So the leafcutters actually have a disadvantage with their food source, as it gives them a low carry size on top of their increased cost for soldiers.

Wood ants, or formica rufa, have the tanks.

I think F. rufa are closest to F. ereptor in terms of combat strength per food invested in their economy.
The combination F. fusca soldiers + F. rufa mortars will win against F. rufa tanks + F. rufa mortars. (Tested in battle arena, 100 vs 100 with 50/50 melee/ranged)
The combination F. rufa rapidfire + F. rufa tanks will win against F. fusca soldiers + F. rufa rapidfire. (Same test as before)
The tanks survived longer in the fight with the rapidfire ants, as the black ant soldiers were killed very quickly and were unable to do much damage.

 

[NONONOOT]

maybe the wood ants could choose both rapid and mortar but ereptor would need to pick one?

 

[HofNerd]

maybe the wood ants could choose both rapid and mortar but ereptor would need to pick one?

Hmmm... That is an interesting idea...

Since F. rufa is focussed on ranged attacks that might be quite useful to adapt to changes in the type of enemies on the battlefield.
If the opponent is melee focussed, mortar ants would be preferred. (Enemy health is focussed in the melee front. High health total.)
Whereas when the opponent is ranged focussed, rapidfire ants would be better. (Enemy health more spread out. Low thealth total.)

It would probably allow the player to adapt better to things their opponents might do...

 

[Buffalo981]

non gene thief species would be quite balanced in a battle against each other imo, and even if wood ants are the strongest by a bit, that's not necessarily a bad thing in a multiplayer game mode that allows the player to chose their species.

 

[The vegetarian ant]

maybe the wood ants could choose both rapid and mortar but ereptor would need to pick one?

yeah I thought about that