All formicine ants (Formica soldiers, Camponotus, Lasius, Nylanderia) should have a high damage "spray" attack with a long cooldown, that only works in close combat. Same goes for ants that have a stinger (the sting woudl work similar to the acid attack).
Reasons:
- Realism
Now I know this isn't a #1 criteria when making a game, but even the name of these ants implies that they have formic acid, it's like the trademark of formicine ants (most of them don't use it at long range though but more like a close range acid "flamethrower"). You will get a lot of questions from people with a remote knowledge of ants why they don't have it.
- Gameplay
What would a close range acid spray attack do with Formica ereptor/fusca/rufa ants?
It would simply give them more burst damage without actually raising their DPS significantly (assuming the acid attack has something like 60 seconds cooldown), resulting in a much higher alpha damage at the start of the engagement but still the same sustained DPS when the engagement goes on for a longer time.
What would more alpha damage do with engagements and why is it a good thing?
Additional alpha damage would allow the ants to overwhelm harmless food items much quicker and more importantly it would reduce the time it takes to solve clearly one-sided engagements where one force has like twice the amount of ants over it's opponent.
It would make it much harder for a small force to just block an attacking army for eons, unless the smaller defending group is placed at a chokepoint (like a nest entrance, a tunnel, a ramp or a rock formation). This would make terrain much more important (you do not want to engage a larger army on an open flied, even less than now) and reward careful strategic planing.
One of the game's current issues is that engagements can go on forever even if one side is clearly inferior which leads to battles that are essentially decided minutes before they end. A high damage burst attack would resolve much of this issue as the much smaller force would simply be overwhelmed due to the high alpha damage of the superior attacking force.
Reinforcements - which currently just drag out the battles even more without really shifting them - would have an immediate and more visible effect on engagements as their additional alpha damage could much easier tip the balance in a stalemate.
Additionally this would also help with the balancing of the Formica rufa acid sprayers as long range support units. They would essentially remain unchanged and as a result be much more vulnerable to close combat. Without the close range burst attack the sprayers would fall very quickly if encountered without a bodyguard.
All in all I think a (not too) high damage burst attack for ants with acid glands and stingers would benefit the game a lot (not just in terms of realism) and resolve many of the issues engagements between armies of varying strength currently have.
Reasons:
- Realism
Now I know this isn't a #1 criteria when making a game, but even the name of these ants implies that they have formic acid, it's like the trademark of formicine ants (most of them don't use it at long range though but more like a close range acid "flamethrower"). You will get a lot of questions from people with a remote knowledge of ants why they don't have it.
- Gameplay
What would a close range acid spray attack do with Formica ereptor/fusca/rufa ants?
It would simply give them more burst damage without actually raising their DPS significantly (assuming the acid attack has something like 60 seconds cooldown), resulting in a much higher alpha damage at the start of the engagement but still the same sustained DPS when the engagement goes on for a longer time.
What would more alpha damage do with engagements and why is it a good thing?
Additional alpha damage would allow the ants to overwhelm harmless food items much quicker and more importantly it would reduce the time it takes to solve clearly one-sided engagements where one force has like twice the amount of ants over it's opponent.
It would make it much harder for a small force to just block an attacking army for eons, unless the smaller defending group is placed at a chokepoint (like a nest entrance, a tunnel, a ramp or a rock formation). This would make terrain much more important (you do not want to engage a larger army on an open flied, even less than now) and reward careful strategic planing.
One of the game's current issues is that engagements can go on forever even if one side is clearly inferior which leads to battles that are essentially decided minutes before they end. A high damage burst attack would resolve much of this issue as the much smaller force would simply be overwhelmed due to the high alpha damage of the superior attacking force.
Reinforcements - which currently just drag out the battles even more without really shifting them - would have an immediate and more visible effect on engagements as their additional alpha damage could much easier tip the balance in a stalemate.
Additionally this would also help with the balancing of the Formica rufa acid sprayers as long range support units. They would essentially remain unchanged and as a result be much more vulnerable to close combat. Without the close range burst attack the sprayers would fall very quickly if encountered without a bodyguard.
All in all I think a (not too) high damage burst attack for ants with acid glands and stingers would benefit the game a lot (not just in terms of realism) and resolve many of the issues engagements between armies of varying strength currently have.
