QuestionableLegality
Larva
Introduction:
First off, I'd like to address the simple fact that making video games is hard, and as of right now, you've done an incredible job at both creating a fun, balanced game and cultivating a sense of realism that has set this game apart from many others. You've truly created an unparalleled game.
Suggestion #1 - Venom to Chemical Damage Type:
Though I'm guessing that many people might not catch on to this right away, the "venom" damage currently being dealt in the game actually isn't venom in the strictest sense. The chemical solution sprayed by the Formica Rufa ranged ants is actually formic acid, and dissolves the exoskeleton of the opposing ants. Venom implies that the victim was injected. Poison means that it was ingested. Seeing as how once fire ants are implemented into the game, we will see a true example of venom, the damage type cannot be acid. This is why I think the damage type should be renamed to chemical. However, as I'm assuming that most people will overlook this detail, I'm guessing that it isn't very important.
Suggestion #2 - Another Ranged Unit:
Upon first glance, One might not think that this game needs another ranged unit, and perhaps it doesn't. However, another unit option could be an AOE (Area Of Effect) attack much like the Devil's Coach Horse Beetle's spray attack that could confuse the opponents, and could be a shorter ranged attack than the ones seen by the Formica Rufa ants. Crematogaster Striatula and Formica Archboldi are good examples of something similar. With Formica Archboldi, a new ability that allows it to mimic the smell of it's opponents, allowing it to get close enough to release it's spray of acid which dissipates if it is released too far away. The scent mimicry ability could also simply be implemented as a low threat generation. With the addition of this unit (or a similar one), the game would have all three variations of ranged: a rapid fire attack, a powerful but slow AOE attack, and a short ranged acid spray AOE attack. Personally, I wouldn't be too upset if this one wasn't implemented as I think that the game is balanced as it is. However, I do think that it is worth considering.
Suggestion #3 - Driver Ants for Tier 5:
I know that you've probably received innumerable suggestions for more ants, but I'd like to input my own suggestions nonetheless. I believe that your team once already had a model for the Driver ant, which means that hopefully, adding this ant to the game will be easier. The reason why I think these ants would make an excellent addition to the game is that they have a unique physiology and behavior. Driver ants are blind, and live a semi-nomadic lifestyle with temporary nesting sites housing the colony from anywhere between a few days and a few months after which they will march in a long column to new foraging ground, killing anything they encounter along the way. Additionally, driver ants will invade the nests of termites and other ants, potentially allowing the player to conduct raids on a nest (of either ants or termites) in the main formicarium levels. As mentioned earlier, Driver ants are blind, which could lend itself to some new abilities themed around this. Some unique traits could be that the Driver ant's attacks are slower but deal a lot of damage and also slow the opponent down, "latching on" to their prey and reducing attack and movement speed marginally, the percentage of which increases exponentially the more driver ants are attacking the same target, encouraging the player to play in a way that matches how Driver ants act in the wild. This would eventually restrain the target almost completely. Perhaps this takes place as an aura of some sort. Or perhaps instead of this ability, Driver ants instead use the same ability that the Army ants have or a stronger thorns ability than the Leaf cutter ant majors have. Another way the behavior of these ants could be demonstrated could be through their sentry-like behavior, guarding foraging trails. Perhaps if the player selects the "don't collect food" option in the pheromone control box, the Driver ant majors position themselves along the foraging trail, distributing themselves evenly so as to better protect the other ants. As for stats, Driver ant majors would have low attack speed, medium health, high physical defense, medium venom defense, high damage, and medium movement speed, though of course it will be up to your team to properly balance it.
Suggestion #4 - Extra Levels:
A really fun addition to the game were the extra levels. I'd recommend you continue to make these, as they are extremely fun and create unique situations which aren't seen elsewhere in the game. Please continue to make these. 1) I'm not sure if you'd be open to using new species of ants in these extra levels, but if you are, I'd recommend having an extra level in which a colony of Asian Bullet ants or another species of ant that employs gamergates, a worker ant that has been allowed to reproduce because it is the strongest of the worker ants. In this extra level, a colony of these ants have just recently lost their gamergate, requiring a male to mate with in order to create another gamergate. In this level, you'd have a set amount of workers/soldiers that once lost, cannot be replaced. A nuptial flight is occurring in a few days, and the objective of the level is to survive until then, needing to defend themselves against an oppressive swarm of fire ants that has made it's home nearby. 2) A Formica Fusca ant colony has made it's home in a territory not far from a supercolony of Formica Rufa ants. It's nuptial flight season, and Formica Rufa reproductives are taking to the air. Unfortunately, the young Formica Fusca ant colony marks itself as a prime target for newly mated Formica Rufa ant queens. The black ant colony must defend itself against these Rufa queens while simultaneously growing in size large enough to no longer fear the supercolony not far away and to no longer be vulnerable to Formica Rufa alates that could infiltrate the colony and replace the queen.
Suggestion #5 - The "Hide" Option:
I think it's important for a computer to be able to run smoothly when running this game, and this is made difficult due to the sheer number of entities on screen at a time. I suggest there be an option to hide the minum workers from view, though the program would still be running their code. I also think a hide option should be added for the arrows that become visible through use of the pheromone markers. I think it might be nice to be able to hide these as though they are useful in certain scenarios, they are quite unsightly.
First off, I'd like to address the simple fact that making video games is hard, and as of right now, you've done an incredible job at both creating a fun, balanced game and cultivating a sense of realism that has set this game apart from many others. You've truly created an unparalleled game.
Suggestion #1 - Venom to Chemical Damage Type:
Though I'm guessing that many people might not catch on to this right away, the "venom" damage currently being dealt in the game actually isn't venom in the strictest sense. The chemical solution sprayed by the Formica Rufa ranged ants is actually formic acid, and dissolves the exoskeleton of the opposing ants. Venom implies that the victim was injected. Poison means that it was ingested. Seeing as how once fire ants are implemented into the game, we will see a true example of venom, the damage type cannot be acid. This is why I think the damage type should be renamed to chemical. However, as I'm assuming that most people will overlook this detail, I'm guessing that it isn't very important.
Suggestion #2 - Another Ranged Unit:
Upon first glance, One might not think that this game needs another ranged unit, and perhaps it doesn't. However, another unit option could be an AOE (Area Of Effect) attack much like the Devil's Coach Horse Beetle's spray attack that could confuse the opponents, and could be a shorter ranged attack than the ones seen by the Formica Rufa ants. Crematogaster Striatula and Formica Archboldi are good examples of something similar. With Formica Archboldi, a new ability that allows it to mimic the smell of it's opponents, allowing it to get close enough to release it's spray of acid which dissipates if it is released too far away. The scent mimicry ability could also simply be implemented as a low threat generation. With the addition of this unit (or a similar one), the game would have all three variations of ranged: a rapid fire attack, a powerful but slow AOE attack, and a short ranged acid spray AOE attack. Personally, I wouldn't be too upset if this one wasn't implemented as I think that the game is balanced as it is. However, I do think that it is worth considering.
Suggestion #3 - Driver Ants for Tier 5:
I know that you've probably received innumerable suggestions for more ants, but I'd like to input my own suggestions nonetheless. I believe that your team once already had a model for the Driver ant, which means that hopefully, adding this ant to the game will be easier. The reason why I think these ants would make an excellent addition to the game is that they have a unique physiology and behavior. Driver ants are blind, and live a semi-nomadic lifestyle with temporary nesting sites housing the colony from anywhere between a few days and a few months after which they will march in a long column to new foraging ground, killing anything they encounter along the way. Additionally, driver ants will invade the nests of termites and other ants, potentially allowing the player to conduct raids on a nest (of either ants or termites) in the main formicarium levels. As mentioned earlier, Driver ants are blind, which could lend itself to some new abilities themed around this. Some unique traits could be that the Driver ant's attacks are slower but deal a lot of damage and also slow the opponent down, "latching on" to their prey and reducing attack and movement speed marginally, the percentage of which increases exponentially the more driver ants are attacking the same target, encouraging the player to play in a way that matches how Driver ants act in the wild. This would eventually restrain the target almost completely. Perhaps this takes place as an aura of some sort. Or perhaps instead of this ability, Driver ants instead use the same ability that the Army ants have or a stronger thorns ability than the Leaf cutter ant majors have. Another way the behavior of these ants could be demonstrated could be through their sentry-like behavior, guarding foraging trails. Perhaps if the player selects the "don't collect food" option in the pheromone control box, the Driver ant majors position themselves along the foraging trail, distributing themselves evenly so as to better protect the other ants. As for stats, Driver ant majors would have low attack speed, medium health, high physical defense, medium venom defense, high damage, and medium movement speed, though of course it will be up to your team to properly balance it.
Suggestion #4 - Extra Levels:
A really fun addition to the game were the extra levels. I'd recommend you continue to make these, as they are extremely fun and create unique situations which aren't seen elsewhere in the game. Please continue to make these. 1) I'm not sure if you'd be open to using new species of ants in these extra levels, but if you are, I'd recommend having an extra level in which a colony of Asian Bullet ants or another species of ant that employs gamergates, a worker ant that has been allowed to reproduce because it is the strongest of the worker ants. In this extra level, a colony of these ants have just recently lost their gamergate, requiring a male to mate with in order to create another gamergate. In this level, you'd have a set amount of workers/soldiers that once lost, cannot be replaced. A nuptial flight is occurring in a few days, and the objective of the level is to survive until then, needing to defend themselves against an oppressive swarm of fire ants that has made it's home nearby. 2) A Formica Fusca ant colony has made it's home in a territory not far from a supercolony of Formica Rufa ants. It's nuptial flight season, and Formica Rufa reproductives are taking to the air. Unfortunately, the young Formica Fusca ant colony marks itself as a prime target for newly mated Formica Rufa ant queens. The black ant colony must defend itself against these Rufa queens while simultaneously growing in size large enough to no longer fear the supercolony not far away and to no longer be vulnerable to Formica Rufa alates that could infiltrate the colony and replace the queen.
Suggestion #5 - The "Hide" Option:
I think it's important for a computer to be able to run smoothly when running this game, and this is made difficult due to the sheer number of entities on screen at a time. I suggest there be an option to hide the minum workers from view, though the program would still be running their code. I also think a hide option should be added for the arrows that become visible through use of the pheromone markers. I think it might be nice to be able to hide these as though they are useful in certain scenarios, they are quite unsightly.
